From the Bookshelf of 2015 Reading Challenge [Closed]…

Outlander (Outlander, #1)

Diana Gabaldon

Discussion: . Week 2: Romance

Why we're reading this: A friend recommended it.
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. Week 2: Romance

* Week 2: Introduction
By Jessica · 43 posts · 618 views

last updated Feb 03, 2015 01:13PM

* Week 2: Progress Post
By Jessica · 54 posts · 221 views

last updated Dec 30, 2015 12:26PM

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What Members Thought

Mar 08, 2015 Laura rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2015-popsugar-challenge, read-2015

Outlander is a mammoth of a book, making it a little intimidating to start, especially when you factor in the fact that there are many more books to come, all of which are equally enormous. As I read, there were plenty of times that I thought, "Is this really necessary?" or "Couldn't she have cut that out, making it significantly shorter?" But in the end, I finished the book in about a week, which speaks to how interested I was in the story and I always struggle with what truly can be cut out at Outlander is a mammoth of a book, making it a little intimidating to start, especially when you factor in the fact that there are many more books to come, all of which are equally enormous. As I read, there were plenty of times that I thought, "Is this really necessary?" or "Couldn't she have cut that out, making it significantly shorter?" But in the end, I finished the book in about a week, which speaks to how interested I was in the story and I always struggle with what truly can be cut out at the expense of great character development.

I wasn't necessarily disappointed over the ending, knowing that there were more books to come. It's pretty impossible to end the book well when the writer has no intention of wrapping up the story. With that in mind, I wouldn't really call it a cliffhanger. The time travel aspect of the book really added to the emotion and the suspense, as it prevented me from being as jaded as I usually would be. For example, (view spoiler) While time travel may be a small part of the literal events in the story, it is a present backdrop.

I can't write a review of Outlander without giving my opinion on Jamie's controversial actions. That is likely the social worker in me. (view spoiler)

In the end, I struggle with Jamie in some ways but I can truly see the love story as being rather epic, along with the development of the history in the story. I am really looking forward to reading the second installment, although I was slightly disappointed to see that it skips 20 whole years. ...more

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