Description: Reading Adventurers Book Club will be discussing “The Thorn Birds” by Colleen McCullough“ Thursday, July 19Time:6:30 PM
Day: Third Thursday
Location: Hollins Branch Library
Contact: Ann/Marni
Phone: 857-5043

 

Back in the day, when TV miniseries were all the rage, I got caught up in “The Thorn Birds.” I loved the series, and when I found out it was adapted from a book, I had to get my hands on it.

 

My mom, also a fan of the series, bought me a green hard bound edition with gold lettering from the local used book store, my first officially ‘nice’ book. I treasured it.

 

Sadly, I never finished reading it. I was fairly young at the time and my attention span wasn’t what it is now– the book is 704 pages after all. And back then it was more fun to watch the love affair on rented videos than read the latter half of the book. But I do still have the book prominently displayed in my living room, and I do still treasure the story, not so much for the total, but for the legend. There are very few books with openings as awesome as the legend that appears before the book starts.

 

“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.”
― Colleen McCullough, The Thorn Birds

 

Have you read “The Thorn Birds?” Please share your opinion.