Outlander

Rating:
Summary: What a wonderful historical romance
Review: After trying to read this book for many years, I was finally glad to have read it and fell into what I will now call the Claire and Jamie spell.

Diana Gabaldon takes the reader into a real world of Scotland in 1744 and makes the reader believe that they are right there next to Claire and Jamie.

When Claire Randall and her husband Frank take a long and well-deserved trip to Scotland to spend more time with each other after the war. It is there that Frank becomes involved in finding out more about his family. While he is, doing that Claire explores new places her self. There is where she finds the rock of Craig Na Dun. This is where she discovers a glowing spot in the rocks and where her curiosity gets the best of her and she goes through the rock.

When gets through the rock, Claire finds herself in 1744 in Scotland. There is where she meets up with the Clan Mackenzie and where she meets, a young man named Jamie.

As time goes on and she starts to live with the Clan, it is there where she finds true happiness and with the time, she spends with Jamie Fraser she finds that Jamie is someone special to her and she would do anything for Jamie.

This is a great historical romance. I loved how Diana Gabaldon writes about the history with such a great interest and also how she writes about the romance of Jamie and Claire and how it all comes together to be such a great book.

I cannot wait to read the rest of the books in this series and she how she takes the reader further into historical Scotland and the romance between Jamie and Claire.

Rating:
Summary: Breaks (Almost) All the Romance Stereotypes
Review: This has to be my favorite book ever. I'm thinking of buying yet another copy because I keep lending my three out!

The characters are very real (with faults enough to annoy but not so as to distract) and I had no problem suspending my disbelief with the whole time-travel angle. In fact, I had more trouble believing that Claire didn't catch on right away. Whenever I thought I knew what would happen, it didn't. Just when I was sure I knew what was coming next..."Cows? Did I hear cows?"

I gave Outlander 5 stars; I would have chosen six if I could. Three thumbs up and a bonus cheer for Ms. Gabaldon. If I didn't know better, I'd think she was from 18th Century Scotland herself.

Rating:
Summary: Very addictive and well written
Review: This is one of the best books I've read in quite some time. It is well written, historically correct and relevant and extremely engaging. I was given it on vacation - and found it hard to put down. You'll be hooked!

Rating:
Summary: A storyline for varied tastes in genres
Review: This book was definitely a page turner. It has a little bit of everything. It is definitely a romance, but not with the usual sappiness, it is science fiction yet not way out there, it is very historical, I'm not Scottish, but the descriptions are oh so vivid, that I can imagine myself in the castles and Highlands, wearing a plaid and sporran.

This book has taken my family and friends by storm. My boyfriend and I don't often agree on books, but we are both avid readers. He often chooses medical and murder mysteries, whereas I prefer historical romance, or adventure. He began by reading book 5, The Fiery Cross, and told me I would like it... I was skeptical. Someone at work was reading the same book, and recommended the first 4 in the series, of which, at the time, we didn't know about. Now my boyfriend has finished book 5, Outlander, and Dragonfly in Amber, I'm reading Dragonfly in Amber, and I know of two other people beginning the series. It is interesting, intriguing, and intelligently written, with some instensly written scenes that some will cringe and be turned off by, but hey these things did happen and we can't change history. People were also offended by Uncle Tom's Cabin, but that was revealing the truth also. The truth is not always pretty. If the Outlander series was a movie, I'd say cover your eyes, but in the case of the book, maybe this could be a part that you can skim over. I myself read everyword. I am almost finished with Dragonfly in Amber, and look forward to Book # 3.

Rating:
Summary: 'TIS THE TELLING OF IT THAT MAKES SUCH A BONNIE GOOD TALE!
Review: Because someone recommended OUTLANDER on Amazon, I decided to order the book (the other books this person had recommended were some of my favorites so I figured we had the same tastes). I had no idea what this novel was about. During the beginning of the book I thought, "Hmmm, this is going to be a science fiction book. And then, as I read about the handsome highlander and the strong-willed Englishwoman, I thought well, maybe this is a romance. Next I decided that since every page exploded with activity, OUTLANDER must be an adventure book! What about all 18th century Scottish history? Is it a historical novel? I still don't know how to classify this 850 page saga--I do know that I just finished one of the finest books I have read in a long time!!! Oh, and please use all the above adjectives to describe this book.
My first suggestion upon reading this book is go to the Internet and read some of the succinct selections on "Bonnie Prince Charlie." I wish I had done it before the reading of this novel rather than after! Once I started reading I didn't want to put OUTLANDER down to do any exploration. If you are like me, you will spend every spare second you have reading this book. I think Diana Gabaldon is a genius to write such a compelling and well-researched story. Her character development is absolutely phenomenal. I became so immersed in this stunning love story that I really became depressed towards the end of the book--thinking that Jamie was going to die and Claire would return to the 20th century (didn't Gabaldon foreshadow this?). Thankfully, the ending was wonderful.
My favorite line in the entire novel is found on page 331, "Does it ever stop Claire, the wanting?" Wouldn't it be wonderful to be loved that much (especially by someone as pure, good and handsome as Jamie Fraser!)?

Rating:
Summary: The book is good but the book on tape is just ok!
Review: I loved all the Diana Gabaldon books in the Outlander series. But I was really dissapointed with Outlander on tape. I think that the person reading it was good, but there were several parts of the book that were edited out in the tape version.
Read the book, it is much better!

Rating:
Summary: Sneaking around the Romance section
Review: I have bought these books one by one at [a book store], sneaking around the shelves, hoping nobody saw me in the "romance" section. I do not generally read romance novels; this may be the first since highschool (many moons ago). I cannot recommend this book highly enough! Extremely well-written, well-researched, great story idea. I laughed, I cried, and only stopped reading the series long enough to find the next book. I do agree with a previous reviewer that some of the treatment of Claire by her lover Jamie is horrible, but perhaps historically accurate? I'm addicted to this series, and about to start re-reading. This may be a bad idea: I'm a grad student and won't get any studying done! I wish I could find another book/ author so capable of holding my attention...

Rating:
Summary: The Best!
Review: This is one of the best books I have ever read! I say one of the best because I have read the entire series about Jamie and Claire Fraser and they are all excellent! Diana Gabaldon is now my favorite author ( and I read a lot of books). I look forward to the next installment in this series and hope she writes it soon! If you haven't read this series, I highly recommend that you do. Once you read Outlander, there is no stopping or going back! Enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: Awww, come on.
Review: I liked it--it was an easy, entertaining, well-written read. Granted, I don't speak Gaelige, nor have I ever been to Scotland, but from what I understand, she did get most of the historical/local-color details right (I looked up the Fraser & McKenzie tartans on line, and they match the description). I liked the characters very much--they were well written, though, I admit, somewhat axiomatic (you could see from a mile away that Dougal was a total cad and Collum even worse). Gabaldon's language is really excellent, too.

Now, to address the ISSUES.

Yes, there is a lot of sex. Tastefully written, for the most part. Nothing super-graphic. If you don't like it, that's probably not a v. good book for you.

Yes, Claire is basically polyandrist (bi-andrist?). Basically, she marries Jamie in 174-something while already married to a very obnoxious, unpleasant, blah Frank, whose faithfulness to herself she questions and who won't adopt a child even though he can't give her a biological one, in 1946. There is NOTHING redeeming about her husband--perhaps he is written in a way to make him forgettable, but I certainly wasn't sorry when she stayed with Jamie.

The beating. I was somewhat put out by it. Jamie just did not seem the kind of guy to methodically thrash his wife. However, I do accept it that it was the way of the time--and he REALLY doesn't beat her so hard (you should read Erica Jong's "Fanny"!). That he liked it--well, he also liked that she sscratched ... during sex.

The other sexual violence. I did not like this part. That Jamie--a six-foot thug, from Gabaldon's description--was a particularly likely object of (violent) lust for two (count'em, two) predatory homosexuals (though I would hesitate to describe Randall as such--he just seems omnivorous)--that requires suspension of disbelief. A couple more things that do:
how often someone attempts to rape Claire (I think about 5 times throughout the book, not counting the one in the Dragonfly in Amber)... . Also, how people in the story are keen to have someone else punish/kill them. All that offering of dirks and going "please stab me in the heart for doing X" is just not believable.

Other than that, it was a very entertaining read. :)

Rating:
Summary: Read Dorothy Dunnett instead!
Review: Like many others, I was initially absorbed by this book. Sure, the time-travel theme is hokey and hackneyed, but I love history and am particularly fascinated by Scotland. I was able to overlook the heroine's all-too-easy adjustment to 18th-century life (poor Frank!), and even the "forced" marriage to James Fraser and "forced" consummation thereof--what a perfect excuse for adultery without responsibility!However, like many others, I was shocked and appalled at Fraser's vicious beating of the heroine. Though this may be one of the more historically authentic parts of the story, it seemed totally out of character for the hero as Gabaldon had developed him thus far. To make matters worse, he confesses that the beating aroused him sexually. Danger, Claire Randall! And her reaction is even more troubling. She is initially more peeved than outraged and "forgives" him all too easily, even professing to understand why he "had" to beat her. Pernicious attitudes, indeed. And there is more--much, much more--brutal violence intertwined with sexual arousal before this book wheezes to a close...