The Outlandish Companion

Rating:
Summary: Good Reference, but not that satisfying
Review: Having devoured her first books about Jaime and Claire (several times each), I was desperate for more. However, this book should have been postponed until the whole series was written. I felt she would have used the time better writing the actual books, and not just creating this "filler" for her hungry fans. It IS enjoyable, and tells a lot of background about the characters, but it's not what I wanted. Plus I thought the horoscope section was pretty ridiculous - imagine creating characters then having their "palms read".

Rating:
Summary: a sad disappointment
Review: poorly put together, disorganized, a sad day for the Ladies of Lallybroch.

Rating:
Summary: If you like to read dictionaries and encyclopedias...
Review: No seriously, I could understand how many a fan would devour anything by Diana Gabaldon and I thought I was one of those people; but The Outlandish Companion was something I could have done without. I enjoyed her personal story about how she got started with the series but other than that I struggled through it. The recommended books section; which was the main reason I purchased this book, was a disappointment. I hated many of the books I picked from the list in the back of the companion. I get the impression that Ms. Gabaldon is very intellectual. I just think I'll wait patiently for the rest of the books in this series.

Rating:
Summary: Very Informative, an impressive amount of data
Review: I was surprised at the amount of detail that Ms. Gabaldon put into this companion book to her series. It is almost as if these characters are her ancestors. I have been working on my own family history and know what kind of connection you can have to people from the past that you could never have known personally and I get the feeling that she has actually sat and talked to Jamie and Claire. I mean, it's one thing to write a book about someone, but she has gone above and beyond that by making them so real. This companion just proves that she is an excellent writer. I wish I had that kind of imagination.

Rating:
Summary: Outlandish To Not Own This Book!
Review: I fell in love with the first book and was in Heaven when I discovered it was a series! When this book came out, I paid alot for it ( I would have paid more)! This is the perfect book to browse through in any fashion and order. It shows Ms. Gabaldon's sense of humor and love of her characters. Her little facts about history and Jamie Fraser left me in awe (her too, it seems), and I felt so thrilled to find her web site and the knowledge that there are two more books in the series to follow. I look forward to reading her next books and I love her work. She has truly spoiled me for other authors. They just don't compare to her style, depth, and humor.

Rating:
Summary: Love the series, but was this necessary?
Review: Call me cynical, but "The Outlandish Companion" strikes an odd chord in me. Yes, the books are great, but do you really need to know Jamie and Claire's horoscopes, not to mention the minutiae of very minor characters' lives? The books, although lengthy, are not that hard to follow. I'm sure Ms. Gabaldon had fun putting this together, but it smacks of time buying and audience baiting. It's been three years since "Drums of Autumn," and despite predictions "Fiery Cross" is nowhere in sight. If you're an absolute diehard Jamie and Claire fan, this is a must have (and you probably already do). We more patient sorts will wait for "Fiery Cross."

Rating:
Summary: Living in a different place
Review: I have to thank Diana for the wonderful stories she has written. I started reading the series with book number 2 - Dragonfly in Amber while on vacation in Scotland and Ireland. At the time I didn't know it was a series, I just wanted a location book. So when I was finished I read #3, then #4 and then #1 Outlander. I feel like it was a neat way to read because it was like a flashback. I received the Companion for Mother's Day from my Sister - she knows that this series has spoiled my taste for other books because of the people, writing and just Ms. Gabaldon's gift in general. I often recommend her books, although many run the other way when they see the length of them. I like the fact that her books are very long - and wish they were longer. I feel like I belong to the Fraser Clan, and that I know the entire group of family and friends. Can't wait for the Fiery Cross....

Rating:
Summary: Transporting and Attention Holder
Review: Loved her whole series, and I just could not get enough. Fell in love,laughed and cried with the characters. Even started looking at redheaded men in a different wondering light, haha. I enjoyed her Scottish books, and cant wait to visit Scotland sometime, due to her detail and description of this country. Cant wait to see her next book. I have recommended this series to many friends and they have all agreed with me...they are wonderful.

Rating:
Summary: the Outlandish Companion
Review: This is the absolute best! I adore Diana Gabaldon's work and purchased this as soon as it came out out. I love her tongue -in- cheek approach to the material. Jamie and Claire jump right off of the pages! She has made their personas so real that the reader inevitably becomes drawn to them in the most intimate way. I was actually using the "companion" as a textbook of sorts while re-reading the "Outlander" series. I found it incredibly fun to use it as a reference book and just to read it for the sheer joy of it. Ms Gabaldon had an awesome talent that makes the most mundane things in life so totally interesting!

Rating:
Summary: Can't get enough and can't wait for the next one!
Review: These books are the only ones I've ever read that can make me laugh out loud and cry and get really mad and make me think of all the possibilities in life...and each book provokes this in me! Diana Gabaldon has a flair and a wit that is truly rare and I highly recommend anything she writes to anybody who enjoys escapism reading at its very best!