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A review by craalm
The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough
5.0
This is not the kind of book that I would spot in a shop and think to buy, especially as the back of the edition that i have doesn't even tell us anything about the book and all I learned about the story before i read it came from the introduction. However, my grandma was the one who bought it for me; she said that it was one of the best books that she had read (and she read it when it was first published) and she wanted to know from me if it was actually as good as she remembered it being as she has never read it again. Well, I certainly think so. The writing is beautiful and the style of it suits the mood of the book so perfectly. The characters have time to be fully developed and, as you get to see them grow over the years (this book spans from 1915-1969), you are fully invested in them and want good things to happen for them. Also, the characters are not perfect. They each have their own little faults, but that just made me like them even more. There is no real 'good' or 'bad' character here, unless you count Luke I guess, because each character has their flaws; their good sides and their bad sides. That just makes them more human, more believable and more likeable.
The plot of the book may be a little predictable, but not in the annoying way that some books are. Even though you have the idea of what is going to happen, it never feels like the author is forcing that upon us. It feels like that is the natural turn of events for that person, or those people, and THAT is why it is slightly predictable, because there was no other option for that character. The whole story has this feeling too. That the author is not directing these characters around, but that they are living their own lives and she is merely writing it down for our pleasure. And the beautiful writing and vivid descriptions really make up for the fact that you may have an idea of the plot. Plus, it happens slowly, over time, so that it never feels rushed and too coincidental.
Overall, I'm really glad my grandma bought this book for me. I really enjoyed my time in the life of the Cleary's and, even though it may not be something i would be tempted pick out for myself, I really loved it. This is exactly why i love being recommended books because you never know what surprises or hidden gems you may find.
The plot of the book may be a little predictable, but not in the annoying way that some books are. Even though you have the idea of what is going to happen, it never feels like the author is forcing that upon us. It feels like that is the natural turn of events for that person, or those people, and THAT is why it is slightly predictable, because there was no other option for that character. The whole story has this feeling too. That the author is not directing these characters around, but that they are living their own lives and she is merely writing it down for our pleasure. And the beautiful writing and vivid descriptions really make up for the fact that you may have an idea of the plot. Plus, it happens slowly, over time, so that it never feels rushed and too coincidental.
Overall, I'm really glad my grandma bought this book for me. I really enjoyed my time in the life of the Cleary's and, even though it may not be something i would be tempted pick out for myself, I really loved it. This is exactly why i love being recommended books because you never know what surprises or hidden gems you may find.