Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

I realized on my first read-through I didn't add the first three books to the blog! And re-watching the series made me want to reread.

In 1945, Claire Randall has happily reunited with her husband for a second honeymoon in the Scottish Highlands after World War II caused them to unwillingly part. When Claire is suddenly forced through the stones at the circle known as Craigh na Dun, she becomes a "Sassenach"--an outsider--in 1743 Scotland. Sent back in time by unseen and unknown forces, Claire must grapple with a past that threatens her very life. In the past, Claire meets Jamie Fraser, a young Scottish warrior, leaving her torn between two very different men, and the different versions of the future they might hold for her.

Book #1 in Outlander series. 627 pages.

Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon

Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Unfortunately, this is the end of the line for me, and my actual score is more of a 2.5. I really wanted to love this one, but for me, it was drawn out and tedious. There was a huge lull from about 1/3 to 2/3, and I think this whole story could have been successfully accomplished and be far better in half the number of pages.

They still don't address the time travel issue in any way that is helpful or more satisfying than the previous novel, so I've effectively read 1,700 pages of a classic time travel novel and continue to have no answers or even clues to my most basic questions. All they did was give me more questions, and there's a point at which mystery and delay can be good for a story, but it's not after 1,700 frustrating pages of no real answers. I think I've finally accepted that actually addressing the concept of the story is never going to be a priority, and that sits poorly with me, since it's the concept that attracted me.

In addition, I got tired of rape scenes being used as filler to help drag the story out and add another 100 pages of drama. There's a limit to how much of that I want to continue to read, especially at this point.

This novel also diverged from almost everything I truly loved about book one, and that about did me in. Instead of being different or interesting, it took away all the things I loved most and expected me to hang on through those 600 or so middle pages of exhausting nonsense which did little to improve or progress the plot.

I just can't anymore. The characters aren't enough of a reason to continue on, especially now that I know these books are going to all be dreadfully long due to an inability to edit effectively, rather than a true need for each story to be so lengthy.

There's a phrase in the writing world that says, "kill your darlings." It basically means that if you want to have a good story, you have to be able to delete useless words, sentences, paragraphs, scenes, chapters, and sometimes even sections of your manuscript to create a better story. Unfortunately, there are no dead darlings in this monster. They're all there, and you have to read them all, no matter how slow, unnecessary, and boring they may be. And sometimes they aren't boring. Sometimes it's a funny scene but still completely useless to the story, in which case, I would have preferred some humor through a different method.

A drawn out story can be good, if there's enough motion to compel someone forward. There just isn't here, and I quit this book so many times and had to force myself to restart and restart and restart to finish it. While the ending was more interesting, it should have arrived 500 pages sooner, in order for me to continue onward. I don't by any means dislike a long book, but I can't slog through so many chapters of nonsense just to get to the good stuff. I'm not that patient. I think this just isn't my cup of tea after all, but I'm glad I finally know what this series is all about after years of wondering.

Book 148 Read in 2018

Pages: 976

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book has an addictive quality, and though I started it once before and didn’t get far (traffic, exhaustion, stress), I’m happy that I finally gave this another try. I’m definitely obsessed at this point and will read onward, but I gave it only 4 stars, as there are some things that could definitely be better considering the heft of the book. I’ll list those at the bottom and block them due to spoilers.

I’ll also block the complaints, as I don’t want everyone to focus on those, as I overwhelmingly enjoyed this book. I have already started book two, and I am definitely becoming an Outlander fangirl. I am hoping that as the series progresses that it will continue to improve and address some of the things I think that are an issue and/or a disappointment.

So first up, we have the things I liked:

---Jamie Frasier. He’s kind of a mess, but let’s face it. Who isn’t at 23? No offense to 23-year-olds. Come back in 5 or 10 years, and that comment might make a weird sort of sense. Also, Jamie lived in a different time and world, which definitely muddies the waters of acceptable behaviors. I can’t help but gape at him. He does a whole lot of things wrong, for seemingly the right reasons, which makes him a fascinating companion for the journey.

---Jamie also won March-Ab-Ness and was voted Audible’s Best Book Boyfriend of all time, and all for very good reasons. He’s swoony and frequently charming, though rarely on purposes, which is an admirable quality. Also, his mouth and brain don’t always connect, which can be in turn, upsetting, amusing, and quite romantic.

---The way Claire and Jamie bicker amuses me to no end.

---The relationship between the two is surprisingly adorable, at times.

---The age and experience gaps between Jamie and Claire, which add another layer of interest to the story.

---The historical setting, and in particular, the ways of the Scottish Highlands and the different clans.

---The comparisons of medical treatments across time

---The drama, and boy is there a lot of it.

---Kilts. Yes, I said it. Don’t go all Braveheart on me. Very handy buggers, and when worn by a handsome, well-muscled Scottish warrior, nobody would dare argue their sex appeal.

---Jamie’s stories of his past, which are all pretty much upsetting, but the way he tells them is captivating.

---A scene late in the story where he teaches a small boy an important life skill. If you’ve read the book, you’ll know what I mean. It totally cracked me up.

Book 136 read in 2018

Pages: 850

And now, we have my relatively minor complaints, which will contain SPOILERS:

Seven Stones to Stand or Fall by Diana Gabaldon

Seven Stones to Stand or Fall by Diana Gabaldon

A collection of seven novellas published in various anthologies over the years, Seven Stones to Stand or Fall deals with interesting side-stories within the Outlander universe. "The Custom of the Army" tells of Lord John Grey's time in Canada, where he and his comrades lay siege to the Citadel of Quebec. "The Space Between" encounters a grief-stricken Michael Murray, a nephew of Jamie Fraser, who has been charged with accompanying Joan MacKimmie, his kind-of cousin, to Paris so she can join a convent. Then there's the ever-troublesome Comte St. Germain .... In "A Plague of Zombies," we meet Lord John once again, this time in Jamaica, where he has been charged with putting down a slave rebellion. "A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows" details the tragic story of Roger MacKenzie's parents, Jerry and Dolly. In "Virgins," a young Jamie Fraser and his best friend, Ian Murray, become mercenaries in France, and both are rather worried they'll end up in hell for their actions. We learn the story behind how Lord John's older brother, Hal, meets and falls in love with his rather fierce wife, Minnie, in "A Fugitive Green." Lord John travels to Cuba in "Besieged," in order to save his mother, who is a guest of Governor Juan de Prado. But once he learns the British navy is preparing to wreak havoc on Havana, Lord John fears the Dowager Duchess of Pardloe could become a hostage. 

Part of the Outlander universe. 544 pages.

An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon

An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon

Jamie Fraser is a former Jacobite and rather unwilling participant in the American Revolution, but he chose rebellion because he was certain of several things: The Americans will win, though fighting on the side of victory would not ensure his survival, and the last thing he wanted to do was face his illegitimate son, a lieutenant in the British army, down the barrel of a gun. Claire Fraser, Jamie's wife, has assured him of victory---something she can guarantee because she is a time-traveler. What she does not know, however, is what the price will be. The price will not include Jamie's life or happiness, at least not if she has anything to say about it. Meanwhile, Jamie and Claire's daughter, Brianna, and her husband, Roger, reside in the relative safety of the twentieth century with their children. They have settled in Lallybroch, Jamie's ancestral home, and maintain a connection with Brianna's parents through a series of letters they were careful to leave behind. As Brianna and Roger comb the fragile pages for clues to the fate of Claire and Jamie, they learn just how closely their lives are linked.

Book 7 in the Outlander series. 814 pages.

A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon

A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon

It is 1772, and the stench of rebellion is in the air. In the midst of war, secluded cabins are being burned to the ground not far from Fraser's Ridge, where Jamie Fraser and his family reside, and Jamie is determined to find out who would willingly commit such a heinous act. As chaos spreads, the new governor, Josiah Martin, seeks an envoy to unite the North Carolina backcountry and keep it safe for King and Crown. Everyone agrees: Jamie is the man for the job. But because of his time-traveling wife, Claire, daughter, Brianna, and son-in-law, Roger, Jamie is well aware those who remain loyal to the King will likely pay with their lives or end up exiled. Meanwhile, a small newspaper clipping foretelling of the deaths of Jamie and Claire in a house fire, brought to the past with Brianna, weighs heavy on his mind. For the first time, Jamie finds himself hoping his family may be wrong about what the future holds.

Book 6 in the Outlander series. 980 pages.

The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon

The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon

War is brewing in the year of Our Lord 1771, a fact Jamie Fraser knows to be true because his wife, Claire, assures him it is so. Jamie has little choice but to believe her because Claire has the gift of prophecy. It is not a gift she was born with, but rather the gift of a time traveler's dreadful knowledge of what's to come. Sure enough, Jamie receives orders from Governor Tryon to gather a militia in order to suppress the Regulators, a group of citizens dissatisfied with the colonial government. Given what Jamie knows about the future, he must walk a fine line as he supports a government he knows will eventually fail. Meanwhile, the Frasers, their daughter Brianna, and her family must face other battles far more personal than the revolution that is to come.

Book 5 in the Outlander series. 979 pages.  

Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon

Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon

Claire Randall's first unexpected trip to the past led her into the arms of an 18th century Scottish warrior named Jamie Fraser. Now they are happily reunited, but Claire has left someone behind in the 20th century---her and Jamie's daughter, Brianna. Brianna has fallen in love with a Scottish historian named Roger Wakefield MacKenzie, a man who also has ties to the same mysterious stones that led Claire to Jamie. As Roger is helping Bree research what has happened to her parents, he stumbles upon a disturbing discovery he is determined to hide. Unbeknownst to him, Bree has uncovered the information herself. It leads her to the stone circle known as Craigh na Dun, resulting in Bree plunging headfirst into the past to meet the father she never knew, setting off a chain of events that could leave her stranded forever ... or perhaps just where she was always meant to be.

Book 4 in the Outlander series. 880 pages.