 "Scotland, here I come!" | 2008-09-16 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2ZYZGMCMMRCK |
I picked this book up years ago on a whim (I was on a historical fiction/time travel craze at the time) and was I pleasantly surprised. Ms. Gabaldon's historical research was meticulous, her dialogue believable, and her description of places was amazing. I loved this book so much I want to go to Scotland, where (believe it or not) they actually do give Outlander tours to go to all the places mentioned in her novels. After the way I trailblazed through all six of these, I say sign me up. Fantastic reading.
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 "outlandish review" | 2008-09-15 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3GCONPSYSHKUK |
| had to read this for freshman english class (in college). for a required book it was pretty good. im considering reading the rest of teh series but i probably wont have enough time b/c the books are soo long. |
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| "Fabulous!" | 2008-09-05 |
| - Reviewed By User: AEV9CT81N33CR |
This novel is part fantasy, part romance, and part historical fiction. When Claire, a married WWII army nurse, falls back in time, she finds herself smack in the middle of the Jacobite Uprising. Forced to marry a young Scottish rebel, she falls in love with him and yet still knows she has to find her way back to her own time.
Cleverly written, there's enough history here to hold most historical-fiction lovers and more than enough romance to satisfy romance readers, as well. A good blend and a riveting read (and I'm not even a fan of romance books). |
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| "A Fun Read, It Keeps the Pages Turning" | 2008-09-05 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2PN65B6BSTIYZ |
The Outlander series came highly recommended from a friend, so I decided to give the first book in the series--"Outlander"--a try. I'm not usually a fan of romance novels or sci-fi (yeah the time traveling thing is a little sci-fi) but I was pleasantly surprised by the book.
Outlander's heroine Clare is smart and punchy, and her WWII era girl in 18th century Scotland is a fun mix. The book reads pretty fast, with lots of plots twists and turns, which is essential to keep you reading through a book this long! At times Outlander gets a little Outlandish--I mean how many times can people really be on death's door and still escape--but it was fun reading throughout. The book does stretch history a bit, but it still has a historical flair that makes for lively reading. When I reached Outlander's inevitable cliff hanger ending (I knew there were several more books in the series), I was ready to move onto to the next book in the series--but sadly I don't have two weeks to devote to reading it right now.
I would recommend this books to fans of historical romance/fiction--fans of Phillipa Gregory's books are likely to like this series too. Outlander is fun, light, page turning reading. |
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| "Loved every minute" | 2008-08-07 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2WORFX8GA9W9B |
| I first read this book when I was about sixteen and have been hooked ever since. I love the entire series. It's such a fresh idea that you can actually get SOME knowledge from a fiction book. Certrainly this a romance but it's SO much more. I read the entire series about once a year. For those of you who have criticims for this book, please head to your local bookstore and pick up something by Johanna Lindsey if you are looking for a boring romance. |
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| "Och, aye, I wasna expectin' it" | 2008-08-06 |
| - Reviewed By lel007 |
I had no idea what to expect when I was given this book as a gift. I could hardly set it down once I started. Set in a romantic, historical environment, Claire's adventures are spell-binding as written by Diana Gabaldon, who has proven herself a master story-teller.
The story is always moving, and develops deliciously. There are some edge-of-your-seat nail-biting scenes where you absolutely will be glued to your reading chair (the witch hunt comes to mind). You'll find you can't wait to turn the next page. This is not chick-lit! It's not your corner drug store's corny paperback novel, either. Full of suspense and raw passion, these pages will transport you back to a time when men were men and life was dangerous.
This is historical fiction on an on an epic scale, as we follow the adventures of Claire and Jamie across the sweeping landscape of the Scottish Highlands. Claire is likable right away. As we're first introduced to Jamie, he has just enough brawny good looks for you to want him to take you in his arms, enough mystery to die to know his story, and enough scoundrel to make you wonder what he'll do next. All of the secondary characters have rich, full stories as well. From the majestic Colum MacKenzie to the unique MacRannoch, all of these characters are well developed, and you will find yourself very attached to them.
Why did Geillie, in the mid-eighteenth century, bear the scar of a smallpox vaccination? Did Colum set Claire up to be tried as a witch because of what she knew? When finally given the chance to return to her own time, what will Claire do? Such are the many questions that come to mind throughout this finely woven tale. Best of all, the ending is ripe with possibilities for a sequel. I can't wait to read the next book in the series!
Summary: almost every page reveals a fresh new adventure. |
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| "Very romantic" | 2008-08-03 |
| - Reviewed By beryl_ |
At first I was skeptical. The premise seemed.. odd, but I got into it quickly. The book is incredibly romantic and the author obviously did a lot of research.
The book is long, but I didn't even notice. The characters are well-developed and so.. alive.
Highly recommended!! |
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 "Belting is Abuse" | 2008-07-31 |
| - Reviewed By User: A19LT3Y0W6ZVFU |
I know everyone keeps leaving all these reviews justifying the beating he gives her as historically accurate, blah, blah, blah. If that's your thing then, fine, buy the book, read it, enjoy. There are still those of us out there who don't want to read about a woman who gets hit by a man and thinks she had it coming. I'm one of those people and, if you are too, DON'T read this book. I wish I had been given some sort of warning so I would have known not to buy this.
If Claire was a woman I knew, I'd tell her to get out of there and I hope the majority of the people leaving this weak little excuse for a hero 5 stars would do the same.
As to the historical argument, I'll just say that beating slaves was also all the rage a few hundred years ago and "everybody did it" but you don't find many books depicting the good guy who beat his slaves bloody and bruised. It's generally agreed upon that if the guy had the heart to be so vicious towards another human being, he's not a hero. He's not even an anti-hero, he's the bad guy.
If a movie company were to make a movie today about the really great slave holder who was a super guy (which Jamie is depicted as) who beat his slaves and they all said "well, we guess we did have it coming," EVERYONE would be up in arms. It would be considered racism, the NAACP would be going ballistic. So what does it say about society, and women ourselves, that we're the ones giving this book rave reviews?
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| "Great book in a great series" | 2008-07-27 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1WU2QMT8RSYEF |
I began to read this book last summer and went on to the third book in the series before school started in the fall. After just one semester being though I was done with the fourth book, no small order with the size of these brilliant novels having to be interspersed between long study hours and cram sessions before exams. But this book and the books that come after it in the series are all worth the read.
As for my first experience of this book, it was a great surprise. I was at my local book store and in my aimless wonderings I came across this book. I have never been a romance book reader, but this book was good from the first page. It has elements in it which can bring in many people. It has the obvious romance, but also brings in the element of time travel. It also includes the great adventure tales in it, which keeps a person turning the page while all the time putting a artful amount of historical fiction within the book to make everything believable.
I would recommend that anyone give this book a try, although the length and style of the book isn't for everyone, but it is for a great many, and I can happily say that I am one person who has enjoyed this book! |
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| "scrumptious" | 2008-07-18 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1L80JDCXSRUOF |
| I loved this book...was given the first 4 books in the series. I wasnt sure I would like them. Once I started though I couldnt put them down. Dont start these books if you want to get anything done because you will make any excuse to sit and read! Just finished book #6 and I feel lost....I miss Jamie and Claire. Cant wait till book 7 comes out! Can anyone recommend something good like these books till # 7 comes out? |
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