Rating: 
Summary: AN ABSOLUTELY RIVETING STORY!!!!!
Review: A lover of historical fiction, adventure books, and books with a time travel theme, I hesitated buying this book, despite the very intriguing sounding plot, because it was labeled as being a romance novel. Still, curiosity won the day, and am I ever glad that it did! This has got to be one of the most engrossing and highly entertaining novels that I have ever read. Surprisingly well written, I was hooked almost immediately.The novel begins in the year 1945, and the plot revolves around the adventures of Claire Randall, an Englishwoman and combat nurse during World War II, who is reunited with her husband, Frank, after the war. While on a second honeymoon in Scotland, she visits a strange flat topped hill in the highlands of Scotland, where a forbidding stone circle draws her. Touching one of the stones, she is hurled through a vortex in time and finds herself in eighteenth century Scotland. There, she meets James Fraser, a brave and brawny Scotsman, and finds herself thrust into the midst of clan warfare and intrigue. Finding in Jamie a soulmate, she falls passionately in love, but is conflicted because of the feelings she harbors for the husband she left behind. She goes on, however, to have enough adventures to last a lifetime. What happens to these star crossed lovers in eighteenth century Scotland is riveting. The author is a master storyteller and her use of historical detail is superlative. Those who love well written, historical fiction will be delighted. The book tells a rip roaring good story and is a veritable page turner. This is the first in a now published series of four books. Having read each and every one, all I can say is... Bravo! I love each and every one of them!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: I LOVED this book, and all the sequels! Diana Gabaldon is an amazing writer, and therefore the books are very well written. The romance is wonderful, and the main character is an amazing woman. I LOVED IT!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Gabaldon is Magic!
Review: This first book in the Claire & Jamie Fraser series cements the readers interest almost immediately, despite the rather strange concept of time-travel thru stone circles. Reading the story in the first person thru Claire's eyes was also unusual, but can't detract from the shear enjoyment of watching these two characters find eachother. From post-war forties Scotland to pre 1745 Highland uprising, the story takes you on a tour of the north of Scotland that will endear the Highlands to you forever. Claire finds herself depositted in the midst of fueding clans, corrupt redcoats, and meeting up with the most captivating and unexpected hero ever created. Jamie is everything your typical romantic hero steriotype is not, and how refreshing that is. And he just gets better with age, like an historical Sean Connery. One minute you're crying with laughter and the next the tears are for the heartbreak that Jamie or Claire must suffer. Gabaldon's story line is constantly inspired, keeps you guessing and ultimately ties together in a very satisfying read. The snappy dialogue between her characters alone is enough to recommend her work. If Outlander doesn't fulfil your requirements as an historically accurate, buzz a minute romantic yarn then nothing will. Read on to the end of the series, I guarantee you won't regret it.
Rating: 
Summary: This book is a bodice-ripper romance
Review: I had heard wonderful things about it, and for the first couple of hundred pages, really enjoyed it. But let's face it, this is a historical romance -- great if that's what you like. I learned that I really don't like historical romances any better than I like romance novels. I quit reading about halfway through -- the book just went on and on, and after a while, the novelty of the device (time travel) seemed to have lost interest for the author, because we were totally imbedded in the earlier time period. If you love romances, this will probably be just your cup of tea. If you don't normally read romance novels, be warned.
Rating: 
Summary: Needs More Editing
Review: The story is excellent, interesting, compelling but over
long. There is too much information that is, although well written, not related to the plot. The author needs a more conservative editor! However, I will read the rest of the series. It's too good to miss!
Rating:
Summary: A True Epic
Review: My first experience with Claire and Jamie was overhearing my coworkers copy of Fiery Cross on CD while at work. I didn't hear all of but enough to know that I wanted to read the others. A few months later I picked up Outlander. Being a busy college student I didn't have time to read much, but I somehow managed to find the time to finish the book. I spent the next few months trying to squeeze out every minute I could to finish the rest of the books.
Now, two years later I picked it up again. I finished it in one week. I LOVE this book. Diana Gabaldon accomplishes something that I only have experienced in fantasy epics. She has invented characters and a world that feel as real as the one we live in. Claire and Jamie have real human flaws. They are both stuborn to a fault but they also love each other beyond reason. Gabaladon also fleshes out her minor characters. Her portrayal of Frank was so well done that you felt everything Claire felt for him even if his part of the story was over in 100 pages.
Many classify this as a Romance Novel. That is just plain wrong. It is an historical fiction novel with just enough romance in it to be satisfying. The romance and sex scenes are never overdone like Jean Auel and some other historical fiction writers. The adventure, as over the top as some of it is, never seems wrong or misplaced.
If you are the type of person who likes completely engulfed in a story this is the book for you.
Rating:
Summary: All time favorite book
Review: This book is my caliber of which all other books are judged. It has everything--excellent writing, historical accuracy, humor..I could go on. The main reason to read it is this--A damn good book! And I love these characters. Do yourself a favor, pick up this book and you wont be able to put it down! And the other books in the series are just as great.
Rating: 
Summary: Outlander is verra, verra boring
Review: O.K. My co-worker said "you gotta read this book." So I started and stopped at around 400 pages or so. Don't get me wrong, the author can put a story together. The main frustrations for me include...enough already with the sex scenes! Almost everytime Claire and Jamie came together (no pun intended) they jumped on each others bones. One of the most unbelievable sex scampades is that after they are almost killed by those men with bad/no teeth, they go into the heather and f*()(* like rabbits. Come on people! I would be high tailing it so fast out of there.....
Next, where was the story? It started out promising and then it is Claire and Jamie talking, screwing, talking, riding somewhere, talking...yada, yada, yada boring. Any historical context disappeared after the first few chapters. Also Claire does not seem too bothered about loosing her husband or even why she went back in time and how she got there. She has very little trouble wearing the period clothes, eating the period food, dealing with period vermin, going without a bath or shower, dealing with the period cold, the period smells...you name it. Nevermind being nearly raped everytime she is with the enemy. And Jamie being a 23 year old virgin when they get hitched..not bloody likely!
I could go on but if you are looking for a more historical fiction type of novel don't bother. If you are looking for a fantasy in the character of stud muffin Jamie, go for it.
Now what am I to tell me friend?
Rating:
Summary: Junk Food
Review: Just like a Big Mac and fries, this book is addictive but ultimately not nourishing. Excessively violent, over long, and highly homophobic, it keeps you involved without giving much back. The religious sentiments at the end also troubled me, as if Jamie experiences his own Passion of the Christ in 18th Century Scotland. The hero and heroine are beautiful, and loved by the good people and hated by the evil ones. As good a writer as Gabaldon can be, she deals in simplistic scenarios that are disturbing and ultimately dishonest.
Rating:
Summary: extraordinary love story
Review: This is the incredible story of a woman who travels back in time and is forced to marry a man for her own protection. Sounds pretty straightforward and kind of like a silly romance novel right? WRONG.
Claire's journey through the stones and her friendship and then marriage with Jamie is one of the most affecting stories I've ever read. I started reading Outlander on Dec 30, 2004. Thirty days and 4976 pages later I was done with the fifth book of this series, The Fiery Cross, and I wanted to cry because there was nothing left to read. I don't know what I will do with myself waiting for the sixth book and I truly sympathize with the readers who had to wait years between books.
Outlander introduces us to Jamie and Claire while they are still learning about the love that will bind them forever - even when they might be seperated by time itself. While I would not consider this book to be a romance novel it IS an extraordinary love story that segues into the excellent historical fiction and adventure to follow.
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