Book Review 2:- The Thorn Birds

I think this was my first try at the non-thriller genre. And I found it very long. This 1977 book basically tells the story of Meghan Meggie Cleary; as a girl, as a lady and also as an old lady! The story starts when she is 4 years old and ends when she is 60!

The story revolves around relationship and also the temperament of different kinds of people. Meggie lives in a poor family with her parents and brothers. The way she is brought up is shown beautifully. Then, the family shifts to Australia. The Drogheda farm in Australia is described marvelously. A character comes up; a priest Father Ralph de Bricassart in the church who adds salt to the story! From the beginning it is clear he will play an important role in the story and the way his gradual involvement in the story is shown is amazing.

However, many a times you feel the story is stretched. Just think of these- you learn that Meggie is 4 years old in the starting pages of the book. And when her daughter is also 4 years old you are not at the last pages of the novel. A great deal of patience is required to read this book!

The one thing I like most about the novel is the descriptions of the society. It is superb. The church or the events inside the bedroom (!), you got to admire how the author handled it. The author Colleen McCullough has a grip on the story that is remarkable, though at times it reminds me some of the Indian serials; going on and on, with the goal (of ending) never in sight.

 If you are not the kind of person who has not tried family saga novels, then there is a chance that you might find this one boring. But please do remember that everyone’s taste is different! It has a great deal of cultural and social richness. It might be that of the food, the kind of dresses people wear in such regions or even the personality of the people; the details are too explicit to be missed.