She is known, first of all, as the author of "The Thorns Singers". The beautiful legend of the bird in the thorn bush helped to find the title of this novel.
Colin was born in 1937 in Wellington, Australia. In her veins there is part of the blood of the Irish and part of the Maori tribe - immigrants from New Zealand, where her mother was from. Maybe that's why the family often moved, they did not sit in one place. But Colin still painted and wrote a lot, in any setting. And when her parents settled in Sydney, she had more opportunities to be creative.
However, at the insistence of the family, Colin entered the medical school. Then she studied both in London and in the USA, but the beginning of a medical career was laid in Sydney.
Before taking up writing seriously, Colin McCullough managed to work as a librarian, bus driver, teacher, journalist. And at the age of 21 she went to work at the Royal Hospital of Sydney, in the department of neurophysiology, and worked there for 5 years. Apparently, this is why she has many images of people, so dissimilar and accurately written out. Indeed, without a lot of life experience and experience of communicating with people, it is impossible to write such things as howling from the pen of this restless Australian woman.
The beginning of literary activity
In 1974, Colin moved to London to also study medicine - she does not yet believe that she can write well. A few years later, she teaches at Yale University School of Medicine, and at the same time begins work on the novel "Tim." This work was well received by the readers. While writing the novel, Colin used her experience in neuropsychology to describe the protagonist. Critics also praised the novel, and McCullough realized that she could make money from writing. Moreover, the teacher's salary was modest. And here - and a favorite thing, and the first fee, which was much more than her salary.
But I can't believe that McCullough wrote for money, because the second epic novel, The Thorn Birds, was so powerful, so large-scale and at the same time detailed that it is put on a par with Mitchell's famous work Gone with the Wind. … Both in this and in this novel there is a love story, obstacles that heroes must overcome, unusual situations and strong characters. McCullough's novel also touches on the issue of faith and testing unattainable, elusive happiness. Moreover, we are talking about three generations of families - there is something to show, something to worry about and something to rejoice for with the heroes.
The novel "The Thorn Birds" is distinguished by the deep sincerity with which the heroes live their lives. They do not deviate from their principles, and in the end they understand that reckoning comes for everything - both good and bad. And it is right.
In 1983, a series based on this novel was released, and McCullough took part in writing the script. The novel "Tim" was also screened. The writer herself did not speak very flatteringly about these adaptations. But many viewers began to read her novels and were pleasantly surprised - they seemed so much more interesting and deeper.
In total, Colin McCullough wrote 25 major works. There were both successful and not very successful, but all her novels are loved by readers to one degree or another. It's just that each book finds its own reader.
Personal life
Writers often seek solitude, as did the famous McCullough. She moved to live on Norfolk Island, Oceania. There she met Rick Robinson, who was much younger than her. At this time, Colin was just writing another novel called "Obscene Passion." In April 1983, their wedding took place, and they lived together until Colin's last days. Robinson and McCullough had no children.
On the island, Colin led an active life, was aware of all the events. And when the so-called "sex scandal" took place on Pitcairn Island, she got into the thick of things and took an extraordinary position - she defended those whom the British authorities were trying to condemn.
At the end of her life, Colin suffered several strokes and died in January 2015, two years after the publication of her last novel.
