The best works of Colleen McCullough

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

On January 29, 2015, the famous Australian writer, who left a bright mark on world literature, died. Made famous by a large-scale epic, which became an international bestseller, she stood on a par with American authors who gained fame after the release of a single work - H. Lee and D. D. Salinger. Prose writers who woke up famous shunned people and led a reclusive life.

Colin McCullough, which will be discussed in our article, also went to a secluded island located near Australia, and there, in the Norfolk clinic, she died at the age of 78.

Medicine and the gift of writing

Born in 1937 in Australia, the future writer showed her remarkable talent from a young age, writing poetry and drawing beautifully. A girl who entered the University of Sydney became interested in neuropsychology and dreamed of founding her own department, which was done.later. In 1963, she was offered to do research work at Yale University, and without hesitation, Colin moved to the United States, where he taught for a long time at a medical school. Her first books were also written here, and in total 25 novels saw the light of day, differently evaluated by readers.

First novel - "Tim"

Colin McCullough, whose biography indicates that she has shown herself as a creative person since childhood, released her first work in 1974. The literary debut, which tells about the relationship of an old maid and a mentally retarded man, received positive reviews from critics. The novel Tim, in which the author used her experience as a scientist, sold well, and Colin, who worked as a research assistant on a small salary, understands that she can earn money writing. She begins to write with the expectation of a regular reader in anticipation of commercial success.

Epic commercial success

And he did not fail to come to her. In 1977, a real masterpiece of world literature was released, which became an incredible discovery for millions of people around the world. Translated into 20 languages, a detailed story about the burning passion of two lovers has become the hallmark of Colleen McCullough.

The Thorn Birds is a women's novel that quickly became one of the most iconic books of the last century. Such works, imbued with psychology and full of strong characters, can be counted on the fingers of the hand in the literary world. Standing in one rowthe bestseller "Gone with the Wind" by M. Mitchell is a book in which the love affair of the main characters is complemented by the tragic story of the civil war. The two novels are similar in scope and scale, but in the novel by Colin McCullough, the main point is the retribution for a strong feeling, the problems of not only love, but also faith are touched upon.

The story of the difficult fate of women

A touching story, capturing the reader's attention from the first pages, tells about the forbidden love of a priest and a girl, Maggie. As critics note, this is not the story of a specific woman, but it is about the fate of entire generations of Irish families experiencing troubles, but believing in happiness. Behind terrible losses and moments of joy lies the true meaning of life.

The main character Maggie will meet many obstacles on her way, but no trouble can break her steadfast character. An independent woman who repeats the fate of her mother cannot be with her beloved - priest Ralph, who is moving up the career ladder.

Payback for happiness

Colin McCullough proves that nothing in our lives goes unpunished. For everything that a person has received, he will have to pay, and every minute of happiness will turn into years of loneliness. Such an unusual approach of the writer to the inevitable fate and the incredible sincerity of the characters, whom you empathize with, explains the overwhelming popularity of the novel.

Deep product

After the 1983 television series that won several awards and broke all recordsaccording to viewers, the author spoke unflatteringly about the work of the director and actors. She felt that Richard Chamberlain was not suitable for the role of a priest, and the tape was filmed by a non-professional who did not know what he was doing.

Many after watching the series rushed to read the book and were surprised to find that a multi-page work is much more interesting and deeper than the TV version. Some of the moral issues raised in the novel were omitted by the director, who wished to focus only on the forbidden passion of loving hearts.

New family saga

Another large-scale work can be called a new work by Colin McCullough. Touch is a family saga with a gripping storyline and intertwined destinies set in Victorian Australia. The main character Elizabeth, who comes to her future husband, an influential and rich man, loves solitude and evokes sympathy from everyone who is immersed in the novel.

A whole period in the life of several families is described with personal tragedies, love stories and flashing momentary passions.

The events in the book cover almost 30 years, and it is interesting to observe the formation and development of Elizabeth, her husband Alexander, the growing up of children. Not a single hero, even a minor one, remains the same as at the beginning of the story, each goes his own way, changing either drastically or slightly.

The writer pays attention to the development of technological progress in the country, and readers note lengthy descriptions,dedicated to gold mining and engineering. The opinion of critics was unequivocal - the work is interesting, but not up to the novel, which brought incredible fame to Colin McCullough.

A story about debt above all else

Other creations of the Australian did not attract such mass attention of readers. The psychological novel tells that the sense of duty for a person is above all, and this is exactly what Colin McCullough focuses on. "Indecent Passion" tells the story of the love between a nurse working in the psychiatric department of a military hospital and a war veteran who believes that he is responsible for all of humanity. The main character dreams of giving her all to people suffering from various disorders in peacetime, and does this at a high price of personal happiness.

The passion that arose between a woman and a man is obscene, according to the writer, due to the fact that lovers forget about other people for whom they are responsible. The main characters choose duty, not a wonderful feeling. It is curious that a feature film of the same name was made based on a poignant story.

Colin McCullough, whose books are written in different genres, sincerely told happy and tragic stories of different families, weaving political events and social phenomena into them. The author, included in the list of the best writers of the 20th century, will forever remain in the hearts of grateful readers.