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The Thorn Birds

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The Thorn Birds

By: Colleen McCullough
Narrated by: Greta Scacchi
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About this listen

 'Excellent' DAILY TELEGRAPH

'A true epic . . . this stunning tale has been called the Australian Gone With the Wind' DAILY MAIL

'One of the biggest-selling, most widely read books in the history of fiction' OBSERVER

In the rugged Australian Outback, three generations of Clearys live through joy and sadness, bitter defeat and magnificent triumph - driven by their dreams, sustained by remarkable strength of character and torn by dark passions, violence and a scandalous family legacy of forbidden love.

It is a poignant love story, a powerful epic of struggle and sacrifice, a celebration of individuality and spirit. Most of all, it is the story of the Clearys' only daughter, Meggie, who can never possess the man she so desperately adores - Ralph de Bricassart. Ralph will rise from parish priest to the inner circles of the Vatican . . . but his passion for Meggie will follow him all the days of his life.

A timeless epic romance - a battle between faith and the heart.©1977 Colleen McCullough (P)2007 Hachette Audio Fiction Friendship Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Romance

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All stars
Most relevant
I loved the book and thought I would enjoy listening to it but I was disappointed that this was an abridged version.

Disappointed that this was an abridged version

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some great parts of the story have been missed out in this abridged version, sad!!!

Prefer the unabridged version

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I remember the series back in the day of love and loss. So great to listen to the story again

Heartbreak at Drogheda

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I had not realised this was an abridged version, having read the Thorn Birds 3 times previously - it has always been one of my favourite books, however, I was disappointed that it was not the full version. It was read beautifully - I just wished it had been the full version.

Abridged version

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I remember seeing clips on the tv years ago when my mother was entranced by the story - and now I understand the appeal. Multi-dimensional characters and fabulous descriptions of scenery create a sense of complete immersion into the actions and emotions of the characters. Greta Scacchi's narration is smooth, modulated and engaged and an absolute delight to listen to.
Looking forward to hearing more from both author and narrator.

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