Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Search - Outlander (Outlander, Bk 1)

Outlander (Outlander, Bk 1)
Outlander - Outlander, Bk 1
Author: Diana Gabaldon
Unrivaled storytelling... unforgettable characters... rich historical detail... these are the hallmarks of Diana Gabaldon's work. Her New York Times bestselling Outlander novels have earned the praise of critics and captured millions of readers. — Here is the story that started it all, introducing two remarkable characters, Claire Randall and Jam...  more »
The Market's bargain prices are even better for Paperbackswap club members!
Retail Price: $18.00
Buy New (Paperback): $13.79 (save 23%) or
Become a PBS member and pay $9.89+1 PBS book credit Help icon(save 45%)
ISBN-13: 9780385319959
ISBN-10: 0385319959
Publication Date: 8/10/1998
Pages: 640
Rating:
  • Currently 4.4/5 Stars.
 521

4.4 stars, based on 521 ratings
Publisher: Delta
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio Cassette, Audio CD
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed Outlander (Outlander, Bk 1) on + 7 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 43
This is probably the best series I have EVER read-and I've read a lot. I think I read the entire series (all six, 900 page books) in under 2 weeks. While I was working and going to school-that's how awesome they are, I could not put them down, I HAD to find out what would happen. I agree with what others have said that these are not romance novels-they really focus on the heroine and the realities of what it would be like to be stuck in another time. Her writing and storytelling is very believable, and the sub-plot of what plays out between Jamie (swoon!) and Claire, is just a the icing on the cake. What a great read-two thumbs way, way up. I ended up buying all the books after because I want to make sure I can find them when I want to read them again. I've already reread bits and pieces of them, and I only read them for the first time a few months ago. Awesome, awesome writing.
GusNBuster avatar reviewed Outlander (Outlander, Bk 1) on + 51 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 27
I'm not a fan of time-travel/science fiction/fantasy/series, but this novel defies being categorized. Yes, it is time-travel, yes, it is romance, yes, it is historical fiction. Overall, it is phenomenal! I happened to pick up Outlander at a garage sale for 25 cents -- and then couldn't stop until I read the rest of the series, plus the Lord John novel spin-off. I can't wait to see how Gabaldon picks up with the next book in the series. FANTASTIC!
TruckerBarbie65 avatar reviewed Outlander (Outlander, Bk 1) on + 52 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 21
Had a hard time with the first couple chapters cuz I thought they were kinda boring. But, once she reaches Jamie, I couldn't put it down. Very intense.
reviewed Outlander (Outlander, Bk 1) on + 5 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 13
Our book club chose this as a "relief" book after struggling through Faulkner's THE SOUND AND THE FURY, and while I only expected lighthearted entertainment, this was a fascinating, engrossing read. I set aside certain daily obligations (!) to sneak away with this book...I could not put it down until i was finished. HIGHLY recommended escapist reading!
Corie avatar reviewed Outlander (Outlander, Bk 1) on + 8 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 12
I can't remember who or what prompted me to pick up this series in the first place, probably the amount of excellent reviews I kept seeing on it and the fact that I love historical fiction. But I do remember starting out this first book in the Outlander series and thinking: "meh..."

Gabaldon does go on and on with her silly little (pointless) tangents which have nothing to do with the actual plot line and only serve to increase her already bursting word count. During the first half of this book I kept putting it down and my boyfriend kept asking me why I was even bothering.

And then I got to the second half, before I knew it I was knee deep in Gabaldon worship just like the rest of the female population. Holy crap, how much do we love Jamie Fraser? Gabaldon has created the most perfectly imperfect, intense, wonderful, rugged, passionate, lovable, beautiful specimen on paper. (Have you ever googled "outlander movie"? Much to the chagrin of every warm blooded woman out there (and possibly some men...) there is not a movie version of this fantastic hero. But that doesn't stop everyone from casting him. Go check out some of the "who's your Jamie" fan sites, suggesting dozens upon dozens of different actors to portray this god among men.)

Anyway, Excellent novel. An intense read with characters you will know intimately once you close the back cover. Very emotional series. I couldn't read just book one. I had to keep buying the next one in the series. And then the next one...

I would recommend to anyone who has an interest in history and who is above reading a bit of fluff. This is a challenging, engrossing read. Definitely on my "to keep" shelf.
Read All 333 Book Reviews of "Outlander Outlander Bk 1"

Please Log in to Rate these Book Reviews

tcarlora avatar reviewed Outlander (Outlander, Bk 1) on + 18 more book reviews
If you have not read this series you need to. My husband enjoyed it as much as I did. I started reading it about the time the 4th book came out and loved it so much that I am now trying to just collect the hardbacks for the earlier books that I do not have. Read it before you watch it on TV. Its worth the 800plus pages per book!
cowanrn avatar reviewed Outlander (Outlander, Bk 1) on + 8 more book reviews
I am loving this series. Highly recommend.
reviewed Outlander (Outlander, Bk 1) on + 14 more book reviews
This book grabs you from the beginning. Claire and Jamie are thrown together and then just hang on. It makes you want to read what happens next.
reviewed Outlander (Outlander, Bk 1) on + 13 more book reviews
Ok. This really is a guilty pleasure. Sometimes you just have to have the doughnut even though you can feel your arteries hardening as you eat. She is a good writer.
MKSbooklady avatar reviewed Outlander (Outlander, Bk 1) on + 933 more book reviews
I saw the entire series before starting the books. It was helpful, because I could keep all of the people straight in my head. This was a very good and engrossing book. But I must say that Jamie Fraser has set the bar for men/husbands so high that most women will be disappointed for the rest of their lives.
reviewed Outlander (Outlander, Bk 1) on
This is a great book that is the beginning of a fantastic adventure! It's got a bit of everything - adventure, romance, time travel.
reviewed Outlander (Outlander, Bk 1) on + 16 more book reviews
I was about half-way through when I added book 2 of this series to my wish list. I don't know if I'll do the whole series (7 and counting) but I look forward to the next installment. The premise is thought-proking, moments of realization, conditions and people harsh. It felt a bit of a roller-coaster ride, but of course, the world and times were dangerous especially for the people Claire finds herself in the company of. And Jamie Fraser lives upto the hype of romantic, sensual hero.
reviewed Outlander (Outlander, Bk 1) on
Best series I have ever read!
reviewed Outlander (Outlander, Bk 1) on + 42 more book reviews
going back in the past in this book is very intrigueing.
scollins avatar reviewed Outlander (Outlander, Bk 1) on + 59 more book reviews
WOW!! I had never read anything from this author, so I was not sure what to expect. This book had me laughing out loud, crying and praying I would someday meet a man like Jamie. This is the first of the series and I anticipate they will only get better. Great read and don't let the 850 pages intimidate you - the storyline keeps you wanting more and it took me no time to read it!
reviewed Outlander (Outlander, Bk 1) on
Slow start but a great read after you get past the initial hundred pages.
reviewed Outlander (Outlander, Bk 1) on
Although originally marketed as a romance novel, this is most certainly NOT your ordinary historical romance novel. The books were re-classified historical fiction once the series popularity set-it. Set in Scotland 1700's. Terrific characters, & storyline interjected with humor and well researched history. Gabaldon has a story teller's gift. Love, love, loved this book. Jamie will haunt your dreams. You will save this book and read it over and over again. It will be one of your favorite all time reads.
reviewed Outlander (Outlander, Bk 1) on
Outlander was my favorite series for a long while. I just wanted to mention that toward the middle of the book, a lot of raunchy sex starts to happen. Apparently, this book started off as a more erotic novel but then was toned down for the U.S. The middle is the only part that I was a little sick of. I was like, "Alright already! You can't keep your hands off eachother. We get it!!" Other than that, it is awesome. I love the characters, especially Jamie. Claire is so normal, she's endearing. She's not the typical romance novel woman that everybody is in love with. She's just a regular woman like you and me. The historical part is very interesting. I swear, you won't want to put it down.
stargazer00 avatar reviewed Outlander (Outlander, Bk 1) on + 151 more book reviews
"In 1945 Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon when she innocently touches a boulder in one of the ancient stone circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach--an 'outlander'--in a Scotland torn by war and raiding border clans in the year of our Lord...1743.
Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire's destiny is soon inextricably intertwined with Clan MacKenzie and the forbidden Castle Leoch. She is catapulted without warning into the intriques of lairds and spies that may threaten her life...and shatter her heart. For here, James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, shows her a passion so fierce and a love so absolute that Claire becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire...and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives."
justreadingabook avatar reviewed Outlander (Outlander, Bk 1) on + 1707 more book reviews
You can not get a better book than this one. You will fall in love with Jamie an Clare. Don't be scared by the size of the book, the story is so rich in details and excitment that you won't be able to stop reading. A must read book.
reviewed Outlander (Outlander, Bk 1) on + 38 more book reviews
This is one of the best time travel books that I've ever read. Characters are believable and interesting and I enjoy it every time I read it.
desparatescrapwife avatar reviewed Outlander (Outlander, Bk 1) on + 8 more book reviews
Awesome, awesome read. One of those books you can't put down and then rush to get the next book in the series the minute you finish this one. I love all her novels and even my husband grudgingly admitted to being drawn into the wonderful, complex story. It really has something for everyone. Highly recommended read!
reviewed Outlander (Outlander, Bk 1) on + 113 more book reviews
Excellent book about time travel.
reviewed Outlander (Outlander, Bk 1) on + 5 more book reviews
This is a great yarn; good fun. I've read it twice now. Other books in the series aren't quite as good but this one is un-put-downable!
wildblueyonder avatar reviewed Outlander (Outlander, Bk 1) on + 6 more book reviews
I just couldn't get into this book. I didn't finish it.
kendra-hubbard avatar reviewed Outlander (Outlander, Bk 1) on + 49 more book reviews
Loved this book! Jamie is every woman's dream!

Book Wiki

Common Title
Series
Outlander  1 of 7
People/Characters
Real Places

Genres: