Outlander by Diana Gabaldon Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Outlander
Book Review: "Outlander"
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this as a gift for my cousin. I thought she would love it as I did. I loved this book as the rest in the series. I became addicted to this series via this first book. Great book and the rest of them became more and more"polished" in the writting.
CCL.
Book Review: "Outlander"
Summary: 5 Stars
I first read Gabaldon's books when I was 13 years old; I am now 18 and still desperately waiting for "Fiery Cross" to come out. I have been hooked since the second I picked up "Outlander" and I know that anyone elso who reads any of Gabaldon's work will be thrilled also.Book Review: "Outlander" Is Simply...The BEST!!
Summary: 5 Stars
Claire Randall is on a second honeymoon with her husband Frank after serving as a combat nurse in World War II. While on a trip to Scotland they visit an ancient stone circle known as Craigh na Dun. Claire touches one of the standing stones and is suddenly sucked back in time to war-torn Scotland in 1743. After almost being captured and raped by hostile British soldiers, she is rescued and taken by a band of Scottish outlaws. An "out of the fire into the frying pan" situation if there ever was one. The Scots are deeply suspicious of Claire's dress, speech and manner. Thinking her to be a British spy they decide to take her with them to their stronghold. She does win the men over, to some extent, when she uses her nursing skills to save the life of one of their comrades, James Fraser, a recent escapee from a British prison.And so begins one of the most remarkable sagas in modern fiction. To label "Outlander" a romantic historical novel is to do it a terrible injustice. This is an epic romance, yes. And the relationship between Claire and Jamie is one of the most caring and intimate I have ever encountered - in fiction or in real life. Claire, having lived in England during the bombings of WWII, and served as a nurse at the front, is a resourceful, strong woman. And Jamie is an educated, philosophic man with a sense of humor...who is also a warrior in a "Braveheart" kind of way! This is a couple who are truly committed to a life together for better or worse. And Since Claire's first husband Frank will not be born for another 200 years, she is not committing bigamy. And, yes, "Outlander" is a historical novel, covering a tumultuous period in Scotland, England and France when Prince Charles Edward Stuart is attempting to regain the throne. I have also read time travel novels before, and this is like no other. The sheer magnitude of material that Diana Gabaldon covers, from the intrigues of the Scottish clans and the politics of the Jacobites to the everyday life of survival in 18th century Scotland, is extraordinary. Her research is impeccable and she tells a tale like no other. This is the kind of book you will want to read slowly and to savor. Ms. Gabaldon knows how to draw the reader into the story with her deft prose, wonderful humor, unusual characters and awesome adventures. One of the main reasons that I love this book is because Ms. Gabaldon develops her characters, major and minor, so that they become almost real. It is difficult not to form strong attachments to them and to care what happens to them all.
I had read "Outlander" when it first came out in the 1991, was entranced by it then and stored it away with my box of "keepers." I recently had the flu and was looking for a wonderful book to take my mind off of my aches and pains and decided to reread this novel. Once started I had to keep going and am now on the third book in the series. I highly recommend "Outlander." Oh, and don't be intimidated by the number of pages...once you begin to read, you'll soon wish there were more.
JANA
Book Review: "Unputdownable"
Summary: 5 Stars
I read Diana Gabaldon's Outlander (or Cross Stitch as it was called in UK)on the recommendation of the lady who works in my local bookstore. I was hooked completely, and before long, the other three were firmly in my clutches. I felt as though I was there, like a fly on the wall, watching the two main characters'(Claire and Jamie's) lives unfold. Roll on 1999 when the story continues in "Cross of Fire" I believe it will be called (in UK anyway).Book Review: "When I've finished all four, life will be a BORE!"
Summary: 5 Stars
As other readers obviously agree, this book and its three sequels will stay with me forever, and I absolutely DESPAIR at the thought of finishing them. I am nearly through with the third, "Voyager", have an overwhelming need to visit Scotland, and of course would leap through a time-travel cleft in a stone circle if it would bring me back to the infamous Jamie!