Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
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Book Reviews of Outlander
Book Review: Outlander is infectious...
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm not much of a reader but I recently stumbled across Outlander while trying to find something to read. I read the summary for this book and was instantly curious about the story. Books have to be very interesting in the beginning for it to keep my interest and I will admit this book was slow at first but I stuck with it which I'm glad I did. I figured the story was going to get good so I kept reading and the story did get really good. I have completed this book and I am almost done with the second book of the "Outlander" series, Dragonfly in Amber. The Outlander series has so far kept my interest and I plan to finish out the remainder of the books.
First, either you will love this book or hate this book but you will not know until you give it a read. Claire & Jamie's characters are at times annoying but you are still interested in seeing what's going to happen with them. The other characters are fascinating as well. I don't know if it was just me, but for a short bit in the story I thought Claire was going to end up with Dougal even though the author kept playing the Jamie card. I was kind of expecting it to be Dougal to give the book a twist but she ended up with Jamie which is a good thing. I think any female reader will find themselves falling for Jamie as Claire did even after that whole beating or spanking escapade. I have to say as a woman in today's world that really bugged me but during the Eighteenth century that was how things were done unfortunately. I wouldn't have lasted 5 minutes during that time period that's for sure. To illustrate how well the author, Diana Gabaldon, wrote this story even after that scene you wanted to kill Jamie (like Claire did) but you still ended up forgiving him for it (but not forgetting) like Claire's character did in the story. Okay, enough about that particular scene but I'm sure many women will understand where I'm coming from here.
Another thing I thought was interesting was how Diana peeked the reader's curiosity in the beginning of the story when Claire is in her room getting ready for bed when Frank (present husband) enters to tell her that he saw a strange man standing outside her window as though watching her. Frank approached this man and the man acted as though Frank wasn't even there then the man mysteriously disappears. Even though the author doesn't address this subject again during the story (or atleast in this book anyway - I don't know about the future books) I'm assuming this man was Jamie which is strange and fascinating. Is this Jamie's ghost who is so connected to Claire that he is looking for her in the present time (1945)?? Now that is good reading there!!
I judge if a book is really good by the fact if you want to re-read the book. If you can read a book more than once then it is a good book in my opinion. Now that I'm almost through the second book I want to read Outlander again because I'm sure I will pick up on a lot more things that I may have missed in the initial reading. I could see myself reading Outlander many times because it is that good. I'm sure each time I read it I will find something new.
If you are looking for a good series of books to get into then definitely start with Outlander and work your way through the rest as I plan to do!! Diana will keep you wanting more by the end.
Book Review: I know, I know, a friend told you to read it, and you said, "But it's in the romance section!"
Summary: 5 Stars
I mean, what if someone *sees* you??? You wouldn't touch romance novels with a ten foot bodice-ripping pole, would you?
Me neither. I read real books. I read real good books that people are impressed I read (ahem) not some bodice-ripping chauvanistic piece of contrived romantical goo! Throw some time-travel and a few kilts into the mix, and boy howdy, I wouldn't touch it either. I mean, you've got your literary pride to consider. You know your ranking on Amazon. You have an old copy of Moby Dick, you get the Writer's Alamanac, you wouldn't be seen DEAD with a romance book.
What a great book you'd miss out on. I have never--save the Lord of the Rings--have a book so compress my thoughts into its world. This is one of the most interesting, mind-numbingly good and well-written (and I mean structure and entertainment here, folks) pieces of fiction out there today, and should be honored as such. It's not a read, dearies, it's a possession--which is what all great stories should be.
Claire is on a second honeymoon with her young husband, Frank, in the highlands of Scotland because their homeland of England has been so ravaged by WWII. They plan to spend this time getting to know each other again due to their long seven-year seperation on different fronts. Though a mix of strange happenings (but not so strange as to be believed) Claire falls back through time by way of some standing stones--you know, a henge. (Yeah, yeah, that's First Class Goo on a Stick, but give it a chance.) She wakes up in 1746 and we're off from there. There's a doppleganger for her husband Frank, an incredibly--and I mean incredibly--nasty number called Black Jack Randall, a ragtag group of highlanders on the run (who take Claire along) and this nice sweet injured twenty-three year old named highlander named Jamie. After being nearly raped by Randall, Claire takes off with the highlanders, one of which came to her rescue. As a nurse, she is stuck taking care of the injured Jamie whom she eventually, reluctantly, comes to care about.
I know, I know, it sounds like bollocks, but it isn't. First of all, the dialogue is killer--very well written, as are all the connundrums that are faced by the book's premise. You can fall through time. But now what? You're stuck in a strange country, persued by the British, and protected by the best looking thing you've ever seen, oh, and by the way, he's sweet, intelligent, and you're forced to marry him. And then there's all the family and political intrigue--which is worth the purchase price alone, even without a set of gorgeous men legs in a kilt.
Oh, I gave it away. But why Claire consents is dealt with in a very interesting and intelligent way, as is the way the author treats her moral connundrum of being two brides at two different times. The history is also dead on, and it is very interesting to follow the Jacobean rebellion through such detailed coverage. Brilliant stuff, a totally and completely addicting guilty pleasure, but somehow extremely intelligent at the same time--you'll actually feel smarter for having read it. Weird, huh?
And hey. You're at home reading this in your pajamas. Go ahead, order it. Nobody'll see ya.
Book Review: What If You Could Have A Second Chance At Life?
Summary: 5 Stars
Isn't that what we all want? A chance to go back and change something or decide not to make a choice that we regret. In Diana Gabaldon's _Outlander_ the heroine gets that second chance. Claire Randall is a combat nurse reunited with her husband. They are having a second honeymoon in Scotland when Claire is transported back in time by forces she does not understand. In 1743, scotland is torn by war, and she has trouble believing what is happening to her. Then she is forced to marry the breathtaking <sigh> Jamie Fraser. He introduces her to a love so absolute that it can withstand torture, war, and hate. But will these star crossed lovers be able to defy the laws of time?That question and many more are rasied in _Outlander_, and I think Diana Gabaldon answers them perfectly. When I first saw _Outlander_, I stayed away from it for a number of reasons. 1) Too long. It has been my experience that long books often get boring after the first few hundred pages. 2) It was written in first person. I hate first person and havn't read a book written in that style for years. 3) The book is first in a series. Often, books that are in series are too drawn out and don't feel very complete. They just try to set the stage for the next book. So, for all of my wariness of this book, I almost didn't read it. Don't let that mistake happen to you! First of all, it is long only because it is such an epic story. It is not boring or slow! Secondly, because _Outlander_ is written in first person, you feel more connected to Claire. I was laughing and crying right along with her. Thirdly, I'm so glad it is a series. When you get to the end of _Outlander_, if you are not begging for more, I will seriously question if you read every word of this novel.
Claire was a most wonderful heroine. It was lovely to see historical Scotland from a more modern point of veiw. When her second chance comes, she grasps it with two hands and dosen't let go. It is fabulous to see that kind of strength in a heroine. Jamie was a nice change from the normal romance hero (by the way, it IS a romantic fiction book. That's probably why it was in the romance department of the book store. Just in case you were wondering. ). It seems like our society encourages relationships with older men and scornes ones with younger men. It's nice to see that women can have absolute love with someone younger. I was delighted that Jamie was a virgin on his wedding night. Finally, a man who is willing to put a little effort into keeping himself pure! Imagine how special you would feel if someone worked so hard to save himself for you.
So, to sum up _Outlander_ in less then a million words, which is what you would need to do it justice, amazing, breathtaking, passionate, and stunning. I don't think I will ever read a book that has this much imagination and, for lack of a better word, goodness in it. So stop wasting your time reading my review... buy the book and discover someone else's second chance for yourself. Good luck on functioning a normal life while reading it. I know I sure had a hard time with that :)!
Book Review: "Outlander" Is Simply...The BEST!!
Summary: 5 Stars
Claire Randall is on a second honeymoon with her husband Frank after serving as a combat nurse in World War II. While on a trip to Scotland they visit an ancient stone circle known as Craigh na Dun. Claire touches one of the standing stones and is suddenly sucked back in time to war-torn Scotland in 1743. After almost being captured and raped by hostile British soldiers, she is rescued and taken by a band of Scottish outlaws. An "out of the fire into the frying pan" situation if there ever was one. The Scots are deeply suspicious of Claire's dress, speech and manner. Thinking her to be a British spy they decide to take her with them to their stronghold. She does win the men over, to some extent, when she uses her nursing skills to save the life of one of their comrades, James Fraser, a recent escapee from a British prison.And so begins one of the most remarkable sagas in modern fiction. To label "Outlander" a romantic historical novel is to do it a terrible injustice. This is an epic romance, yes. And the relationship between Claire and Jamie is one of the most caring and intimate I have ever encountered - in fiction or in real life. Claire, having lived in England during the bombings of WWII, and served as a nurse at the front, is a resourceful, strong woman. And Jamie is an educated, philosophic man with a sense of humor...who is also a warrior in a "Braveheart" kind of way! This is a couple who are truly committed to a life together for better or worse. And Since Claire's first husband Frank will not be born for another 200 years, she is not committing bigamy. And, yes, "Outlander" is a historical novel, covering a tumultuous period in Scotland, England and France when Prince Charles Edward Stuart is attempting to regain the throne. I have also read time travel novels before, and this is like no other. The sheer magnitude of material that Diana Gabaldon covers, from the intrigues of the Scottish clans and the politics of the Jacobites to the everyday life of survival in 18th century Scotland, is extraordinary. Her research is impeccable and she tells a tale like no other. This is the kind of book you will want to read slowly and to savor. Ms. Gabaldon knows how to draw the reader into the story with her deft prose, wonderful humor, unusual characters and awesome adventures. One of the main reasons that I love this book is because Ms. Gabaldon develops her characters, major and minor, so that they become almost real. It is difficult not to form strong attachments to them and to care what happens to them all.
I had read "Outlander" when it first came out in the 1991, was entranced by it then and stored it away with my box of "keepers." I recently had the flu and was looking for a wonderful book to take my mind off of my aches and pains and decided to reread this novel. Once started I had to keep going and am now on the third book in the series. I highly recommend "Outlander." Oh, and don't be intimidated by the number of pages...once you begin to read, you'll soon wish there were more.
JANA
Book Review: The BEST series EVER--BAR NONE!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I had no idea how much this book would change my reading life when I bought it. I was talked into it long ago by an older gentleman at the local bookstore who told me that everyone who worked there had read and loved it. So I picked it up.
I will confess, the first time through, I had a hard time getting through the first 100 pages or so, because I was expecting a "traditional" romance novel--of the genre I call a "bodice ripper". That is not what I found Outlander to be; it is so much more, but I had to adjust my expectations. Then Claire and Jamie meet and from then on, I was hooked. Since discovering Outlander and the Outlandish Series, all reading materials are compared to Ms. Gabaldon's work, and most are left sadly wanting. They usually want more character development, more history, more action and more emotion, all achieved my the author in Outlander and the rest of the series.
Set in the country of my heritage, Scotland, and in a time of strife and turmoil (the Jacobite period), there is fodder enough here to please the most discriminating reader. The relationship that develops between Jamie and Claire is enough to bring a tear to your eye upon occasion and the well-written dialogue is guaranteed to make you laugh out loud.
Claire, after serving in WWI as a nurse in Great Britain, is reunited with her husband, who also served in the war. They plan a second honeymoon in Scotland, where he wants to do some genealogical research. One day, while picking flowers inside a stone circle, Claire hears the center rock humming. She stumbles a bit, and reaches out to the rock for support--and falls through it. When she comes to, she is lying in the stone circle and a troop of Redcoats are coming towards her. Are they filming a movie? What has happened? She soon finds out this is no movie, and you, the reader, embark on a fantastic adventure through the 1740's.
Ms. Gabaldon's research is excellent, despite the comments of some others, and the book is well-loved by not only me, but my husband and my 15 year old daughter. I hooked them on the series as well. I confess, were my daughter not the mature young woman she is, I would not have given it to her, however, I will also confess that I was incredibly excited the day I judged her old enough to share the treasure that is this series.
I have now read Outlander and all of its sequels at least 6 times each, and they only get better with reading. I have literally spent days reading these on end, one after another, and I cannot get enough. I am very proud of my Scottish heritage, and this series ties together so many elements of Scottish history, including the Scots role in the American Colonies.
If you like reading about history, about relationships between men and women and how people adapt to their environment, you will love these books. Start with Outlander today--that gives you plenty of time for reading the whole series and maybe even a re-read or two before the next installment, A Breath of Snow and Ashes, comes out in September!