Outlander

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Summary: Outlander
Review: I first read Drums of Autumn and immediately went looking for the first 3 books. I next read numbers 3, then 2 and finally read Outlander. I fell in love with Jamie and Claire. Their trueness and devotion to each other, their intelligence and insight and caring natures are inspirational. I NEVER reread books but... I reread this series (in order) not once but THREE times! Even at 4 times through I still found things I missed the first 3 times. I may even read them again! Anxiously awaiting the next one,Fiery Cross.

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Summary: Outlander
Review: It is the stories on pages of books such as this, that time also stops...

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Summary: Disappointed
Review: I love romance, adventure and/or time travel books. But I was very disapointed in this book. The violence was just too much for me to take. There should have been a warning about the graphic descriptions of rape and torture. I found it not only unnecessary, but very distracting to what could have been a really good story.

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Summary: Absolutely Wonderful!
Review: This book is not like your regular mushy romance. Claire Randall is a distinctively powerful character who is a real woman and not a stuffy, snobby, ignorant woman like in other books. You will laugh, cry, and be astonished at the sensuality that is witheld in this text. You will fall in love with Jamie and the passion that he shows for Claire. A sensual masterpiece!

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Summary: A Romance Not for the Faint of Heart
Review: This is the best "romance" I have ever read, largely because it is not a "genre" romance. There is no predictable formula that is followed through to the end, and my goodness, if you're looking for a politically correct work of fiction, this is not the book for you. Fiction is the operative word...the author is imaginative, and she is not so bound up and repressed by what society deems is "right and normal" that she can't right a darn frightening rape scene. I've recommended this book to both men and women, and they have all loved it.

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Summary: Take a trip in time and fall in love!
Review: In this, my fourth reading of _Outlander_ I found that I was just as enchanted and caught up in the magic of Jamie and Claire as the very first time I picked this book up. And though there are over 500 reviews for this book already posted, I just had to add my thoughts. A good friend recommended _Outlander_ to me well over a year ago and I was surprised and dismayed that the book was nowhere to be found in my town. I finally hunted down a hardcover copy at the local library -- this thoroughly surprised me because our library is sadly lacking in any sort of modern books!. I immediately checked it out and devoured it in roughly two days -- stopping reading only to eat occasionally and sleeping even less. I was hooked -- here was a book which incorporated all the things I enjoy in a romance novel: time-travel, Scotland (I'm a sucker for a Scottish burr and a kilt!), a heroine who is brave, strong and intelligent and a hero that melts the heart and boggles the mind. Promptly when I finished the book the first time I turned right around and read it again -- it was *that* good! In _Outlander_ Ms. Gabaldon has set forth an epic story full of love, honor, passion and steeped in history. Yes, the reader is given a good dose of history but is certainly not bored to tears -- Ms. Gabaldon brings the action and the scenery to life and quickly you go from reading about history to experiencing it almost firsthand. I could almost smell the heather of the Scottish Highlands as I read and each page I turned pulled me more into the story. Not only is the plot intriguing and the history exhilarating, the characters are so well drawn that each person you meet along the way seems as real as if they were standing right beside you. I really related to Claire and though I was skeptical at first reading a first person novel, I was quickly snared and started feeling part of the story. In Claire Randall Fraser, Diana Gabaldon has created the epitome of a romantic heroine. Faced with innumerable obstacles, Claire realizes that a love worth having is worth risking anything for. She faces the world head on, courageously meeting each impasse and standing by her man no matter what. In James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser, Ms. Gabaldon created a romantic hero that is impossible not to fall in love with. Any man when faced with certain tragedies can be brave, but Jamie Fraser *is* brave -- it's part of his core being and it fairly seeps from his pores. His is an honorable, loving and giving person who takes what is handed to him and through tragedy grows and becomes a better person. No man should have to face what Jamie faces in this book and as you read of his trials and suffering at the hands of Black Jack Randall you will weep with him and for him. Perhaps it's crazy to say that you could fall in love with a fictional hero -- but if ever there was a fictional hero worthy of love it is Jamie Fraser. I often become so immersed in a story that I have trouble putting it down and continuing on with my day-to-day existence but with _Outlander_ I put the world on hold and relished each and every word. You'll have a difficult time pulling yourself away from this book until you've successfully turned the last page -- and then you'll have trouble deciding what to do first: read it again or search frantically for the other three novels in the series. If you read no other book in your life, read _Outlander_. It is a story that can capture the heart and the imagination. And in the end you're left with but a question: How far *would* you go for the one you loved?

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Summary: outlander
Review: If you enjoy adventure and a change from boring romances, you'll love this. I loved all the books in this series and can't wait till Diana Gabaldon comes out with the next book.

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Summary: A series well worth reading !
Review: I read the first four books in the series back in 1998. I reviewed them then but couldn't find those reviews so I decided to write a new collective supportive review. I have never read anything that captivated me as much as the story of Claire and Jamie. The historical accuracy and detail put the reading into a category of it's own. Add the romance and the character detail of each person in the series and you have a story that becomes part of your whole being. I think my life was changed. Sounds rather silly but it is true. I found myself so interested in the history of these events that I began researching and haven't let up since. I am truly hooked. Even though the story is fiction...the writing is so superb...you want to believe it is true. I anxiously await the next book.

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Summary: Loved the book!
Review: My sister purchased the book about a year before I picked it up. One day I was so bored that 'Outlander' was my very last resort to escape it (the book seemed awfully long and to complicated at first glance), not knowing much about it besides the information on the back cover, I started reading. And I'm going to tell you straight, it's second to none. I really liked the style of writing, it was so vivid that I actually felt like I was watching it all happen. The only other writer I have come across that the words really paint a picture was Virginia Andrews. So if you like historic novels that's actually interesting, and characters that don't grate on your nerves, this is it!

Rating:
Summary: Outlander
Review: Romance, time travel and history don't get better than this! I almost put this book back on the shelf because it was big and written in the first person, but bought it anyway. For the next week, I had a difficult time working on other things because I couldn't put it down. Even so, I don't regret my purchase for one minute.

The author brings Scotland's past and the clan MacKenzie alive; you feel as if you know them all. Claire is a wonderfully intelligent and resourceful woman who is easy to identify with as she gives her heart to Jamie (what woman wouldn't?)and makes difficult decisions given the situation she finds herself in (200 years in the past!) The book does get detailed at times, but is so intelligently written it's to be appreciated.

I had already been planning a trip to Scotland and Ireland next year. I'm seriously thinking about sticking to Scotland - must be those kilts, ye ken?