I just recently started reading romance novels because I am a romantic at heart and I Outlander by Diana Gabaldon came highyl recommended.

I loved about the first 500 pages, but the rest and the ending made me not really want to read the rest of the series. I was sort of expecting a witch trial and it didn't thrill me but I could see how it fit with the story.  The things that happened in Wentworth prison were offputting and really strange to me.  Never in a million years would my imagine take me to that point.

Is the rest of the series more of the same or am I going to spend it cringing and uncomfortable?

The whole series is about bad things and good things.  Things like that happened in prison during the 16thC.  I thought all of the books were great except for The Fiery Cross.  I think she got a little carried away in that book but I did finish it.  This is one series that I am keeping.  I want them in HC, though.

Keep on reading but it is a long series.  All the books are loooong.  It is a great love story, though. 

A lot of people are put off by that Wentworth stuff- but it's not all like that.  The series is definitely not all sunshine and roses, but it is not all as graphic as what is in the first book.  It's been a couple of years since I read those first books, but I don't remember anything else like that.  Don't let that deter you from the rest of the series.  6 books so far, each one 800+ pages- no, it is not all like that.  You would be missing SO much if you gave up now!  You will see more of Jack Randall, but not like what you saw in the first book.  Keep reading, you will not regret it, especially once you get to book 3 and beyond.  I finished ABOSAA several months ago and basically have no fingernails left waiting for An Echo in the Bone!

And Diana really did her historical research.  My dad loves the series.  It's got enough messy dirty reality and war mixed with the fantasy fiction that he is hooked.  She does not make the past all glossy and lovely. 

My BIL loves this series and is reading Breathe of Snow and Ashes for the second time.  He started with that one, finished it and headed for the bookstore for the first ones.  He's waiting on book 7.  This is big for a guy who doesn't like "female" writers.

I love these books.  The historical detail is amazing.  I think that my favorites detail the excesses of the French court.  The image of the women peeing on the floor and then walking away cracks me up.

I once read somewhere that Gabaldon has never cared for her books being called or labelled "romance"  but there's plenty of romance in them, in the classical definition, that it was almost a given that romance readers would be drawn to them.

I've only read OUTLANDER and loved it but though I bought 2 or 3 of the other books I eventually gave them away to a co-worker - I just didn't feel like I wanted to spend a long period of time on each of them. It took me almost an entire month to read the first book and with a TBR pile the size of the Empire State Building I can't justify reading huge books like that these days.

I love them and have read them all over and over.  You can't compare it to traditional romance because A- it wasn't written to be a romance and B- Gabaldon really did her homework.  What she writes about really happened during those times.  Life isn't all a bed of roses and a wonderful happy ending.  She wrote in an interview that this is the story of a marriage, not a romance.  If you get the idea of "romance" out of your head and enjoy it in the manner in which it was written you will like it.

I read the first book in electronic version.  I might have been leery of starting if I'd known how long it was but I loved it.  So, of course, I had to order others.  Last week I read the next two books.  I couldn't put them down but I think I have to take a break before I start the next one.  I didn't get anything done all week.  I'll have to read the next 4 over my summer vacation.  I didn't know that there was a 7th book until today.  Now there's another book to add to my Wish List.

So, with An Echo In The Bone due out 9/22, when are you planning on starting the re-read to be done in time for 9/22?  I'm thinking of starting July 1, to have July, August and most of Sept to read the 6 books in succession.  I know, of course, it'll vary on everyone's speed of reading. I don't want to start too late and have to get it on the 22nd and WAIT - OMG - or be done too soon and be a b***** till the 22nd.....

I'm not planning to re-read the entire series, that would burn me out and I wouldn't want to read the new one!   I'll do what I've done for all of the previous books.  I'm going to get the audio version of the most recent book and listen to just that book.  Heck, that alone will probably take all of August!

However, before the FINAL book comes out, I do plan to re-read the entire series, but I'll space it over the period of at least a year.  Has anybody heard any rumors about when the release of the final book is planned for?

To address the OP's question:   IMO Diana doesn't pull her punches in the Outlander series.   She somewhat graphically describes violence, sex and, very occasionally, violent sex.   The scene at Wentworth prison near the end of Outlander is hard to read, but very critical to the plot of the whole series.  Personally, although I've re-read Outlander numerous times, I've only read that scene once.  Throughout the series you will run into other instances of violence, but I can't think of any that are as bad as that one.  No others that I've hesitated to re-read, anyway. 

And although my imagination wouldn't necessarily have gone there, either, I find that scene entirely believable.  As others have said, Diana did her research for these books, and incidents like that could easily have happened.

Lynne, I know it will happen, but oh the pain, to think of the 'last' book....I believe she has said there will be a #8; after that,......I believe she mentioned pre-quels, about Jamie's parents....

I had found the series at book #4; so I bought all 4 and read them all; when book #5 came out, I did a reread first; same when book #6 came out, I re-read them all.  So this will be my 4th read, prior to book #7.

I am on the thrid book right now. Yes Wentworth was a horrible scene, and it did make me think about whether I wanted to read the other books. I cant say that these are my favorite books, but they are very good and there have not been any other scenes like Wentworth.

I think you either love them or not.  I'm a huge fan but I know people who hated Outlander. 

I love the series, but no way am I going to reread all of them before #7 comes out!  I have very limited reading time, and it took me several months to get through the first 6 books the first time, so nope, not doing that again- I have way too big of a TBR to reread books I've already read!  I finished ABOSAA not too long ago, so it's still fairly fresh, but I may skim it before starting the new one.  I have read excerpts of AEITB on DG's website, though haven't been there in awhile to see if she has posted new ones.  Someday when my kids are grown and I'm retired, I'll likely read them all again, but that's a loonnnnggg way off.

I have bought the first four books in hardback used from Amazon but never read them.  I guess I need to get reading.  I have been wondering if buying that guide book about the series is a good idea?  Any suggestions?

An Echo In the Bone - see my post in CMT - OMG OMG OMG http://www.paperbackswap.com/forum/topic.php?t=167679

I always love to hear someone get addicted for the first time.  I am so jealous; you have so much ahead of you to enjoy for the first time !! My pcoming re-read will be my 4th or 5th.  It never ceases to amaze me each time I read it, but you know that there is just something special about that first time.