The Thorn Birds

Author	Colleen McCullough
Country	Australia
Language	English
Genre(s)	Family saga novel
Publisher	HarperCollins
Publication date	April 1977
Media type	Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages	692
ISBN	ISBN 0-06-012956-5 (first edition, hardback)

The Thorn Birds is a 1977 best-selling novel by Colleen McCullough, an Australian author. In 1983 it was adapted as a television mini-series that, during its television run became the United States' second highest rating mini-series of all time behind Roots; both series were produced by television veteran David L. Wolper. Image File history File links Thorn_Bords_bookcover. ... Colleen McCullough (born 1 June 1937) is an internationally acclaimed Australian author. ... In political geography and international politics, a country is a political division of a geographical entity, a sovereign territory, most commonly associated with the notions of state or nation and government. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... The family saga is a genre of literature which chronicles the lives and doings of a family or a number of related or interconnected families over a period of time. ... A novel (from French nouvelle Italian novella, new) is an extended, generally fictional narrative, typically in prose. ... A publisher is a person or entity which engages in the act of publishing. ... HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by Rupert Murdochs News Corporation. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... ISBN-13 represented as EAN-13 bar code (in this case ISBN 978-3-16-148410-0) The International Standard Book Number, ISBN, is a unique[1] commercial book identifier barcode. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... A novel (from French nouvelle Italian novella, new) is an extended, generally fictional narrative, typically in prose. ... Colleen McCullough (born 1 June 1937) is an internationally acclaimed Australian author. ... Year 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar). ... A miniseries, in a serial storytelling medium, is a production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. ... Roots is a 1977 American television miniseries based on Alex Haleys work Roots: The Saga of an American Family, his critically acclaimed genealogical novel. ... One of the most successful and influential producers in the entertainment industry-responsible for classics such as Roots (TV miniseries), The Thorn Birds, L.A. CONFIDENTIAL, and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. ...

The mini-series starred Richard Chamberlain, Rachel Ward, Barbara Stanwyck, Christopher Plummer, Bryan Brown, Mare Winningham, Philip Anglim and Jean Simmons. It was directed by Daryl Duke. Richard Chamberlain (born March 31, 1934) is an American actor of stage and screen who became a teen idol in the title role of the television show Dr. Kildare (1961-1966). ... Rachel Ward Rachel Claire Ward, AM, (born at Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, September 12, 1957), granddaughter of the 3rd Earl of Dudley and of the cricketer Giles Baring, is an English actress (and more recently, a director) who has made most of her career in Australia. ... Barbara Stanwyck (July 16, 1907 – January 20, 1990) was an American actress of film, stage, and screen . ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Bryan Brown (born June 23, 1947 in Sydney) is an Australian actor. ... Mary Megan Winningham (born May 16, 1959) is an American film and television actress. ... Philip Anglim as Bareil Antos on Star Trek:Deep Space Nine. ... Robert Mitchum and Jean Simmons in Angel Face Jean Merilyn Simmons (born January 31, 1929 in Crouch Hill, London, England, United Kingdom) is a British actress. ...

Set primarily on Drogheda, a fictional sheep station in the Australian outback, the story focuses on the Cleary family and spans the years 1915 to 1969. Species See text. ... Station is the term for a large Australian landholding used for livestock production. ... A tourism sign post Yalgoo, Western Australia The Dingo Fence near Coober Pedy Fitzgerald River National Park in Western Australia Outback refers to remote and arid areas of Australia, although the term colloquially can cover any lands outside of the main urban areas. ... Year 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday[1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... For the Stargate SG-1 episode, see 1969 (Stargate SG-1). ...

Plot summary

The epic begins with Meghann "Meggie" Cleary, a four-year-old girl living in New Zealand in the early twentieth century, the only daughter of Paddy, an Irish farm labourer, and Fee, his harassed but aristocratic-looking wife. Although Meggie is a beautiful child with curly red-gold hair, she receives little coddling and must struggle to hold her own against her numerous older brothers. Of these brothers, her favourite is the eldest, Frank, a rebellious young man who is unwillingly preparing himself for the blacksmith's trade. He is much shorter than his brothers, but very strong; also, unlike the other Clearys, he has black hair and eyes. Meggie Cleary is the main character of The Thorn Birds, a 1977 best selling novel by Australian author Colleen McCullough. ... A blacksmith A blacksmith at work A blacksmith at work A blacksmiths fire Hot metal work from a blacksmith A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from iron or steel by forging the metal; i. ...

Paddy is poor, but has a wealthy sister, Mary Carson, who lives in Australia on an enormous sheep station called Drogheda. One day, Paddy receives a letter from Mary offering him a job on her estate. He accepts, and the whole family moves to the Outback. A tourism sign post Yalgoo, Western Australia The Dingo Fence near Coober Pedy Fitzgerald River National Park in Western Australia Outback refers to remote and arid areas of Australia, although the term colloquially can cover any lands outside of the main urban areas. ...

Here Meggie meets Father Ralph de Bricassart, a young, capable and ambitious priest who as punishment for insulting a bishop has been relegated to a remote parish in the town of Gillanbone, near Drogheda. Ralph has befriended Mary, hoping a hefty enough bequest from her to the Catholic church might liberate him from his exile. Ralph is strikingly handsome - "a beautiful man" - and Mary, who doesn't bother to conceal her desire for him, often goes to great lengths to see if he can be induced to break his vows. Ralph blandly shrugs off these attentions and continues his visits. Meanwhile, he cares for all the Clearys and soon learns to cherish beautiful but forlorn little Meggie. Meggie, in return, makes Ralph the center of her life. Father Ralph de Bricassart is a fictional priest in The Thorn Birds, a 1977 best selling novel by Colleen McCullough, an Australian author. ...

Frank's relationship with his father Paddy has never been peaceful. The two vie for Fee's attention, and Frank resents the many pregnancies Paddy makes her endure. One day, after Fee, now in her forties, reveals she is again pregnant, the two men quarrel violently and Paddy blurts out the truth about Frank: he is not Paddy's son. Long ago, Fee had been the adored only daughter of a prominent citizen. Then, she had an affair with a married politician, and the result – Frank – was already eighteen months old when her mortified father married her off to Paddy. Because he resembles her lost love, Fee has always loved Frank more than her other children. To the sorrow of Meggie and Fee, when Frank learns that Paddy is not his father, he runs away to become a boxer. Fee later gives birth to twin boys, James and Patrick (Jims and Patsy), but shows little interest in them. Shortly afterward, Meggie's beloved little brother Hal dies.

With Frank gone and Hal dead, Meggie clings to Ralph more than ever. This goes largely unnoticed because Ralph has now been her mentor for several years; however, as she ripens into womanhood some begin to question their close relationship, including Ralph and Meggie themselves. Mary Carson has also noticed their changing relationship and from motives of jealousy mingled with Machiavellian cruelty, she devises a plan to separate Ralph from Meggie by tempting him with his heart's desire - a high place in the Church hierarchy. Although her will of record leaves the bulk of her estate to Paddy, she quietly writes a new one, making the Roman Catholic Church the main beneficiary and Ralph the executor. Detail of the portrait of Machiavelli, ca 1500, in the robes of a Florentine public official Niccolò Machiavelli (May 3, 1469—June 21, 1527) was an Italian political philosopher during the Renaissance. ... An executor is a person named by a maker of a will to carry out the directions of the will. ...

In the new will, the true magnitude of Mary's wealth is finally revealed. Drogheda is not the center of her fortune as Ralph and Paddy have long believed but is merely a "hobby", a diversion from her true financial interests. Mary's wealth is derived from a vast multi-national financial empire worth over twelve million Pounds (about AU$85 million in modern terms). The sheer size of Mary's bequest will virtually guarantee Ralph's rapid rise in the church. She also makes sure that after she dies only Ralph, at first, will know of the new will – forcing him to choose between Meggie and his own ambition. She also provides for her disinherited brother, promising him and all his descendants a home on Drogheda as long as they wish. ISO 4217 Code AUD User(s) Australia, Kiribati, Nauru, Tuvalu, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, and Norfolk Island Inflation 4% (Australia only) Source Reserve Bank of Australia, June 2006 Subunit 1/100 cent Symbol $ or AUD Coins 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c , $1, $2 Banknotes $5, $10, $20, $50, $100 Central...

At Mary's seventy-second birthday party Ralph goes to great lengths to avoid Meggie, now seventeen and dressed in a beautiful rose-pink evening gown; later, he explains that others might not see his attention as innocent. Mary dies in the night; possibly by suicide. Ralph duly learns of the new will. He sees at once the subtle genius of Mary's plan and, although he weeps and calls her "a disgusting old spider" he takes the new will to her lawyer without delay. The lawyer, scandalised, urges Ralph to destroy the will, but to no avail. The bequest of twelve million pounds works its expected magic, and Ralph soon leaves to begin his rapid advance in the Church.

Before he leaves, Meggie confesses her love for him. Ralph refuses her because of his duties as a priest and begs Meggie to find someone to love and marry.

The Clearys learn that Frank has been convicted of murder after killing someone in a fight. He spends three decades in prison.

Paddy and his son Stuart are killed; Paddy dies in a lightning fire, and Stu is killed by a wild boar shortly after finding his father's body. Meanwhile, Ralph, unaware of Paddy and Stu's deaths, is on his way to Drogheda and suffers minor injuries when his plane bogs in the mud. As Meggie tends his wounds, they share a passionate kiss. Ralph remains at Drogheda only long enough to conduct the funerals.

Three years later a new ranch worker named Luke O'Neill begins to court Meggie. Although his motives are more mercenary than romantic, she marries him because he looks a little bit like Ralph. She soon realises her mistake. After a brief honeymoon, Luke, a skinflint who regards women as sex objects and prefers the company of men, finds Meggie a live-in job with a kindly couple, the Muellers, and leaves to join a gang of itinerant sugarcane cutters in North Queensland. Before he leaves, he appropriates all Meggie's savings and arranges to have her wages paid directly to him. He tells her he's saving money to buy a homestead; however, he quickly becomes obsessed with the competitive toil of cane-cutting and has no real intention of giving it up. Hoping to change Luke's ambition and settle him down, Meggie purposely becomes pregnant and bears Luke a red-haired daughter, Justine. The new baby, however, makes little impression on Luke. A skinflint was a person considered so miserly that he would even skin a flint to save something of it. ... Species Saccharum arundinaceum Saccharum bengalense Saccharum edule Saccharum officinarum Saccharum procerum Saccharum ravennae Saccharum robustum Saccharum sinense Saccharum spontaneum Sugarcane or Sugar cane (Saccharum) is a genus of 6 to 37 species (depending on taxonomic interpretation) of tall grasses (family Poaceae, tribe Andropogoneae), native to warm temperate to tropical regions... Capital Brisbane Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Quentin Bryce Premier Peter Beattie (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 28  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $158,506 (3rd)  - Product per capita  $40,170/person (6th) Population (End of November 2006)  - Population  4,164,590 (3rd)  - Density  2. ...

Father Ralph visits Meggie during her difficult labor; he has come to say goodbye, as he is leaving Australia for Rome. He sees Meggie's unhappiness for himself, and pities her. Justine proves to be a fractious baby, so the Muellers send Meggie to an isolated island resort for a rest. Father Ralph returns to Australia, learns of Meggie's whereabouts from Anne Mueller, and joins her for several days. There, at last, the lovers consummate their passion, and Ralph realizes that despite his ambition to be the perfect priest, his desire for Meggie makes him a man like other men. Father Ralph returns to the Church and Meggie, pregnant with Ralph's child, decides to separate from Luke. She spends one last night with him to disguise the unborn baby's scandalous parentage; the next morning, she tells Luke what she really thinks of him, and returns to Drogheda, leaving him to his cane-cutting.

Back home, she gives birth to a beautiful boy whom she names Dane. Fee, who has had experience in such matters, notices Dane's resemblance to Ralph as soon as he is born. The relationship between Meggie and Fee takes a turn for the better. Justine grows into an independent, keenly intelligent girl who loves her brother dearly; however, she has little use for anyone else, and calmly rebuffs Meggie's overtures of motherly affection.

Eventually, Frank is released from prison and he also returns to Drogheda; his spirit, however, is broken, and all his restless ambition is gone. None of Meggie's other brothers ever marry, and Drogheda gradually becomes a place filled with old people.

Ralph visits Drogheda after a long absence and meets Dane for the first time; and although he finds himself strangely drawn to the boy, he fails to recognise that they are father and son. Dane grows up and decides, to Meggie's dismay, to become a priest. Fee tells Meggie that what she stole from God she must now give back. Justine, meanwhile, decides to become an actress and leaves Australia to seek her dream in England. Ralph, now a Cardinal, becomes a mentor to Dane, but still blinds himself to the fact that the young man is his own son. Dane is also unaware of their true relationship. Ralph takes great care of him, and because of their resemblance people mistake them for uncle and nephew. Ralph and Dane encourage the rumour. A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually a bishop, of the Roman Catholic Church, a member of the College of Cardinals which as a body elects a new pope. ...

Dane vacations in Greece while a civil war is underway; there, he goes swimming one day and, after rescuing two women from a dangerous current, suddenly dies of a heart attack. Meggie, desperate to find his body, seeks Ralph's help. When he refuses, she reveals her trump card: Dane is Ralph's son. Ralph, now as grief-stricken as Meggie, flies with her to Greece; together, they bring their son's body back to Drogheda. Ralph dies in Meggie's arms after the funeral.

Justine, now the sole surviving grandchild of Fee and Paddy Cleary, finally accepts the advances of Rainer, a distinguished German politician who has loved her for years. They marry, but have no plans to live on Drogheda.

The book's title refers to a mythical bird that searches for thorn trees from the day it is hatched. When it finds the perfect thorn it impales itself, singing the most beautiful song ever heard as it dies.

List of Characters

• Meghann "Meggie" Cleary - The central character, the only daughter in a large family of sons. The novel takes her from early childhood to old age.

• Father Ralph de Bricassart - Meggie's true love, a handsome Catholic priest.

• Padraic "Paddy" Cleary - Meggie's father, a kind and simple laboring man.

• Fiona "Fee" Armstrong Cleary - Paddy's wife and Meggie's mother, an aristocratic woman who has come down in the world.

• Frank Cleary - Meggie's eldest brother, Fee's illegitimate first son. A favourite with Meggie and Fee both.

• Mary Cleary Carson - Paddy's immensely wealthy older sister; Father Ralph's benefactor; owner of Drogheda.

• Luke O'Neill - Meggie's husband during an unhappy three-year marriage; father of Justine.

• Dane O'Neill - Son of Meggie and Ralph, Meggie's pride and joy.

• Justine O'Neill - Daughter of Meggie and Luke, an intelligent, independent girl. At the end, she is the only surviving grandchild of Paddy and Fee Cleary.

• Luddie and Anne Mueller - Meggie's employers during her marriage to Luke. They become lifelong friends.

• Bob, Jack, and Hughie Cleary - Meggie's older brothers. They all resemble Paddy and live out their days, unmarried, on Drogheda.

• Stuart "Stu" Cleary - A quiet, kindly boy who resembles his mother and is closest to Meggie in age.

• Harold "Hal" Cleary - Meggie's cherished baby brother. He dies when he's four years old.

• James and Patrick "Jims and Patsy" Cleary - Twin boys, Meggie's youngest brothers.

• Rainer "Rain" Moerling Harheim - Friend of Ralph and eventually Dane. Member of the West German Parliament and eventual husband of Justine

Trivia

• Although the mini-series is set in Australia it was filmed in the United States. The outback scenes were filmed in southern California and the Queensland scenes were filmed on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. The Drogheda main house was a set build on the Big Sky Ranch in Simi Valley, California.

• The mountainous terrain of the southern California "outback" filming location does not resemble western New South Wales, which is predominantly level.

• The mini-series included "the most dangerous bus in Australia". Since filming took place in the US an American bus was used. In Australia, where there is right-hand drive, it would set down its passengers on the wrong side of the road.

• Drogheda, Mary Carson's sheep station in New South Wales, is named after the Irish town of Drogheda. Drogheda was the site of an infamous siege during the Irish Confederate Wars.

• A "midquel" was produced in 1996, by CBS entitled The Thorn Birds: The Missing Years which tells the story of the 19 years unaccounted for in the original miniseries

• New York Jets offensive tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson was named after the character Ralph de Bricassart.

• Rachel Ward, who was born in 1957, plays the mother of a daughter played by 1959 born actress Mare Winningham, and a son played by 1953 born actor Philip Anglim.

• Rachel Ward met her husband Bryan Brown on the set while filming the series. Brown plays Luke O'Neill who marries Ward's character, Meggie Cleary.

• Actor Bryan Brown, was actually the only Australian born cast member hired in a major role. This is not too unusual since although the series takes place in Australia, Luke O'Neill and Meggie's children were the only major characters who were Australian born. Father Ralph, Mary Carson, and Paddy Cleary were all Irish born. Fee and most of the Cleary children were born in New Zealand.

• During casting, actress Jane Seymour was considered for the role of Meggie Cleary and the role of Mary Carson was originally offered to Audrey Hepburn.

. For the urban complex straddling the United States-Mexico border, see Bajalta California. ... Capital Brisbane Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Quentin Bryce Premier Peter Beattie (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 28  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $158,506 (3rd)  - Product per capita  $40,170/person (6th) Population (End of November 2006)  - Population  4,164,590 (3rd)  - Density  2. ... Official language(s) English, Hawaiian Capital Honolulu Largest city Honolulu Area  Ranked 43rd  - Total 10,931 sq mi (29,311 km²)  - Width n/a miles (n/a km)  - Length 1,522 miles (2,450 km)  - % water 41. ... Kauai (Hawaiian IPA pron. ... Simi Valley is an incorporated city located in the extreme southeast corner of Ventura County, California, bordering the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles. ... Capital Sydney Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Professor Marie Bashir Premier Morris Iemma (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 50  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $305,437 (1st)  - Product per capita  $45,153/person (4th) Population (End of March 2006)  - Population  6,817,100 (1st)  - Density  8. ...  drive on right  drive on left In organized traffic, vehicles going in opposite directions are separated to a side of the road so they will not block each others way. ... Capital Sydney Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Professor Marie Bashir Premier Morris Iemma (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 50  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $305,437 (1st)  - Product per capita  $45,153/person (4th) Population (End of March 2006)  - Population  6,817,100 (1st)  - Density  8. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Irish Grid Reference O088754 Statistics Province: Leinster County: Elevation: 1 m Population (2006)  - Proper  - Environs    28,973[1]  6,117[1] Website: www. ... The Irish Confederate Wars were fought in Ireland between 1641 and 1653. ... City East Rutherford, New Jersey Other nicknames Gang Green, the Green and White Team colors Hunter Green and White Head Coach Eric Mangini Owner Woody Johnson General manager Mike Tannenbaum League/Conference affiliations American Football League (1960-1969) Eastern Division (1960-1969) National Football League (1970–present) American Football Conference... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... DBrickashaw Montgomery Ferguson, nicknamed Brick (born December 10, 1983 in Freeport, New York), is an American football offensive tackle for the New York Jets. ... Rachel Ward Rachel Claire Ward, AM, (born at Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, September 12, 1957), granddaughter of the 3rd Earl of Dudley and of the cricketer Giles Baring, is an English actress (and more recently, a director) who has made most of her career in Australia. ... Mary Megan Winningham (born May 16, 1959) is an American film and television actress. ... Philip Anglim as Bareil Antos on Star Trek:Deep Space Nine. ... Rachel Ward Rachel Claire Ward, AM, (born at Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, September 12, 1957), granddaughter of the 3rd Earl of Dudley and of the cricketer Giles Baring, is an English actress (and more recently, a director) who has made most of her career in Australia. ... Bryan Brown (born June 23, 1947 in Sydney) is an Australian actor. ... Meggie Cleary is the main character of The Thorn Birds, a 1977 best selling novel by Australian author Colleen McCullough. ... Bryan Brown (born June 23, 1947 in Sydney) is an Australian actor. ... Jane Seymour OBE (born Joyce Penelope Wilhelmina Frankenberg on February 15, 1951) is an English-born actress probably best known today as the star of the TV series and film Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. ... Meggie Cleary is the main character of The Thorn Birds, a 1977 best selling novel by Australian author Colleen McCullough. ... Audrey Hepburn (May 4, 1929 – January 20, 1993) was an Academy Award-winning Anglo-Dutch actress of film and theatre, Broadway stage performer, ballerina, fashion model, and humanitarian. ...

Differences between the book and movie

In the book ...

• Frank eventually returns from prison with Ralph's aid; in the miniseries he dies in prison.
• Meggie never tells Justine who Dane's father is; in the movie Meggie assumes Justine knows of Dane's paternity.
• Meggie tells Ralph of his fatherhood to force him to help her find Dane's body; in the movie she doesn't tell him until after Dane is buried on Drogheda.
• Rain visits Meggie alone; in the movie, he is with Justine on Drogheda, though she is not present for his conversation with her mother.
• Justine does not go to Greece with Dane at all; in the movie, she is in the country, but is not on the beach with him because Rain appeared.
• Dane dies in Greece of a heart attack while rescuing some people struggling in the surf; in the mini-series he drowns in the ocean while trying to rescue someone struggling in the surf.
• Fee breaks down several times; in the movie, she breaks down only once; after Paddy and Stu's funeral where she tells Father Ralph that she did love Paddy.
• Meggie and Luke are engaged after a sexual encounter in a car; in the movie they decide to get married at the borehead
• Luke tells Meggie they are getting married; in the movie, he asks her
• Stu and Meggie live with Father Ralph while they attend school in Gilly; in the movie, only Meggie lives with him.
• Meggie sleeps with Luke after she knows she is pregnant with Dane to give the impression that Luke is the father; in the movie, Meggie doesn't sleep with Luke
• Mary dies the night of her 72nd birthday, in the movie, she dies the night of her 75th birthday
• Meggie has red hair that curly and short, in the movie, she has long, wavy dark hair
• the ashes of roses party dress is very modern, in the movie it is not in style
• there are several sons, Frank, Bob, Jack, Hughie, Stuie, Hal, Jims, and Patsy; in the movie there is only Frank, Bob, Jack, Stuie, and Hal
• Ralph has a brother who is horse breeder in Ireland; in the movie Ralph states that he is the last in his family
• Justine's and Dane's childhood is taken in detail; in the movie, Justine and Dane go from early childhood to early twenties
• Meggie is seen turning four and her first childhood memories; in the movie, Meggie does not appear until she is ten
• Meggie receives a china doll from her mother; in the movie she receives a rag doll from Ralph
• only Ralph knows about Mary Carson's second will; in the movie Harry Gough, Mary's attorney, knows about it as well
• Luke has an affair with Miss Carmichael; in the movie, Luke won't even dance with her
• Ralph dies in the big house; in the movie, he dies in the garden
• Ralph and Luke never meet; in the movie they have a confrontation
• Anne eventually moves to Drogheda after Luddie dies; in the movie both Anne and Luddie just visit Drogheda
• Ralph has to explain to Meggie about her period and about what sex is; in the movie Meggie already knows about sex

External links

• Encyclopedia of Television
• Photos of the first edition of The Thorn Birds