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Outlander (Outlander, #1)

Diana Gabaldon

Start date: October 1, 2016

Finish date: December 31, 2016

Discussion: Outlander - Oct-Dec 2016

Why we're reading this: Winner of the October-December 2016 Big Read Poll
[close] Winner of the October-December 2016 Big Read Poll

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Showing 2 of 6 topics — 34 comments total

Outlander - Oct-Dec 2016

Outlander - General Discussion
By Matthew , Assistant List Master · 9 posts · 23 views

last updated Nov 28, 2016 06:23PM

Outlander - Part 3
By Matthew , Assistant List Master · 8 posts · 16 views

last updated Nov 28, 2016 05:58PM

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What Members Thought

Mar 10, 2015 RachelvlehcaR rated it it was ok

Shelves: kindle, historical-fiction, romance, 01-buddy-reads, 04-series-to-read-or-read, kindle-unlimited

Rereading this so that I can finish up the series. It's been 1995 since the last time I read this. Need to freshen up on it. It's kind of interesting what I remember versus what I don't remember from this book.

This first time I read this back in 1995, I loved this book. I was also 18 at the time. I heard my mother and her friend talking about it and the series, which at the time was just the first three books of the series. I was only 17 at the time. I grabbed her copy and started to read it. I ...more

7 likes · Like · see review

Nov 28, 2012 Valerie rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: vf-book-club

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I SO did not like this book.

1. It was a very long book for such a weak plot. At times it felt the direction of the story was determined by the author’s desire to show off her historical knowledge. I just never felt that strong pull that I good book holds, so it made this book feel even longer than it actually was.

I came very close to lemming this book. I kept hoping it would get better, but I was just ready for it to be done already.

2. I never really felt the love between the main characters, C I SO did not like this book.

1. It was a very long book for such a weak plot. At times it felt the direction of the story was determined by the author’s desire to show off her historical knowledge. I just never felt that strong pull that I good book holds, so it made this book feel even longer than it actually was.

I came very close to lemming this book. I kept hoping it would get better, but I was just ready for it to be done already.

2. I never really felt the love between the main characters, Claire and Jamie. First off, I had trouble with how quickly she had feelings for Jamie knowing that she was ALREADY married and supposedly loved her husband! Once she is forced into marriage with him, Claire just seems to accept it and go with it, as does he.

Later in the book he claims that he fell in love with right away . . . and yet he made no effort to pursue her, rather she caught him making out with another woman. I guess it took to forced marriage for him to be able to admit to himself that he loved Claire.

And then, there was the sexual aggression to their relationship. I was appalled at the portrayal of him beating her. This was not just a “spanking”, which seems to be the romance cliche du jour (I totally don't get it, by the way). He said if she did not struggle he would go easy, but she fought him and it was described as a severe beating. It was described as "being beaten within an inch of my life" and having left injuries that needed to heal. And then he admits that he enjoyed it and it turned him on. WHAT the?!? There are also a couple of scenes between them that were a little too rapey for me.

3. Speaking of rapey . . . this book was full of it. Claire experienced attempted rape at least three times, with a couple of other amorous assaults thrown in. Jamie also described surviving multiple attempted rapes before he finally was assaulted. The author seemed to want us to have every detail of his prolonged sexual torture. It was a bit much for me, but what I truly found disturbing was Claire’s way of “healing” Jamie’s internal scars after.

If the rate of attempted rapes in this book is historically accurate, then every person in ancient Scotland must have been raped at least once if not several times in their lifetime.

Another thing that did not sit well with me was the portrayal of homosexual characters. There were two characters that were clearly portrayed as having homosexual preferences. One was the villain, portrayed as a clear sexual sadist, and the other was described as likeable, and yet he was known to rape and molest young men in their teens. I get it, in that unenlightened historical place and time, a homosexual would indeed be considered to have “unnatural tastes.” That does not mean, however, that he/she would be become a rapist.

I want to go on record that I am not against violence in books. In fact, I get teased a great deal about the level of violence that I appreciate in books. I just feel that it should have some relevant context and come across as realistic within the context of the plot. I just thought the sexualized violence was way over the top and I especially did not appreciate its occurrence within the romance of the story.

I really don’t care in which genre you categorize this story. The bottom line for me is that I didn’t find the story very engaging. Even with all the violence, the story itself was just kind of boring. ...more

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Aug 21, 2016 Christine PNW rated it it was amazing

Reread!

Jamie and Claire are always amazing.

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Apr 10, 2012 Jenbebookish rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2013

I really wanted to like this. Since Game of Thrones I have been dying to find a good series with characters that I can love. But this just didn't do it for me the way it did it for so many others.

I may or may not buy the next book. This is one of those cases where the writing wasn't all that great but I became invested enough/curious enough about the story that I'd like to know what happens... but an 800pg book is no "quick read" so-- may just have to look up a book synopsis somewhere.

I just re ...more

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Aug 27, 2011 Michelle Bacon rated it it was ok

Shelves: romance

This book took me nearly 2 months to read, but finally finished. I don't quite like the whole concept of this story. Apparently Claire was not too in love with her present day husband to travel to another time and marry a complete stranger and have wild S&M sex with all the time. Even after having to opportunity to go back, she didn't. I won't be reading the rest of this series, that's for sure. ...more

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May 29, 2014 Christine PNW rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Re-read!

1 like · Like · see review

Jan 15, 2013 Janet rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: series

A good story. The two main characters were so likable. It is a combination of so many genres. I enjoyed the story line - a combination of historical fiction, romance, science fiction and fantasy. The violence in the story was fine as it fit in with the era and the plot. However, I felt that the book would have been better if some of the "romance" had been left to the imagination. For this reason it was only a four star read for me. ...more

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Apr 03, 2015 Amanda rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2013, 2015, favorites

Initial read 1/4/13: Slow at first...for about 60 or so pages. So glad I stuck with it. Ready for the next book but think I will read a smaller book first.

Reread 4/4/14: Loved it again. Ready for book #2

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