Outlander

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful combination of mystery and true love
Review: I found this to be one of the best books I have read in a long time. Claire, the narrator, was so real to me that I wanted to call her up on the phone and ask her questions. I know it's a cliche, but I really "couldn't put this book down."

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Summary: Once you've read Gabaldon... you'll never go back!
Review: This is by far the best book and series of books I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Diana Gabaldon delivered 18th century Scotland to my doorstep and I just stepped across the threshold (or through the standing stones) and experienced it. I experienced every emotion with Claire as if I were there and in love with Jamie Fraser myself. I cried and I actually laughed out loud (receiving questionable looks and eye rolls from my husband!) Historical accuracy, unequaled writing, breathtaking scenery and utter true love between the main characters make this a book worth reading over and over again. One warning, once you've read Gabaldon... you'll never go back....

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Summary: Truly the greatest story I have ever read...
Review: I have read all of the "Outlander " series - and even up til the fourth book, "Drums of Autumn" it does not disappoint! I am leery of long book series or sequels - ever since the "Clan of the Cave Bear" etc. which I loved but by the time the long awaited "Plains of Passage" came - I was so bored with the descriptions of flora and fauna I had to force myself to finish it. NOT SO with "Outlander" , "Dragonfly", "Voyager" and"Drums of Autumn." My neighbor kept telling me to read "Outlander" - we are both Scottish freaks and I am an artist who does Celtic inspired pieces - and I now consider this story my absolute favorite - undoubtedly for all time. I know what everyone means when they say other books are ruined for them - none can really compare! I know they're not perfect - Jamie is TOO wonderful and obviously written by a woman - but that's ok in my book because I get great pleasure from him. By the way, gals, listen to songs like "Broadsword & the Beast" and "Dun Ringill" (and many others) sung by Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull - that voice IS Jamie's voice to me. So - I don't know what I'm gonna do when Jamie dies at that kirk yard, aye? And why aren't there more Jamies out there anyway? Diana - keep up the GREAT WORK - I am psyched to see so many people love your work as much as we do!

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Summary: I live and breath nothing but Claire & Jamie
Review: Even after I have finished the book I am still thinking and wondering about Jamie and Claire. Wondering if Claire's biological clock ticked away or if it stopped to give them a child. Thinking about how they might stop the foolish war that was fast approaching. Guess I'll have to read the second book in the series to find out!!!

Rating:
Summary: Romance masquerading as history
Review: Omit the steamy and repetitive sex scenes in this book, and it would shrink from 600-plus pages to 200, and then might be readable. I only continued reading because I wanted to find out if there were other 20th century people tranported back to this only-in-the-author's-imagination 18th century Scotland. The last section, with Jamie's rape and subsequent rebirth, thanks to Claire's psychological sexual torture, rang false and offensive.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent book
Review: I was introduced to these books by a manager of mine when I used to work for a bookstore. I thought that it wouldn't be for me because of the leangth of it, but I loved the book. I would recommend it to anyone who would like to read a heart-warming story about two lovers destined to be together. A must read.

Rating:
Summary: Compelling
Review: Maybe it is my counselor background, but, I found myself anaylyzing too many things in both the process and the content of the book. It seems Gabaldon used a lot of unnecessary descritptions (i.e., the flaura and fona that goes on for pages in the beginning of Outlander) to take up space as opposed to really good character descriptions/development. I did find it to be a page turner due to all the action, but, again, too much of this and not enough character description. I found many of the secondary characters drawn better than Claire. I do not know if writing it in the third person would have made a difference, but, at times, I wanted to smack Claire and ask Jamie what he was doing with a cold, selfish woman such as her. I had no understanding of what motivated Claire. For example, she stays with Jamie when he gives her the chance to return to the 20th Century, but, the build up of why she did this was not enough. I did not see the progression of her falling in love with him and not just seeing him as a friend. When she joins him in the cottage (a great scene), and he asks her "why", Claire still can not open up totally with him. She always seems to hold back, even just a little. Gabladon is an intelligent writer and has an excellent way with words; she can say in a sentence what some writers can not say in a paragraph and she conveys her message really well. But, I found myself too frustrated at times with things that happened with the two main characters. The biggest problem in this area was Jamie's rape. He allows this to happen to save the life of Claire. I could deal with this. But, when Randall crys and Jamie comforts him and when Jamie gets aroused, this opened up a whole can of worms that ruined some of the story for me. Jamie would not be physically capable of becoming aroused unless he were "turned on". His is beaten, bloodied, and raped and he gets aroused! This is going to far for the hero, in my opinion. Especialy when this theme reoccurs in later books with Capt. Gray. Yet, like so many readers, I found Jamie to be a romantic figure - one of the best in a long while due to the realistic way he is written. He is not a cooke-cutter hero. I like Gellis and Jenny better than Claire. In their few scenes, they were drawn much better than her. I have no problem with whatever genre this book is in - it was a good read in many ways. The problem with the series as a whole is that she could have gotten the story out in less pages if there was less filler descriptions and more character development. I did not like the fact these people with this supposed great love were kept apart for 20 years. I know Gabaldon used this as a plot device to bring us to the American Revolution, but, it did not work for me. If I were Claire, I would have been hitting the history books as soon as I returned to my century to find out what exactly happened to the man I am supposed to love beyond reason. True, she thought he died at Culloden, but, she was even too selfish to find out how. When she is with Frank she thinks of Jamie and vice versa. I would have been back through those stones with baby in tow as soon as our child was born and I knew was healthy. Gabladon's research is excellent, but, where the books were good, they were great, where they were bad they were lousy. She started out to do historicals and added romance as an afterthought, so she has six of one and half a dozen of another. I agree with another reviewer who said she should have stopped after the first 3. I will say that I do admire her for the risks she took; she did not tie things up in nice, pretty bows with fast resolutions. She has an excellent imagination and I admire her for using it. I think the Loch Ness monster scene in Outlander will be one of my favorite scenes of all times

Rating:
Summary: ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.....
Review: This series of books are the most amazing books that I have ever read. Ms. Gabaldon weaves a believable story of Jaime and Claire. She brings to life Scottish life in the 18th century. You can feel the cold and the damp, you can picture the Highlands and the crags, you can feel the warmth of a plaid as it is belong wrapped around you. I have read the first three books 4 times each and the last book twice so far. I have also listened to Outlander and Dragon Fly in Amber. You get the same sense of history, whether to read the story or to listen to it. In my mind's eye I could see all of the same scenes. In reading or listening, you can feel Jaime's pain, Claire's fear and Randall's deceit. Please hurry with the next book, we need to know what is store for Jaime, Claire, Brianna, Roger and ......

Rating:
Summary: Sleep-Ez
Review: I am three quarters through this book and I am still waiting for something to happen! Too predictable. The historical content reads like filler material between the constant boinking. It would have been interesting to read what Claire's husband Frank was feeling while she was gone. The novel wasn't what I expected. I was hoping for a bit more SciFi element to lend some mystery to the theme. Ya kin what I mean?

Rating:
Summary: An epic thaat will be on your mind for a long time
Review: I was just looking for a book in a bookstore once and came across Diana Gabaldon. I decided to give her a chance. I couldn't believe what I was reading. It was a captivating book. I couldn't put the book down. I had to have the sequels right after I finished it. Even though it was fantasy, it was believable. A great book