The Thorn Birds

This novel is hailed in Western literary circles as “the author’s most successful family saga and love story since The Thorn Birds.” In this book, Colleen McCullough mercilessly lashes out at the evils of human nature woven from ignorance, backwardness, and religious dogma a hundred years ago, while passionately celebrating the brilliance that erupts from trampled civilization and ravaged humanity. As one review noted: “This is a colorful story about colorful characters in a colorful time and place.” That pretty much sums up the artistic achievement of The Thorn Birds.

Alexander the Great must have lived a glorious life, and the male protagonist, Alexander Ronan, is also someone who refuses to settle for mediocrity. The hands that built Ronan City were incredibly resilient. In that era, the Industrial Revolution was in full swing—anyone whose mind could grasp the steam age would rise rapidly. What is wisdom, really? I wish I knew. Then there’s Nell, a miraculous girl who represents another tendency of the world after the turn of the century.

But a family with such extraordinary experiences—they’re truly brilliant actors. Elizabeth stayed quietly in the background yet was everywhere. Ruby seeped into everyone’s heart—some tragic, some joyful, some carefree. Ah, only from deep ravines can such remarkable people emerge. Nell is that brilliant, unmistakable Venus. Anna flashes by too quickly.

Sometimes I’m a little scared—Li feels like Ralph’s shadow.

But the author is so masterful that once you’re immersed in the book, all you want to do is absorb the miracle of the story. Those occasional first-person passages make you feel like you’ve become one of the actors in the tale. Cathartic, isn’t it?