Outlander
by Diana Gabaldon
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Book Reviews of Outlander
Book Review: Love it...Love it...Love it!
Summary: 5 Stars
Okay, I am still about 100 pages from the end of this book, but I forgot it at home today. I "miss" it, though, so I have been browsing these reviews about it. I am in complete suspense about whether Claire is going to go back to 1945, or if she is going to stay in what seems to be the place in history that she is truly meant to be. However, to give the book a worthy review - here it goes:
The book starts out with Claire and her husband Frank on their second honeymoon in 1945. Claire and Frank have been married for a few years now, but they spent much of that time apart, both performing their duties in the war. Claire is a nurse, and she seems very witty with a good sense of humor and happy frame of mind. She likes pressed flowers, herbs, etc. so on her husband's suggestion, she goes back to a strange circular "stone henge" type structure, and she's propelled back in time 200 years. Can you imagine how scary this would be for a woman? She's thrust into the middle of a much more barbaric and primitive time. Lucky for her, though, she quickly comes upon James, who has lived a very interesting and dangerous life to that point. They go through many, many trials and adventures together. At one point, Claire makes a mistake, and he whips her with his belt. It's a quite serious spanking, which if you read these reviews, apparently some readers are completely disgusted about this, but I feel that it is really kind of comical, and Claire does fortive him for it. No harm done, and in truth, she probably did deserve it, and the group on men they are with respect her and Jamie even more for it, I think. It's really quite appropriate given the details surrounding it, I think. There are plenty of hearty romantic scenes in the story so far, and it feels fery accurate for a couple who are so obviously in complete and total love with each other. At one point, Claire is being accused of being a witch, and her hero rescues her just in the nick of time. It's quite exciting. There seems to be a question at this point about Claire's ability to have children. I am hopeful for them, though.
However, in my opinion, this book is awesome. The author is not afraid to get a little dirty with the romance scenes, which I find to be very real and exciting. I have fallen in love with Claire and Jamie myself. It's one of those books that you can't wait to finish, but at the same time, you hate to see it come to an end. Good thing there's more than 1 book to this series!
Book Review: I loved it and hated it
Summary: 1 Stars
There were lots of things I loved about this book. It was throughly researched, which I have a soft heart for. When I read a historical, I expect it to be full of details that are not only true but ripe with excitement. THis has this in abundance. Ms. G did a wonderful job of researching that here.
_SPOILER ALERT_
There was a ton of stuff that just killed it for me. Jaime hitting Claire, Jamien being sexually abused by a sadistic guy to the extent that Cjaire has to drug herself and him and let Jaime think that he is raping Randall to actually give himself the will to live again. The end of the book and Claires decision was completly OOC and it pissed me off greatly that when he gives her the choice for them to find some place to live peacefully, she decides to endanger herself, him, and the child she's treid so hard to have for her entire life in a war for a country that would rather see both of them dead.
BOOK 2 SPOILERS
Then there's the beginning of the next book. We discover that Clarie has returned to the future, spent nearly 20 years there witout ever trying to go bakc or figure out what happened to him. Her daughter is a brat, and it felt like the only reason she had this happen was so she could use the daughter and not have to deal with writing a child who wasn't grown up and making her own decisions into the story. Add in that, while I could completly relate to 27 year old Claire, it was imposible to relate to her at 50, and it was imposible to relate to her daughter.
_END SPOILER_
All of this lead me to regret buying the entire series. As a matter of fact I tell my friends not to bother reading it and if they do, to read at their own peril. I wanted to rate this a three because there were tons of parts that I loved about this book. It was well written, and if she wrote anything else, i'd give it a try. And hope for no terrible yet well written plot twists. But I just couldn't get over so many aspects of what happened.
It's a sad thing when you get 600 pages into an 800 page book and realize that while you love it there's just too much stuff that is turning you off. And it really is a shame because you gotta finish it because there's so much invested in it, and you keep hoping she'll somehow redeem herself, but she doesn't.
Book Review: Claire is a bad heroine
Summary: 3 Stars
Claire is whiney, she believes she's a "modern day woman" but acts more like a two year old. It seems each time she takes her feminist "I can do it myself" or "Don't tell me what to do" stand, she gets herself and everyone else in deeper trouble- Someone PLEASE give her a teether to shut her up and shove her in a crib so she can't get out and cause more mayhem, then again, without that, there would be no book(s).
I really liked Jamie, he did as best as he could under the circumstances, from Diana Gabaldon's mind/writing as well as Claire. He's a rustic, caring and good "protector man," but he's a victim of chick lit. Personally an ideal man helps a woman grow and become the best "Her" possible-not save her from every stupid thing she does and almost always bargain to take the "payment" himself. That is not love, THAT is being whipped! Perhaps if she had to pay for her instigations, she would understand better, but that never seems to happen. Luckily Claire has loads of empathy so she can vicariously FEEL the pain Jamie is in after one of his payments on her behalf, oh, but she has the pain of having to help heal him (such trials she has to endure, how does she do it?) Again, I like Jamie, but that's not noble, heroic, or loving. A child doesn't learn if you protect it so. They need to get colds and such to build their immune systems.
And don't say "oh but Claire got him away from Randall" because if it weren't for her, he wouldn't have been bent over a table in the first place! Has Claire changed or learned anything? I don't think so, I think she believes everyone should change to her way of right and doesn't seem to understand the severe consequences of the time period Gabaldon has created. Why has the writer created such an obstinate "heroine", make her so dislikable and why have people bought into her? Does anyone really like, admire or wish to be her? Even in my escapism, I don't want that!
~ Kudos to the Geilie Duncan plot line and the "reveal."
That's about it folks, a very good reveal from a semi minor character and a generally good guy, who thinks he owes everyone and thinks love means his partner doesn't have to give him the equal respect she demands and doesn't really prove she deserves. Three stars, because I liked most of the story, the book(s) would be great if Claire weren't the main character!
Book Review: It wasn't the violence...
Summary: 3 Stars
I must be one of the few who didn't have a problem with the violence, including the "beating" Claire received in the middle of the book (it was a severe spanking, not a beating). I thought that was one of the few well written scenes. Most of the sex scenes were lacking and often weird. Yes, I enjoyed Anne Rice's Sleeping Beauty series, which had weird elements, even for BDSM. Putting the alternative lifestyle aside, there's a difference between rough sex and weirdness.
What is driving me nuts are the inconsistencies. Jamie knew when he married Claire that she was trying to get somewhere, yet they never talked about what the plan would be once they were married. It was a business arrangement, after all, and served the purpose of both Claire and her escort. Jamie and the rest seemed to just assume she'd slip into the role of his wife and forget all about what she'd been trying to do.
I could go on and on (sorry, I do!): Jamie left Claire alone in the glade?? Why not send her with the wagons? But then again, why are the guards leaving the wagons in the first place? Jamie didn't ask what Claire was up to when he rescued her (again). Claire traveling alone to see Gillie? Maybe, but I think women of that time would take an escort. At the very least, she should have told someone she was going to see Gillie after she'd promised Jamie she wouldn't. Claire being snarky with the inquisitors?? I think most women would be a bumbling ball of tears, no matter how strong they are. At the very least, don't mock them. Claire became a one dimensional character in Lallybrock, making her weak in my mind. Jenny grabbing Jamie under his kilt - EW! I don't care what era your in, women don't grab their brothers there. The Laird wouldn't agree to "anything" just to get his shirt from an old lady. Granted he was cold, wet and naked, but he's also the Laird, which should have a bigger impact on his decisions. Just remembered, there were boys playing in the same pond when Jamie went in the water - they weren't half frozen, so why was he?
I loved the first half of the book. It was amazing, mesmerizing, captivating... I was thrilled that I'd found a series to get lost in. I know I'm going to regret finishing the book, but I'm too stubborn to just let it go. I still love the story, it's the writing I hate.
Book Review: Slow at first, but I ended up loving it!
Summary: 5 Stars
Let me first say that I really loved this book. Let me also say though that I almost didn't finish the book. I read the first 50 or so pages and was bored out of my mind! I really think Diana shoul have skipped a lot of the first part of this book. I would bet that many have begun to read it and just put it down to never touch again. After about 100 - 150 pages though it gets really good and interesting. By the end you are in tears for sadness and happiness and can't wait to start the second book. Also, it takes some getting use to the Scottish accents in the book, but once you do it is enjoyable and kind of funny.
I read some reviews about the abuse in this book and almost didn't read it, but am glad that I did. *SPOILER* Jamie does whip Claire with a belt in the book because she didn't do as he told her and almost got herself killed and raped, along with him and his men all killed. I do not agree with abuse AT ALL, but this book does take place in the 1700's and he didn't abuse her because he liked doing it or wanted to do it. It was almost like spanking a child because they misbehaved. This is a fiction book and I think people really shouldn't take it so seriously! Also, Jamie saves Claire's life at the end and gets a lot more than whiped with a belt a few times accross the bottom!!! He puts himself before her and it costs him A LOT! This is not some man that is abusing his wife, this is a man that was taught right and wrong and was taught that when you do wrong you get punished...not beat per say, but punished. I see where he was coming from...and where Claire was coming from, but he doesn't lay a hand on her again in the book so it isn't like he beats her...which is what some of these reviews suggest.
Overall the book is one of the best written books I have ever read. It really does take you back in time and you really do start to feel like you are there with them in Scotland. I even started to talk like Jamie when I had read the book for long amounts of time.
I would recomend this book to most of my friends, but of course it isn't for everyone. It does get a little disturbing in some scenes toward the end, but the fact that I felt like I was there and that I cringed while reading it just proves what a great writer Diana is and what a great book this really was!