Outlander
by Diana Gabaldon
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Book Reviews of Outlander
Book Review: Fantastic!
Summary: 4 Stars
It is 1945 and former combat nurse Claire Randall has been reunited with her husband Frank whom she hasn't seen in six years. They decide to rekindle their marriage with a second honeymoon to Scotland. While Frank is busy researching his ancestry, Claire decides to go for a walk and comes upon an ancient stone circle. She places her hand on what appears to be an ordinary stone and is transported backward in time to Scotland in the year 1745.
While trying to escape the skirmish she somehow landed in the middle of, she falls into the hands of one Captain John Randall who as it turns out is her husband Frank's ancestor. Fortunately Claire is rescued from the clutches of the creepy CPT Randall by a Scottish warrior named Murtagh. She is taken to where the rest of his clansmen are gathered and discovered an injured Scot named Jamie among them and treats his injuries. Impressed by her healing skills and unsure if she is a spy for the English the clansmen take her back with them to the seat of the MacKenzie clan. The English demand Claire be handed over for questioning as they also believe she is a spy and the Scots tell her the only way to avoid falling back into the clutches of CPT Randall is to become a Scot herself. Claire reluctantly marries Jamie, the man whose wounds she treated. Claire and Jamie are soon caught up in several adventures: the politics of the clans, Jamie an outlaw on the run from the English, Claire accused of witchcraft. Amid all the action Claire is caught between the desire to return to the stone circle and try to make her way back to Frank or to stay with Jamie, the man she has grown to love in 1745.
I guarantee my little synopsis there did not even remotely do the book justice. I spent the entire weekend ignoring the existence of everyone around me as I sped through this 600+ page monster of a book. Claire is a kick ass woman who doesn't take crap from anyone and Jamie is so loyal, handsome and brave you can't help but fall in love with him. I found myself asking why it is all the good ones are taken or FICTIONAL, or already married to me but in 8 years has never once put the toilet seat down? ;-)
Gabaldon transports you into the time period with her writing in such a way that you can completely tune in to the emotions of her fascinating and dynamic characters (and not just Claire and Jamie either-all of her characters are well developed and interesting). Now as I have stated in previous reviews, I am quite a prude when it comes to the romance aspect of books. I must have spent the whole weekend with my face a lovely shade of crimson because I don't think a chapter went by without Claire and Jamie getting busy in a field or stable or underground spring of some kind. Ok, I get it. I was a newlywed once upon a time but sheesh! After that initial encounter, it felt like Claire was thinking "Frank who?" any time Jamie came within a five mile radius of her. Also CPT Randall is one evil man. I will not give away exactly how much of a sadist he is but one scene toward the end of the book was so brutal and cringe worthy I felt like I needed a shower after reading it. Still, despite these two areas of the book that had me alternately blushing and shuddering, this was a fantastic read. I cannot wait to read the rest of the series (all of which I conveniently already own).
Book Review: Another instant favorite!
Summary: 5 Stars
I loved loved loved this book. I admit, I never thought I was going to get through it. I borrowed it on my kindle from the library and only had 14 days to get through over 1000 pages, which seemed impossible with my chaotic work and school schedule. However, I devoured it. I couldnt stop reading. I couldnt get enough. So much so that I finished it with 4 days to spare!
Anyway, on to the review.
Like every other reader with a heart, I fell in love with Jamie. Gabaldon did such an incredible job in characterizing such an amazing man. He was childish and immature at times, yet barbaric and fierce at others. I absolutely loved him. I loved the connection that developed between him and Claire. I understood her plight. Yes, she loved her husband Frank dearly. But she hadnt seen him in months and now had a strong emotional and physical connection to her new husband. During the scene where she is at the rocks making the decision to go back to her time or not, I couldnt breathe. I was praying that the author didnt make her return! I dont understand why some readers found her staying with Jamie so unbelievable. Yes, she loved Frank. But she didnt have to make the decision to leave him. That part happened without her consent. This time, she would have to leave on her own. I would imagine turning your back and walking away from a man you love (Jamie) and knowing that you will never see him again has to be incredibly difficult, and would influence your decision to stay put.
There were a few things about this book that irked me, although not to the extent of some of the negative reviewers. Primarily, even though Claire explains that she "roughed it" on excursions with her uncle, it is a little unbelieveable that she could acclimate so easily without essentials such as indoor plumbing, showers and toothpaste. I cringed a little bit thinking about this during some of the sex scenes. There are definite differences in cleanliness and hygiene, and I dont care how in love you are, you would have to take notice of some of them. Claire doesnt comment on anything hygiene related, at all.
The other thing that I had a hard time grasping is how easy Claire found it to kill. While I completely understand she killed the wolf and the guards (in more than one scene) out of self-defense for herself and Jamie, I would have expected some sort of an emotional reaction to the murders. Shouldnt she be freaking out, screaming, shaking, having nightmares, something? Even hesitating for a second before stabbing someone? It seems like her ability to commit murder in the name of protection came too easily from someone who under normal circumstances in her real time, would never be in that position.
Oddly, the beating scene didnt bother too much. Not that I condoned it, but given the time period and the circumstances, and the diffusion of power between men and women at that time, I understand why he did it. Although I would have liked to have seen Claire hold out on forgiving him a little longer. If there wasnt such a backlash about Gabaldon including this in the story, I doubt I would even have commented on it. It was the 1700s. Thats how things worked then.
I absolutely loved this story and am figgeting waiting for the arrival of the 2nd book. I cant wait to read more Jamie!
Book Review: Can't get the story out of my head...
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been devouring novels since I was 6. I spent my childhood imagining that the stories I read in books were my own world. The last time I was so invested in characters in a novel was when I read "The Mists of Avalon" by Marion Zimmer Bradley, when I was in high school. Since then I have read a number of fabulous books that I have been touched by, but none that sparked my imagination beyond the book itself. More recently, I sometimes find a non-fiction book more intriguing than a fiction book with trite characters and plot (which I used to adore anyway). I figured I had just outgrown fiction and imaginary worlds, and it has been very pleasant to discover that I'm not too old to be swept away by a book. I simply can't get Claire and Jamie out of my head. From the time I picked up the book, I could not put it down, and spent all Saturday reading until the last page came across.
In some ways, the book is not much more than a trashy romance novel (not that there is anything wrong with that genre). Claire is an unambitious wife in a satisfying, but not very exciting marriage to a man who is still a stranger since they've spent so little time together due to World War II, just ended. When she is transported back in time, her latent skills and fieriness work to her advantage, and she finds herself more fulfilled. Jamie is basically the ultimate man's man--strong, fierce, capable, decent, and tender, and of course tireless in bed and completely loyal to Claire. In the end, Claire has to save Jamie's life, and their love is unshakable.
At the same time, the author's skill as a storyteller moves the story beyond a typical trashy romance novel (though really, this story is all about the romance and the love story). Once Claire becomes Jamie's sidekick, it is Jamie's story, not Claire's, which moves the plot forward. And the plot goes beyond factors that keep Claire and Jamie apart; they are part of a complex historical web of which their story is only a small part. The author weaves a story that keeps up its momentum and leaves no dull moment, even when she is describing normal everyday life instead of dramatic fights. I think the inclusion of these small things really helps build the characters and my investment in them--we are taken to see their life outside the plot, outside the drama.
This book may not be for the literary critic. There are certainly places where the details are unbelievable. Would Claire, as a former World War II nurse, really be unfamiliar with amputation because modern medicine doesn't advocate amputation in the face of an infection? I'm pretty sure gangrene would have been a huge problem during World War II and that amputations not uncommon. Also, sometimes the reactions of the supporting characters are not realistic and the dialogue can be forced; the transcription of the Highland accent is inconsistent and incomplete. I didn't find these shortcomings to be very distracting, and ultimately I found the story to be easy to immerse myself in and forget myself for awhile, which is the mark of a great storyteller. I'm looking forward to reading the next four books in the series.
Book Review: A Page Turner in the Best Sense of the Term
Summary: 5 Stars
I love it when I discover a new writer whose grasp of language allows her to tell a compelling story with artistry and panache. Such a writer is Diana Gabaldon. I discovered her writing in a marvelous way. A few weeks ago, in one of the common areas of Cambridge Innovation Center where I maintain office space for White Rhino Partners, I noticed a small pile of book with a sign that said: "Take one for free." The books were a paperback version of Gabaldon's acclaimed novel, "Outlander," and included a few pages of a sneak peek at her about-to-be-published sequel work, "An Echo in the Bone."
The novel, "Outlander," proved to be a page turner in the best sense of that phrase. I could not put the book down and plowed through the 800+ pages in short order. The tag lines on the front cover promised a book about: "history, warfare, medicine, sex, violence, betrayal, vengeance, hope and despair, relationships, the building and destruction of families and societies, time travel, moral ambiguity, swords, herbs, horses, gambling (with cards, dice and lives), voyages of daring, journeys of both body and soul . . you know, the usual stuff of literature."
The wonderful thing that I am pleased to report to you is that this tongue-in-cheek preview of the novel understated the breadth of Gabaldon's reach as a story teller. I love the verbal palette with which she paints. Allow me to share a brief excerpt to let you taste just how delicious is her use of visual imagery and her rich vocabulary:
"It was dark in the cottage and there was a bear in the corner of the room. In panic, I recoiled against my escort, wanting nothing more to do with wild [...]. He shoved me strongly forward into the cottage. As I staggered toward the fire, the hulking shape turned toward me, and I realized belatedly that it was merely a large man in a bearskin.
A bearskin cloak, to be exact, fastened at the neck with a silver gilt brooch as large as the palm of my hand. It was made in the shape of two leaping stags, backs arched and heads meeting to form a circle. The locking pin was a short, tapered fan, the head of it shaped like the tail of a fleeing deer.
I noticed the brooch in detail because it was directly in front of my nose. Looking up, I briefly considered the possibility that I had been wrong, perhaps it really was a bear.
Still, bears presumably did not wear brooches or have eyes like blueberries; small, round, and dark, shiny blue. They were sunk in heavy cheeks whose lower slopes were forested with silver-shot black hair. Similar hair cascaded over think set shoulders to mingle with the hair of the cloak, which, in spite of its new use, was still pungently redolent of its former owner." (Page 731)
I love that kind of vivid writing. I have plans to order the sequel, which has just been published: "An Echo in the Bone."
To the person who left that pile of free books on the 14th floor at CIC, I say: "The you for hooking me on the drug of Gabaldon's writing!"
Book Review: A major disappointment
Summary: 2 Stars
So many folks recommended this book to me and after hearing of the plot and reading interviews about Gabaldon's research process, I was ecstatic to get started. Unfortunately, the experience of reading this book was far different from the one I expected to have. I really wanted to be amazed, but just couldn't bring myself to be.
This book started out with an interesting and strong female lead, but by the end, she felt completely useless to the plot and as if she were a completely different character than who she started out as. Claire's change from steely combat nurse to lovestruck fish out of water in Scotland began well enough with she and her husband, Frank, enjoying a holiday to help heal the wounds of their long absence from one another.
Many facts were introduced and situations set up, but when Claire is transported to Scotland through ancient stones, all of these angles which made Claire an interesting character with flaws and a convincing relationship were pushed aside for an obsession with Jamie, the perfect romantic hero who sweeps her off her feet. Frank, whom she had obvious affection for despite their issues, seems all but forgotten and an afterthought to the growing center of attention, the Scot with the charming good looks.
From the point Jamie's enters the scene, Claire dissembles into the heroine who always needs saving and, despite random mentions of her husband, seems unconvincingly guilty of her relationship with the Scot. Whatever inner turmoil, pain, and anguish that would have made her an interesting character as she and Jamie grew closer is seemingly forgotten or barely mentioned so that this plot feels more like an excuse to get them in the sack than an interesting storyline that would have let them come together naturally through hardship and turmoil in a way that did not feel so contrived.
Speaking of sex scenes. There are plenty in this novel, which would be perfectly fine if they would propel the plot forward. Many felt extraneous and awkward, as if we're being given far too much detail for an act that soon became repetitive and meaningless for this reader.
Toss in a character like Jack Randall, and you have the same exact problem. He started out as dangerous and intriguing with his patient ways of torturing the characters, but dissembled all the same into what felt like an evil stereotype with no other seeming explanations for his villainry than a resolution of very scant details which are revealed in a sentence near the end. His resolution was completely unsatisfying and added nothing to his character, letting all his potential as a villain go to waste.
All in all, this novel felt too contrived, too emotionally unconvincing, and far too vicarious for this reader. If you like Romance, it may be for you, but for a lover of more convincing dramas, this left me completely unsatisfied. I give it two stars instead of one only for the fact Gabaldon's style is well-developed and immersive where characters failed to hold my interest.