Description of Maggie from the Thorn Birds. Book The Thorn Birds read online

Family saga

Original language: Original published: Translator:

Nora Gal

Publisher: Pages: ISBN:

Plot

The story begins in 1915 and spans half a century. The book is divided into seven parts, each of which reveals the character of one of the main characters. The plot centers on the life of the Cleary family, who have made their way from the New Zealand poor to the managers of one of the largest Australian estates, Drogheda.

Part 1. 1915-1917 Maggie

The book begins with the birthday youngest daughter, Maggie, who turns four. Describes life large family, the hard daily work of the mother of the family, Fiona, the difficulties of teaching children in a Catholic school under the command of stern nuns, the dissatisfaction of the eldest son Frank with poverty and the monotony of life. One day, Padrik Cleary (Paddy) receives a letter from his sister Mary Carson, the wealthy owner of the vast Australian estate of Drogheda. She invites him to the position of senior shearer, and the whole family moves from New Zealand to Australia.

Part 2. 1918-1928 Ralph

Part 3. 1929-1932 Paddy

During a huge fire, Maggie's father Paddy and brother Stuart die. By pure chance, on the day their bodies are transported to the estate, Ralph arrives in Drogheda. Maggie, who has temporarily forgotten her longing for her family, manages to get a kiss from him, but immediately after the funeral, Ralph leaves again. Maggie gives him a rose - the only one that survived the fire, and Ralph hides it in his pocket breviary.

Part 4. 1933-1938 Luke

Maggie continues to miss Ralph. Meanwhile, a new worker appears at the estate, Luke O'Neill, who begins to care for Maggie. Outwardly, he looks like Ralph, and Maggie first accepts his invitations to dances and then marries him. After the wedding, it turns out that Luke found himself a job as a cane cutter, and Maggie got a job as a maid in the couple's house. Maggie dreams of a child and her own home, but Luke prefers to work and save money, promising her a full-fledged family life in a couple of years. They do not see each other for months, but Maggie, using cunning, gives birth to his daughter Justina. After a difficult birth, she is ill for a long time and the owners of the house where she serves as a maid give her a trip to Matlock Island. After her departure, Luke arrives and the owner offers to visit Maggie, but Luke refuses and leaves. After this, Ralph arrives, and he is also advised to go to Maggie, posing as Luke. Ralph hesitates, but goes to Maggie. Unable to resist their attraction to each other, they spend a few days as husband and wife, after which Ralph returns to Rome to pursue his career and become a cardinal. Maggie leaves Luke and returns to Drogheda, carrying Ralph's child under her heart.

Part 5. 1938-1953 Fia

In Drogheda, Maggie gives birth to a son, Dan, a copy of Ralph, but no one doubts that his father is Luke, since the men are very similar. Only Maggie's mother, Fiona (Fia), guesses. In a conversation with Maggie, it turns out that in her youth Fiona was also passionately in love with one influential person, who could not marry her. She had a son with him, Frank, and her father gave Padrick Cleary money to marry her. Both Fiona and Maggie loved a man who could not reciprocate their feelings: Fiona's lover was concerned about his career, Ralph was devoted to the church. Maggie laughs and says that she was smarter and made sure that Dan had a name and no one would doubt his legitimate origin. Ralph arrives in Drogheda, meets Dan, but does not realize that this is his son. Maggie doesn't tell him anything. Meanwhile, World War II begins in Europe. Maggie's two brothers go to the front. Ralph, already a cardinal, finds it difficult to accept the Vatican's flexibility towards the Mussolini regime.

Part 6. 1954-1965 Dan

Maggie's children, having matured, choose their own professions. Justina is going to become an actress and leaves for London. Dan wants to become a priest. Maggie is furious: she hoped that Dan would have children, and so she would “steal” Ralph from the church. But Dan stands firm, and she sends him to Rome, to Ralph. Dan is pursuing seminary training and ordination. After the ceremony, he leaves for Crete to rest and drowns while saving two women. Maggie comes to Ralph to ask for help in negotiations with the Greek authorities and reveals to him that Dan is his son. Ralph helps her move Dan to Drogheda, performs the last rites on him and dies after the funeral.

Part 7. 1965-1969 Justina

After Dan's death, Justina finds no place for herself and seeks peace in work. She either tries to return to Drogheda, or strives to improve relations with her friend, the German Lion Hartheim. Lyon loves Justina and wants to marry her, but she is afraid of becoming attached to him and becoming vulnerable to pain and anxiety. She ends up marrying him. Maggie in Drogheda receives a telegram from her announcing her marriage. The estate has no future - her brothers did not marry and are childless, Dan died, and Justina does not want to hear about children.

Characters

Megan "Maggie" Cleary- the central character, the only daughter among a large circle of sons. In the novel she is present with early childhood until old age.
Father Ralph Raoul de Bricassart- Maggie's true love, a handsome Irish Catholic priest.
Padrick "Paddy" Cleary- Maggie’s father, a kind of simple working Irishman; died in a fire in Drogheda.
Fiona "Fia" Armstrong Cleary- Paddy's wife and Maggie's mother, a woman of aristocratic blood.
Francis "Frank" Armstrong Cleary- Maggie's older brother, Fiona's illegitimate first son. Maggie was his favorite.
Mary Elizabeth Cleary Carson- Padrika's very rich older sister; Father Ralph's benefactor, owner of Drogheda.
Luke O'Neill- Maggie's husband during an unhappy three-year marriage; Justina's father.
Dan O'Neill- Maggie and Ralph's son, Maggie's pride and joy, drowned in Greece at the age of twenty-six.
Justina O'Neill- daughter of Maggie and Luke, a smart, independent girl. After all, she is Paddy Cleary's only surviving granddaughter.
Ludwig and Anne Müller- Maggie's employers during her marriage to Luke. They become friends for life.
Bob, Jack, and Hughie Cleary- Maggie's older brothers. They all resemble Paddy and live out their unmarried days in Drogheda.
Stuart "Stu" Cleary is a calm, friendly boy who resembles his mother and is closest to Maggie at an older age.
Harold "Hal" Cleary- Maggie's cherished little brother. He dies at four years old.
James and Patrick "Jims and Patsy" Cleary- twin boys, Maggie's youngest brothers.
Ryan "Rain" Hartheim- Ralph's friend. German. Member of the West German Parliament and eventual husband of Justina.
Archbishop (later cardinal) Vittorio di Contini Vercese- Ralph's mentor, Ryan's friend.

Screen adaptation

In 1983, the novel was filmed in the format of a television series under the same title - “The Thorn Birds”.

According to research conducted by a London university, two copies of Colleen McCullough's novel The Thorn Birds are sold every minute.

Quotes from the book

“There is such a legend about a bird that sings only once in its entire life, but is more beautiful than anyone else in the world. One day she leaves her nest and flies to look for a thorn bush and will not rest until she finds it. Among the thorny branches she begins to sing a song and throws herself against the longest, sharpest thorn. And, rising above the unspeakable torment, he sings so, dying, that both the lark and the nightingale would envy this jubilant song. The only, incomparable song, and it comes at the cost of life. But the whole world stands still, listening, and God himself smiles in heaven. For all the best is bought at the price of great suffering... At least that's what the legend says. A bird with a thorn in its breast obeys the immutable law of nature; She herself does not know what kind of force makes her throw herself at the edge and die singing. At that moment when the thorn pierces her heart, she does not think about near death, she just sings and sings until her voice runs out and her breath stops. But we, when we throw ourselves with our breasts, are not thorns - we know. We understand. And still - chest on thorns. It'll be this way forever." (Colin McCullough)

“We create thorns for ourselves and don’t even think about what it will cost us. And then all we can do is endure and assure ourselves that we are not suffering in vain.”

“Just try to love a person - and he kills you. Just feel that you can’t live without someone, and he kills you.”

“The ancient Greeks believed: reckless love is a sin before the gods. And remember: if you love someone so recklessly, the gods become jealous and will certainly destroy your loved one in the prime of life. To love beyond measure is blasphemy.”

"He made a mistake. Time passed, but the pain did not subside. On the contrary, it tormented even more, turning into cold, ugly torture. Before, loneliness was faceless, and he never thought that even one person entering his life could bring him healing. Now loneliness had a name: Maggie, Maggie, Maggie..."

“Don't be upset, baby. The Lord God treated you very generously - he did not give you brains. Believe me, it’s much more convenient without them. You will never be a rival to the stronger sex."

Reading is exciting. This is the discovery of a new world, new impressions and emotions. When reading a book, we get away from our problems, empathize with the characters, and draw our own conclusions. , are different from others. They are more erudite, their emotional sphere is better developed. Today we will talk about the novel “The Thorn Birds.”

"The Thorn Birds" is very famous novel Australian writer Colleen McCullough. It was published in 1977, but is still read with great interest today. In 1983, a TV series was made based on the novel. The author didn't like it very much.

This novel is a family saga. It has everything: true and false love, betrayal, duty, betrayal, success, grief and disappointment.

Why is Colleen McCullough's novel The Thorn Birds interesting?

main character

The central character of the novel is Maggie Cleary. We met her at 4 years old. We watch her grow up, experience her problems, go through all the stages of life with her. We watch how her life goes. Maggie is a person capable of true love, but this love did not become happy.

Other characters

There are quite a lot of other characters. Maggie has many brothers. The book also describes a fairly long period of time. We will highlight only some characters.

Fiona Cleary, Maggie's mother, is a deeply unhappy woman, but she hides it well. Her image is revealed throughout the book. She lives to a ripe old age. Her example clearly shows how a person can cope with difficulties and not complain about fate.

Ralph is the love of Maggie's life. But he is a priest, so he cannot reciprocate. The author shows his tossing and mental torment. He had an excellent career, became a cardinal, but was not happy.

Dan is the son of Maggie and Ralph. The man who became a true priest wanted to devote his life to God, but died young. Dan was the only thing Maggie could take from Ralph. Ralph learned that Dan was his son only after Dan's death.

Plot

The storyline is the life of the Cleary family. First they lived in New Zealand, then in Australia. The author describes in detail their work on the pastures. It is significant that none of the brothers started a family. They left no heirs behind them.

Time frame

The action of the novel covers the time from 1915 to 1969. Each part bears the name of a hero: Maggie, Ralph, Paddy, Luke, Fia, Dan, Justina.

Meaning

Of course, the novel has a deep meaning. Each reader will determine it himself. In my opinion, the author shows true love. A love that was very real, but unhappy and forbidden. And also the ability of the heroes to withstand difficulties. In any situation, they accept all challenges with honor.

This novel is interesting and thought provoking. The book is easy to read and draws you in from the first pages. The author masterfully reveals the psychology of the characters and their actions. The novel teaches us to empathize and truly feel.

Name

There is a legend about a bird that sings only once in its entire life, but is more beautiful than anyone else in the world. One day she leaves her nest and flies to look for a thorn bush and will not rest until she finds it. Among the thorny branches she begins to sing a song and throws herself against the longest, sharpest thorn. And, rising above the unspeakable torment, he sings so, dying, that both the lark and the nightingale would envy this jubilant song. The only, incomparable song, and it comes at the cost of life. But the whole world stands still, listening, and God himself smiles in heaven. For all the best is bought only at the price of great suffering... At least that’s what the legend says.

Plot

Part 1. 1915-1917 Maggie

The book begins with the birthday of the youngest daughter, Maggie, who turns four. The life of a large family is described, the hard daily work of the mother of the family, Fiona, the difficulties of teaching children in a Catholic school under the command of stern nuns, the dissatisfaction of the eldest son Frank with poverty and the monotony of life. One day, Padrik Cleary (Paddy) receives a letter from his sister Mary Carson, the wealthy owner of the vast Australian estate of Drogheda. She invites him to the position of senior shepherd, and the whole family moves from New Zealand to Australia.

Part 2. 1918-1928 Ralph

In Australia, the Cleary family is met by the young parish priest Ralph de Bricassart. Ten-year-old Maggie, the only daughter in the family, attracts his attention with her beauty and shyness. As she gets older, Maggie falls in love with him, but they are not destined to be together, since Ralph, like any Catholic priest, took a vow of chastity (celibacy). Nevertheless, they spend a lot of time together, ride horses, talk. Mary Carson, the widow of the “steel king” Michael Carson, is unrequitedly in love with Ralph and watches his relationship with Maggie with poorly concealed hatred. Feeling that Ralph is close to giving up his dignity for the sake of the matured Maggie, Mary sets a trap for Ralph at the cost of her life: after the death of Mary Carson, her huge inheritance goes to the church, provided that the latter appreciates its humble minister Ralph de Bricassart, who becomes the sole manager of the Carson estate, and the Cleary family receives the right to live in Drogheda as managers. Now, when the possibility of a church career opens up before Ralph again, he refuses to connect his life with Maggie and leaves Drogheda. Maggie misses him. Ralph also thinks about her, but is overcome by the desire to return to Drogheda.

Part 3. 1929-1932 Paddy

Part 4. 1933-1938 Luke

Part 5. 1938-1953 Fia

Meanwhile, World War II begins in Europe. Maggie's two brothers go to the front. Ralph, already a cardinal, finds it difficult to accept the Vatican's flexibility towards the Mussolini regime. In Drogheda, Maggie gives birth to a son, Dan, a copy of Ralph, but no one doubts that his father is Luke, since the men are very similar. Only Maggie's mother, Fiona (Fia), guesses. In a conversation with Maggie, it turns out that in her youth Fiona was also passionately in love with an influential man who could not marry her. She had a son with him, Frank, and her father gave Padrick Cleary money to marry her. Both Fiona and Maggie loved a man who could not reciprocate their feelings: Fiona's lover was concerned about his career, Ralph was devoted to the church. Maggie laughs and says that she was smarter and made sure that Dan had a name and no one would doubt his legitimate origin. Ralph arrives in Drogheda, meets Dan, but does not realize that this is his son. Maggie doesn't tell him anything.

Part 6. 1954-1965 Dan

Maggie's children, having matured, choose their own professions. Justina is going to become an actress and leaves for London. Dan wants to become a priest. Maggie is furious: she hoped that Dan would have children, and so she would “steal” Ralph from the church. But Dan stands firm, and she sends him to Rome, to Ralph. Dan is pursuing seminary training and ordination. After the ceremony, he leaves for Crete to rest, where he has a heart attack on the water. Dan is dying. Maggie comes to Ralph to ask for help in negotiations with the Greek authorities and reveals to him that Dan is his son. Ralph helps her transport Dan's body to Drogheda, performs the last rites on him and dies after the funeral, admitting to himself that he had sacrificed too much for the sake of his ambitions.

Part 7. 1965-1969 Justina

After Dan's death, Justina finds no place for herself and seeks peace in work. She considers herself guilty of Dan's death: Justina initially wanted to go to Crete with Dan, but in the end she did not go there because she wanted to spend time with her German friend Lion Hartheim, with whom she was in love. The girl believes that if she had been with her brother, the misfortune would not have happened. She is either trying to return to Drogheda or trying to improve relations with Lyon. Lyon loves Justina and wants to marry her, but she is afraid of becoming attached to him and becoming vulnerable to pain and anxiety. In addition, by not responding to Lyon’s feelings, she is thus trying to atone for Dan. She ends up marrying him. Maggie in Drogheda receives a telegram from her announcing her marriage. The estate has no future - her brothers did not marry and are childless, Dan died, and Justina does not want to hear about children.

Characters

Megan "Maggie" Cleary- the central character, the only daughter among a large circle of sons. In the novel she is present from early childhood (4 years old) to old age (58 years old).
Father Ralph Raoul de Bricassart- Maggie's true love, a handsome Irish Catholic priest.
Padrick "Paddy" Cleary- Maggie’s father, a kind of simple working Irishman; died in a fire in Drogheda.
Fiona "Fia" Armstrong Cleary- Paddy's wife and Maggie's mother, a woman of aristocratic blood who is deeply unhappy, but skillfully hides it.
Francis "Frank" Armstrong Cleary- Maggie's older brother, Fiona's illegitimate first son. Maggie was his favorite; served 30 years in prison for murder.
Mary Elizabeth Cleary Carson- Padrika's very rich older sister; widow, benefactor of Ralph's father, owner of Drogheda.
Luke O'Neill- Maggie's husband during an unhappy three-year marriage; Justina's father.
Dan O'Neill- Maggie and Ralph's son, Maggie's pride and joy, followed in his father's footsteps by becoming a priest. Died of a broken heart while saving drowning bathers in Greece at the age of twenty-six.
Justina O'Neil- daughter of Maggie and Luke, a smart, independent girl. After all, she is Paddy Cleary's only surviving granddaughter.
Ludwig and Anne Müller- Maggie's employers during her marriage to Luke. They become friends for life.
Bob, Jack and Hughie Cleary- Maggie's older brothers. They all resemble Paddy and live out their days unmarried in Drogheda.
Stuart "Stu" Cleary- a calm, friendly boy who resembles his mother and is closest to Maggie in age. He received the nickname "little saint". Died in Australia due to a boar that killed him.
Harold "Hal" Cleary- Maggie's cherished little brother. He dies at four years old from croup.
James and Patrick "Jims and Patsy" Cleary- twin boys, Maggie's youngest brothers. Participated in the Second World War. Patsy (Patrick) was injured, which left him unable to have children.
Lyon "Rain" Mörling Hartheim- Ralph's friend. German. Member of the West German Parliament and eventual husband of Justina.
Archbishop (later cardinal) Vittorio di Contini Vercese- Ralph's mentor, Lyon's friend.

Screen adaptation

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Notes

Excerpt describing the Thorn Birds

To my surprise, when I got there, I couldn’t even go inside - the store was packed with people. Apparently they brought something new and no one wanted to make a mistake by being left without something new... So I stood in a long line, stubbornly not intending to leave and patiently waited until I finally received my favorite gingerbread cookies. We moved very slowly, because the room was packed to capacity (and it was about 5x5 m in size) and because of the huge “aunts and uncles” I couldn’t see anything. Suddenly, having taken the next step, with a wild scream, I flew head over heels down the rough wooden stairs and plopped down on the same rough wooden boxes...
It turns out that the owner, either in a hurry to sell a new product, or simply forgetting, left the lid of his (seven-meter deep!) basement open, into which I managed to fall. I apparently hit myself quite hard, because I didn’t remember at all how and who pulled me out of there. There were very frightened faces of people and the owner around me, endlessly asking if I was okay. Of course, I was hardly okay, but for some reason I didn’t want to admit it and I said that I would go home. A whole crowd accompanied me... The poor grandmother almost had a stroke when she suddenly saw this whole stunning “procession” leading me home...
I lay in bed for ten days. And, as it turned out later, it was considered simply incredible that I managed to get away with just one scratch after such a stunning “flight” upside down to a seven-meter depth... For some reason, the owner Schreiber came to us every day, brought a kilogram of sweets and kept asking questions. , am I really feeling well... To be honest, he looked quite scared.
Be that as it may, I think that someone definitely laid out a “pillow” for me... Someone who thought that it was too early for me to break up then. There were a lot of such “strange” cases in my then very short life. Some happened and then very quickly disappeared into oblivion, while others were remembered for some reason, although they were not necessarily the most interesting. So, for some reason unknown to me, I remembered very well the incident with the lighting of the fire.

All the neighborhood kids (including me) loved to light bonfires. And especially when we were allowed to fry potatoes in them!.. It was one of our most favorite delicacies, and we generally considered such a fire almost a real holiday! And how could anything else compare with the scorching, stunningly smelling, ash-strewn potatoes freshly fished out of a burning fire with sticks?! We had to try very hard, wanting to remain serious, seeing our waiting, intensely concentrated faces! We sat around the fire, like hungry Robinson Crusoe who had not eaten for a month. And at that moment it seemed to us that nothing could be tastier in this world than that small, smoking ball slowly baking in our fire!
It was on one of these festive “potato-baking” evenings that another “incredible” adventure happened to me. It was quiet and warm summer evening, it was already starting to get a little dark. We gathered in someone’s “potato” field, found a suitable place, gathered a sufficient number of branches and were ready to light a fire, when someone noticed that we had forgotten the most important thing - matches. The disappointment knew no bounds... No one wanted to follow them, because we had gone quite far from home. We tried to light it the old-fashioned way - rubbing wood against wood - but very soon even the most stubborn ones ran out of patience. And then suddenly one says:
- Well, we forgot that we have our “witch” here with us! Well, come on, light it up...
They often called me “Witch,” and on their part it was more of an affectionate nickname than an offensive one. So I wasn’t offended, but, to be honest, I was very confused. To my great regret, I never lit a fire and somehow it never occurred to me to do this... But this was almost the first time they asked me for something and I, of course, was not going to miss this case, and even more so, “to lose face in the dirt.”
I didn’t have the slightest idea what to do to make it “light”... I just focused on the fire and really wanted it to happen. A minute passed, then another, but nothing happened... The boys (and they are always and everywhere a little angry) began to laugh at me, saying that I could only “guess” when I needed it... I felt very offended - because I honestly tried my best. But of course, no one was interested in this. They needed results, but I didn’t have any results...
To be honest, I still don’t know what happened then. Maybe I just felt very indignant that they laughed at me so undeservedly? Or did a bitter childhood resentment stir up too powerfully? One way or another, I suddenly felt like my whole body was frozen (it would seem that it should have been the other way around?) and only inside my hands, real “fire” was pulsating with explosive shocks... I stood facing the fire and sharply threw left hand forward... A terrible roaring flame seemed to splash out of my hand straight into the fire the boys had built. Everyone screamed wildly... and I woke up at home, with very strong cutting pain in my arms, back and head. My whole body was burning, as if I was lying on a hot brazier. I didn’t want to move or even open my eyes.
Mom was horrified by my “antics” and accused me of “all worldly sins,” and most importantly, of not keeping my word given to her, which for me was worse than any all-consuming physical pain. I was very sad that this time she did not want to understand me and at the same time I felt unprecedented pride that I still “didn’t lose face in the dirt” and that I somehow managed to do what I wanted expected.
Of course, all this now seems a little funny and childishly naive, but then it was very important for me to prove that I could possibly be useful to someone in some way with all my, as they called it, “things.” And that these are not my crazy inventions, but the real reality, which they will now have to take into account at least a little. If only everything could be so childishly simple...

As it turned out, not only my mother was horrified by what I had done. Neighboring mothers, having heard from their children about what had happened, began to demand that they stay as far away from me as possible... And this time I was truly left almost completely alone. But since I was a very, very proud person, I was never going to “ask” to be someone’s friend. But it’s one thing to show, and quite another to live with it.....
I really loved my friends, my street and everyone who lived on it. And I always tried to bring everyone at least some joy and some good. And now I was alone and only myself was to blame for this, because I could not resist the simplest, harmless childish provocation. But what could I do if I myself was still just a child at that time? True, as a child, who has now begun to understand little by little that not everyone in this world is worthy of having to prove something... And even if you prove it, it still does not mean at all that the one to whom you are you prove, you will always be understood correctly.
After a few days, I completely “moved away” physically and felt quite tolerable. But I never had the desire to light a fire again. But, unfortunately, I had to pay for my “experiment” for quite a long time... At first I was completely isolated from all my favorite games and friends. It was very offensive and seemed very unfair. When I told my mother about this, my poor kind mother did not know what to say. She loved me very much and, naturally, wanted to protect me from any troubles and insults. But, on the other hand, she was also starting to feel a little scared because of what was almost constantly happening to me.
This, unfortunately, was that “dark” time when it was still “not customary” to speak openly about such “strange” and unusual things. Everything was very strictly kept within the framework of how it “should” or “shouldn’t” be. And everything “inexplicable” or “extraordinary” was categorically kept silent or considered abnormal. Honestly, from the bottom of my heart I envy those gifted children who were born at least twenty years later than me, when all these “extraordinary” abilities were no longer considered some kind of curse, but on the contrary, it began to be called a GIFT. And today no one poisons or sends these poor “unusual” children to a mental hospital, but they are valued and respected as amazing children gifted with a special talent.
My “talents” at that time, unfortunately, did not evoke such admiration among anyone around me. Once, a few days after my “scandalous” adventure with fire, one of our neighbors “confidently” told my mother that she has a “very good doctor” who deals with exactly the same “problems” as mine and if my mother wants, then she will be happy to introduce her to him. This was the first time my mother was directly “advised” to put me in an insane asylum.
Then there was a lot of this “advice”, but I remember that it was then that my mother was very upset and cried for a long time, locking herself in her room. She never told me about this incident, but a neighbor boy “initiated” me into this secret, whose mother gave my mother such precious advice. Of course, they didn’t take me to any doctor, thank God. But I felt that with my last “actions” I had crossed some kind of “line”, after which even my mother was no longer able to understand me. And there was no one who could help me, explain or simply reassure me in a friendly way. I'm not even saying - to teach...
So I “floundered” alone in my guesses and mistakes, without anyone’s support or understanding. I tried some things, I didn’t dare to do others. Some things worked out, some things worked out the other way around. And how often have I felt simply humanly afraid! To be honest, I was also still “floundering in guesses” even until I was 33 years old, because I never found anyone who could at least explain anything. Although there were always more “willing” people than needed.

The events set out in the novel “The Thorn Birds” by the famous Australian writer Colleen McCullough begin in 1915. At the center of the story is big family Cleary, who lives in New Zealand. The head of this family, Padrick Cleary, usually referred to as Paddy, is forced to earn a living for himself and his loved ones through hard physical labor, caring for sheep, his wife Fiona also works around the house from morning to evening. The six children of Padrick and Fiona, the youngest of whom is the girl Maggie, are forced to help their parents in everything from an early age; the father already makes the same demands on the eldest son, sixteen-year-old Frank, as on an adult worker, harshly punishing the teenager for the slightest mistake.

Despite poverty, the family is very friendly; the older brothers, especially Frank, protect little Maggie from all grief and troubles if possible. True, Paddy is too harsh with Frank, conflicts periodically arise between him and the young man, but the guy has to obey the will of his father.

When Maggie first goes to school at age five, she encounters a very cruel and embittered nun called Sister Agatha. On the very first day, the girl experiences serious humiliation at school, the nun mercilessly beats the little girl in front of all the other children, and from now on, virtually every school day becomes a real nightmare for Maggie, Sister Agatha does not stop poisoning her. However, the girl, in accordance with the traditions of her family, tries to endure everything steadfastly, not to cry or complain even to her family. Maggie learns patience and silence from an early age.

When does the first one begin? World War, Frank tries to run away from home to join the army, although his father strongly objects to his decision. However, the young man attempts to escape, but is quickly returned home, and the guy realizes with despair that he will have to stay with his father, for whom he feels an increasingly strong hostility. This is where the first part of the novel ends.

In the second part, Mary Carson, the elder sister of Padrik Cleary, appears for the first time in the story, who lives in Australia and is a very wealthy widow; her long-departed husband left her a huge estate called Drogheda, which brings the elderly woman considerable income. Mary has no heirs, her only son died in infancy, Mrs. Carson is no longer young and is increasingly thinking about who, after her death, the estate and all the funds she has will pass to.

In Gyllenbone, the parish where Mary Carson lives, a new priest, Ralph de Bricassart, arrives, distinguished visual appeal, charm, ability to construct a speech very beautifully and smoothly. Mary likes this young man, although she is perplexed why the management decided to exile him to such a wilderness. The widow tells Ralph that she plans to summon her brother and his entire family to Australia so that they get used to working in Drogheda and subsequently receive this estate at their disposal. The priest approves of Mary's idea, and she writes a letter to Padrick inviting him to come, although before that she had not communicated with him at all for several decades.

Paddy and his sons receive the news that they will move to Australia with great enthusiasm; life in New Zealand is becoming increasingly difficult for the family, finding any income is often almost impossible. Fiona is more reserved about Mary's proposal, but is forced to obey her husband's wishes.

When the Cleary family, exhausted from traveling on a steamship without basic amenities, arrives at their destination, they are met by the priest Ralph de Bricassart, who immediately feels affection for the sincere and hardworking men of this family, and Maggie, who was not yet ten years old at that time, literally fascinates him. Mrs. Carson behaves arrogantly and sarcastically with her relatives, demonstrating to her brother and his children that she considers them only servants. Despite this, Paddy and his sons work diligently in Drogheda, diligently mastering all the nuances of the huge farm.

Maggie, along with her brother Stuart, begins to study at a monastery school, here they treat her completely differently than in New Zealand, the teachers show attention and care to the girl, but she still feels lonely. Father Ralph gradually becomes the closest person to her, to whom Maggie almost without hesitation trusts her thoughts, feelings, and observations of the life around her.

One day, during a holiday celebration, another quarrel occurs between Paddy and Frank, and the man angrily lays out young man the truth that in fact he is not his father at all. Frank is not too surprised by his words, in the depths of his soul it had long seemed to him that this was exactly the case. The young man decides to leave home with the team of boxers, and the priest convinces Paddy that there is no need to keep the guy, they still won’t be able to live under the same roof without constant conflicts. He also insists that Padrick not reveal the whole truth to Maggie, who accidentally witnessed what happened, but did not understand everything from the conversation between her father and brother.

Next, Paddy has a candid conversation with Father Ralph, telling him the story of his marriage to Fiona. The woman came from a wealthy and respected family; her father would never have given her as a wife to a common man if the girl had not become a mother before marriage. Fiona's father offered Padrick a certain amount of money to marry his daughter and move away with her and Frank, saving the family from shame. Cleary agreed after some hesitation.

After her 72nd birthday, celebrated with great fanfare and many guests, Mary Carson no longer gets out of bed; the servants are horrified to discover that the elderly woman is dead. Father Ralph is the first to read her will and learns that the huge fortune was bequeathed not to members of the Cleary family, who worked in Drogheda for seven years virtually without rest, but to him, Ralph de Bricassart. True, Padrick Cleary and his children are given the right to live permanently on the estate and dispose of some part of the income, but this is where their capabilities are limited.

Friends persuade Paddy to contest the will, but he and his sons decide to be content with what Mary chose to leave them and not challenge her will. Ralph leaves for Rome, having received a new assignment due to his changed financial situation. Maggie is in despair because of this separation, although her father explains to her that the girl has absolutely no need to dream of a priest who will never be able to become her husband anyway.

Some time after these events, a huge fire occurs in the area, the victim of which is Padrick Cleary. During these same days, the wild boar also kills Stuart, one of his sons. Ralph de Bricassart comes to support the orphaned family, he asks Fiona to take into account that Maggie has already become quite an adult and it’s time to introduce her to young people, her mother should already think about her marriage. However, Fiona does not want to listen to his words, believing that the girl does not need to pay too much attention to anything; sooner or later she will meet her fate in any case.

Soon a new shepherd named Luke O'Neill appears in Drogheda; in appearance, he is very reminiscent of Ralph de Bricassart and this is what arouses Maggie's obvious interest. The young man plans to earn a lot of money, he is not afraid of any work, and in the future Luke is going to buy his own house. He considers Maggie a very profitable match for himself and begins to court the girl, who without hesitation agrees to his proposal, knowing that Ralph will forever remain inaccessible to her, and with Luke she will have a family and children, which she has long dreamed of.

After the wedding, Maggie learns that her husband got her to work as a servant for certain Mullers, while Luke himself intends to spend all his time on a cane plantation. The husband tells Maggie that this situation will not last long, that they need to quickly save money for a house. The young woman reluctantly agrees with his arguments, moreover, in the Muller family she is met with a sincere, cordial attitude, Maggie feels absolutely equal to the owners.

After just a short period of time, the woman feels enormous disappointment in her husband, although at first she does not dare admit to herself that her marriage turned out to be a clear mistake. Luke actually does not come to visit Maggie, not wanting to leave his plantation for at least a few days and lose his income, and besides, the man categorically does not want to have children. Maggie, believing that without a child her marriage is completely meaningless, redoubles her efforts to get pregnant, and still achieves the desired result.

The birth turns out to be extremely difficult, the young woman almost loses her life. It was at this time that Ralph de Bricassart comes to visit her, and Maggie sharply reproaches him that for men, their ambitions are much more important than the simple joys of life, such as home, family, love, children. After this, the woman goes to rest for a while on Matlock Island, and Ralph soon arrives there too.

This time, the two are still unable to resist the strongest temptation and become physically close, although the priest feels guilty for breaking his vow. Maggie dreams only of having a child from this meeting, and soon after returning to the Mullers she is convinced that her wish has come true.

The woman announces to Luke their complete breakup, that she is returning to Drogheda and will raise her daughter Justina and, possibly, another baby there. The man does not try to keep his wife; for him, spending time working on the plantation and in the company of friends is much preferable.

In the future, Maggie truly devotes herself entirely to raising Justina and her son Dan, with the help of her mother and brothers. Frank spent dozens of years in prison for a fight that ended in murder, but now he, too, finds himself at home, although he keeps himself extremely withdrawn, with almost no communication with family members. Maggie expects that her children will also take care of the estate in the future, but each of them, having matured, chooses a different path. Justina plans to become an actress, and Dan announces to his mother that he intends to become a priest.

Maggie is desperate, but she is unable to change the young man’s decisions. Dan studies at the theological seminary and then begins to serve, all this time Ralph de Bricassart watches the young man and little by little helps him, although he does not know that Dan is actually his own son. One day, a young priest goes to the island of Crete and dies at sea, preventing two women from drowning. It was at this time that a grand political upheaval begins in Greece; Maggie cannot get her son’s body given back to her, and turns to Ralph for help, finally revealing the truth to him. The elderly Cardinal de Bricassart dies of a heart attack after learning that his own son had been nearby for a number of years, and he did not even suspect it.

Justina is also taking the death of her beloved brother very hard. During this period, her old acquaintance Lyon Hartheim becomes her main support, and after some time the young woman agrees to become his wife. Having received a telegram about her daughter’s marriage, Maggie once again mentally recalls her entire life and comes to the conclusion that she does not regret anything, that she always acted as her heart told her, and now the cycle of life will have to be resumed by the next generations, and this is absolutely natural.

Covers a half-century period that begins in 1915. Each of the seven parts of the book deals with the character of one of the main characters. The book tells the story of the Cleary family, who rose from poverty in New Zealand to owning one of the largest estates in Drogheda in Australia.

The first part begins with the birth of the youngest daughter Maggie, who reached the age of four. When describing the period from 1915 to 1917. author of The Thorn Birds ( summary) describes the life and everyday life of a large family. Fiona, the mother of the family, works every day for the good of the family; under the guidance of strict nuns, the children study in a Catholic school with the ensuing difficulties; the eldest son is dissatisfied; Frank is dissatisfied with the monotony of life and poverty. But then one day a letter arrives from the sister of the father of the family, Padrik Cleary (Paddy), Mary Carson, who owns the vast Australian estate of Drogheda. She offers her brother the position of head shearer. Soon the whole family moves from New Zealand to Australia.

(1918-1928) Upon arrival in Australia, the Cleary family was met by a young priest, Ralph de Bricassart. Ten-year-old Maggie immediately attracted Ralph's attention with her shyness and beauty. Having matured a little, Maggie falls in love with Ralph, but because of his vow of chastity as a Catholic priest, Ralph cannot be with her. Although they spend a lot of time together: talking, riding horses, which caused some hostility on the part of the widow Mary Carson, who is also in love with the young priest. Ralph is Mary's heir. Having received the rank of bishop, Ralph leaves Drogheda. Although both young people yearn for each other.

(1929-1932) A great fire took the lives of Maggie's father Padrick and brother Stuart. As their bodies are being transported, Ralph arrives in Drogheda that day, but leaves again after the funeral. From Maggie he receives a gift of a rose that survived the fire.

(1933-1938) Luke O'Neill, a new worker who began to look after Maggie, appears at the estate. Soon Maggie marries him, and Luke looked like Ralph. After the wedding, Luke got a job as a cane cutter, and Maggie got a job as a maid in the house of a married couple. Maggie wants to have a child with Luke, but he is in no hurry to do so. But still, using her feminine charms, Maggie gives birth to a daughter, Justina. After a difficult birth, she falls ill and the owners of the house where she served as a maid allow her to go to Matlock Island. Even after arriving, Luke did not want to see his wife and went back to work. Then Ralph arrives. After hesitating, he goes to Maggie. They spend several days together. But soon Ralph returns to Rome again to continue his career. Maggie leaves Luke and returns to Drogheda pregnant with Ralph's baby.

(1938-1953) Maggie gives birth to a son in Drogheda, whom she names Dan, who resembles Ralph. But those around him think that this is Luke's son. Only Fiona, Maggie's mother, guessed. When talking with Maggie, it turned out that Fiona in her youth was crazy about one influential man, from whom she had a son, Frank, and who could not marry her. She then married Padrick Cleary. The lovers of both women cared about their careers. Soon Ralph arrives in Drogheda and meets Dan, unaware that this is his son. Maggie also remained silent. When World War II began in Europe, Maggie's brothers went to the front. Already being a cardinal, Ralph came to terms with the fact that the Vatican supported the Mussolini regime.

(1954-1965) Having matured, Maggie’s children began to choose professions for themselves. Justina leaves for London, planning to become an actress. Dan wants to devote himself to the church, no matter how Maggie resists it. But still he sends Dan to Ralph in Rome. After completing the ritual, he leaves for Crete and while rescuing two women, he drowns. After Maggie arrives, Ralph learns that Dan is his son and helps move his son to Drogheda.

(1965-1969) Justina copes with Dan's death, but finds solace in her work. She hesitates between returning to Drogheda and establishing a relationship with her German friend Lion Hartheim. Lyon wants to marry Justin. Still, she marries him. She notifies Maggie, who is in Drogheda, of her marriage by telegram. There are no more children in their family. And Justina doesn't want to have them either.

Description of Maggie from the Thorn Birds. Book The Thorn Birds read online

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