Rating: 
Summary: A Heart-rending Novel
Review: The Thorn Birds, by Colleen McCullough, begins in 1915 and spans three generations long. It is a complex story about the Cleary family that leave their home in New Zealand to live and work on a relative's extensive, Australian sheep ranch. At the ranch, the family experiences many tragedies and hardships including fires, floods, droughts, and devastating deaths of loved ones. The main character, Meggie, falls madly in love with a handsome man named Ralph. Unfortunately, Meggie is not able to marry Ralph because he is a priest. Ralph loves Meggie dearly, but has devoted his entire life to God. Throughout the novel, they experience great love and sorrow together. Meggie has children who become the third generation of the novel. The children bring her much happiness, but she still has a deep passion for Ralph in her heart. This forbidden love for Ralph will stay burning inside her soul throughout her entire life.I truly enjoyed how the author used a lot of description and detail in the novel. This description enabled me to paint vivid pictures of the beautiful, Australian land in my mind, as well as clear pictures of the many different characters' inner and outer appearances. This extraordinary love story was like an emotional rollercoaster. It twisted and turned leaving me feeling many different emotions including love, humor, sadness, anger, hate, and malice. I often found myself crying as well as laughing while I eagerly devoured every word on the page. It kept me reading and reading until the very interesting ending. I would recommend this captivating novel to anyone who is looking for a great story about life and love! I'm sure you will enjoy it just as much as I did!
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Summary: The Thorn Birds--The greatest romance novel of all time
Review: The Thorn Birds, written by Colleen McCullough, in my opinion is the greatest romance novel of all time. The character of Meggie Cleary is my favorite character in all of literature. Her strength, beauty, passion and love makes her a timeless heroine. Meggie and Father Ralph share a love story that spans many years and many heartbreaks. Even though they are not together, the book always has a undercurrent where you can feel their longing and endless love for each other, even though they are not together. In their hearts, they will be together forever.Meggie and Ralph are the Romeo and Juliet of the Australian outback- just as tortured and tragic. The miniseries was also fabulous--Richard Chamberlain and Rachel Ward make me speechless every time I see it. It is spectacular. Read The Thorn Birds and watch the series, if you are lucky enough to have the chance. You will never be the same--it's not just a book or a movie, it's an experience. Thank you Colleen McCullough, for such a wonderful story.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best books I've ever read
Review: There are several books that stand out in my mind: Lonesome Dove, Gone with the Wind, The Rise of T. Roosevelt, and The Thorn Birds. I became interested in this novel after watching the mini-series. Now they really do not make mini-series like that anymore. I loved Rachel Ward (although she's not that great an actress) and Mancini's music (famous for also writing the Pink Panther and MoonRiver songs). Read the book. If you don't like romance novels... we'll this novel isn't just about the "girl" and the priest.
Rating:
Summary: no words to describe it
Review: There really are no words to describe just how good this book is. If you haven't read this book yet, a part of you is missing. If you never have had your heart broken before, the term "heart break" will suddenly become clear. Read this book at home with a box of tissues.
Rating:
Summary: Incredible
Review: This book is my favorite novel. I watched the outstanding miniseries originally, fell in love with it, and had to purchase the book. The miniseries doesn't even come close to capturing the magnificence of this book. How could it? There is no way to capture the journey the Cleary family undertook or the life they lived in any other media except literature. The book tells the tale of the Clearly family, particularly the women, and, especially, Meggie. There is one thing that puzzles me, though. Meggie Clearly grew up on a farm and didn't understand reproduction, how babies are made -- isn't that a little far fetched? Reproduction is very important on farms.
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Summary: A timeless story of love, ambition, and struggle!
Review: This is a truly a great and classic novel. I do not bestow these oft-overused adjectives lightly. This is a story of deep, rich, and forbidden love, betrayal, tragedy, and ambition. This is a truly wonderful story set primarily in Australia, circa 1915 and then spanning several generations to the post World War II era. McCullough writes a sprawling story which primarily centers on the forbidden love between an extraordinary woman and a good but ambitious priest. This is the story of the Cleary family, originally from Ireland, who emigrate first to New Zealand, and early on, to Australia. The young Cleary daughter, Meggie, falls in love with the local Catholic priest, Ralph de Briccasart, who is a good and ambitious man who certainly does nothing to encourage this love, but who certainly returns it as he regards Meggie as the daughter he can never have. As Meggie matures, he comes to regard her in a more romantic way. A great struggle arises between this love on the one hand ("the forbidden rose") and his ambition to become a Cardinal or perhaps more, on the other. There is much, much, more to the story than this, however. The novel transports the reader to Australia, and makes that country a real place to those of us who have never been there. This is also the story of the struggles of the Cleary family, as they battle with, and come to love, the rich outback country of Australia. This is an extraordinarily authentic and moving story that any review (or at least this one) can only fail to do justice. McCullough's prose is simply outstanding, and her characters crackle with realism--they become utterly real people and the reader will become swept away with this wonderful story. The storyline never drags, and at no point does this novel ever fail to completely capture the reader's attention. This novel is not only a classic; it is a ripping good read! If you have not yet enjoyed this novel, you are in for a wonderful reading experience.
Rating:
Summary: A timeless story of love, ambition, and struggle!
Review: This is a truly a great and classic novel. I do not bestow these oft-overused adjectives lightly. This is a story of deep, rich, and forbidden love, betrayal, tragedy, and ambition. This is a truly wonderful story set primarily in Australia, circa 1915 and then spanning several generations to the post World War II era. McCullough writes a sprawling story which primarily centers on the forbidden love between an extraordinary woman and a good but ambitious priest. This is the story of the Cleary family, originally from Ireland, who emigrate first to New Zealand, and early on, to Australia. The young Cleary daughter, Meggie, falls in love with the local Catholic priest, Ralph de Briccasart, who is a good and ambitious man who certainly does nothing to encourage this love, but who certainly returns it as he regards Meggie as the daughter he can never have. As Meggie matures, he comes to regard her in a more romantic way. A great struggle arises between this love on the one hand ("the forbidden rose") and his ambition to become a Cardinal or perhaps more, on the other. There is much, much, more to the story than this, however. The novel transports the reader to Australia, and makes that country a real place to those of us who have never been there. This is also the story of the struggles of the Cleary family, as they battle with, and come to love, the rich outback country of Australia. This is an extraordinarily authentic and moving story that any review (or at least this one) can only fail to do justice. McCullough's prose is simply outstanding, and her characters crackle with realism--they become utterly real people and the reader will become swept away with this wonderful story. The storyline never drags, and at no point does this novel ever fail to completely capture the reader's attention. This novel is not only a classic; it is a ripping good read! If you have not yet enjoyed this novel, you are in for a wonderful reading experience.
Rating:
Summary: Lengthy and rambling, but worth it.
Review: This is one of my favorite novels, and the plot line is among the best: the epic of a forbidden love that flowers between a strong-willed young woman and a priest. The book sweeps you from post-World War I New Zealand, the barren Australian outback, the Vatican, and back to Australia. My only criticism was that it didn't have to spend so much time droning on and on about all the details of life in the outback. Most of us can't empathize with rabbit overpopulations, Aborigines dressed as cowboys, sheep, etc. But the book is excellent nonetheless. TTB is an utter pathos and a study in the sacrifices we make to stay true to our faith and values.
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Summary: An Epic Love Story You Won't Want To Miss!!!
Review: This is one of those books that you read and think "yes, I will read this one again one day." This story is epic in detail and spans three generations of the Cleary family.
This is really Meggie's story. She is one of the main characters that we follow as she finds love where it is least likely to grow but is unstoppable. She falls in love with Father Ralph and the feelings despite being wrong are returned. This is really a story that will have you laughing and crying. Set in Australia in 1915 Ms. McCullough writes vividly and eloquently and you will find this a hard to put down read. This is truly a classic in every sense of the word and one that I highly recommend.
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Summary: Deepest of love stories
Review: This is the deepest love story I've ever read about. More so than Romeo and Juliet, Lancelot and Guinevere, etc. The intensity is unmatched. I think it's because the beginning of their love starts so early, when Meggie is a 10 year old girl, somewhat neglected by her family. Ralph is a father figure to her for years, the only one there to care about her and help her grow up. So the foundation of the relationship is that of a vulnerable little girl and a protective man who's moved by her vulnerability. Then she becomes a beautiful young woman and their relationship is transported into another dimension. The intensity is also related to the fact that the passion has to be suppressed for so many years. Ralph has never been with a woman before, and when they finally come together because he cannot suppress his feelings any longer, it must be the most powerful experience imaginable. All that together- deep love and attraction plus denied passion festering over years and years- then finally being able to let go and express it all. It would be uncontrollable and ecstatic. I saw the miniseries before I read the book and was very moved by it. It was breathtaking. Especially the melody, which is incredibly haunting.
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