Caroline Lay answers “why are people saying Outlander is a rape...”

A Goodreads user asked this question about Outlander (Outlander, #1):

why are people saying Outlander is a rape book?

Caroline Lay Both my husband and I have read, and re-read the entire series. We own the audio books, so we have listened to the books together. We have discussed t…moreBoth my husband and I have read, and re-read the entire series. We own the audio books, so we have listened to the books together. We have discussed the content in depth. Yes, there is rape in the story line. Yes, there is sex in the story line. This is a book about the way of life 200 years ago. Life was different, and yes, rape was VERY common. The author has maintained a very detailed level of historical accuracy throughout the books (not just Outlander), and to avoid, or try to minimise the Rape/Sex aspect of life 200 years ago would be to disrespect the history. The level of historical accuracy does not just pertain to the rape/sex scenes, but also to all aspects of the books.
In order to understand the characters, to understand why they are who they are, it is important to understand what they went through. It is important to get a picture of what makes them who they are. You would not be able to grasp the relationship between Jamie and Claire if you didn't have a picture of what they had been through together. Yes, there is rape in the book. Yes there is sex. HOWEVER, the scenes are done as tastefully as possible without making just "sex for the sake of sex". The scenes are necessary for building the storyline, and if you give it a chance and really take in the storyline (rather than just the sex scenes) you will find that it is an amazing historical story. A story about overcoming adversity. A story about adventure, about kindness, about family, about striving for a better life, and succeeding! (less)

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