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Susan's Reviews's Reviews > The Thorn Birds
The Thorn Birds
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I read this after I watched the excellent TV series starring Richard Chamberlain. Both the series and the book were utterly amazing. The following epigraph at the beginning of the novel gives you a hint of what is to come.
Read the book AND watch the first series, adapted from the book. (The second season of the series was a bust, unfortunately. All the characters were terribly miscast in the second season and it was just dreadful, sadly.)
There is a legend about a bird which sings just once in its life, more sweetly than any other creature on the face of the earth. From the moment it leaves the nest it searches for a thorn tree, and does not rest until it has found one. Then, singing among the savage branches, it impales itself upon the longest, sharpest spine. And, dying, it rises above its own agony to out-carol the lark and the nightingale. One superlative song, existence the price. But the whole world stills to listen, and God in His heaven smiles. For the best is only bought at the cost of great pain.... Or so says the legend.
Read the book AND watch the first series, adapted from the book. (The second season of the series was a bust, unfortunately. All the characters were terribly miscast in the second season and it was just dreadful, sadly.)
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Reading Progress
Finished Reading
March 18, 2019
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January 25, 2021
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January 25, 2021
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John
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rated it 5 stars
May 01, 2021 01:53AM
Susan, I loved the book and the series, when I arrived in Sydney 35 years ago, I had only read this book and seen Crocodile Dundee the night before I flew out of Aukland to come here. I was disappointed there were no kangaroos hopping on the tarmac at the airport. But I never forgot this book and it will always have a special place in my life.
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A classic! Another book I wish I read before the series. Going on TBR list!
Glad you enjoyed Susan. I haven’t read this one. Or watched the series.
John wrote: "Susan, I loved the book and the series, when I arrived in Sydney 35 years ago, I had only read this book and seen Crocodile Dundee the night before I flew out of Aukland to come here. I was disappo..."This note cracked me up!
Another great series that I loved from Down Under was The Shiralee. That little girl was a great actress, and she was full of pluck. I read the book as well, but the TV series was amazing - or so I thought at the time.
Now, if you come to CANADA, you sometimes MIGHT find dear and other wildlife on the runways - particularly geese! We have many large natural parks in the suburbs of Toronto (where I live), and the coyotes, fox and deer often come out onto the city streets in the late evenings. Toronto is not actually as "wild" as all that, but we do tend to let "Nature be Nature" so long as they keep to their side of the fence!
I did love the Thornbird books very much. I also read Tim, and enjoyed it, but I was very young at the time. Didn't think much of the movie adaptation of that book Stay well, John!
John wrote: "Susan, I loved the book and the series, when I arrived in Sydney 35 years ago, I had only read this book and seen Crocodile Dundee the night before I flew out of Aukland to come here. I was disappo..."Kaceey wrote: "Glad you enjoyed Susan. I haven’t read this one. Or watched the series."
Kaceey, I hope you get the chance to watch the series until you've read the books. The first season of the series was spectacular.
The second season was just awful.
I loved Colleen McCullough as a teen. My goodness, so many years ago!
Stay well, Kaceey!
Laurem wrote: "A classic! Another book I wish I read before the series. Going on TBR list!"I read this a few decades ago, when I was in my late teens or early twenties! Where did all the years go?!!!
Oh, I loved the series, but I never read the book. I'll have to fix that, although I kind of wish I'd read it before watching. Beautiful story, I'm glad to see you enjoyed the book as much as the series😊
Starla wrote: "Oh, I loved the series, but I never read the book. I'll have to fix that, although I kind of wish I'd read it before watching. Beautiful story, I'm glad to see you enjoyed the book as much as the s..."The books were amazing. I was really upset when - after the spectacular first series, they came up with that totally botched second series, but by then I had read them before the second series came out. Keep in mind that the books were written in the late 70's so there will be a fair amount of thinking that won't "jive" with current attitudes. Still, McCullough was a wonderful writer.
Susan's Reviews wrote: "Starla wrote: "Oh, I loved the series, but I never read the book. I'll have to fix that, although I kind of wish I'd read it before watching. Beautiful story, I'm glad to see you enjoyed the book a..."Oh, yes, the second series was a huge disappointment. And not to worry - I've read my fair share of Johanna Lindsey's books🤣
Starla wrote: "Susan's Reviews wrote: "Starla wrote: "Oh, I loved the series, but I never read the book. I'll have to fix that, although I kind of wish I'd read it before watching. Beautiful story, I'm glad to se..."I hear you about Johanna Lindsey. I used to read her books as well. Nothing can compare to the stupidity of the Rosemary Rogers books. Her heroines were forever being raped and the treatment of those rapes was so cavalier. We used to pass her books (and several other "bodice rippers") around in high school but I refused to read any more Rosemary Rogers titles after the first few. Just made me squirm, really, how wrong that attitude was. Thank goodness things have changed - but not by much. All of this BDSM - I've read a few, including the Grey series, but I am so totally not into that. I don't want to hurt anyone, even with their consent!
Susan's Reviews wrote: "Starla wrote: "Susan's Reviews wrote: "Starla wrote: "Oh, I loved the series, but I never read the book. I'll have to fix that, although I kind of wish I'd read it before watching. Beautiful story,..."Oh, I haven't read Rosemary Rogers, they eeem pretty violent, and even Johanna's books make me cringe in restrospect.
I'm ok with BDSM personally, although I prefer a mild D/s dynamic, instead of a full on BDSM relationship, but I realise it's not for everyone. I still don't read it a lot because...well it's the hot new thing, and most of the time it's not well written/researched, so reading it gets exhausting😅
Starla wrote: "Susan's Reviews wrote: "Starla wrote: "Susan's Reviews wrote: "Starla wrote: "Oh, I loved the series, but I never read the book. I'll have to fix that, although I kind of wish I'd read it before wa..."I totally agree with you, Starla. I enjoy a good romance, but I prefer a good story around the steamy scenes. I love d Julia Gabriel's latest series set in North Carolina. Just wonderful stories that ticked off all of the boxes!
Susan's Reviews wrote: "Starla wrote: "Susan's Reviews wrote: "Starla wrote: "Susan's Reviews wrote: "Starla wrote: "Oh, I loved the series, but I never read the book. I'll have to fix that, although I kind of wish I'd re..."I don't think I've read anything by Julia Gabriel, I'll have to check it out. Thanks for the rec! 😊
Susan's Reviews wrote: "John wrote: "Susan, I loved the book and the series, when I arrived in Sydney 35 years ago, I had only read this book and seen Crocodile Dundee the night before I flew out of Aukland to come here. ..."Susan, I was actually moving to the Yukon before that fell through and I ended up in Sydney (I was moving from Hawaii believe it or not) so I'm sure wildlife abounded. Never read the Shiralee, but may be worth visiting. I do enjoy old and new Aussie books (as well as Canadian ones)
John wrote: "Susan's Reviews wrote: "John wrote: "Susan, I loved the book and the series, when I arrived in Sydney 35 years ago, I had only read this book and seen Crocodile Dundee the night before I flew out o..."Wow, the Yukon - I like my alone time (all avid readers do!) but that is a tad TOO isolated for me, and I need more sunnier days than the Yukon provides.
As for the book, The Shiralee, I won't say that I loved the book. I watched the TV series first, then had to beg my friends in the Toronto Public Library system to interloan this book so I could read it. The story is, of course, interesting, but characterization was a bit patchy. Buster was the best drawn character. The rest were mostly caricatures. Still, always worth a read, if you can find the book. I usually look on Open Library (free to join and use)
https://openlibrary.org/
Or the Gutenberg Press:
https://www.gutenberg.org/
But you probably already know about these two sites.
Happy reading.
Susan
Susan's Reviews wrote: "John wrote: "Susan's Reviews wrote: "John wrote: "Susan, I loved the book and the series, when I arrived in Sydney 35 years ago, I had only read this book and seen Crocodile Dundee the night before..."Thanks heaps Susan, I guess reading about dry, sunny and hot Australia can be a blessing (or not) during a Toronto winter. I did spend four years in Burlington Vermont and can't say I miss the winters (loved them in short bursts, but snowing still in May, nup). Pretty glad I ended up in Sydney versus the Yukon myself.
I’ll definitely have to check this out after reading the reviews I enjoyed reading your thoughts on it, Susan 🌸
Tara wrote: "I’ll definitely have to check this out after reading the reviews I enjoyed reading your thoughts on it, Susan 🌸"Thanks Tara! Let me know if you enjoy this golden oldie.
I've been thinking of rereading this series. Sometimes that works, but I have been finding lately that reading old favourites that you enjoyed more than 20 and 30 years ago can sometimes end up being a disappointment. What seemed innovative then can come across - in these no holds barred days - as underwhelming. Maybe it is best to just kept my fond memories? Happy reading,
Tara!
I remember the original mini-series. It was one of those TV events that everyone was watching and talking about the next day, and I enjoyed it.
I‘ve watched the Thorn birds countless times, and oh my.. I always cry my eyes out. Think it‘s time for a rewatch 🤔Don‘t even get me started on the book. It was soo good!
