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Outlander (Outlander, #1)

Diana Gabaldon

Start date: December 1, 2022

Finish date: December 31, 2022

Discussion: Series of the Month 2022

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Series of the Month 2022

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What Members Thought

Jan 30, 2009 Barbara ★ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: h-h-disfigured-handicapped, romance, x-set-in-europe, historical, read-2009, h-h-abused-tortured, time-travel, x-set-in-europe-uk-scotland

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

5 likes · Like · see review

Apr 13, 2019 Kate rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fill-in-the-gaps-project

Oh my gosh, I loved this so much. Jamie is amazing. Claire is alright.

3 likes · Like · see review

Nov 24, 2017 Avigail rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audible, audiobook, physical-book, own, 2017

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Finally, I can say I finished this book. I bought it from New York layover (when I was still a flight attendant in 2008) because I liked the premise of the story. After buying it I discovered that even though the book looks very interesting the letter are too small and I never will get the pronunciation of the Scotish words, phrase, and places. That was also the time the audible app and it was the first book I was reading the hard copy as well as listening to the audiobook narrated by Davina Por Finally, I can say I finished this book. I bought it from New York layover (when I was still a flight attendant in 2008) because I liked the premise of the story. After buying it I discovered that even though the book looks very interesting the letter are too small and I never will get the pronunciation of the Scotish words, phrase, and places. That was also the time the audible app and it was the first book I was reading the hard copy as well as listening to the audiobook narrated by Davina Porter. Mrs. Porter's narration was absolutely fantastic. Loved the voices she did for every character and character. It is incredible how she remembered which voice she did for each character because the audiobook is 32 hours and 38 minutes for an 850-page mass market paperback.
Yes, this historical fiction with a little bit of fantasy and time travel and a lot of erotica book I found before I found BookTube. But I finished the book 3 years after I found BookTube and it has become a famous tv series (I haven't watched the series yet because I didn't want to get spoiled, even though I know each of the first two seasons was only the first book of the series).
With this book, I had a strange thing I was getting into it and then I was starting another book and forgetting about it. This time I found it and said to myself you have to finish it because you need to continue with the series. I also introduced these series to friends and they continued with the series. I also know that when I will continue with the series I will also buy the audiobook and follow the audiobook while reading the hard copy.
Mrs. Gabldon's writing is very atmospheric and I got a lot of information about the English and Scotish history of the 18th century, that I was never taught on my school years. There were parts very descriptive both for bad and good, but well done that you always understood what was going on the plot.
These books make you want to travel to Scotland after reading the first book of the series. I believe that I DNFed the book a couple of times I believe because of the length and not because I didn't enjoy because every time I saw the book on my bookshelf I said to myself you have to finish it because you like it. (The same thing happens with Ken Follett's World Without End Kingsbridge #2, with this book I don't have the audiobook because I had read The Pillars of the Earth Kingsbridge #1 without a problem. I also have to continue with this book because the third of this book has come out in September 2017).
I would like to buy the 25th-anniversary edition of this book and most probably I will buy the floppy paperbacks and not the mass market paperbacks. ...more

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Mar 08, 2013 Shan ~A~ rated it really liked it

Shelves: title-one-word, audio, age-gap, series-trilogies-i-started, romance, 1st-in-series, books-i-own

I had a hard time getting into this story the first time around. Then I started it in a buddy read and really gave myself over to it and am surprised how much I enjoyed it.
Claire sometimes got on my nerves, but she ended up being a strong and fiercely loyal woman, who epitomizes the phrase "Stand by your man". Jamie, although younger than Claire is a man. He had to grow up fast (this is a different time after all). They love one another with a passion that knows no bounds. They endure impossibl ...more

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Sep 16, 2008 Marla rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: series, adult, fantasy, romance, with-reservations, book-club, girl-power, historical-fiction, chick-lit, zz-2010

3.5 stars. A little violent for my taste in love stories, but interesting historical romance in the vein of Barbara Cartland, but more graphic and definitely more violent and not nearly as innocent. Not our typical book club novel, but besides the length (my paperback copy was 650 pages long), it was okay, but not great. But I liked Jamie and will probably read more to see what else happens.

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Jun 30, 2009 Lacy Huddleston rated it really liked it

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
What can I say about the series as a whole that wont give too much away? Not much unfortunately, so I will have to start with the first book in the series. Needless to say these books are long. I would recommend that you don't even read the synapses of the other books until you have read the book before it.
Outlander starts with Claire Randall and her husband on a second honeymoon in Scotland in 1945. Everything is going fine until she accidentally touches a stone that Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
What can I say about the series as a whole that wont give too much away? Not much unfortunately, so I will have to start with the first book in the series. Needless to say these books are long. I would recommend that you don't even read the synapses of the other books until you have read the book before it.
Outlander starts with Claire Randall and her husband on a second honeymoon in Scotland in 1945. Everything is going fine until she accidentally touches a stone that sends her back in time to 1743 and a countryside torn by war. Here she is taken by the clan Mackenzie where she has to depend on their good graces. She meets a young Scottish warrior named James Fraser who she is forced to marry in order to maintain her safety. She now experiences a passion and love that she has never known, even as she tries again and again to get back to her husband (Frank Randall) and her live in 1945. She will soon be faced with the choice of staying with Jamie forever or staying true to the husband she left behind.

As a whole most review I've read about this book are positive but I have heard a few complaints. Namely that Diana Gabalden is rather wordy and could have edited her books more. I disagree, I feel she has the right about of story to description to dialogue. She blends all three together seamlessly. Her ability to engage both the 20th century and the 1700s is beatific. Everything just flows together and even though the books are long you will not want it to end.
I know many people who will read one book then walk away for a time and come back at a later date to read the next book in the series. This is a great idea to keep yourself from becoming overwhelmed in the Outlander world. As the books are so long and the story and world so massive and vivid it might be a good idea to take a break in between each book. Unless of course you are more like myself and have to read a series from start to finish without any breaks. I will warn you the series is not over yet, the author is currently working on book eight. She has commented that she is not sure if this book will be the last in the series or not so we will just have to wait an see. So if you are like me and just have to read the series a a whole you might want to wait until the 8th book is published and check out her website to see if there will be more installments.
It took me four straight months to read all seven books that are currently available and I have to say I loved getting lost in the world that Diana Gabaldon has created. I was sad when I finished the 7th book as I had to leave the world for a while and start a new journey. I would recommend this book to almost anyone over the age of 18 as there are some moments in the book I feel should not be read by anyone younger.
Speaking of those moments, that is the one complaint I have with the books. After Claire and Jamie marry, the honeymoon begins and there are scenes in the book I don't like reading. Don't worry though the those scenes become less frequent as the series goes on and the ones that are included are easily skipped without missing to much important information.
Seriously though, those moments aside, Outlander is one of the most engaging and imaginative books I have read in a long time. I have to end with this, Girls if you do not fall in love with Jamie Fraser, then you're just not reading right. ...more

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Jun 03, 2008 Frannie Burd rated it did not like it

After having this book recommended to me by several people, I was expecting to love, or at least like, this book. Unfortunately, I found it so boring that I wasn't even able to finish it, something that's almost unheard of for me. The concept sounded great, but I found it to be little more than a upgraded Harlequin novel. Granted, I don't really like romance novels, but thought I'd give it a try. Not my cup of tea, but I'm glad so many others found a book that they love and feel passionate about ...more

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