Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
|
List Price: Our Price: $4.82 You Save: $4.17 (46%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of Outlander
Book Review: Pay no attention to the negative reviewers...
Summary: 5 Stars
I am not a romance novel lover. I lean more to Faulkner and Twain when I read fiction, but a friend recommended this book, so I bought it.
I was thoroughly entranced by the author's writing, as well as the plot. You know how most novels peter out, and the author was obviously tired of writing by chapter 10 or so? In this one, she keeps a fresh edge on her prose, and the plot twists are steady and credible.
Those namby pamby reviewers who were turned off by the "sadism" or "violence" must lead very sheltered lives. True, this novel does depict a time when men were more brutal, women treated as second class citizens, and violence and sadism are plot elements. But to me they ring true, and are not overplayed or glamorized. This isn't Hello Kitty!, but it is a long way from Quentin Tarantino too.
If you enjoyed Clavell's Shogun, or McCullough's The Thorn Birds you won't be put off by the episodes in this one. And the female characters are as remarkable as the male ones, by the way. I can't imagine a dyed-in-the-wool feminist having any problems with how Ms. Gabaldon treats her characters.
The reviews I've read also overplay the sex scenes in this book. Our heroine has a lusty married life, and enjoys the physical side of her relationships... but the prose is anything but purple. If you know what goes where, you won't have any trouble figuring out Who is doing What to Whom, but the references to body parts and other trappings of the act are all oblique. I would be very comfortable letting my teen-aged daughter or son read this book.
So there... Probably noone will read this little screed, but it makes me feel better to loose a volley across those wimps' bows.
Buy it. Read it. Enjoy it. And best wishes to all.
Book Review: Devoured
Summary: 5 Stars
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU COMPLETELY LOST YOUR HEART TO A BOOK? Well, look no further. Diana Gabaldon has created the ultimate escape in The Outlander. Don't let the 850 pages dissuade you. It's the fastest read you'll ever have.The epic tale begins when Claire Randall, a young combat nurse in World War II, moves to Scotland with her beloved husband to re-ignite their marriage interrupted by the war. Hiking one day, Claire accidentally passes through the stones of an ancient stone circle and wakes up to find herself in 16th century Scotland. Lost, alone, and confused (yet, determined), Claire's path crosses, and is inextricably linked to, a young Highland warrior, James Fraser. (The kind of man women want, and men want to BE.)The story that ensues would make Shakespeare proud--danger, suspense, passion, betrayal, true love, and tragedy. Gabaldon is a master story teller. She shrouds her fantasy in just enough reality as to completely seduce her readers.
The time-travel element as well as the romance, while unconventional for a "serious" historical novel, are handled brilliantly by Gabaldon. Not, for the faint of heart-- the author tackles themes of a violent and sexual nature. However, the story is so realistic and beautifully told, it doesn't come off as a ploy to shock readers. Well-crafted and meticulously researched, The Outlander is historical fiction at it's finest-but never this much fun! The hero and heroine come alive. You'll find yourself living and breathing in their world, anxiously devouring each chapter.
WARNING: have the next three books in the series handy. Once, you turn the last page of Outlander, you won't want to return to the 21st century. I couldn't get to the bookstore fast enough. And, Gabaldon does not disappoint...
Book Review: Outstanding, excellent, outlandish
Summary: 5 Stars
Outlander is absolutely stunning. My great thanks go once again to the contributors on the PNR community boards where I heard first of this book and series.
I believe it is very well written. I love the genre crossings: romance, science-fiction, history. DG has an outstanding ability to delve into minute details (which accounts for the 600+pages) but keeps them interesting and not dry at all. I am not a history buff, so I must say, from the details the author gives about historic events in the books (and there are quite a few and very in depth)I cannot judge the 100% accuracy, but to me it was thoroughly convincing and clear to what I know about that time.
I like the characters as well: Jamie - who couldn't. I don't know what men in 1745 were like, but he seems to be a person who has had his hard share in life and it keeps on coming. He is young and romantically inexperienced, so his infatuation with Claire is perfectly normal to me.
The heroine, Claire is also believable in my book. I personally think it is mainly due to the fact that she came out of the 1945's and not like in other books from the 90s, which made it more believable that she coped with the time travel and all its repercussions so well. Also, she has been a nurse in the war and I reckon that has made her see her fair share of things, which also underscores her strong will and ability to work with what she's got. And her life with her uncle lamb has been quite different than what was probably the norm back then.
If you are looking for a historic, yet fantastic, well fleshed out romance with the "what if" (time travel) aspect and you like following the development of very strong and equal lead characters, this book would fit perfectly onto your bookshelf.
Book Review: Don't plan to get much work done 'til you turn the last page
Summary: 5 Stars
First, my paperback copy is 850, not 600 pages. Second-- 659 reviews as a write this. But I'll bet not many are guys. I saw an ad that looked good in the NY Times, saw a pile in front of the cash register desk at Walden (of the 5th in the series) so I figured, having always enjoyed time travel stories, that I'd take this one for a ride. It's a tale about a nurse, who, just after world war two has ended, while visiting Scottland for a second honeymoon, walks into some magic which whisks her back to the mid 1700s in the highlands. First surprise, when I asked for the first in the series-- it's in the romance section. Okay, so I'm an open-minded, somewhat androgynous guy. I can handle this. It's not as bad as asking for directions or carrying my significant other's purse (when we are taking a hike where I got to choose the path.)
I figured this might be a bit like Mark Twain's Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. That was maybe 20% right. But, being a science fiction fan, I expected to see loads of examples of how she brings 20th century to the loch and the castle. Not happening. While not what I expected, it's a great period piece which makes you feel you are looking through this woman's eyes and really seeing the pre-colonial era.
For me, it got kind of weird when the love-making is given graphic description. My other half asked me if it turned me on. "It's from a woman's point of view!" I exclaimed. So it was not a turn on, but it was interesting. These are two highly sexed main characters. The bad guy in the story has an interesting twist.
The last long novel like this I read was Anne Rice's The Witching Hour. Like that book, this one has a series of sequels to enjoy. I am looking forward to the next part of the story.
Book Review: An Good as It Gets
Summary: 5 Stars
Not since John Jakes "Kent Family Chronicles" have I found a book that has drawn me in and kept me riveted from beginning to end like Outlander did. Being a fan of historical fiction, I was intrigued by the plot and thought this would be a good read. Little did I realize that I would be finishing this 850 page book in 4 days!
Gabaldon's storytelling and attention to detail is fabulous. You actually feel as if you personally are living Clare's adventures along with her. I loved the combination of historical fiction, time travel, and romance. Many people have referred to this book as a "romance novel," but I feel that description is inaccurate. What got me hooked was the storytelling and the paradox of a 20th Century woman who has traveled the world trying to survive in the 18th Century ... and not having any frame of reference except what she remembers from history lessons.
The concept of loving 2 different men in 2 different centuries was an interesting twist on the concept of "unfinished business" with someone from a past life. The conflict of emotions Clare faces as her relationship with Jamie deepens are real and honest. You can feel her emotions as if they are your own.
Gabaldon's details of the Scottish Highlands are great. This author has done her research and it shows in her writing. The descriptions of Castle Leoch, life amongst the clans, and the conflicts are believeable and entertaining.
If you're like me, this book will get you hooked on the next 5 in the series ... and once you start, you won't want to put them down. This was one of the most entertaining books I've read in a long time and one I highly recommend to anyone who likes historical fiction.