Outlander (Outlander, #1) in Crazy Challenge Connection

Aug 03, 2014 Book Concierge rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: concierge, strong-women, library, romance, audio, adventure, movie, historical-fiction, series

Audiobook performed by Davinia Porter

While on a holiday to the Scottish Highlands with her husband, WW2 combat nurse Claire Randall goes to a miniature henge to gather interesting plants. It’s there she hears an odd buzzing noise coming from the stones, and, thinking there is a bee hive nearby, she goes to investigate. But as soon as she touches the stone she hears a loud scream and feels instantly dizzy and disoriented. When she fully comes to, she discovers that she has somehow gone back in ti Audiobook performed by Davinia Porter

While on a holiday to the Scottish Highlands with her husband, WW2 combat nurse Claire Randall goes to a miniature henge to gather interesting plants. It’s there she hears an odd buzzing noise coming from the stones, and, thinking there is a bee hive nearby, she goes to investigate. But as soon as she touches the stone she hears a loud scream and feels instantly dizzy and disoriented. When she fully comes to, she discovers that she has somehow gone back in time some two hundred years to 1743. There she quickly reverts to her maiden name Beauchamp to avoid having the suspicious Highlanders thinking her in league with the English Captain Jonathan Randall. The Scotsmen she is taken by are part of the MacKenzie clan, and one young man, Jamie, has been hurt. She deals with his wounds as best she can, and thus begins their relationship.

What a rollicking good story! I had avoided this book for some time, despite several friends telling me they thought I’d enjoy it. Every time I looked at the synopsis and saw the time travel I was turned off. Just not my genre of choice. But I was surprised to find that I liked it. That’s not to say that it’s a great book, however. There are parts that are a tad too “bodice-ripper” for my taste; in fact, Gabaldon actually used the phrase “ripped my bodice” at least once. I also wasn’t too keen on the whole “I’ll beat you to punish you and then we’ll make mad passionate love” scenario. Are there young men and women reading this kind of stuff and thinking this is okay behavior?

One of my pet peeves is helpless females who need rescuing. So I was pretty irritated by Claire’s continued insistence on going off by herself despite being warned of the dangers of such behavior, and then having to be rescued “just in the nick of time” by Jamie. I mean, once should be enough to teach her the lesson. But this happens repeatedly. It’s really not until the last 100 pages or so that she is shown as a strong, resourceful woman.

So with all these issues, why did I give it four stars? Several reasons. Jamie and Claire are compelling characters. Gabaldon introduced the reader to a first impression, but then allowed their relationship to develop in a way that interested me and kept me reading. And the huge cast of supporting characters were just as interesting – Murtagh, Dougal, Colum, Geilie, Mrs Fitz, et al added color and depth. I was completely caught up in the story and wanted to see how it would end. Finally, Davinia Porter’s performance on the audio is wonderful. She is a gifted voice artist and could handle all the various characters, giving each one a unique voice so that I was never confused. Her skill rated a star all by itself.

I realize that this is just the first in a series, and I’m glad I finally read it, but I don’t think I’ll be reading any more of them any time soon. Still, you never know ...
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Aug 09, 2014 Stacy rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: e-books, historical-fiction, read-in-2014, annoying-protagonists

This book was utterly ridiculous!!! I gave it 3 stars because it held my interest (for the most part), but I don't think I would have missed anything by not reading it.

While Claire is supposed to be from the 1940s, she acts like she belongs in modern times. She is shocked by the way the people of the 1700s react to her brazen behavior. On one hand, she thinks she should be able to do and say as she pleases, yet also benefit from the chivalrous strong menfolk protecting her. You can't have it bot ...more

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Aug 26, 2012 TheReadingKnitter/ Kasey rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, 2012

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Claire Randall is leading a double life. She has a husband in one century, and a lover in another...

In 1945, Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon--when she innocently touches a boulder in one of the ancient stone circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach—an "outlander"—in a Scotland torn by war and raiding border clans in the year of our Lord...1743.

Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand Claire Randall is leading a double life. She has a husband in one century, and a lover in another...

In 1945, Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon--when she innocently touches a boulder in one of the ancient stone circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach—an "outlander"—in a Scotland torn by war and raiding border clans in the year of our Lord...1743.

Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire's destiny in soon inextricably intertwined with Clan MacKenzie and the forbidden Castle Leoch. She is catapulted without warning into the intrigues of lairds and spies that may threaten her life ...and shatter her heart. For here, James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, shows her a passion so fierce and a love so absolute that Claire becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire...and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

My Review - Whew, this book took me long enough, 39 days to be exact! I think if I'd had it in Nook Book format that I would have read it MUCH faster. But still I started it and it sucked me right in. I was glad when she made her decision at the stones when Jamie took her back to them. Me personally I couldn't imagine being transported back 200 years. Some of the clans and historical stuff dragged for me but I know it's just because I don't know much about it. Even though this book took me over a month to finish it wasn't one of those books I was ready to be finished with cause I was tired of it. The characters were well written and it was good until the very last page. Everyone these days are raving about the book Fifty Shades of Grey and while this book wasn't exactly like that book, I would compare it to that book. The difference is it was less vulgar and graphic details. I will be reading the rest of the series sometime, but it won't be the next book I read. And the next book in the series, I will definitely buy on my Nook, even if it is $9! ...more

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

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

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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Oct 19, 2022 Catsalive rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: pre-bc, 2006

The original, & the best.

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Aug 31, 2010 Juliette rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2010

A friend from work recommended this book and I throughly enjoyed it. I cannot wait to read the next books in the series. I was surprised at the length of the book but there was so much going on that there were hardly any slow parts. The character development is very interesting and I found myself discovering that characters that I enjoyed in the beginning had some dark to sometime sinister goals.

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