Search - Outlander (Outlander, Bk 1)

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!

If your looking at this book and you aren't sure what to expect, then your in the same position I was before I picked it up. To clarify, this is historical fiction with romantic and paranormal undertones. Do not pick this up expecting a light read.

Clair is a married woman, a nurse, having cared for men during world war two. She is on a trip with her husband in Scotland. When she touches a magical stone, she finds herself in the 18th century where she quickly becomes immersed in a world of Scottish politics and war. Romance eventually blossoms when she is forced to marry Jamie, a fugitive of English law.

You are never bored, and that's an impressive statement considering how long this book is. Each page is filled with interesting details. The plot has a nice rise and fall of action so it reads like a well-timed adventure tale. I also thought the romance had a smooth, realistic tone to it.

I call this romance very adult because Gabaldon doesn't settle for the classic boy-meets-girl happily ever after fairy tale so common in the romance genre. Instead you get cringe worthy conflict, awkwardness, danger, and in the end only very tentative hope at happiness. In a way I think this is refreshingly realistic

I cant see why some readers may have thematic issues with this book. There's quite a bit of violence. Talk (and demonstration) of wife beating and child beating is casual--because of the time period. There is also rape, murder, flogging,etc. So if you dislike violence, I'd skip this book.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking to purchase a large piece of fiction with a lot of substance.

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.

Wonderful read! Diana is my favorite author as she pulls you in and makes you feel as if you are there in the saga with Jamie, Claire, and the others. I've read the entire series and am waiting for the next to be released this year. I also plan to read it again sometime in the future. My favorite books of all time!

Seriously. This is one of the best series I've read, and I have a broad range of interests. Jamie is a demi-god, and Clair is one tough broad. She (and they) get better in each book, as you meet new characters and enjoy many adventures with these time travelers. Warning: if you read this really, really, really long book, you will be hooked, because each book gets better. This is romance for the thinking (and emotive) woman:)

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.