Outlander

I’m writing this as a review for the *Outlander* series as a whole, even though it isn’t finished yet. What can I say? It’s one of those acclaimed series that actually earns its reputation. It won awards, it got turned into a TV show, it shows up on all the “best of” lists. So of course you go in expecting it to be good. The surprising part, for me, is that it still managed to meet those expectations and even surpass them at times. I don’t enjoy romance novels. At all. I do love time travel novels, they’re my favorite genre, but I really hate when the time travel is treated like a background gimmick or a sub-genre label. In Outlander, the time travel is definitely more of an abstract framework than a hard sci-fi system, and there's a lot of romance. On paper, that should annoy me. But this series is just so good that I’m able to forget all of that. Obviously every book is written by an author. But every now and then you run into an Author, and there is a difference. This is one of those. You can feel the words on the page flow through you. You can see the scene play out in your head. You end up highlighting a line or two almost every chapter because it’s written that well. Phrases you never would’ve come up with in a thousand years show up every few pages. The emotions are handled beautifully, some of the best I've ever seen. When the action (which is rare) does show up, it feels perfectly placed. The background stories are rich. The world building is immaculate. It all just feels incredibly well crafted. I usually enjoy fast-paced novels. This series is not that. You’re pretty much forced to read it carefully. If you skim, you’ll find yourself going, “Wait, what just happened, what did I miss?” and flipping back. And yet, somehow, even for a guy like me who likes action-heavy books, everything still ends up being interesting. The world building is that good. I can’t even imagine how much work and research went into this... it feels like there was a massive amount of research done just for a single random chapter. There are so many little historical tidbits and details sprinkled in. The dialogue and characters are just as impressive. You meet one person and they have their own distinct way of speaking. Then you might see that same character again several books later and they still sound like the same person. Same dialect, same favorite words, same tone. Another character has a completely different voice. That consistency across such a long series is incredible. I honestly can’t fathom the amount of work it takes to keep all of that straight. This is also one of the very few authors I’ve actually subscribed to for updates. That’s how much I respect what she’s doing with this series. It isn’t perfect, of course. Some of the romantic stuff is, to put it mildly, a bit unhinged. There are a good many clichés here and there, and a good many implausible coincidences. The length and slower pace can absolutely be a downside. Sometimes it really does feel like a slog, and you have to be in the right mood to tackle it. But even with those flaws, what the author's pulled off here is incredible. This level of craft is rare. And this is coming from a male reader. I know this is very much seen as a “female” series in a lot of ways, and I know there probably aren’t that many guys who pick it up. All I can say is that yes, it really is as good as the hype says. For me, it even exceeds the hype. If you can handle long books, a slower pace, and a heavy dose of romance wrapped around a more abstract time travel setup, this series is absolutely worth your time.

I’ll admit, I hadn’t heard of these books until I heard everyone talking about the new show. When the wedding episode aired, my entire Facebook feed was filled with excited posts about it. Curiosity got me and after discovering I had Starz on my cable I went and watched the first episode. I was hooked and promptly watched all of the episodes, each one better than the last! I fell in love with these characters and figured if the show was that good then the book was probably even better so I knew I had to read it! When I learned that the midseason hiatus would last until April I thought what better way to pass the time than to read the books? Well I finally just finished Outlander and I have to say, it was everything I hoped it would be and I fell even more in love with these characters and this epic story and epic love throughout the course of the book! I’m an avid reader of romance novels, but historical romance was not a genre I’d ever considered, and if I had never seen the show I probably never would have given it a try. Which would have truly been a shame because I would have missed out on this great adventure! Normally I prefer reading the book before I watch a movie or TV adaptation, but in this case I’m glad I did because it gave me a frame of reference and I could clearly picture the locales and the characters as I read. And I can just imagine the brilliant performances we’re going to get to see as the 2nd half of the series unfolds. But back to the book. I loved the concept of time travel and I love how resourceful and strong Claire is when faced with the prospect of having to live in the 1700s. She could definitely hold her own and I loved that she continually stood up for herself and for what she thought was right, often risking her neck in the process, but she didn’t let these foreign times get the best of her. I loved the development of her relationship with Jamie, first as friends, then as reluctant lovers after they are forced together in marriage and finally as soul mates who are clearly meant to be together. Of course the both of them are incredibly stubborn and strong willed so their relationship is not without its fair share of arguments and disagreements but I like how they learn to navigate each other and work together as a partnership. Jamie was a wonderfully written alpha male who like I said was very stubborn and strong willed, but he was also playful and caring and loving. There were many different sides to him and it didn’t take much to fall in love with him! Here are just a few of my favorite quotes from Jamie to Claire that show his alpha and softer sides: “Ye need not be scairt of me,” he said softly. “Nor of anyone here, so long as I am with ye.” “Aye, I mean to use ye hard, my Sassenach,” he whispered. “I want to own you, to possess you, body and soul.” “Oh, aye, Sassenach,” he answered a bit ruefully. “I am your master… and you’re mine. Seems I canna possess your soul without losing my own.” “I wanted ye from the first I saw ye – but I loved ye when you wept in my arms and let me comfort you, that first time at Leoch.” All the while that this beautiful love story unfolds, there is also an epic story going on as the Scots are at war with the British and danger awaits at every turn. Claire is dealing with trying to conceal her true story while trying to fit into this foreign time (with witch hunts a common occurrence and just by virtue of her being an Englishwoman mysteriously appearing in the Scottish Highlands, this often proves to be difficult) and Jamie is trying to keep a low profile due to being a wanted man. And with a sadistic man after them both, the action never lets up. There are many humorous moments and equally as many heart breaking and difficult moments. This book really had it all and I am so glad that I read it. I look forward to watching the second half of the season when it returns and in the meantime I look forward to continuing their journey in the other books in the series!

I have been reading these books for 30 years. This one was a gift to a friend. She was very excited.

"If you have been deprived of your earlier life, perhaps it is only that God has seen fit to bless you with another, that may be richer and fuller." Thus, Franciscan monk Father Anselm begins his discerning answer to the many spiritual, philosophical and practical questions that have puzzled Claire throughout her adventure. His explanations, insightful and profound, provide both Claire and the reader a measure of balance and perspective. I would never have read the book had I not seen the TV series. So first off, thanks go to Ronald D. Moore for mounting such a finely crafted video production. Second, thank you Kindle and e-reader technology, for making the print large enough so that the book was easier to read. As to the book itself, it is a marvellous story and first-rate English literature, though at times, devolves into the ribald dalliance of a harlequin novel. Nonetheless, Claire is a fascinating character, a strong woman yet not a present-day feminist. The author describes men's faults but she does hate them. Both World War II and the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion have long been my pet interests. Clair's military experience and her fall through time were an irresistible combination.

Excelente libro

Superb storyline. Massive characters. Incredibly engaging. THANK YOU! Perfect blend of speech and description for a 800+ page book.

1ヶ月足らずで読破しました。とにかく面白い！！ 高校の英語の授業が難しくて大変でしたが、この本に出会ってあのとき頑張って良かったなと（笑）思えるくらい原作ならではの表現（ジェイミーをlike a big cat、the large, warm objectという！）を楽しみました。 読むのがつらいほど苦しい場面の描写もありますが、これくらい面白い本が教材だったら、もっと英語が上達していたと思うほど！（無理か…笑） ドラマも楽しく観ていますが、本の中のジェイミーとクレアはまた別の意味でとっても素敵です。 感謝や愛や憎悪、暴力や行為だけで手にしようとするもの、本当に欲しいものを手に入れられない葛藤、傷を癒し見えない心の傷も癒そうと、本質的に本能的に人を救おうとするクレアと彼女を守ろうとするジェイミー。 久しぶりに本を読みながら、泣いたり声を出して笑ったりして、心打たれました。 数年前に英国王室のベビー誕生の際、ジョージかジェームズかが予想され賭けもされていましたが、この本を読んで、ジェームズはありえない、その名をつけられないだろうというのがわかるようになりました。 ハイランダーズ（ラグビーのチーム）もますます好きになり、すっかりスコットランドに夢中です。 まだ完結していないのと、まだ1巻目しか読んでいないので、ゆっくり楽しみながら読み進めたいと思います^ ^