The Thorn Birds Quotes

“There is a legend about a bird which sings just once in its life, more sweetly than any other creature on the face of the earth. From the moment it leaves the nest it searches for a thorn tree, and does not rest until it has found one. Then, singing among the savage branches, it impales itself upon the longest, sharpest spine. And, dying, it rises above its own agony to outcarol the lark and the nightingale. One superlative song, existence the price. But the whole world stills to listen, and God in His heaven smiles. For the best is only bought at the cost of great pain… Or so says the legend.” 

― Colleen McCullough, The Thorn Birds

“There are no ambitions noble enough to justify breaking someone's heart. ” 

― Colleen McCullough, The Thorn Birds

“When we press the thorn to our chest we know, we understand, and still we do it.” 

― Colleen McCullough, The Thorn Birds

“Each of us has something within us which won't be denied, even if it makes us scream aloud to die. We are what we are, that's all. Like the old Celtic legend of the bird with the thorn in its breast, singing its heart out and dying. Because it has to, its self-knowledge can't affect or change the outcome, can it? Everyone singing his own little song, convinced it's the most wonderful song the world has ever heard. Don't you see? We create our own thorns, and never stop to count the cost. All we can do is suffer the pain, and tell ourselves it was well worth it.” 

― Colleen McCullough, The Thorn Birds

“There is a legend about a bird which sings only once in it's life, more beautifully than any other creature on the face of the earth. From the moment it leaves it's nest, it searches for a thorn tree, and does not rest until it has found one. Then, it impales it's breast on the longest, sharpest thorn. But as it is dying, it rises above it's own agony to outsing the Lark and the Nightingale. The Thornbird pays it's life for that one song, and the whole world stills to listen, and God in his heaven smiles, as it's best is brought only at the cost of great pain; Driven to the thorn with no knowledge of the dying to come. But when we press the thorn to our breast, we know, we understand.... and still, we do it." ~ Colleen McCullough” 

― Colleen McCullough, The Thorn Birds

“Belief doesn't rest on proof or existence...it rests on faith...without faith there is nothing.” 

― Colleen McCullough, The Thorn Birds

“The bird with the thorn in its breast, it follows an immutable law; it is driven by it knows not what to impale itself, and die singing. At the very instant the thorn enters there is no awareness in it of the dying to come; it simply sings and sings until there is not the life left to utter another note. But we, when we put the thorns in our breasts, we know. We understand. And still we do it. Still we do it.” 

― Colleen McCullough, The Thorn Birds

“..the best is only bought at the cost of great pain...or so says the legend” 

― Colleen McCullough, The Thorn Birds

“If you love people, they kill you. If you need people, they kill you. They do I tell you!” 

― Colleen McCullough, The Thorn Birds

“What was sleep? A blessing, a respite from life, an echo of death, a demanding nuisance? ” 

― Colleen McCullough, The Thorn Birds

“And gradually his memory slipped a little, as memories do, even those with so much love attached to them; as if there is an unconscious healing process within the mind which mends up in spite of our desperate determination never to forget.” 

― Colleen McCullough, The Thorn Birds

“For the best is only bought at the cost of great pain.” 

― Colleen McCullough, The Thorn Birds

“You still think love can save us. It’s more killing than hate. Hate is so clean, so simple. Like being in the ring. With hate, you just keep hitting. You hit until they stop hitting back. With love… They never stop.” 

― Colleen McCullough, The Thorn Birds

“Truly God was good, to make man so blind.” 

― Colleen McCullough, The Thorn Birds

“But we, when we put the thorns in our breasts, we know. We understand. And still we do it. Still we do it.” 

― Colleen McCullough, The Thorn Birds

“Twelve thousand miles of it, to the other side of the world. And whether they came home again or not, they would belong neither here, nor there, for they would have lived on two continents and sampled two different ways of life.” 

― Colleen McCullough, The Thorn Birds

“I can’t share your love of God. But I do understand your need to give your life to him. Each of us has within us something that just won’t be denied. Something to which we are driven even though it makes us scream aloud to die.” 

― Colleen McCullough, The Thorn Birds

“There was some justice in his pain” 

― Colleen McCullough, The Thorn Birds

“It's not worth getting upset about, Mrs. Dominic. Down in the city they don't know how the other half lives, and they can afford the luxury of doting on their animals as if they were children. Out here it's different. You'll never see man, woman or child in need of help go ignored out here, yet in the city those same people who dote on their pets will completely ignore a cry of help from a human being. ” 

― Colleen McCullough, The Thorn Birds

“How frightening, that one person could mean so much, so many things.” 

― Colleen McCullough, The Thorn Birds

“We can know what we do wrong even before we do it, but self-knowledge can't affect or change the outcome, can it? Everyone singing his own little song, convinced it's the most wonderful song the world has ever heard. Don't you see? We create our own thorns, and never stop to count the cost. All we can do is suffer the pain, and tell ourselves it was well worth it.” 

― Colleen McCullough, The Thorn Birds

“We're working-class people, which means we don't get rich or have maids. Be content with what you are and what you have.” 

― Colleen McCullough, The Thorn Birds

“Perfection in anything is unbearably dull. Myself, I prefer a touch of imperfection.” 

― Colleen McCullough, The Thorn Birds

“For the best is only brought at the cost of great pain. Or so says the legend.” 

― Colleen McCullough, The Thorn Birds

“Oh, that feels good! I don't know who invented ties and then insisted a man was only properly dressed when he wore one, but if I ever meet him, I'll strangle him with his own invention” 

― Colleen McCullough, The Thorn Birds

“There's a story... a legend, about a bird that sings just once in its life. From the moment it leaves its nest, it searches for a thorn tree... and never rests until it's found one. And then it sings... more sweetly than any other creature on the face of the earth. And singing, it impales itself on the longest, sharpest thorn. But, as it dies, it rises above its own agony, to outsing the lark and the nightingale. The thorn bird pays its life for just one song, but the whole world stills to listen, and God in his heaven smiles.” 

― Colleen McCullough, The Thorn Birds

“Yet there's something ominous about turning sixty-five. Suddenly old age is not a phenomenon which will occur; it has occurred.” 

― Colleen McCullough, The Thorn Birds

“Living’s for those of us who failed. Greedy God, gathering in the good ones, leaving the world to the rest of us, to rot.” 

― Colleen McCullough, The Thorn Birds