Rating: 
Summary: Absolutely the best
Review: I am fortunate to have discovered this series after four of the six books were published. I am savoring each book knowing that once I finish the Drums of Autumn that I, too, will have to wait for the next one. Diana Gabaldon has spoiled me. She has a special writing style that causes me to laugh out loud at times resulting in strange looks from my ignored family. Diana gives Jamie the best dialogue. As I've told my husband, men may not really talk like Jamie, but they should. They'd get a lot farther with women that way. I believe Diana Gabaldon stated that her husband told her she knows nothing about men. Well, that may be true, but she DOES know what many women want men to be like!
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Summary: Claire slipped through the stones and took me with her.
Review: Outlander, the first in the Outlandish series by Diana Gabaldon, is a book I picked out because I liked its dust jacket. It is time-travel si-fi with a romantic twist. No wonder people have a difficult time deciding what to label Ms. Gabaldon's work. Not exactly science-fiction, not a mystery, not all together adventure, not even a romance, but a wonderful meshing of each. Could it be that such a masterpiece deserves its own category? Perhaps. From the beginning I was captured and held prisoner by the tale of Claire Randall, her love for her husband Frank, and their attempt to bolster their flagging relationship after WWII. Our heroine is the type of woman we all want to be: smart, wise and always prepared for what might come our way. An experienced combat nurse and amateur botanist is great preparation for her step through the magical standing stones into 18th Century Scotland. Almost immediately (after a confrontation between she and her husband's evil look-alike ancestor) Claire falls into the arms of her true love and soul-mate, Jamie Fraser. Like any human, his flaws are evident. I think the reason he is such a likable sort is that he is so human, much like the heros in novels by Laura Kinsale (one of Diana Gabaldon's favorite writers, by the way). Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager and Drums of Autumn are each, in their own right, extremely well written with characters so vivid and well defined that the reader begins to feel as if they know them. Scenes are full and rich in historical accuracy. Descriptions and attention to details leave one with a sense of having been there, having touched the fabrics, smelled the scents and tasted the foods of another far away time. Battle scenes are so intense, that you can almost hear the twang and scrape of clashing broadswords, feel the thunder of pounding horse's hooves. Images induced by such talented writing tends to live with the reader long after the last page has been turned. The last in the series published thus far, Drums of Autumn, has set the stage for more action to come. Claire, Jamie, their daughter Brianna and her love, Roger, are tottering on the brink of the American Revolution. The witch Gellis once told Claire that the reason people are allowed to travel from one time to another is to change events. Who knows, the Brittish may win this time. Lead on, Diana, your fans will follow.
Rating:
Summary: The start of a fantastic series by an incredible author
Review: Outlander and all the titles that follow in the series are some of the best books I've ever read. I was so impressed, I wrote a fan-email to Diana Gabaldon--something I've never done before! Gabaldon's style reminds me of my other favorite historical romance novelist's, Anya Seton Chase. Please please please continue the story!
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Summary: OUTLANDER-A GREAT HISTORICAL ROMANCE
Review: I am a Romance writer myself. I started about six years ago and now am "on the verge" of being published. It annoys me when people put down Romance, especially Historical. It requires a lot of research to write a good one. OUTLANDER is just an example of some of the great ones that are out there. I looked down my nose at most until I was challenged to write one. It's damn hard to compete with doctors, lawyers, and Ph.D's (like Gabaldon). I was an English teacher and it's taken me 5 years to finally write a truly good one. It concerns a hero whose best friend is Wellington. Believe me these books are well researched. Gabaldon was reluctant at first to have the novel published under the Historical Romance list. But it was those readers who made her books sell. I liked the first two (second, DRAGONFLY IN AMBER). After those two I think the romance went out of the novel and they became repetitious. Also having the hero and heroine grow old in the fourth book dismayed me. There were so many devices she could have used to keep them young ( esp. in SF or Romance genre). I still think OUTLANDER is a well written and memorable work. Grace
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!!!
Review: Absolutely captivating novel; 850 pages long in the mass market paperback and I could not put it down. Nor could I resist peeking ahead, even when I had promised to read to a "jumping-off place" and get some actual work done around the house.
The only complaint I can think of is that sometimes character motivation is a little lacking, especially Jamie's. For example, he's obviously both an enlightened man and a young and somewhat inexperienced one, and yet he confidently decides to beat Claire for a problem she causes; I had a little bit of a problem with that, since he clearly loves her and she him.
Overall, though, I couldn't put it down, and it didn't suffer much from that flaw. And it certainly is a gut-wrencher; I won't give away any other surprises but Gabaldon loves to chase her characters up trees and then throw stones at them, as an editor friend of mine puts it.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic!
Review: A wonderful story of a woman figuring out what has happened to her as she steps into 1743 from 1945. A great adventure, a great love story, and great comedic moments. It's trite, but I laughed, I cried, and I loved the characters. Read this and the sequals - you won't be disappointed.
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Summary: One Hell of a book!!!!!!
Review: The relationship between Jamie and Claire is very sweet and almost imature.This book is hillariously funny and I enjoyed it to its fullest!
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Summary: A cross-genre MUST read!
Review: It's hard to label a Diana Gabaldon novel. While she writes with romantic tendencies, her stories are truly well developed and well written--not at all like the run-of-the-mill romance "trash". I love to get absorbed in a really god romantic novel but I get so tired of the same old plot formulas. The Outlander series is truly original. You'll become so immersed in the story and the characters that you won't be able to put it down! In fact, I've read the entire series many times over and just can't wait for the next installment. A warning though--each book is long! But, they will keep your interest. Ms. Gabaldon has an excellent web site where you can find out all about her series!
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Summary: On a whim, became my favorite!
Review: I purchased this book on a whim. I was suprised to find myself quickly becoming obsessed with the story and characters. I just couldn't put it down and have read it twice while waiting for the sequels. Diana's wonderful descriptions put me right there, like no other author ever has. I knew barely anything about Scottish history. Not only was I entertained, but found that I learned a great deal about this place and period in history. I just love this book - it is more than a must read!
Rating:
Summary: A love story that carries you beyond time
Review: It was by accident that I read the story of Claire and Jaime. I was swept away, along with Claire to the Scottish Highlands in the 1700's. I fell in love with the characters and felt their love as well as their pain. I laughed out loud and cried many tears. Never before have I become so addicted to a story. I have read Dragonfly in Amber, Drums of Autumn and Voyager. I do pray she continues the story. There has to be more.
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