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16th out of 20 books
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9 voters
The Outlandish Companion (Outlander I)
by
Diana Gabaldon (Goodreads Author)
New York Times bestselling author Diana Gabaldon has captured the hearts of millions with her critically acclaimed novels, Outlander. Dragonfly In Amber, Voyager, and Drums Of Autumn. From the moment Claire Randall accidentally steps through a magical stone that transports her back in time more than 200 years to 1743, and into the arms of Scottish soldier Jamie Fraser, rea...more
Hardcover, 577 pages
Published
June 29th 1999
by Delacorte Press
(first published 1999)
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I was rather disappointed in this companion book. After reading J.R. Ward's Blackdagger Brotherhood Insiders Guide, I kinda expected this companion to be similar with inside insight into the characters and little tidbits of information not presented in the books. It read more like a dictionary. There are synopses of each book (through book 4 Drums of Autumn). She actually broke down each novel into roughly 15 pages or so. No insight just straight text giving the highlights of each novel. I expec...more
I discovered this book when I was in the middle of the series and found it useful, but I think it could be improved (and hope it will be when Diana completes the series and another such volume might be required).
1) It would have been easier to find negotiate the glossaries if the terms had been listed in alphabetical order rather than the order in which they appeared in the book.
2) What was the point of horoscopes for the two main characters? They are fictional characters, after all. I thought...more
1) It would have been easier to find negotiate the glossaries if the terms had been listed in alphabetical order rather than the order in which they appeared in the book.
2) What was the point of horoscopes for the two main characters? They are fictional characters, after all. I thought...more
I love love LOVE the Outlander series, so of course had to have this book. I thought it had many interesting bits, but also a bunch that I didn't care to read (and that's ok! That's what I expected!). I liked FINALLY knowing how to pronounce those Gailic words but WHY oh WHY didn't she have the Foreign Language Glossary in alphabetical order? What a PITA to look up anything.
I did like reading her email exchanges with her computer group as she was hashing out ideas -- that was interesting. And I...more
I did like reading her email exchanges with her computer group as she was hashing out ideas -- that was interesting. And I...more
3 likes · like · see review
The Outlandish Companion is definitely for the lover of all things Outlander. A reader who has never laid eyes on Diana Gabaldon's series will no doubt find interest in the sections that delve into her writing technique and research, past career in academia, and the sprinkling of folk lore. But, I fear, the rest of the 600 page book will be lost on the non-lovers. Thankfully, I am a lover.
It has been quite a few years since I have read the first four books: Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager...more
It has been quite a few years since I have read the first four books: Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager...more
This book was written as a "companion" to the Outlander series - a book full of fun facts, background details, and stories about "the making of" the series written by Diana Gabaldon. It was written after "Drums of Autumn" (the fourth book in the series). I waited until I had read the first four before reading this - and I would definitely recommend that, as there many "spoilers" included here, as well as a "synopsis" of each of those books. The fact that I would actually read this big, heavy har...more
Diana Gabaldon is never short on words and she got to use her footnotes in this book! :) [or maybe I should write instead]
Obviously if you are reading this book, you have read at least the first four books of the series. Overall, it was an intriguing read.
Some parts I could have lived without in the book (even though they were interesting). For instance, the genealogy went way past what I thought would be included in the book, and the horoscopes could have been posted on her website instead. [I...more
Obviously if you are reading this book, you have read at least the first four books of the series. Overall, it was an intriguing read.
Some parts I could have lived without in the book (even though they were interesting). For instance, the genealogy went way past what I thought would be included in the book, and the horoscopes could have been posted on her website instead. [I...more
I wish i had this book as a reference when i was reading the first 4 of the series. It gives a synopsis of the first several books, and then delves into some of the "why" questions for character development.
If you have already read the books, and wondered how to pronounce all the Gaelic words, this book tells you the phonetic rules for Gaelic, and how the words are used. It also tells you some of the nuances of meaning that aren't obvious in direct translation. The words are arranged by book -...more
If you have already read the books, and wondered how to pronounce all the Gaelic words, this book tells you the phonetic rules for Gaelic, and how the words are used. It also tells you some of the nuances of meaning that aren't obvious in direct translation. The words are arranged by book -...more
The nerdy part of me really enjoyed this. I did skim parts of it, but there were some very fascinating/fun sections, too. She gives quite a bit of info on how she came to write the series, as well as how she approaches writing a novel, in general. There is a section addressing complaints she has received regarding certain issues within the book, i.e. sex, homosexuality, the f-word, etc. She also has a list of FAQs and their answers. There are lists of the errors (editorial and authorial) found i...more
Well...Gabaldon cannot write tens of thousands of pages about Claire and Jamie without writing a explanation/guide to publish the extreme research she conducted in order to write the novels. This book is exactly that. Much of the information was repetitive and simply "explained" Gabaldon's mindset/rationale for writing what she wrote. I would not suggest reading this. It reads like a mix between a diary, research paper, and Cliff notes. This is simply for folks that are Outlander fanatics! While...more
This book was over 600 pages and considering that I've read it during one evening, it is obvious that I skipped a lot. In fact, I think I read about 30% of it.
There was a lot of information in this "Outlandish Companion" and much of it was of no interest to me - Jamie and Claire's horoscope readings, family trees, glossary and pronunciation guide, outlander websites, research guide, excerpts from the upcoming works, annotated biography and appendixes, etc.
What I ended up reading is this: novel...more
There was a lot of information in this "Outlandish Companion" and much of it was of no interest to me - Jamie and Claire's horoscope readings, family trees, glossary and pronunciation guide, outlander websites, research guide, excerpts from the upcoming works, annotated biography and appendixes, etc.
What I ended up reading is this: novel...more
It was so much fun reading how she got her ideas, how she did her research. It was a fun surprise to see which character was a real person in history, although she changed their story! Although I am not a writer, she gave some really interesting advice for new writers and lots of resources to get started on historical fiction. I see a volume 2 is coming out, which is good because this was written before drums of autumn came out, and she claims a following book with a different title would be the...more
The introduction to this book chronicles Gabaldon's journey to becoming a ficion writer (quite a leap, considering her backround in zoology and comic books...yes, you read that right.) It is one of the funniest things I've ever read. She has such a fantastic voice in her writing, I feel as though we're hanging out gabbing over a bottle of wine. You've got to love a girl who writes: "What was the easiest kind of book for me to write? I didn't see the point in making things difficult for myself. A...more
I LOVED it!!! This is a must-own for me! I got it from the library to try it out after being disappointed by another companion book from another series. This was not the case with this book. I want to have this around for reference while reading. I also didn't know much about Diana Galbaldon being relatively new to this series, but was pleasantly surprised by her wit and humor. She is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors! I enjoyed learning more about the series, her writing process, the...more
Oct 14, 2012
Deborah Marshall
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone reading the Outlander series
Recommended to Deborah by:
Diana Gabledon
Shelves:
reading
It is awesome, just as I expected; even better. This is my second journey throught it. Have just started Outlander for the second time, and the Companion is invaluable with all the questions I have since my first time through.
I don't know how I made it through the entire Outlander series before I finally got "Companion". Guess I thought it was a bit like cheating to have a reference book to guide me through 8 books of a thousand plus pages each. What was I thinking?
I recommend it.Outlander
I don't know how I made it through the entire Outlander series before I finally got "Companion". Guess I thought it was a bit like cheating to have a reference book to guide me through 8 books of a thousand plus pages each. What was I thinking?
I recommend it.Outlander
OK so I haven't read the entire thing. What I love the most about this companion is the Character Glossary. It covers the first 4 books and there are so many characters and the books are so thick it is hard to remember everyone (or you remember that you had been introduced but couldn't remember where or why it is important.) It saved me from trying to go back and sift through the many pages to find them and remember exactly who they were and how they fit in. It also allows you to cheat especiall...more
This was probably a lot longer than I needed it to be, but I found quite a bit of interesting information. Being a linguist, my favorite part was the Comprehensive Glossary and Pronunciation Guide. I also loved being able to confirm once again that my daughter's name (Kaylie) in Gaelic means "a festivity or party, often with music and singing." While I didn't know this when I named my daughter (named for her daddy Kyle), it certainly fits her personality! Another handy reference was the list of...more
If you're a Gabaldon fan, this is a rather handy compendium of information to have. If you're not obsessing about the books, eager to know a thousand and one extraneous details, then this book is not for you. Since I am, I enjoyed it thoroughly. I have been poking through if for a couple of months finding new bits, re-reading chunks, etc. The errata section is particularly interesting. I wrote to Gabaldon on Facebook, asking about having the errata corrected in subsequent editions. She agrees it...more
Aug 08, 2012
Carol
is currently reading it
This book is just what it says--a companion to Diana Gabaldon's wonderful Outlander series. It includes a synopsis of the first 4 volumes, information on Scottish life, a brief guide the Gaelic, character lists, and how the books were written.
It's not a cover-to-cover read. I pick it up to review each of the books as I read them. I'm trying not to "cheat" so I don't spoil the plot of the volume I'm currently reading.
Since I've been listening to the books, I don't have the printed words before me...more
It's not a cover-to-cover read. I pick it up to review each of the books as I read them. I'm trying not to "cheat" so I don't spoil the plot of the volume I'm currently reading.
Since I've been listening to the books, I don't have the printed words before me...more
I loved this book! This was so much fun to have as I read the Outlander series. Diana Gabaldon is a remarkable author and person-definitely someone I would love to meet and I would really enjoy her company. The Outlandish Companion answers so many questions about her novels and explains the tremendous details and research that she has done. This book really puts into perspective all the work a dedicated author must do in order to successfully write historical fiction. Plus, Diana writes the Comp...more
see outlander review
If you need in depth summaries of the stories or you want to read hundreds of pages of DG talking about herself, then you may enjoy this book.
I, however, found it rather useless. It's really out of date, and I can't help but wonder why she wrote the companion guide so far before the series is finished. Even if it had finished after book 6, like she originally planned, it would still be leaving out 2 books worth if info.
Overall, taking the time to read this was a total waste of time. Oh well, a...more
I, however, found it rather useless. It's really out of date, and I can't help but wonder why she wrote the companion guide so far before the series is finished. Even if it had finished after book 6, like she originally planned, it would still be leaving out 2 books worth if info.
Overall, taking the time to read this was a total waste of time. Oh well, a...more
It's rather funny to think that I bought an 'encyclopedia' for my favorite book series, but well, there it is. If you love the Outlander series, you should own this book as well. It was really helpful in providing insight, helping you keep track of things, and overall just adding fun insight into the series. I'm sure that there will be an updated version coming out soon as this one only includes the books through Drums of Autumn. Still I love everything from Diana and wish I had just a snippet o...more
Well! I'm not quite sure about reviewing a Companion or 'guide' to a series, but I'll give it my best shot.
This particular book is a companion guide to the first four books in the Outlander series (Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager, and Drums in Autumn). I really enjoyed it because I have read well passed this point by reading the the next three books so it was like a good way to review what I've read while providing additional insights into the reads. What I particularly enjoyed was Diana'...more
This particular book is a companion guide to the first four books in the Outlander series (Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager, and Drums in Autumn). I really enjoyed it because I have read well passed this point by reading the the next three books so it was like a good way to review what I've read while providing additional insights into the reads. What I particularly enjoyed was Diana'...more
I love this book! I find that her books are so involved and intricate that when a new one comes out I need a little refresher on what has come before. In the past I re-read the first books, but now that we are at this point in the series that takes some TIME. With the companion I'm able to read the synopsis of each book and remember where we left each character when last we met. Wonderful!! I do, however, wish that she could update it since 2 or is it 3 now?, books have come out since. *HINT*
Kind of fun background about everything you can probably think of relating to the Jamie & Claire sag. Thought I had one to go--hah!--but there are actually TWO more! She says they are two trilogies. Then she says she'll write something else. Anyway, this book includes Jamie & Claire's astrological charts, Gaelic grammar & glossary, list of all characters, errata, FAQ, excerpts from the last two books, and a long bibliography. Very thorough.
this is a fun guide to the outlander series, much like the "bonus features" on a DVD. fun tidbits - from the author's theory of time travel fully explained to how to pronounce Laoghaire! very much a good companion for your outlander collection. my only problem with this book is that it doesn't cover the entire series, as it predates several books. i would love for an outlandish companion part 2 to be released after the finale of the entire series!
I am constantly amazed at the detail and depth of the novels and so impressed with her organization and research. This book shows more how Gabaldon thinks and where she got some of the ideas and information that has lead to a very long and detailed series. I find that I like her direct and concise style in non-fiction and didn't really notice as much how verbose Claire is until after I read this. Still, seeing into the mind of the writer, getting a lot of good information on writing and how she...more
Well...I finished it. I think you'd have to be much more of an Outlander fangirl than I am. I'm enjoying the books, but this is a LOT of minutiae...coats of arms for many of the characters, weapons used in the era, how she researches, FAQs, etc. Mostly I flipped through and stopped on the parts that I found interesting. I wouldn't recommend buying it unless you think it's something you'd refer to over time. I'm glad for libraries! :)
I love the Outlander series so much and I was so looking forward to reading this book. I enjoyed the art and brief overviews of the first four novels. But I have never read a book where I felt repeatedly scolded by the author for numerous fan offenses. Gabaldon sounds a bit cranky. And try as I might, I could not find the translation to the inscription Jamie put on Claire's ring!
The companion is excellent because after reading so many series, it's easy to forget who certain people were if too much time has passed since reading about them. Diana is great to recap but it helps having the companion to not only remind me who people were but also definitions and other notes that make it easier to understand certain portions of the book. A "must have".
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Diana Jean Gabaldon Watkins grew up in Flagstaff, Arizona and is of Mexican-American and English descent. She has earned three degrees: a B.S. in Zoology, a M.S. in Marine Biology, and a Ph.D in Ecology.
She currently lives in Scottsdale, Arizona .
More about Diana Gabaldon...
She currently lives in Scottsdale, Arizona .
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updated Nov 25, 2009 05:54pm
Nov 26, 2009 06:06am