Outlander

Rating:
Summary: Romance for the Intelligent
Review: Although I love a romantic tale, I have often found romance novels to be predictable with poor dialogue and unbelieveable plots. This book was nothing like those.

The author is an expert crafter of words. She educates without making the reader feel ignorant and does not explain things that readers know. She has taken great pains to create an accurate picture of the times she writes about and presents beautifully written dialogue with a Scottish dialect the reader can almost hear.

I was completely swept away in the story line. The heroine is strong, resourceful, and easy to relate to. The hero is strong, sensitive, and immensely attractive.

I highly recommend this book. I borrowed someone else's copy, but am buying my own so I can reread it. All in all, a very satisfying read!

Rating:
Summary: What If You Could Have A Second Chance At Life?
Review: Isn't that what we all want? A chance to go back and change something or decide not to make a choice that we regret. In Diana Gabaldon's _Outlander_ the heroine gets that second chance. Claire Randall is a combat nurse reunited with her husband. They are having a second honeymoon in Scotland when Claire is transported back in time by forces she does not understand. In 1743, scotland is torn by war, and she has trouble believing what is happening to her. Then she is forced to marry the breathtaking <sigh> Jamie Fraser. He introduces her to a love so absolute that it can withstand torture, war, and hate. But will these star crossed lovers be able to defy the laws of time?

That question and many more are rasied in _Outlander_, and I think Diana Gabaldon answers them perfectly. When I first saw _Outlander_, I stayed away from it for a number of reasons. 1) Too long. It has been my experience that long books often get boring after the first few hundred pages. 2) It was written in first person. I hate first person and havn't read a book written in that style for years. 3) The book is first in a series. Often, books that are in series are too drawn out and don't feel very complete. They just try to set the stage for the next book. So, for all of my wariness of this book, I almost didn't read it. Don't let that mistake happen to you! First of all, it is long only because it is such an epic story. It is not boring or slow! Secondly, because _Outlander_ is written in first person, you feel more connected to Claire. I was laughing and crying right along with her. Thirdly, I'm so glad it is a series. When you get to the end of _Outlander_, if you are not begging for more, I will seriously question if you read every word of this novel.

Claire was a most wonderful heroine. It was lovely to see historical Scotland from a more modern point of veiw. When her second chance comes, she grasps it with two hands and dosen't let go. It is fabulous to see that kind of strength in a heroine. Jamie was a nice change from the normal romance hero (by the way, it IS a romantic fiction book. That's probably why it was in the romance department of the book store. Just in case you were wondering. ). It seems like our society encourages relationships with older men and scornes ones with younger men. It's nice to see that women can have absolute love with someone younger. I was delighted that Jamie was a virgin on his wedding night. Finally, a man who is willing to put a little effort into keeping himself pure! Imagine how special you would feel if someone worked so hard to save himself for you.

So, to sum up _Outlander_ in less then a million words, which is what you would need to do it justice, amazing, breathtaking, passionate, and stunning. I don't think I will ever read a book that has this much imagination and, for lack of a better word, goodness in it. So stop wasting your time reading my review... buy the book and discover someone else's second chance for yourself. Good luck on functioning a normal life while reading it. I know I sure had a hard time with that :)!

Rating:
Summary: One of the best books I have ever read.
Review: The first time I read this book I was on vacation and only had a limited time to read the whole thing so I rushed through it. It took me a while to get into it, but it was highly recommended by a friend and so I was willing to give it the benefit of the doubt.

Wow! That's the best way I can describe it. The beginning was slow at first but then you couldn't help but get swept away with it. I loved this book. I have to admit it was VERY well written and the characters, (all of them) were unique and as real as any person I could have met on the street.

Clair Randall Fraser was truly one of the most inspiring characters. She was tough and strong when she needed to be. Which turns out she really needed to be if she was going to save her husband.

Even though this sounded to me like an unrealistic topic on which to base a book. (timetravel I mean) I really can't say I was dissappointed with it. In fact the total opposite. The story was so well written that the story sounded quite logical as if it could actually happen.

I suppose that's what fantasy is all about. For those people who think this is a romance book, it's NOT. Yes, there is romance in it. A great love/passion between Jamie and Clair but the book is more related to their life experiences. Both together and apart.

Jamie really was one of my favourite characters. He was strong, (obviously) smart, hansome, resourseful and above all stubborn. He wouldn't let anything defeat him. (which is good because he really needs that quality) I have to admit that I liked the person he grew up to be. (before and after) He's a survivor, what didn't kill him made him stronger. It was really sad what happened to him. I actually cried.

The second time I read the book I had to skip that part because it was just too sad to think about. The character I hated the most was Jack Randall. I'm sure I'm not the only one. Ms. Gabaldon wrote him well enough for most people to hate him and I suppose that was the point.

I have never read such a long book before and when I saw the sequels I actually laughed because each one was longer than the one before. The only thing that I didn't like about this book was that there were a lot of scenes that just went beyond endurance. I kept flipping to the next page hoping that the suspense would be over and I would finally get to know what happens. But that was not to be. The author tended to be a little long winded about some of the scenes. And that carried over to her other books. That is not to say that I didn't enjoy this book very much, because I did. But I just got too tired of waiting for the suspense to be over and so I flipped through until I found the next relevant point.

Overall it was a fascenating book, and I couldn't put it down.

Rating:
Summary: The Best
Review: This is quite simply the best romance series I have ever read. The life of the story is so believeable that one actually starts thinking one is a part of the story. A *MUST* READ!

Rating:
Summary: Outlander
Review: This is the most amazing book I have ever read. I have never been so entirely absorbed by a book, and I have an English Literature degree. This book completely touched my soul. For two days, I did nothing but read, I couldn't and wouldn't put it down (to the annoyance of my husband). Several of my co-workers read this entire series and have tried to get me to read them for some time. I was hestitant, thinking a "romance" novel would not be something I would enjoy. But, this book is truly so much more than that. The history is rich, the imagery is fantastic, Gabaldon is truly a talented writer. But, let me tell you, this book does have it's romance (and it is very good!) but it is also not for the sqeamish. Anyway, I just had to give my two-scents. I HIGHLY recommend this book. And the next three (I am almost finished with the fourth). I have been utterly hooked for the last month.

Rating:
Summary: The best of the best
Review: I've never read a book more than once. But this book and this series are the exception. I have two sets of paperbacks and a set of hardback. I've got many of my friends and family to love this series and this book as well as I. This book takes off and soars after the first 50 pages. It has a little romance, mystery, and suspense. This is a book you want to read on a cold Sunday afternoon, because once you start you will not be able to put it down. I usually read medical thrillers and this is quite out of the norm for me. This book caught me totally off balance and I feel this book and this series are the best of the best.

Rating:
Summary: A must read for book lovers!
Review: This is by far one of the best books (and series) I have read in a very long time! Diana now ranks among my favorite authors, with Jean Auel and Shakespeare! READ THIS SERIES!

Rating:
Summary: Simply unique!
Review: I've never read anything quite like Gabaldon's books. They have the most compelling elements of genre fiction, and yet the language, scope, and themes of the series as a whole remind me of the best of classic literature. The series (I couldn't separate it into books; it's all one huge, marvelous story) is the best thing I've read since I found WAR AND PEACE in my teens.

Rating:
Summary: Wow! Just -- wow!
Review: Claire Randall is a married Englishwoman in her mid-20s. She and her husband, Frank, have just reunited after six years apart during WWII. (She was a nurse and he was an intelligence officer.) While they are vacationing in the Scottish Highlands, Claire goes out picking wildflowers near an ancient stone circle -- and falls through it, back 200 years.

James Fraser is a young Scotsman, the nephew of the MacKenzie chieftain, and wanted (incorrectly) for murder by the English. He and his companions discover Claire and take her back to Leoch (the seat of the MacKenzie clan), where Jamie later marries her to keep her out of English hands.

So far, this sounds a bit formulaic, but it is anything but.

I quit reading romance novels because of their incredible sameness: The heroine is naive, spectacularly beautiful and headstrong. The hero is manly, usually a jerk and experienced in the ways of pleasuring a woman.

Part of the reason "Outlander" is great -- other than its cool time-travel element -- is because Claire and Jamie are NOTHING like that. Claire is a practical, sensible woman, not a simpering virgin. Jamie IS a virgin -- a devout, kindhearted man who would move heaven and earth for his bride but never fails to be masculine.

Gabaldon's writing is exquisite -- far superior to that of most romance novelists. Her historical details are also fascinating and meticulously researched.

The plot takes some unusual turns that I won't disclose here, but this novel is not for the faint of heart. Both Jamie and Claire suffer some very harsh treatment...

Rating:
Summary: One of the best books I've ever read!
Review: The Outlander series is wonderful. Read them slowly so that you aren't stuck waiting for Gabaldon's next book like I am!