My favorite book (1) The Thorn Birds

The popular 1983 ABC mini-series "The Thorn Birds" starred Rachel Ward, left, and Richard Chamberlain. / Korea Times file

By Do Je-hae

The Thorn Birds by Australian novelist Colleen McCullough (1937-2015)

A few weeks ago, I was sad to learn that the 'The Thorn Bird's author Colleen McCullough had died after a long illness.

The news of her passing was a reminder of how much I had enjoyed reading her signature work ‘The Thorn Birds’ as a teenager. As people become older, they tend to lose touch with the special books of their youth. Although I was deeply attached to the novel, I had not read it in a long time.

When McCullough’s death was reported in the media, I suddenly had an urge to read the ‘The Thorn Birds’ again. I had bought several copies of the book since my first encounter with the book in the early 1990s.

My very first copy of the novel was purchased during a visit to a used bookstore in Montreal, a city that was about two hours drive from where I was living at the time. I lost this copy so I bought another one at the Kyobo Bookstore in central Seoul several years later.

I first learned about ‘The Thorn Birds’ on TV. Before going to bed during a vacation in New York, I turned on the TV and accidentally saw a re-run of the 1983 ABC miniseries ‘The Thorn Birds.’ I caught the Matlock Island scenes, where Father Ralph de Bricassart finally gives in to his love for the lovely Meggie Cleary, who has pined for him since childhood. During a vacation on the island, they consummate their love. The scenes in the TV series were beautiful. The Matlock Island part in the book is even more gripping.

As a teenager, the love story between Meggie and the noble priest did not really interest me. I loved the book more for McCullough’s brilliant writing.

The character that truly fascinated me was Meggie’s daughter Justine born out of a loveless marriage with a selfish lumberjack named Luke O'Neill. I loved Justine for her feistiness. I admired how she became her own person and went after her goal as an actress despite uncertain circumstances.

Above all, Justine was brave. She was brave in the face of her beloved brother Dane’s death and brave to seek a career as a theater actress in London when she didn’t know if there was any future in it for her. I wanted to be like her. This explains why my English name is Justine.

After ‘The Thorn Birds,’ I was so impressed with McCullough that I started to collect her books. She is mainly known around the world for the ‘Thorn Birds.’ For me, she is also remembered as a novelist who was passionate about Roman history. I especially enjoyed the first few books of her ‘Masters of Rome’ series ­ The 1990 “The First Man in Rome” and the 1991 “The Grass Crown.”

I also bought some of her works from the 1970s-80s, including the “Tim;” “A Creed for the Third Millennium;” “The Ladies of Missalonghi.” I still treasure the memories of these books.

May McCullough rest in peace.

The writer is the The Korea Times culture and sports editor.