The Thorn Birds

Frustratingly good at times / the webs one weaves for themselves through pride and greed and not communicating! But in the end. The mourning isn't for the characters it's for their lack of foresight in the what could have Been's

I thought that it was a well-written and engaging novel that gave a glimpse of life in the Australian sheep and cattle development in Australia. The interplay of the characters was real and suspenseful.

What was given can be taken away swiftly and eternally. Do not tempt faith for what is given must be given back. Ashes to ashes and dust to dust. A book once read is one never to be forgotten but to be read again and again. Forever and ever..

Excellent story. I still see Richard Chamberlain as Ralph de Bricassart from the old tv mini series. The book was better. Enjoyed the
descriptions of places I will never get to see. Story moves nicely.

The story-telling talent exhibited by Colleen McCullogh is something to behold. At the end of the book you will feel the need to sit quietly, to savor the end of the story, and to marvel at the idea of Drogheda and it's inhabitants.

I never watched the series and always wondered what all the fuss was about. The book is very entertaining and I recommend it to anyone looking for an interesting read that is set in Australia. The book is well written and most enjoyable. I also bought the audio book so I could keep the book moving while in the car.

Amazing read and recommended by my daughter; I never watched the series as I thought it was all about a priest getting in trouble; not so at all; great story about lives in a hard country; wonderful plot with interactions of characters that bring them into your life.

Excellent story. I still see Richard Chamberlain as Ralph de Bricassart from the old tv mini series. The book was better. Enjoyed the
descriptions of places I will never get to see. Story moves nicely.

The story-telling talent exhibited by Colleen McCullogh is something to behold. At the end of the book you will feel the need to sit quietly, to savor the end of the story, and to marvel at the idea of Drogheda and it's inhabitants.

I never watched the series and always wondered what all the fuss was about. The book is very entertaining and I recommend it to anyone looking for an interesting read that is set in Australia. The book is well written and most enjoyable. I also bought the audio book so I could keep the book moving while in the car.

Amazing read and recommended by my daughter; I never watched the series as I thought it was all about a priest getting in trouble; not so at all; great story about lives in a hard country; wonderful plot with interactions of characters that bring them into your life.

I enjoy the sweeping tale that last decades. Watching characters as children, to see how they came to be who they are as "their" part of the story reaches the climax, fascinates me. Growth and change told in time spans that make sense, seen rather than related -- it's a rich way to be able to tell a story.

The Thorn Birds is a painful story. In my mind, I am plagued by what-ifs. What if Ralph had not fallen into Mary Carson's well-crafted web? What if he had done what he perhaps should have done after reading the second will? What if Meggie hadn't married? What if her husband had been fantastic instead of otherwise?

What if Fee had, like, invested herself in her daughter as well as her sons?

I was immersed in Australia all day yesterday, even knowing how it would end (as I did see the mini-series) and it was still captivating.

This will be a re-read forever kind of book, even though the principal characters are, by and large, people I want to shake and dictate to. I guess that means they've been well-crafted. :)

Was an interesting story with many layers but some of the layers were of no interest to me. I am an avid reader and love thrillers and all types of fiction, especially historical. This book takes place in New Zealand and Australia and the history related to those areas wasn't interesting to me. If someone does have interest in those places than this book would most definitely be entertaining but just wasn't to me.

This story is so deep and touching. The character development is phenomenal, and you learn that one never really knows what goes inside anyone's head. Everyone has flaws, even the most "perfect" amongst us.

This book is the ultimate long love story it takes through for generations of family all hurt my love because people make choices that are tough.. Haven't we all made the tough ones
must read for love story fanatics

Love this book! So incredible to read after seeing parts of the miniseries years ago but not really remembering any of it. Left so many surprises in the book. Now I will have to watch the miniseries this summer!

I had seen The Thorn Birds on television many years ago and loved it, but I had never read the book until now. I have to say that I loved the book more. Ms. McCullough crafts her words so that you almost can't stop reading. Wonderful!