That being said, I read pretty advanced books starting before most people are required to read them. I read Of Mice and Men in elementary school. If you've read it, you know how mature it is. I read today's review book for the first time in 6th grade. If a 6th grader told their teacher now that they read this book, they'd probably get suspended from school and CPS would be called on their parents. But I could handle it back then. My brain processed it appropriately.
This is a picture of my copy of The Thorn Birds. It has been gently loved and reread numerous times over the years. This particular copy was printed in 1977 and it's probably one of my most prized possessions.
It's more than a smutty romance novel though. This is a saga of a family in New Zealand and takes place starting in 1915. The story spans over generations and shows the will of a family to be strong through heartbreak after heartbreak. It's a love story, tortured and forbidden; validating the fact that in the very simplest of terms: The heart wants what the heart wants.
As I said last week, making a book into a movie is hit or miss. With an amazing cast, the movie adaptation of this book is astounding. With classic actors like Richard Chamberlain (Dr. Kildare, more recently I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry) and Bryan Brown (Cocktail, Australia, Along Came Polly), it's a beautiful interpretation of a story that I love.
Due to the intense emotional and psychological storyline and some graphic sex and violence, I don't recommend it for the average young girl. Probably 16 or even older.
Whether by DVD or book, I hope you enjoy this incredible love story!
Thanks for stopping by!
I also read this book at a young age, probably when I was in middle school or maybe early high school. I loved it! I watched the movie too, but don't remember much about it. The book was great though - one of the definitive family sagas that has the power to pull at the heartstrings.
ReplyDeleteP.S. This is Jessica. I have refrained from posting comments on your blog at least once before because my name shows up as Boojum and I can't figure out how to change it. Oh well. I'll just continue to be known as Boojum through google and the world will just have to deal with it!