Outlander
by Diana Gabaldon
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Book Reviews of Outlander
Book Review: One of the best books I have ever read.
Summary: 5 Stars
The first time I read this book I was on vacation and only had a limited time to read the whole thing so I rushed through it. It took me a while to get into it, but it was highly recommended by a friend and so I was willing to give it the benefit of the doubt. Wow! That's the best way I can describe it. The beginning was slow at first but then you couldn't help but get swept away with it. I loved this book. I have to admit it was VERY well written and the characters, (all of them) were unique and as real as any person I could have met on the street.
Clair Randall Fraser was truly one of the most inspiring characters. She was tough and strong when she needed to be. Which turns out she really needed to be if she was going to save her husband.
Even though this sounded to me like an unrealistic topic on which to base a book. (timetravel I mean) I really can't say I was dissappointed with it. In fact the total opposite. The story was so well written that the story sounded quite logical as if it could actually happen.
I suppose that's what fantasy is all about. For those people who think this is a romance book, it's NOT. Yes, there is romance in it. A great love/passion between Jamie and Clair but the book is more related to their life experiences. Both together and apart.
Jamie really was one of my favourite characters. He was strong, (obviously) smart, hansome, resourseful and above all stubborn. He wouldn't let anything defeat him. (which is good because he really needs that quality) I have to admit that I liked the person he grew up to be. (before and after) He's a survivor, what didn't kill him made him stronger. It was really sad what happened to him. I actually cried.
The second time I read the book I had to skip that part because it was just too sad to think about. The character I hated the most was Jack Randall. I'm sure I'm not the only one. Ms. Gabaldon wrote him well enough for most people to hate him and I suppose that was the point.
I have never read such a long book before and when I saw the sequels I actually laughed because each one was longer than the one before. The only thing that I didn't like about this book was that there were a lot of scenes that just went beyond endurance. I kept flipping to the next page hoping that the suspense would be over and I would finally get to know what happens. But that was not to be. The author tended to be a little long winded about some of the scenes. And that carried over to her other books. That is not to say that I didn't enjoy this book very much, because I did. But I just got too tired of waiting for the suspense to be over and so I flipped through until I found the next relevant point.
Overall it was a fascenating book, and I couldn't put it down.
Book Review: Not your typical bodice ripper
Summary: 4 Stars
If you are reading this review, you probably already have an idea what this book is about - Claire, an English nurse vacationing with her husband in Scotland in 1945, miraculously time-travels 200 years back. She finds herself in a midst of Scottish clan politics, gradually gets accustomed to 18-century life style and eventually marries.
This book is customarily classified as a historical/romance novel. I am not a big fan of romance literature, so for a while I've been reluctant to read "Outlander." Finally I did check it out and extremely happy I did!
While this book undoubtedly has all the attributes of a romance novel - reluctant bride and groom forced to marry due to circumstances, who gradually fall in love with each other; numerous obstacles that keep the lovers apart; steamy love scenes - "Outlander" is not your typical bodice ripper. The love story is accompanied by such amount of secondary historical detail, you never feel overwhelmed or annoyed by the lovey-dovey chatter and bedroom scenes. At the same time, "Outlander" is not completely a historical novel. At least in this part of the series, the historical background is just that - a background, the emphasis here is more on everyday life of Scottish clansmen, their family relationships, etc. Because this book is so lengthy - almost 900 pages - you would expect it to be wordy and indulgent, but somehow it is not. Except for first 2 chapters, the book never gets dull or boring.
For sensitive types, I have to give a warning: there is a lot of violence in this book. I have to admit, I was really disturbed by some parts of the book, and I am not a squeamish type. Also, at some point of the book (you will all know what I am talking about once you get to it) I was really turned off by some signs of domestic violence - while I could understand why a punishment of a wife by a husband was necessary in that particular situation, I could not stomach the fact that the husband took pleasure in hurting his clearly distressed wife. In fact, I was so disappointed by this episode that I was ready to take off some major stars. Luckily, the memory of it eased a little as I kept reading, but I definitely hope Diana Gabaldon doesn't repeat this in her future books.
Having said this, I greatly enjoyed "Outlander." I liked the humor and passion, and the idea of a strong bond between a husband and wife who always act as a team and are ready to sacrifice almost anything for each other. I will definitely continue reading this series and would recommend it to both romance fans - this book will most likely exceed your expectations- and those who don't care for bodice rippers (like me) - this book can pleasantly surprise you like it did me.
Book Review: A Wild Adventure That I Liked Verra Verra Much
Summary: 5 Stars
I had seen this book and dismissed it several times before deciding to read it. The time travel aspect turned me off for some reason. But then I realized I read Time Traveler's Wife and didn't dismiss it based on the time travel aspect.
I recently read White Rose Rebel by Janet Paisley, which is set in 1745 in Scotland during the Jacobite uprising so it shares time and place with Outlander. I think some fans of Outlander would probably like that novel as well. White Rose Rebel piqued my curiosity about the Jacobites and that period of history and I wanted to find something else to read on the topic and I kept coming back to Outlander. So, I decided to give it a chance and not hold the time travel part against it but rather to go with it and try to enjoy the story.
Well, I dinna have to try verra hard. I think that Diana Gabaldon is a wonderfully gifted and imaginative writer. This book is so rich with details that I was impressed by page six and that's before anything even happens.
While in Scotland with her husband Claire Randall accidentally travels back in time two hundred years to 1743, two years before the Jacobite uprising, a time when there was considerable friction between the Scottish and English. Claire is clearly English and is forced to navigate the politics of the time in order to survive and try to find a way back to her husband Frank. But events unfold very differently than Claire expects and she falls in love with the beautiful and brave James MacKenzie.
Let me tell you now that I am not a fan of the romance novel, not at all. But this story is so much more than a romance.
Gabaldon has created an engaging heroine in Claire Randall and placed her at a time in history where she can illustrate the stark contrasts between the contemporary and the historical. Claire is a nurse. When she travels back in time there are no medicines, no sterile bandages, no anesthetic, no hospitals, no operating rooms. She is forced to treat her patients using plants and herbs and quite a bit of whisky. Related to this there is a very interesting portion of the book that involves witch trials and Gabaldon creates a convincing story.
I was captivated by the adventure and history as well as the characters and their relationships. I really enjoyed this book even though I could have done with a few less love scenes. Though I thought Diana Gabaldon did the love scenes very nicely. And there were a few times when I thought she pulled the story out a bit too far but still none the less I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Another novel that had read when I was in High School I might have appreciated History before my 34th birthday.
Book Review: 5 Stars
It's 1945 and the war has ended. Claire Randall and her husband Frank are taking a second honeymoon in the highlands of Scotland after eight years of separation. One day, while Frank is absorbed in his research of his family history, former nurse Claire takes a walk to a small ancient rock formation to gather some plants for her collection. Suddenly and mysteriously she is hurtled back through time to the year 1743.
Alone and confused, Claire stumbles across a band of Scottish Highlanders and lies her way into their good graces. Within the group is Jamie Fraser, a charming and handsome warrior whom Claire finds herself drawn to. But what of Frank back in her own time? How will she get back? Does she even want to?
It has been a painfully long time since I have read a book as good as Diana Gabaldon's Outlander. I admit that the synopsis is cheesy, laughable even. Girl goes back in time? Come on, give me a break. Outlander however, is anything but cheesy in nature.
It is so hard to describe how wonderful Outlander was. I had so many "moments" throughout the entire (very lengthy) book. There were moments of sheer terror, joy, excitement, sadness, and even...dare I write it in a review?...a few moments that really turned me on.
Gabaldon's characters are so real. It's actually kind of scary. Her characters were so relatable and so wonderfully physical and emotionally deep that I sometimes would have to remind myself that they were indeed fictional. Claire is so torn emotionally that I can feel her pain and her torment as she tries to decide what to do with her predicament, and Jamie...it must be said: what a hunk! OMG. I have not been this into a romance novel since "Plains of Passage" came out several years ago.
But labeling Outlander as a romance novel is such an unfair label to give. It was more than that; it was an adventure novel, a fantasy novel, a historical fiction, and so much more.
A word of caution: this one is for the ladies. I can see a guy sort of getting into it in the beginning, but losing interest as the romance part intensifies as Outlander goes on. A stereotypical point to make I know, but it had to be said in any case.
But...oh my goodness ladies: I've been done with Outlander for quite some time now and even glancing at the finished book on my shelf makes me fan my face Miss. America style once again. It was that good. I can't WAIT to get my grubby little hands on the next book in the series (Dragonfly in Amber). I've read some lukewarm reviews about it, but I don't care! If it has Jamie in it again...whew! Can you see me fanning myself? I am.
5 stars is so not enough.
Book Review: Where's the Meat?
Summary: 3 Stars
The first book of the "Outlander" series by Diana Gabaldon has an interesting premise: A post WWII nurse is mysteriously whisked away to the Highlands of 18th century Scotland by way of a "Stonehenge" type cirlce of stones, while enjoying a "second honeymoon" with her husband. After her initial shock and confusion of finding herself in the same place she had been..but in a different time, "Claire" becomes entangled in the politics and personal lives of the people of the 1740's Highlands. Specifically in the life of one James ("Jamie") Fraser. Great idea! So why my frustration? The Scottish dialouge is convincing, the surroundings described well, and the characters are interesting; yet something is missing. Frankly, in my opinion, this is one of the longest reads I've struggled through in a long long time. For one thing, the long stretches of "soft porn" wore on my nerves. The various techniques and positions of the protagonists detracted from the story to the point I found myself skipping over those scenes as they occured, and they occur often. Then, there are these long sections of details and names that seem to bog down the momentum of the story itself. Perhaps it's the author's style of writing I object to, for, in my opinion she seems self-conscious and plodding. She does have her moments of moving things along at a right good pace. I recall I actually laughed out loud at one point during the scene at the water wheel. But overall, I just didn't find the treatment of the subject "believable" for the characters and times Ms. Gabaldon is writing about. I observe that the author appears to be quite young (certainly not over 40), lives in Arizona and studied botany. Yet she is writing about people from two time periods that she can have no way of knowing or understanding about. The overall impression I kept getting was that Ms. Gabaldon liked the "Braveheart" story, and wanted to write a romance novel about Scotland as a result. Her "modern day" setting is in the 1940's post war era. And I wasn't convinced she understood the psychology or culture of that time at all. The story in the Highlands of 1740-something was like a fantasy-based-on-a-movie rather than on what actually might have happened then. She did do a lot of research, and her facts are good, but they seem to lack substance, as if there was no real belief or motivation behind the facts. I consider this to be a very long "light weight" book with a great idea that fizzled in the effort to make it a novel.