Thorn Birds

Rating:
Summary: A classic for many generations to come...
Review: I felt like the last person on the planet to have read The Thorn Birds, and I was probably right :) Every single member in my bookclub strongly urged me to read this (and watch the movie). I was very much rewarded. What a great story, what richly woven characters. I fell in love with Fee, Meggie and Justine. What struck me was that although the men were supposedly the strong members of a household, the women in this story were truly the backbone of Drogheda. I look forward to reading other books by McCullough.

Rating:
Summary: Best Book Ever Writen!!
Review: I read this book last summer at first I couldn't get into it, but once I did I couldn't put it down. It was a very sad beautful story I think everyone should read. And I'm only 15 years old!

Rating:
Summary: What a GREAT book!
Review: I just finished reading "The thorn birds" for the 4th time (twice in Russian and twice in English), my eyes are still full of tears... The story of Meggie is so incredible and SO sad at the same time. She is such a strong woman, I don't think I can ever be like her. This book always makes me think about my life and people I love. I highly recommend "The thorn birds" for anyone who's looking for a good book to read. .

Rating:
Summary: Thorn Birds; Review
Review: This novel is one of tragedy, romance, and the undaunting human spirit. It is a richly woven tale somewhat reminiscint of 'A Tree Grows In Brooklyn'. Set in the Australian outback, it follows the Cleary family through drought, flood and death, focusing mainly on the lone daughter, Meggie. Meggie falls in love with a Catholic priest, who in turn must reject her or risk breaking his vows. It is a must-read for anyone interested in Australia, for it offers a behind-the-scenes look at the true Outback life from the 1920's right up through the 60's. I loved this book.

Rating:
Summary: Real Life Pales in Comparison...
Review: I am not a fan of romance novels, however, a few years ago, my Mother asked me to read her favorite novel as a favor to her. She was so certain that I would like it. That novel was The Thorn Birds. From the first page, it was the most breathtaking story I have ever read. I was fascinated by Ralph's fascination with Meggie. I am a Catholic and have often pondered the vow of celebacy. There love for each other seemed to transcend age, time, and even God... Every triumph and tragedy of the Cleary family brought tears to my eyes. The ultimate triumph-of Meggie carrying Ralph's child was incredibly powerful. On the back of the book a reviewer said "Real Life Pales in Comparison". I couldn't agree more! Many thanks to my Mother and Grandmother who introduced me to their favorite book. I cannot wait to introduce my daughter to my favorite book...

Rating:
Summary: wow
Review: I first read this book when i was in the seventh grade and not a year has gone by when i don't read it. This novel has everthing immaginable from love to death, religion to war, the possibilities are endless. Meggie has a quality about her that makes her one of the strongest women i have ever read about. A MUST READ!

Rating:
Summary: A BEAUTIFUL, BELIEVABLE LOVE STORY
Review: This was one of the most beautiful love storys I ever read. Ralph and Meggie's story was portrayed by two fantastic actors in the TV special, and the acting could not be surpassed. The story was very believable - even though it centered around a priest's worldly problems. Every time it is on TV, I make sure I dont't miss it. I highly recommend this book which, in my opinion, is a better read than Gone With The Wind. A book that it's impossible to put down.

Rating:
Summary: I only wish there were more stars
Review: I had to read this book for an English assignment in school, and I have to say, this is an excellent book. Once I started I couldn't stop. One of my all time favorites. I don't really have alot of books to recommend to people but this one is the one that I will tell friends about for a long time! Go and read it. It's EXCELLENT!

Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Family Saga
Review: The Thorn Birds is a wonderful family saga, which is just what I think the author intended it to be. The TV miniseries and the wonderful performances given by Richard Chamberlain, Rachel Ward and Bryan Brown have caused many to focus on one aspect of the book and discard many others, although just as important. I do, however, find two problems with the book. The final section is a major letdown, as the character of Justine is simply not strong enough or developed enough to evoke much empathy from readers. The second problem concerns the character of Father Ralph and his motivations. The author lets us know that Ralph is power hungry regarding his status in the Catholic Church, but she never lets us know why. As a result, we can't identify with his conflicts nor understand his choice of the Church over Meggie. Ralph comes across as far more power-mad than religious and I, for one, wanted to know why. I wanted to know more about him and his background, more about what made him who he is. Not letting us know Ralph was McCullough's big mistake and the book suffers greatly for it.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting point of veiw....
Review: I enjoyed this book for the fact that I felt that it depicted reality. I think that no matter how much we try to disillusion ourselves, this was very correct at portraying a typical, yes typical, family. I see examples every day of people that have the same qualities as all the characters in the book. Meggie can't let go, or just doesn't want to, Fee can't either. She can't forget about Frank or Frank's father. The only character that I think was rather weak was Dane. Nobody is like that. He was just too perfect. Sadly enough I was rather glad at his end.