Rating:  Summary: Marvelous audio Review: I have already written a review on the 5 Diana Gabaldon books but had reason to travel 5 hours by air to a business appointment. I bought the audio of the first 4 and will listen to all. Geraldine James stunned me with her pure reading of these books and altho I love to read the words myself, her rendition of these books is outstanding. She does Jamie and Claire so well my heart breaks. Her reading Claire is just the most wonderful tone that she makes Claire real. I can once more hear how Jamie is Claire's only anchor in this unique experience. Ms James' voice is soothing, the background music is perfect. These tapes were worth every penny. Ms James is one of the best readers I have ever heard.
Rating:  Summary: I would give it 10 stars if I could Review: Simply the best book I have read in years! All the other reviews have said everything there is to say but I just had to weigh in too. If you want to a book to lose yourself in, this is it.
Rating:  Summary: great book Review: I loved this book great read!
Rating:  Summary: Getting hooked Review: I found Book II of this series and realized that the series was right up my alley... but I couldn't read the second book without having read the first one... It took me nearly three weeks to find a copy of the first book and I finished reading it in two days - didn't get much sleep but was totally hooked...Ms. Gabaldon made the various players in the story so believeable, the past so real and historically quite accurate that the premise of time travel became only too possible...
Rating:  Summary: Didn't think I'd like it,...then couldn't put it down! Review: I must say at first I wasn't sure I would enjoy this book. I guess you could say I'm a fussy reader and am not a big fan of "traditional" romance novels. I DO like fantasy-type books where the worlds of modern times are combined with the person suddenly finding themselves in another time or place, along the likes of Charles De Lint (who I love!). During the first few pages, I thought, "Well, I don't know", but as soon as she fell through the stones (within the next few pages) I was hooked. It combined so many different aspects and was amazingly detailed. It follows the adventure of Claire, a 1940's post-war nurse who falls through the stones (like Stone Henge). There she meets up with Jamie Fraser and thus the adventure and romance begins. The author gets so detailed with their feelings for each other and Claire's thoughts all the way it was amazing. And they had SO many adventures, most of them life-threatening. The details of life in the 1700's in Scotland were so detailed and accurate it was astounding. I actually found myself speaking some Gaellic/Scottish slang on accident here and there (ye 'ken?) I was so engrossed. Add in a little sex and it was an incredible book I could not put down. I have just ordered the next in the series, "Dragonfly in Amber" and eagerly await the package on my doorstep. Needless to say, with the fact that there are so many books in the series (5) and with the length of each this will be keeping me happy for awhile. Please keep writing more, Ms. Gabaldon (but Claire and Jamie, not the kids!) and make sure to pick this up and read it. You won't be sorry!
Rating:  Summary: Dull Review: I picked up this book because I was looking forward to a good science-fiction/fantasy novel set in the Scottish highlands of yore. The story took entirely too long for any real action to take place. The characters are weak. Gabaldon tries to give us descriptions of her characters to the point that we can actually feel we know them and would know how they would react. She then ruins it by having them respond in ways that do not fit with our previous knowledge. She does do a good job of transliterating the Scottish pronunciation in the appropriate accent however. The descriptions of the scenery are poor and she gives us no understanding of the whereabouts of the characters. I found the story to be uninteresting and slow to develop. Why 2 stars?: The only redeeming qualities of this book were the setting of the Scottish highlands and one decent character, that of Jamie. However, the rest of the characters and the plotline were dull and uninteresting.
Rating:  Summary: It started ok Review: I am not a big fan of romance novels, but this one started ok - an interesting premise, though a bit slow. But then I got to the part where Claire is whipped and it made me sick to my stomach. Not just the cruelty, but how she was all over him not even five pages down. How can you justify anyone who does that to a woman! I understand that that was the reality of the past but this is a fantasy, a far cry from a historic novel and this was really unnecessary. Besides, the heroine came from NOW and the way she handled it was unacceptable. From then on nothing the characters said or did was compelling enough, so I couldn't bring myself to finish the book. Perhaps I'll have better luck next time around.
Rating:  Summary: Glorifies abusing women Review: I can not believe how many good reviews this book has received here. How can you like a book where the "hero"'s clan recommends that James *beat* Claire for not obeying him and leading them into danger at one point - - which he does - - and then she agrees, weepily, that it was "good for her"? This is not a "love absolute," it is ABUSE, and Gabaldon is morally irresponsible for promoting it in any way.
Rating:  Summary: Wow! Wow! Wow! Review: I admit to being a little skeptical when this book was recommended to me and I found it in the romance section. Not thinking of myself as a romance novel fan, I wasn't sure I would like it at all but I gave it a try anyway. Well, it's wonderful! There definitely is a romance angle but it's much more true to life than the average romance and the other aspects of the story are fascinating. Rich characters and realistic situations make for a thoroughly entertaining read from the second Claire appears on the scene. And then there's Jamie! Wow! You will not be able to put it down.
Rating:  Summary: "love" in the dark ages Review: I was enjoying this book very much until the beating began. I understand that this novel is historically acurate, and that men beat their wives in the past and today. However, I do not believe that true love includes physical violence-- especially the sadistic sort. Although this was 250 years ago, domestic violence is still wrong! I read up until this part, got sick to my stomach and threw this book where it belongs- the dumpster.
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