Themes:
Family, unrequited love, oppression of women, racial injustice, ambition, power, grief, loss, religion, nature, the Second World War and the Great Depression.
Synopsis:
Set in the outback of Australia in the early 19th century the story follows three generations of the Cleary family across a span of over 50 years. Paddy Cleary, a hard-working, honest man moves to Drogheda with his wife Fee and their children. The move is instigated by Paddy's sister Mary and no doubt improves the Cleary's lives beyond their imagination. As the family adapt to life at the sheep station and grow older, we follow them through the highs and lows of life. Whilst some members remain attached to the boundless lands of Drogheda and others are pulled across the world. In this epic family saga Meggie Cleary takes central light in her pursuit of true love for Priest Ralph de Bricassart.
Thoughts:
Despite its popularity somehow I had never come across this book, but after being gifted it and seeing it is listed as an Australian classic I couldn't wait to get started. From the opening page which quotes the 'legend of the thorn birds' I knew this book was going to be a ride of emotions but I did not anticipate the amount of tragedy! I went into this book oblivious, I had no idea who the romance occurs between or how it develops. From the multiple characters and points of view to the detailed writing it's a lengthy book. When things slowed down a little there was a huge incident which instantly pulled my full attention again. Little Meggie had my heart from the first instant, she came across as a typical sweet and innocent child just wanting to be loved. Neglected by her mother and often left alone when her brothers worked the land and animals she naturally craved love and attention. In an ever-growing family of boys, when her closest bonds with Frank and then Hal are shattered, father Ralph steps in to fill the void.
There are a lot of issues concerning religion, society and personal beliefs in this novel - some of which are present throughout but I think the essence of this story is tied to family bonds and fate. The writing style was elegant and poetic which made for easy reading which is perfect for a book of this length. I liked how the narration included plot and landscape details separate to the characters voices, it added a lot of depth and made the story very picturesque. The stunning nature and land of Drogheda sounded incredible and the extreme weather conditions were described with such precision. But I felt there was a lot that dragged on during Meggie's years with Luke with everyday being the same for Meggie there was a lot of repetition until Father Ralph stepped back in to the scene. In retrospect I do question the truth of Meggie's feelings for Ralph because her life was so small and she never allowed herself to experience feelings for anyone else without comparing them to Ralph. I feel like she held on to her idea of love and therefore limited her life - maybe if she had really let go she could have found happiness elsewhere.
I'm not really drawn to forbidden romance but then again it's all fiction and humans are humans whatever their vocation. Characters age, they change with time and feelings develop. Regardless, it was still odd to see the fatherly love evolve into a full romance even from Meggie's perspective and I can understand why other readers found it uncomfortable. Towards the end of the novel I was frustrated with both Meggie and Ralph, they were both stubborn and overly proud which ends up being their downfall. Plus it's always terrible when other characters suffer the consequences.
There are multiple other complex and interesting relationships in this book that are worth noting; Paddy and Fee, Paddy and Frank, Fee and Meggie, Meggie and her children, Justine and Dane, Justine and Rainer. I would have liked to know what happened with Luke, he was sort of forgotten about by the end where all other characters had some sort of closure. There is a lot of sadness and grief in this book, it's definitely not a comfort read.
Overall I really enjoyed reading this, it's definitely one I'll remember. A thought-provoking novel about love, family and faith. There were two things that stood out most to me; firstly history always repeats itself and secondly the fact that no amount of wealth can bring happiness if the heart, mind and soul are not content.
Rating:
4/5
Favourite Quotes:
'There are no ambitions noble enough to justify breaking someone's heart.'
'How frightening, that one person could mean so much, so many things.'
'Her tears were blinding her, the grief in her heart new, for until now she had never owned anything worth grieving for.'
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