Rating: 
Summary: Devoured
Review: 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...
Rating:
Summary: Step into another world ...
Review: This novel will transport you into a brilliantly imagined version of Jacobean Scotland, as seen through the eyes of Claire Randall, an English army nurse. When Claire is transported by an ancient stone circle to the year 1743, she must use all her wits to survive in a violent new world where women are commonly chattel and she is an Outlander -- believed by some to be a spy and by others, a witch. During her efforts to return to the stone circle (and Frank, her husband in 1945) she is forced to wed Jamie Fraser, a fierce and passionate Scottish warrior. As many of the reviews on this page state, the book is long and the detail is exacting. (In other words, don't expect to read this book while keeping one eye on the TV.) The story is also violent and sometimes wrenching. If you are looking for a by-the-numbers romance or a sci-fi book about the mechanics of time travel, pass it up. But if you want to try something new and exciting, and discover just how Claire survives and live through the choices she must make, this is a book you will never forget.
Rating: 
Summary: A caveat for an otherwise engrossing book
Review: Usually I like books by, say, Margaret Atwood, Susan Sontag, etc. but I thought I'd give this a try although I am inclined to put down any book where men call women "wench" in jest (seems cheesy). But I was delighted for most of the book. The writing is excellent and the time travel was done so seamlessly I could suspend my disbelief even though I was trained as a scientist. However, I'm not from the generation that seems to have become immune to violence and suffering and the final villain scene left me with bad taste in my mouth. I want a novel to leave me with lingering pleasure. It jerked me out of the fictional dream and started me speculating about the psyche of the author.
Rating:
Summary: How did I miss this? You will LOVE this book
Review: I simply don't know how I managed to miss this for so long! A huge fan of Dorothy Dunnett (RIP--she will be missed) and similarly lengthy historical novels I picked this up by chance in London and had a very similar experience: read it all afternoon, read it all evening, stayed up all night, stumbled back to bookstore to get books 2-4. This is an enthralling tale of love, medicine, and clan politics in mid 17th-century Scotland. The central female character, Claire Randall, has been swept back in time after walking innocently into a stone circle shortly after World War II. A former WWII nurse, Claire makes her way in the fierce world of the clans through her medical skills and her blossoming relationship with a tall, red-haired Highlander, James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser. By page 250, you will be in love with Jamie Fraser, too, mark my words! I know what you're thinking: yuck. I don't DO time travel. Well, neither do I. But Gabaldon is a great author, and takes the twee convention of time travel and uses it to breathe new life and sharp observations into historical fiction. I was totally skeptical, but I am now convinced. You will be, too. If you like Dorothy Dunnett, you will love this book. Trust me. I'm a historian.
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Summary: ...And I don't even LIKE "romance" novels!...
Review: I put off reading this book, even though it was highly recommended by a friend. I didn't have the heart to tell her that "romance novels" weren't my cup of tea- never mind some far-fetched paranormal historical romance. I could have not been more wrong! I loved this book. I mean, I REALLY loved this book. It was absolutely packed with adventure, passion, thievery, witchcraft, heart-stopping suspense, love, war, escape, buggery, revenge, even some wolves were in there for good measure! Diana writes with spirited intelligence, heart, and humour. Her charcaters are full of life and will live on long after you close the cover, and pop it back onto the shelf, and to my delight, the love scenes are written with imagination and freshness- no ridiculous "he touched her quivering milky bosoms" here. The research for factual information in this superb novel is first-rate, and meticulous, which makes this book an even greater pleasure to read. If you are someone who prefers to read literary fiction over any other genres, as I do, all I can say to you is PUT YOUR PREJUDICES ASIDE AND TRY THIS BOOK. I'm sorry I didn't read it sooner! It truly is the work of an excellent, and extremely talented storyteller and writer, all my "book snob" friends will be getting a copy for Christmas,and I can't wait to dig into the others in the series!
Rating: 
Summary: how can the violence be overlooked by so many??
Review: I actually read the fourth book in the series - Drums of Autumn - first, because I was flying through my reading material and my husband had this one sitting on the shelf. LOVED it! I went to the library and found the series started here. WANTED to love it... It's all been said, so I won't go into detail about all the pros and cons of the writing, era, genre. Any enjoyment is greatly outweighed by horror. As someone else said, I wish I'd read reviews before I let these images loose in my head. Specifically, I agree with all the negative comments about the final seen between hero and antagonist. I'm no prude but in my wildest nightmares I would never have imagined anything this horrifying. If I could poor bleach in my ear and and scrub out the second half of this book, I would. I can't think of an acceptable reason to put ideas like this in writing, much less in fiction.
Rating:
Summary: I have become addicted!
Review: This book is the first of a now 5 part series. It is the best series that I have ever read. I could not stop thinking about the story line when I was away from my book and that was as little as possible.I have recommended this series to many- men and women alike. No one has been disappointed. I am a real fan of historical fiction and this fits the bill. The characters are engaging, the plot believable despite the fact that time travel is involved, and the writing lends itself to very easy reading. I will always read whatever Diana Gabaldon has to offer!Enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Outlander not Outlandish
Review: Claire Randall, 20th Century nurse recently returned from the War, married to Frank a professor obsessed with his families' geaneology are in Scotland to reconcile a marraige torn asunder by WWII. Claire accidently falls through an ancient Stone Circle to find herself in 18th century Scotland a year before the battle of Culloden. Diana Gabaldon's supposition and first person narrative is a bit hard to warm to and my first impression was that the idea of a 20th century woman suddenly turning up in 18th century Scotland was hard to swallow. Then - page by page, moment by moment the strength of the characters, the well researched history and the warmth of her heroine Claire and hero the 18th century's Jamie Fraser, all seduced me into giving up my 21st century cynisism and pulled me in to living the story. As the story progressed I marvelled at the authors' ability to embroider such a rich and diverse story from the first person narrative. If you like historical fiction, fantasy fiction (without the magical powers) or just a darn good tale well told - then Outlander is a doorway into a series of 5 (or nearly 6) novels that will keep you turning pages. Besides, for diehard bibliophiles - Any good story that goes on and on and on has to be a plus because you don't have to get all ruffled getting to know new styles and characters eh? - go to bed with a good read and be prepared to not want to go to work!
Rating: 
Summary: Heroine OK, Hero is worth the read.
Review: It has been said that this is a long but quick read -- I began to skim some about half way through. I think that in many ways there could have been some serious editing down to about 400-500 pages at most here. The dreaded torture scene near the end is really not that bad -- this was the 18th century. They are just getting out of the Dark Ages! (Have you seen the movie Braveheart?) My complaint about this book is that the heroine Clare can get a bit tedious at times. The same words are put in her mouth over and over again, can't she say this stuff another way, if at all? She is supposed to be "spunky" but at times this spunk is annoying. Yes, she IS stressed, but the excessive alcoholic intake might be a contributor to some of her problems, and poor judgement, at times. Nonetheless, I am glad there are sequels, because it is an interesting story line and I want to know what happens next!
Rating:
Summary: Memorable characters you care about!
Review: The first time I read this book, I started it reluctantly. However, the way Gabaldon writes and makes her characters believable captured my interest. Claire and Jamie and Frank become real. You care about what happens to and with them. When you start reading, you MUST find out what happens.
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