The Thorn Birds
By Colleen McCullough
Rating 3.75/5
Genres : Australia, Vatican city, Cardinal, Romance, Generational fiction, Historical fiction
Bah. I dont know. I felt this is just an ok sort of book. The only aspect that stirred me and struck a chord with me is the all encompassing, soul level love between Maggie and Father Ralph de Bricassart. Everything else - no matter how juicy,emotional or dramatic just failed to make an impact. The story covers the lives of three generations of women of the Cleary/Armstrong family line - their cherished dreams and dashed hopes, their hurts and heartbreaks over unrequited, failed loves..their finally getting what they wanted but it not being fully enough.. well, it sounds and feels like a roller coaster. And whats more..there is plenty of repeat in the events of their lives..what has happened to the mother, happens to the daughter and so on..
Coming to the story. Maggie Cleary is brought up with a bunch of brothers in a very protected and loved family setting. Her father was a sheep shearer and when his work starts falling short due to recession and depression, they get the summons to move to Australia to look after his sister's huge estate Drogheda. The family moves there..meets the parish father Ralph who is taking care of affairs at Drogheda and he feels an instant connection to Maggie. He practically brings her up shielding through several familial breakups, guiding her like a surrogate mother in matters of the feminine and being there for her in all her turmoil and pains. His love for her is his one weakness and his true strength for in a world where she existed he was content to be there too. For Maggie also it's the same feeling but she understands that she could never make a man of the church her husband. So she goes and marries someone with the same looks as Ralph - only he cares little for her other than to have her as a consort. After putting up with this failed and sham marriage, she unites with Ralph on a vacation and begets his baby. Having a representation of him with her, she gives up everything and returns back to Drogheda. From here, her children take over the main roles and I felt it somehow lacked the ethereal quality which Ralph and Maggie possessed with their love..the kids and their engagements even if tried to be elevated to such heights just felt juvenile.
Anyways, this is my opinion. I would love to just read the parts with Ralph and Maggie again if possible..so as to connect to that core of me which years for just this kind of subliminal 💘 love.
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