Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
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Book Reviews of Outlander
Book Review: A "romance" book for people who don't read romance
Summary: 5 Stars
"Outlander" spoiled my vacation. I'd picked up a library copy on a whim -- it sat there on a table, looked sufficiently interesting for the beach, so I lugged it along. What a mistake -- that week, I drove inland TWICE to buy the second, then the third, in Gabaldon's series.When it first came out, the romance community said, "No, not a true romance," the sci-fi community looked askance. Well, people, it's a great novel. Actually, it's great five novels, with Gabaldon working on her sixth.
I admire this series so much. Yes, it's stirring and page-turning, romantic and sensual, as other enthusiastic reviewers have noted here. Yes, it will keep you awake. Even more than that, however, it contains elements that display Gabaldon's excellent storyteller skills.
Take, for example, Claire's talents as a nurse/healer -- which give her value in 18th century Europe, and also adapt and change as she learns how to use plants, or attempts cures she's only observed or read of. Her struggle to heal those around her is one that most women and all mothers can understand and applaud. Gabaldon has graduate degrees in scientific fields, and it shows.
What shows, too, is her insistence on dealing with questions of morals and ethics. Her main characters use their religious faith (many are Catholic) and experience to help them maneuver through moral minefields. There are no actions, no feelings, without consequences. That includes the love Jamie and Claire have for each other.
People do love in these books. They also get hurt. There is suffering, there is intense, shocking pain. Jealousy, envy, lust . . . the pain of lost love, of love unrequited, of love transformed to contempt.
But there is also redemption. Claire, Jamie, those surrounding them, search for ways to connect and ways to resolve conflicts within themselves. How to make amends, how to apologize, how to heal. While many reviewers have commented on Claire and Jamie's sexual avidity, they've failed to note that passion itself can heal. That Gabaldon knows enough of life, of men and women, to be able to write of physical love's healing power is enormously welcome.
I can hardly wait for Diana Gabaldon's next book.
Book Review: Didn't think I'd like it....
Summary: 5 Stars
A friend of mine kept telling me about this book, "Outlander", and insisting I just *had* to read it. She eventually got tired of me putting off getting the book, and sent me "Outlander" and "Dragonfly in Amber" for my birthday.I was a little taken aback at the length of the book, but my husband went out of town, I was bored, started reading. I found the beginning a little slow, but that ended up being my only complaint with the book by the time I finished it.
Now if you're looking for a nice little historical romance, this is not the book for you. This is more historical adventure saga with a little love thrown in. I found the characters to be very real, and some of the little things very realistic. For example, how when Jamie's reunited with his sister, they start arguing, screaming at each other, which is something that could happen in my family. Or how after traveling through the Highlands for a couple weeks, Claire isn't the heroine with gleaming hair and a few wrinkles in her gown, instead, her clothes are torn, she's dirty, her hair's a tangled mess with stuff stuck in it...now to me, that's more realistic for the time period.
Sure it's long, full of details, violence, adventure, and after a couple nights of reading this, I started dreaming about men in kilts, but I was completely taken in, and by the end of it, these characters were real to me. They have faults, they do stupid things they regret, they get into fights with those they love, they love each other, tease each other, would give their lives for another.
I noticed the mixed reviews for this book, either people loved it or hated it. Here's my advice...if you're looking for a light historical romance where she wears velvet gowns and he's dashing, strong, but gentle, this is probably not the book for you.
But for someone who did not think she'd like it, I ended up loving it, have read the whole series to date, and am waiting for book #6. My husband was flying out of the country on business, so I loaned him "Outlander" for the flight (it was a 10 hr flight), and he ended up enjoying it too.
Book Review: Absolutely Fabulous!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the granddaddy of all Scottish time travel romance novels, as corny as that sounds. While there are several other respectable contenders, "Outlander" takes the cake with its witty dialogue and superb, life-like characters.
Claire Randall, reunited with her husband Frank after WWII, is enjoying some rest and relaxation in the Scottish Highlands. One day, upon venturing into a Stone Circle, (think Stonehenge) she touches a stone and finds herself in the midst of a very realistic Scottish battle scene. And she runs face to face into a Highland raiding party, one of the raiders being one large, injured, redheaded warrior Scot named Jamie. While it seems impossible, Claire walked right out of her life in 1945 and ended up in the very tumultuous time of 1743.
Life in the Scottish Highlands during 1743 was harsh, and so were the people. There are uprisings, skirmishes, raids, and the clan system still firmly in place, much to Claire's dismay. She is unlucky enough to run afoul of one of the blackest men of the time period-the English Captain of the Dragoons, Black Jack Randall, her husband's 6 times great grandfather.
Amidst the turmoil and hazards of everyday life, Claire begins spending more time with Jamie. As circumstances come rapidly to a head, she is forced into marriage with the young Highlander. Due to the fact that Jamie is a known criminal with a price on his head, life is difficult going for the young newlyweds. But despite the odds, Claire finds herself falling in love with the engaging young man.
As matters come to a head, Claire will have to choose between love and duty, one time and another. She has a beloved husband in one time, and another 200 years later. Which one will she choose given the opportunity? This book was absolutely superb, at times witty, at times heart wrenching, and it provides everything a reader could want in a book. The characters are flawed, but so are we all, and this only makes them all the more lifelike. If ever I would recommend a romance novel, this would be the one at the top of my list.
Book Review: a truly engrossing stack of pages
Summary: 5 Stars
Alright. I don't read "romance" novels. I read historical fiction and science fiction and speculative fiction and many other genres, which may or may not include scenes of romantic persuasion.
My aunt recommended this book to me, on the grounds that because I study Scottish history and like historical fiction that I would "love" it.
And I do.
I suppose this first volume in the series (followed by Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager, Drums of Autumn, The Fiery Cross and soon A Breath of Snow & Ashes) is as close as any as a categorical romance novel, but there is so much more to it. The history is rich with detail, and I find myself researching the historical events wanting to know more than is immediately relevant to the story.
I find that bad criticisms pertaining to Mrs. Gabaldon's research to be rather unfounded. Granted, I did not re-research every little event, but looked into some due to curiosity, and found that she in fact did do her studies, and quite well. As for the comments about Claire's choices to stay or go, her choice was not based on how comfortable the clothing was. In fact, I'm pretty sure it was the farthest from her mind. She found herself in love with two men who are completely different, and she loves them for different reasons. So when given the choice between the two, she must decide who she loves more.
The story of Jamie and Claire is, at first, one from a romance novel. But when doe-eyes turn to the need to survive, they are just two people trying to get through with hearts still beating. And the antagonist is truly a fine craft. You cannot help but hate him, and that's the entire point. But he is multi-faceted, like every other character in the series, and does not show all of his cards at once, unlike so many other classic "bad guys".
Even though I'm throwing the word "love" around, I do mean to emphasize that this is a fabulously engrossing work of historical fiction. Which just happens to follow the lives of two individuals who love each other.
Book Review: This Ain't Your Old Ordinary Romance Novel
Summary: 5 Stars
When I was a little girl, I remember sitting in the back seat of our station wagon while watching my mother sitting in the front passenger seat reading one of her romance novels. I always asked her whether she was reading a good book, to which she almost always replied, "it's alright . . . but it's pretty much like all the others." I always wondered why she bothered . . . after all it seemed like a horrible waste of time. When I was older, however, I found that what she said was basically true . . . romance novels are pretty much just the same book but with different covers and characters with different names. But, after reading Ms. Gabaldon's work, I believe that a new trend in romantic literature has arisen. The only book that I like better in this genre is "Gone with the Wind" for one simple reason . . . with Scarlett I knew what motivated her while with Claire I wasn't quite sure what she was about. Since, for the most part, she wasn't very interesting, I never really cared about her (I didn't want her to die, I just wanted her to be more exciting and three dimensional). On the other hand, I really liked how the character of Jamie was set up for development. As a reader, I saw constant and detailed instances of how and why he was the man he was in the story e.g. very specific and detailed flash-backs in his life. I also say "Bravo" to a wonderfully complex villian in Randall. He was not merely a storybook cliche. I was left wondering how he grew into the cruel man he became and what exactly was his relationship with his brother Alex? I also loved to hate Dougal -- he was a hoot! I didn't know if I wanted to have him slapped, shot, kissed or spanked, but I do know that I would have volunteered for any of the four. I really enjoyed Geillis too. I thought the part where Claire sees the small-pox vaccination when Geillis sacrafices herself was really quite memorable. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy history, romance, or just plain old escapis! m. It is a wonderful story.