Outlander (Outlander, #1) Outlander discussion


313 views
Does it get better?

Comments Showing 1-35 of 35 (35 new)    post a comment »
dateUp arrow    newest »

message 1: by Jane (new) - added it

Jane Ok so its been a few years. I read about 150-200 pages in and just couldn't handle the slow moving start. I have spoken with people who were absolutely in love with these books so I am keen to try to read them again.
When does the magic happened?


Becky ♡The Bookworm♡ After the wedding things start to happen. I remember thinking the first part of the book seemed a bit slow, too, but the details come into play later, either in the book or in the series. People like or dislike different things about the book, but I really enjoyed watching Claire and Jamie fall in love. Those quiet moments and conversations were very appealing to me.


Becky ♡The Bookworm♡ There really is something in these books for everyone. It spans so many genres, historical fiction, mystery, suspense, romance, time-travel, witchcraft, I could go on and on. If I had to choose a favorite scene, I couldn't do it. I have so many...and for different reasons...that it just isn't possible.

I'm also a big fan of all this Scottish, so that was fun for me, too.


Angel Ica No, it doesn't get better. It just rambles on and on and on, devoid of any arc


Mrsbooks If you weren't hooked by the time they got married I would say this isn't the book for you. At times I have found there was far too much detail as well but I still really enjoyed the series.

Then again, it might be worth trying again now that you know what to expect.

There are definitely adventures in Outlander but much of it is about everyday living. The series follows their lives. So I can understand how some might find it a bit boring.


Jeanine Celentano Mrsbooks wrote: "If you weren't hooked by the time they got married I would say this isn't the book for you. At times I have found there was far too much detail as well but I still really enjoyed the series.

Then..."

It is hit or miss for some people.
I am enjoying the series although " The Fiery Cross " is taking me a long time to read because of details. Yet I don't want to miss a thing.


Brenda LOVE the book, i just finish the 3rd book voyager and cant wait to start on the 4th one
love Jamie so sweet yet in a whole lot of mess, the events in his life are mess up. but yet love claire


Mary Jane wrote: "Ok so its been a few years. I read about 150-200 pages in and just couldn't handle the slow moving start. I have spoken with people who were absolutely in love with these books so I am keen to try ..."

I have re-read Outlander about 5-6 times and each time I re-read, I skim over the first part until Claire and Jaime start to develop a relationship. I think you need to read the first part on a first reading, but it really is just background info. Once you get past that part, it really picks up speed.


Donna Alam Outlander lover here. I will agree the first book started off slow, but there was something about it that spurred me on. Cut to three years later and I'm sold and REALLY pleased I'm a latecomer to the series as I'd've hated to have to wait in between, although I waited for the latest one. I've read them again and again (something I don't usually do)and they only get better. There's always something I've missed, some nuance of J&C relationship, a piece of humour, etc.. It's no the wonder it takes the author so long to write each one!


message 10: by Janis (new)

Janis Glass Jeanine wrote: "Mrsbooks wrote: "If you weren't hooked by the time they got married I would say this isn't the book for you. At times I have found there was far too much detail as well but I still really enjoyed t..."
I am half way through the same book and struggling to even pick it up. Loved books 1-3 the most.


message 11: by Kyra (new) - rated it 4 stars

Kyra gertt wrote: "A lot of people struggle with The Fiery Cross, but try to stay with it because it's important to the story."

I'm currently slogging through it myself. Good to know it will have some meaning to the continued storyline.


message 12: by Janis (new)

Janis Glass Kyra wrote: "gertt wrote: "A lot of people struggle with The Fiery Cross, but try to stay with it because it's important to the story."

I'm currently slogging through it myself. Good to know it will have some ..."

I have took a break from it for a while. Need a light book to read, something quick to read, so have started Making Faces by Amy Harmon


message 13: by Lori (new) - rated it 4 stars

Lori She travels back in time, shags constantly with a hot, kilted scotsman, picks herbs, gets kidnapped/saved several times and shags some more. That's it in a nutshell. Theoretically, I should have loved it but it needed to be about 200 pages shorter.


message 14: by Jane (new) - added it

Jane What is so hard to read about The Fiery Cross? I saw it on the shelf today, and it looks like quite a long book to sober though.


Laurel I can't remember what happens between pages 150 and 200, but I remember finding the beginning very slow. When Claire travels through time, it really starts to pick up even though it also had its slow moments. Someone mentioned that if you are not hooked by the wedding then the book is not for you. I completely agree. I got hooked the moment Claire fell through time. When I decided to reread the book, I found the beginning very interesting and provided extra details that really connects the story.


message 16: by Kyra (new) - rated it 4 stars

Kyra Jane wrote: "What is so hard to read about The Fiery Cross? I saw it on the shelf today, and it looks like quite a long book to sober though."

I don't think it's so much as the book is hard to read. It is, I believe the longest one so far and after reading the first four, my brain needs a break. There are a lot of detail that I think clogs it up.

At least, this is why it's taking me so long.


Mochaspresso The Fiery Cross is the book that caused me to lose a little steam with the series. It's not a hard book at all. I think I lost steam because much of the details that DG is known for incorporating into her books focused on something that I was already familiar with. The history of the Jacobite rebellion and clan life was new territory for me. The ins and outs of early colonial life in NC....not as much and I became bored with it too easily. I'm no expert by any means, but I wasn't exactly learning anything particularly new and exciting either, if that makes sense. At least, not to the same degree that I did with the first four books.


message 18: by Mary (new) - rated it 5 stars

Mary Mochaspresso wrote: "The Fiery Cross is the book that caused me to lose a little steam with the series. It's not a hard book at all. I think I lost steam because much of the details that DG is known for incorporating..."

This was my least favorite book. I did not like Brianna much after reading this and only decided I liked her after reading An Echo in the Bone.


message 19: by Katrina (new) - added it

Katrina Jay I was right there with you. The beginning just drug for me. I had a difficult time, but like others have said after the wedding things do start to speed up a little.


message 20: by Janis (new)

Janis Glass Kyra wrote: "Jane wrote: "What is so hard to read about The Fiery Cross? I saw it on the shelf today, and it looks like quite a long book to sober though."

I don't think it's so much as the book is hard to rea..."


I agree, I have took a break from it.


message 21: by Janis (new)

Janis Glass Katrina wrote: "I was right there with you. The beginning just drug for me. I had a difficult time, but like others have said after the wedding things do start to speed up a little."

Good to know this as it is at the wedding that I have stopped reading.


message 22: by Lynn (new) - rated it 5 stars

Lynn I agree, I think it is around the wedding that the book picks up. The book, or many of her books can get bogged down in detail, but then all of sudden things start to happen and the pieces get put together.


message 23: by Dee (new) - rated it 5 stars

Dee Janis wrote: "Kyra wrote: "gertt wrote: "A lot of people struggle with The Fiery Cross, but try to stay with it because it's important to the story."

I'm currently slogging through it myself. Good to know it wi..."


i wouldn't call Making Faces light - I was this close to being a blubbering mess during it


message 24: by Eileen (new) - added it

Eileen Iciek The Fiery Cross was not my favorite Outlander novel (Voyager will always be the one). The fact that the first 150 pages or so took place over a day or two kind of bothered me - I kept waiting for things to get going. They do, eventually, but you do have to get through the start.


message 25: by Kay (new) - rated it 5 stars

Kay Collins I never heard of the books until I read about Starz doing the series so I Googled the books and was shocked to read how big and faithful of a following they had, which made me buy Outlander to see what all the hubub was about. What really sucked me in was the history - I am a huge history buff so the whole Scottish historically accurate background was wonderful for me. Now, I love fantasy and sci-fi so this will sound a bit strange but I couldn't read past the 4th book... and only bought that one because I was hoping it would take them back to the roots and style of the first book. But, even with my love of fantasy and sci-fi the whole West Indies story line really went too far for my suspension of belief- and that's saying a lot! The books just sort of flew in 100 different directions with no arc which anything past a short story or true bio needs for glue. These books are 50 years of a marriage with fantasy thrown in to put the characters in states of high anxiety..

Meanwhile, the Starz series is a whole lot better than the books so far! And, I have only said that once before (13th Warrior was a better than book movie).


message 26: by Mary (new) - rated it 5 stars

Mary Eileen wrote: "The Fiery Cross was not my favorite Outlander novel (Voyager will always be the one). The fact that the first 150 pages or so took place over a day or two kind of bothered me - I kept waiting for t..."

I have to agree, I loved the 1st 4 books the best and Moby was good too. But Outlander and DiA were my favorites to date. I do however think the 1st couple of chapters were a bit boring. So I always tell people to keep reading, until the Jamie and Claire relationship develops. It takes off from there. I almost didn't read Outlander because of the 1st chapter, but I continued and then I couldn't stop reading them. To date they are my favorite books I've read (actually listened to as I have the audio versions and the narrator of Outlander is really good).


message 27: by Eileen (new) - added it

Eileen Iciek Mary wrote: "Eileen wrote: "The Fiery Cross was not my favorite Outlander novel (Voyager will always be the one). The fact that the first 150 pages or so took place over a day or two kind of bothered me - I kep..."

I listened to the audio versions first, as well. Davina Porter is probably the best female narrator out there. In fact, when I listened to The Scottish Prisoner (Lord John Grey, #3) by Diana Gabaldon , which has a different narrator, I had a hard time getting used to someone else's voice speaking for Jamie.


Brizo Eileen wrote: "Mary wrote: "Eileen wrote: "The Fiery Cross was not my favorite Outlander novel (Voyager will always be the one). The fact that the first 150 pages or so took place over a day or two kind of bother..."
I also didn't like the narrator of the Scottish Prisoner. He kept going back to his own voice when he was talking about what Jamie and John were thinking. He'd only use a Scottish voice for Jamie when Jamie was actually talking to someone. I found it so annoying and distracting, especially since his own voice was a monotonous English voice. When Davina Porter read the Outlander series, you could always tell who was speaking or thinking out loud because she was always in the characters voice. That is what makes her a great narrator.


Brizo Mochaspresso wrote: "The Fiery Cross is the book that caused me to lose a little steam with the series. It's not a hard book at all. I think I lost steam because much of the details that DG is known for incorporating..."

Yes, I agree that was part of the problem with it and some of the later books about the war. I think also there was less direct sexual content between Jamie and Claire. Too much detail of normal life on the Ridge and not enough adventure tales like the other books had. She was transition the sex to an older Jamie and Claire and trying to pass it on to Roger and Bree but that just didn't work as well for me. Don't ask me why, I don't really know. I guess I just really like the Jamie and Claire characters the best in the series, and their sexuality with each other was a big part of that, even if they were in the 50's by the Fiery Cross, I still think they should of been more sexual.


message 30: by Eileen (new) - added it

Eileen Iciek Brizo wrote: "Eileen wrote: "Mary wrote: "Eileen wrote: "The Fiery Cross was not my favorite Outlander novel (Voyager will always be the one). The fact that the first 150 pages or so took place over a day or two..."

Davina Porter is, in my opinion, the best female narrator out there now. Due to a long commute, I listen to audio books for hours everyday, and she has to be in the top five narrators out there.


message 31: by Alan (new) - rated it 4 stars

Alan I enjoyed the first book in the series but not enough to read the next one.


message 32: by Charlene (new) - added it

Charlene Roberson LOVED the first one, liked the 2nd and barely finished the 3rd. I am not really planning to continue the series. Can anyone give me hope as to why I should?


Jeanine Celentano Charlene
Unless you like historical fiction then don't continue
These books are much more than a love story, it combines history, love , and time travel. I read all of them and can not wait for the next one.


Jeanine Celentano Bravo gertt


message 35: by Charlene (new) - added it

Charlene Roberson Thanks, gertt. I have so many books TBR that I am becoming more selective. I am just disappointed that the series didn't continue to enthrall me as much as the first one!


back to top