Rating: 
Summary: I almost let this one slip by.
Review: Enough people have told you the story about this book, so I will tell you my experience.
Standing in line at my local library one of the library clerks was talking to me about books. I had a huge stack of audio books that I listened to at work. She went and pulled from the stacks "Outlander" By Diana Gabaldon. The audio version unabridged of this book was huge! It was like 20 tapes or more. I love a good book, but that seemed like too much of a commitment to one audio version of a book to me. Politely I took the suggestion and figured I'd just return it later. It turned out that the batch of books I was picking up all had one problem or another (Broke tape, defective, whatever). So I carried Outlander in my bag to work. After listening to talk radio, cd's, etc. I finally put in tape one. Still I wasn't convinced I could sit through this for the length of the book. After side one I was hooked! Why on earth had I not heard of this book? This story is so well written and puts you right in the shoes of Claire. The story is so involved with so much rich history and such a dramatic storyline I was carrying my radio with me to lunch and breaks to keep hearing what was happening next. On the way home I put the cassette in and even when I got home instead of watching the TV I continued listening.
This book was addictive! Claire and Jamie's love story is just part of it the adventure is grand and carries over so much time. It's not just a love story, but Jamie's experiences alone tore at my heart. This book was an amazing tale. It's beautifully written and you'd think it was an actual event you were reading about. I cared about these characters and didn't want the story to end. Once I finished I was eagerly searching the internet for information on Diana Gabaldon and happily found out that she'd continued the series. I bought these books in paperback because you have to read them first hand too, but I also love the unabridged version www.recordedbooks.com did of the book! If you skip over this book you are missing out. Scared of spending money on something you aren't sure you'll like get it from the library, ask a friend, go to a discount book store and get one. You won't regret it! If you take the time and actually read far enough into the story you'll find a story that will keep you hanging on for what comes next. Then like me you'll be looking for the others in the series.
So if you take the time you'll also want Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager, Drums of Autumn and The Fiery Cross.
Rating:
Summary: Don't let this series pass you by!!!
Review: This is my absolute favorite series of all time. I just finished re-reading the first book for the fifth time as I work my way through the series to get to the Fiery Cross for the first time. I strongly recommend a comfy couch, a warm blanket and an understanding spouse before diving into this series. Ms. Gabaldon does an amazing job of drawing you in and taking you along on Claire & Jamie's journeys. I don't know what's to come in the Fiery Cross, but I sure hope it's not the end for this fantastic series!! Thank you Ms. Gabaldon for a wonderful retreat from the everyday!!
Rating:
Summary: Outlander
Review: This book was amazing. When I started, I was not able to put it down. When I did have to put it down, it was all I could think about. The characters are so real that I feel that I know them each personally. Diana Gabaldon is an amazing writer. I am pleased with her work and I am thrilled that she is working on a new book to be released in 2004!
Rating:
Summary: Best book I ever read
Review: This book is a little slow in the first 50 pages or so, but keep with it, cause it gets so good!! I love the hero, Jamie, he is so masculine. I have just finished Dragonfly in Amber and am about to start Voyager. this series is definately addictive.
Rating:
Summary: Delicious Page-Turner.
Review: After a slow start, Claire is finally transported back to Scotland and the real story begins. Claire falls in love with an absolute hunk of a man. You will fall in love with Jaime and you will be immediately drawn into this book. There is time travel, herblore, witchcraft, passion, violence and incredible romance. I cried, I laughed, I actually threw the book across the room at one point because I was so involved with the story. Beware there is sexual violence in this story that not everyone will be able to overlook. When you're done, do you reread it or rush to the store for the next in the series? Even the intellectuals who think romance is trash won't be able to help themselves. There is no way you won't enjoy this book.
Rating:
Summary: Creating a monster!
Review: This book started my obsession not only with romance novels but SCOTTISH romance novels! There's nothing like a man in a kilt. I bought this book used and didn't know much about it. I slowly read the begging and it took me a while to get through it until Claire went back in time and I was captured. Jamie is the ultimate man and so intriguing. don't be turned away until you have read at least half and I garantee you wont be able to put it down!
Rating:
Summary: Awesome, original, captivating, enthralling...
Review: It seems silly to think I could add anything to what so many have already said. But I read this book six years ago and it still ranks as one of the best books of any genre I can remember reading in my adult life (it and DRAGONFLY IN AMBER of course!).
I could barely bring myself to put it down. One of the great ones. Bravo Ms. Gabaldon... and THANK YOU!
Rating:
Summary: WOW
Review: Can't say enough good about this book. Diana Gabaldon is a master storyteller, creating characters you can feel in the room with you.
Rating:
Summary: Now this is a romance book!
Review: Once you get past the first fifty pages Outlander is non stop action, romance and adventure. I just couldn't put this book down and I don't usually even read romance books. This is actually a time travel romance and it was the time travel part that originally drew me in but it was the rich and vibrant characters of 18th century Scotland that kept me reading into the wee hours of the morning. I absolutely love the way this book ends. Though Outlander was a great read I don't have too many good things to say about the rest of this series. The end of Outlander is a great stopping point for this series. If you have to read on I give the second book three stars and the third book only two stars. The end of the third book lands the main characters on the shores of South Carolina and is another good stopping point for this book. After that, the rest of the books in this series are so drab and boring I give them no stars at all. Why the author didn't just skim over those years and get the story line closer to the American Revolution, which is where these books are headed, I guess we will never know. Instead we have to suffer through pages and pages of nauseatingly boring story lines filled with poopy diapers, leaky breasts, and menapause.
Rating:
Summary: Read It. You'll be spellbound!
Review: I first heard of this book when my daughter bought it for me on audio tape. I put off listening because I had never had an audio book before, but I finally listened to it on the way to and from work. I couldn't stand to stop listening. I was enchanted by the love between Claire and Jamie. We should all have a love like that once in our lives. But the idea of Claire finding herself in another time and having to adjust to conditions and the suspicions of the folk she encountered was fascinating. How do you keep the present and what you may know about the future separate? How do you keep from being burned as a witch for being so different from everyone else in the 1700's? Different mannerisms, words, and expressions would be very suspicious behavior.
Diana Gabaldon has put an enormous amount of research into her books and that only adds to the story lines. The books are very large and take me about a month each to get read but the time is well worth it. The audios are abridged so if you don't have time to sit and read I totally recommend the audio tapes. And if you haven't read the books you won't miss what's been left out. The first was so good I couldn't wait to read the next so I went to the library to check it out since they didn't have them on tape. I did go on to read the whole series(including Outlander). I am now rereading the series for the third time and can't wait for the next book to come out.
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