Colleen McCullough (1937–2015)
Author of The Thorn Birds
About the Author
Colleen McCullough was born on June 1, 1937 in Wellington, New South Wales, Australia. She attended Holy Cross College and the University of Sydney. She wanted to pursue a career in medicine but had an allergic reaction to the antiseptic soap that surgeons use to scrub. She decided to study show more neuroscience and established the department of neurophysiology at the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney before working as a researcher and teacher at Yale Medical School for ten years. Her first novel, Tim, was published in 1974 and was adapted into a movie starring Mel Gibson. During her lifetime, she wrote 25 novels including The Thorn Birds, An Indecent Obsession, A Creed for the Third Millennium, The Ladies of Missalonghi, the Masters of Rome series, and Bittersweet. The Thorn Birds was adapted into a U.S. television mini-series in 1983, which won four Golden Globe awards. She died after a long illness on January 29, 2015 at the age of 77. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Series
Works by Colleen McCullough
The First Man in Rome / The Grass Crown / Fortune's Favorites / Caesar's Women / Caesar (1998) 26 copies
1996 6 copies
Uccelli di rovo : condensato di : "The thorn birds" di Colleen Mccullogh ; I giovedì della signora giulia : condensato di : "I giovedì della signora Giulia" di Piero Chiara — Author — 3 copies
The October Horse, Vol. I 3 copies
The October Horse, Vol. II 3 copies
Crueldade a Nu 1 copy
CÉSAR ET CLÉOPÂTRE 1 copy
The Birthday Present 1 copy
Tvismadarak 1 copy
Die Dornenvögel Collection 1 copy
P©Łssaros feridos 1 copy
CORONA DE HIERBA LA 1 copy
Tim 1 copy
Associated Works
Reader's Digest Condensed Books 1987 v03: Bolt / The Night Lives On / The Choice / The Ladies of Missalonghi / Night of the Fox (1987) — Author — 26 copies
Reader's Digest Auswahlbücher 159 - Bittere Medizin. Die Ladies von Missalonghi. Der Tunnel. Meine Zeit mit Anne Frank (1977) 13 copies
Reader's Digest Condensed Books: The Long Kill • The Ladies of Missalonghi • Exodus Genesis • Just Another Kid (1989) — Author — 3 copies
Het Beste Boek 90: Domineeskinderen / De bewonderaar / De doornvogels / De Cheetahs 2 copies, 1 review
Het Beste Boek 138: Storm over Schouwen / Doodsangst / Missy / Met dodelijke afloop (1989) 2 copies, 1 review
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- McCullough, Colleen
- Legal name
- McCullough, Colleen Margaretta
- Other names
- McCullough-Robinson, Colleen
- Birthdate
- 1937-06-01
- Date of death
- 2015-01-29
- Gender
- female
- Education
- University of Sydney
Holy Cross College, Woollahra, Australia - Occupations
- neurophysiologist
novelist
researcher
teacher - Organizations
- New York Academy of Sciences
American Association for the Advancement of Science
Yale Medical School, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
Great Ormond Street Hospital - Awards and honors
- Order of Australia (Officer, 2006)
Australian Living Treasure (1997)
Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement (1978) - Agent
- Michael V. Carlisle (InkWell Management Literary Agency)
- Relationships
- Robinson, Ric (spouse)
- Short biography
- Colleen McCullough was born in Wellington, an outback town in Australia. Her family life was somewhat rough, her mother being rather aggressive toward her and burning any manuscripts of Colleen's she found. In adulthood, McCullough attempted to become a surgeon, but developed an allergic reaction to the surgical soap and switched to neuroscience. After several years working abroad, she received a position at the famed Yale University. It was during this time that she wrote Tim and her most famous novel, The Thorn Birds. Her success forced her to retire from teaching, and she eventually settled on the isolated Norfolk Island, where she lives with husband Ric Robinson, a descendant of the Bounty mutineers.
In recent years, McCullough has completed numerous novels, including the controversial The Independence of Mis Mary Bennet, her Masters of Rome series, and several stand along works. She is a National Living Treasure of Australia and still uses a typewriter to complete her novels. - Cause of death
- renal failure
- Nationality
- Australia
- Birthplace
- Wellington, New South Wales, Australia
- Places of residence
- Norfolk Island, Australia
New Haven, Connecticut, USA
London, Middlesex, England, UK
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia - Place of death
- Norfolk Island, Australia
- Burial location
- Emily Bay Cemetery, Norfolk Island, Australia
- Map Location
- Australia
Members
Discussions
ANZAC Author Reading Challenge- February 2015- Cate Kennedy & Maurice Shadbolt in 75 Books Challenge for 2015 (March 2015)
New book "The Independence of Mary Bennett" - any thoughts? in I Love Jane Austen (June 2010)
Reviews
A list of illustrations at the beginning essentially gives up the entire plot; reader beware, if your aim is to learn Roman history the fun way. I skipped past those and was subjected to an unlikely story full of traitors, massacres, madness and chaos that nobody would ever believe if the author wasn't so closely adhering to actual history. McCullough operates under some serious self-imposed constraints, the toughest being that she is forced to kill off her characters with the timing and show more manner of their actual deaths. That could be disastrous to the entertainment factor if not accounted for, and she accounts for it by making the right people sympathetic. Drusus unexpectedly became a new favourite of mine, and some earlier favourites less so.
The first book was good but I liked this sequel even better, probably because I had the correct expectations going in. The dialogue didn't feel as silly (even when it was silly), and the setting drew me in just as effectively despite her spending less time on it. There are sufficient events in this one volume to fill up two more of equal size, but McCullough has a schedule to keep and packs it all in, thick and fast - maybe a bit too fast in places, particularly during a certain complicated siege. In other places she can't help shoveling in more research than she strictly needs to. Several of Mithridates' scenes border on farce, especially his conversation with the high priest of Cos about the Egyptian royal family (the silliest dialogue bar none).
Good outweighs the bad, sewing everything together better than any textbook lesson can and placing the reader in all the best scenes at the right times, whether it's a battlefield or a dinner conversation. Possibly the closest thing to time travel back to this rough-and-tumble period that you're ever going to (or would ever want to) get. show less
The first book was good but I liked this sequel even better, probably because I had the correct expectations going in. The dialogue didn't feel as silly (even when it was silly), and the setting drew me in just as effectively despite her spending less time on it. There are sufficient events in this one volume to fill up two more of equal size, but McCullough has a schedule to keep and packs it all in, thick and fast - maybe a bit too fast in places, particularly during a certain complicated siege. In other places she can't help shoveling in more research than she strictly needs to. Several of Mithridates' scenes border on farce, especially his conversation with the high priest of Cos about the Egyptian royal family (the silliest dialogue bar none).
Good outweighs the bad, sewing everything together better than any textbook lesson can and placing the reader in all the best scenes at the right times, whether it's a battlefield or a dinner conversation. Possibly the closest thing to time travel back to this rough-and-tumble period that you're ever going to (or would ever want to) get. show less
*** ITA/ENG ***
Colleen McCullough con questa sua opera rende piena giustizia al concetto: ho letto fanfiction migliori (ma di molto!). Mi si è affacciato il dubbio che ci sia della parodia di genere da qualche parte nel libro, ma purtroppo resta solo un dubbio.
Nota bene: Jane Austen mi piace il giusto, non penso che sia sacrilegio toccare i suoi libri con meno che guanti di seta, né che sia la fine del mondo se un suo personaggio dice qualcosa di più spinto di "accipuffolina!" se gli cade show more un martello sull'alluce.
Tuttavia, quando leggo un romanzo che dovrebbe essere seguito, spin-off o simili di un altro romanzo che apprezzo, mi aspetto che sia (1) scritto bene (2) coerente con l'ambientazione e i personaggi originali (3) faccia qualcosa di interessante con i suddetti.
Qui solo il primo punto è centrato a metà (ma c'è anche una traduzione di mezzo per cui non so quanto sia colpa dell'autrice). Per il resto... tristezza.
Piccolo excursus per spiegare la mia delusione con la gestione del personaggio: innanzitutto brutta, Mary Bennet, non lo è mai statase non nella serie BBC degli anni '90, già nell'ultimo film è tornata solo 'dimenticabile' . Nel romanzo viene descritta come 'plain' ('normale', come del resto lo è Charlotte, l'amica di Elizabeth che sposa il pastore borioso). La sua sfortuna è avere due sorelle maggiori molto belle (quante di noi sarebbero 'brutte' se avessero come sorella Scarlett Johansson?), ma soprattutto un carattere del cavolo: è boriosa, triste e con la testa piena di frasi fatte.
Mary Bennet in questo libro è invece una banale "gnocca che nessuno si filava perché aveva i brufoli", a cui piace fare battutacce che scandalizzano le sorelle (perché è emancipata&moderna). In più vuole salvare i poveri e scrivere libri (emancipata&moderna #2), ma ovviamente... senza un uomo non è in grado di fare nulla di concreto (emancipata&moderna #3).
Di contro gli altri personaggi, per darle un risalto di cui non ha bisogno (ti sta già sulle balle abbastanza così), vengono demoliti a mazzate sui denti. Purtroppo, oltre a vite tristi e nuove e mortificanti personalitàcredo che il peggio del facepalm sia Darcy che crede il figlio gay perché non vuole fare il militare, quando nel romanzo originale ha sì un cugino ufficiale, ma per sé stesso preferisce la carriera di 'gentiluomo ricco' (d'altronde è pieno di soldi, chi glielo fa fare?) non viene aggiunto niente che dia loro un minimo di spessore.
Un nulla di fatto quindi, con premesse interessanti trasformate in un triste e anonimo romanzetto rosa.
**************
I do not have any mystical adoration for Jane Austen's books, I don't think the world is going to end tomorrow if they aren't treated with silk gloves. In fact, I picked this book because I liked the idea of a story centering around the unremarkable middle sister Mary Bennet.
However, when reading a sequel or a spin-off of an established work, I expect it to be (1) well written (2) coherent with the original setting and characters (3) at the same time makes something interesting with them.
This book started promising and then utterly failed in favour of the classic, trite romance-erotica book where the protagonist is gorgeous-just-in-need-of-a-makeover, with a supposed 'very modern mentality' (which limits itself to sex jokes, since to do anything relevant se still needs to be saved by a man).
Of course, in case we don't hate her already, she has to be better than anyone else, included, of course, her sisters, so Jane and Elizabeth need to be trapped in miserable lives with... some morons with weird personalities? Of course, the abuse will not count in the end and everyone will be happy again because plot (logic is overrated). show less
Colleen McCullough con questa sua opera rende piena giustizia al concetto: ho letto fanfiction migliori (ma di molto!). Mi si è affacciato il dubbio che ci sia della parodia di genere da qualche parte nel libro, ma purtroppo resta solo un dubbio.
Nota bene: Jane Austen mi piace il giusto, non penso che sia sacrilegio toccare i suoi libri con meno che guanti di seta, né che sia la fine del mondo se un suo personaggio dice qualcosa di più spinto di "accipuffolina!" se gli cade show more un martello sull'alluce.
Tuttavia, quando leggo un romanzo che dovrebbe essere seguito, spin-off o simili di un altro romanzo che apprezzo, mi aspetto che sia (1) scritto bene (2) coerente con l'ambientazione e i personaggi originali (3) faccia qualcosa di interessante con i suddetti.
Qui solo il primo punto è centrato a metà (ma c'è anche una traduzione di mezzo per cui non so quanto sia colpa dell'autrice). Per il resto... tristezza.
Piccolo excursus per spiegare la mia delusione con la gestione del personaggio: innanzitutto brutta, Mary Bennet, non lo è mai stata
Mary Bennet in questo libro è invece una banale "gnocca che nessuno si filava perché aveva i brufoli", a cui piace fare battutacce che scandalizzano le sorelle (perché è emancipata&moderna). In più vuole salvare i poveri e scrivere libri (emancipata&moderna #2), ma ovviamente... senza un uomo non è in grado di fare nulla di concreto (emancipata&moderna #3).
Di contro gli altri personaggi, per darle un risalto di cui non ha bisogno (ti sta già sulle balle abbastanza così), vengono demoliti a mazzate sui denti. Purtroppo, oltre a vite tristi e nuove e mortificanti personalità
Un nulla di fatto quindi, con premesse interessanti trasformate in un triste e anonimo romanzetto rosa.
**************
I do not have any mystical adoration for Jane Austen's books, I don't think the world is going to end tomorrow if they aren't treated with silk gloves. In fact, I picked this book because I liked the idea of a story centering around the unremarkable middle sister Mary Bennet.
However, when reading a sequel or a spin-off of an established work, I expect it to be (1) well written (2) coherent with the original setting and characters (3) at the same time makes something interesting with them.
This book started promising and then utterly failed in favour of the classic, trite romance-erotica book where the protagonist is gorgeous-just-in-need-of-a-makeover, with a supposed 'very modern mentality' (which limits itself to sex jokes, since to do anything relevant se still needs to be saved by a man).
Of course, in case we don't hate her already, she has to be better than anyone else, included, of course, her sisters, so Jane and Elizabeth need to be trapped in miserable lives with... some morons with weird personalities? Of course, the abuse will not count in the end and everyone will be happy again because plot (logic is overrated). show less
"The Thorn Birds" remains one of the most haunting tales of forbidden love ever written. The title draws on the ancient myth of a bird that sings only once in its life. But when it does it pours out the most beautiful song on earth as it impales itself on a thorn. In its death, it triumphs over agony, creating a melody more moving than the nightingale’s or the lark’s. A song at the very peak of existence. In much the same way, young Meggie Cleary and Father Ralph de Bricassart willingly show more embrace the sharpest of thorns: a love that brings with it both rapture and unbearable pain. McCullough’s message is clear: what is most beautiful in life often comes at the highest cost.
First published in 1977, "The Thorn Birds" is a sweeping 600-page family saga about the Irish Cleary clan carving out a life in the harsh Australian outback. Critics at the time dismissed it as “too ambitious for a woman,” not knowing that McCullough had penned the manuscript in her breaks from conducting neurophysiology experiments at Yale. That blend of discipline and passion is evident in every page: her prose is rich, her storytelling immersive, and her characters unforgettable.
The Thorn Birds is more than a love story. It's a novel about sacrifice, resilience, and the devastating beauty of desire. A true modern classic that continues to resonate with each new generation of readers. show less
First published in 1977, "The Thorn Birds" is a sweeping 600-page family saga about the Irish Cleary clan carving out a life in the harsh Australian outback. Critics at the time dismissed it as “too ambitious for a woman,” not knowing that McCullough had penned the manuscript in her breaks from conducting neurophysiology experiments at Yale. That blend of discipline and passion is evident in every page: her prose is rich, her storytelling immersive, and her characters unforgettable.
The Thorn Birds is more than a love story. It's a novel about sacrifice, resilience, and the devastating beauty of desire. A true modern classic that continues to resonate with each new generation of readers. show less
An extremely fascinating novel, compelling and very pleasant to read. Above all I liked that it makes you immerse fully in the atmosphere of 2100 years ago Rome, and yet it seems that it's talking about us, now, here: in more than 2000 years many things have changed, but human nature remained the same, and with it the relationships and the way of managing the policy.
A reading that I really needed, even if unfortunately it took a lot to finish it, it was a page-turner. I don't know how much I show more will be able to resist before I'll buy the next one in this saga!
Un romanzo estremamente affascinante, avvincente e assai piacevole da leggere. Soprattutto mi è piaciuta quella caratteristiche che amo più di tutti nei romanzi di questo tipo: ti fa immergere pienamente nell’atmosfera della Roma di 2100 anni fa, eppure sembra parlare di noi, adesso, qui. Diceva Tomasi di Lampedusa che bisogna cambiare tutto perché nulla cambi, ed è questo l’effetto che fa questo romanzo: in più di 2000 anni sono cambiate tante cose, ma la natura umana è rimasta sempre la stessa, e con essa le relazioni e il modo di gestire la politica. I demagoghi che incitano la folla promettendole quello che vuole per raggiungere i propri scopi non sono molto diversi dai politici di oggi, così come i senatori che rubano e fanno di tutto per proteggere i loro privilegi.
Una lettura che mi ci voleva proprio, anche se purtroppo c’ho messo parecchio a finirla mi ha tenuta avvinta alle pagine. Cercherò di rispettare il mio proposito di smaltire la TBR list, ma non so quanto resisterò prima di comprare il prossimo di questa saga!
http://www.naufragio.it/iltempodileggere/20465 show less
A reading that I really needed, even if unfortunately it took a lot to finish it, it was a page-turner. I don't know how much I show more will be able to resist before I'll buy the next one in this saga!
Un romanzo estremamente affascinante, avvincente e assai piacevole da leggere. Soprattutto mi è piaciuta quella caratteristiche che amo più di tutti nei romanzi di questo tipo: ti fa immergere pienamente nell’atmosfera della Roma di 2100 anni fa, eppure sembra parlare di noi, adesso, qui. Diceva Tomasi di Lampedusa che bisogna cambiare tutto perché nulla cambi, ed è questo l’effetto che fa questo romanzo: in più di 2000 anni sono cambiate tante cose, ma la natura umana è rimasta sempre la stessa, e con essa le relazioni e il modo di gestire la politica. I demagoghi che incitano la folla promettendole quello che vuole per raggiungere i propri scopi non sono molto diversi dai politici di oggi, così come i senatori che rubano e fanno di tutto per proteggere i loro privilegi.
Una lettura che mi ci voleva proprio, anche se purtroppo c’ho messo parecchio a finirla mi ha tenuta avvinta alle pagine. Cercherò di rispettare il mio proposito di smaltire la TBR list, ma non so quanto resisterò prima di comprare il prossimo di questa saga!
http://www.naufragio.it/iltempodileggere/20465 show less
Lists
The Trojan War (1)
BBC Big Read (1)
BBC Top Books (1)
Formative books (1)
Guilty Pleasures (1)
Gen X Library (1)
Women's Stories (1)
Comfort Reads (1)
Big Jubilee List (1)
Female Author (2)
Favourite Books (2)
THE WAR ROOM (1)
1970s (1)
al.vick-series (1)
Austenland (1)
Antigua Roma (1)
Awards
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Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 72
- Also by
- 9
- Members
- 30,216
- Popularity
- #663
- Rating
- 3.9
- Reviews
- 603
- ISBNs
- 1,224
- Languages
- 26
- Favorited
- 70
