Day #2 of the 30 Day Book Challenge

[shadowkat]

Day #2 of the 30 Day Book Challenge.

Prompt: A classic romance

Ponders.

The Thorn Birds by Colleen MCullough.

Because I'm in that sort of mood.

Also I like this quote.

“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 outcarol 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

Comments

[kaisa]

Yes, it is racist. And as such it is a good window to the way people back then thought about the world. I suppose grooming children has been acceptable in the past as well, if that's what you mean. Child marriages are still legal in some parts of the world, although mostly not in the western countries.

[kaisa]

Also I apologise if I offended you, that was not my intention.

[shadowkat]

Thank you. Not really offended, just edgy. I regretted my response so deleted it. People view books differently. We're triggered by different things. And focus on different things.

And remember them differently.

It's why its often hard to discuss things, I think. Kind of like arguing over the color of paint - which I did once with my brother. We were painting my parents basement - and argued endlessly over whether the color of the paint was creme or off-white.

[shadowkat]

I'm not sure what you are referring to? There was no child marriage in The Thorn Birds. The male romantic lead was a priest. He didn't have an affair with Meggie until she was in her mid-late 20s, and at that time he was trying to decide whether to be a priest. He chose his ambition over her. She was also, I think, married to another man at the time. So it was infidelty but not child marriage. Also it took place in the early part of the 20th Century.

I didn't find it icky because she was an adult at the time. He was never sexually involved with her as a child, nor was he attracted to the child. She had a crush on him, and they got involved when she was a woman. But he was only friendly with her as a child, and he left before anything else could happen.

I think we read different books.