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Do you think the TV Series is influencing the way you interpret the book
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Diana has always said Jamie is built "lean like a basketball player." She had to reiterate this over and over last summer when Sam was initially cast, because apparently a lot of people imagined Jamie had carrot orange hair and was built like a linebacker. She had quite a lot to say about that, as you can imagine. It was highly entertaining. :-) She said Sam is the perfect build with his lean tri-athlete body. He is only one inch shorter than Jamie is described.

That's how I felt about the book at first. I keep the book separate from the show. Although I do think the actors and actresses fit the bill

That's how I felt about the book at first. I keep the book separate from the show. Although I do think the actors and actresse..."
When I introduce the book to people I always tell them to keep reading until chapter 15. Once they've read the wedding night, they're hooked. :-) I had to force my husband (for him, I just told him to skip to where she goes through the stones).
I

While we were watching the first episode and yawning together, I had to keep telling him that the adventurous parts haven't started yet. He started to like the show after the third or fourth episode though.

I wonder if people mistake his "larger than life" presence for a physical build? When Claire picks him out in a crowd what stands out is the way he carries himself, always confident and strong, never giving away his thoughts or feelings. In those situations, Claire could only tell if he was anxious if he twitched his fingers slightly. Definitely not a poker face kind of guy.

He also stands out so much because the height of most men at that time is shorter. Claire says her 5'6 is average for most men and she can look them straight in the eye.
For me, I did picture Jamie with more orange hair and the reason is because Claire constantly says how she can spot him in a crowd (not just because of his height) but because of his hair.
Personally, I wouldn't notice an auburn haired person in a crowd. And that's what Jamie is, it's not what most people think when someone says the color red. If you were to put a blonde in a a room with dark haired people, I'd see that quickly. If you put someone with more orange in their hair in a room with practically any color, I could pick that out too. But to me, auburn does not stand out in a crowd.


especially back then when most men were shorter - would not matter what the hair color was. My husband is 6'3" and even by today's standards he is taller than average though I wouldn't say he stands out.

LOL as a mum to a 7 year old with bright auburn hair with gold/cinnamon tones, believe me I can always spot him in a crowd, especially if the sun is shining!

Yes exactly my point! I envisioned Jamie, from the descriptions in the books with a different color hair than Sam on the show for those very reasons. So I understand why those fans pictured Jamie with bright orange hair. That's not how I imagined him myself, but it was definitely different than how they've portrayed Sam's hair. It just doesn't stand out to me as "red", the way it's described in the books.

Me too ... Dark red with lighter tones.


I don't think so, Cait and Sam have such a great screen presence both the show and in real life, they are perfectly suited to each other. I've heard Ron say that when he saw them together it was that chemistry that sold them on her. And I think she's been nailing every scene. She's not only beautiful, she has a great personality and it comes through in her eyes, her facial expressions. She is so my vision of what Claire would of been. I think the casting was brilliantly done so far. I can't wait to see who they pick for Roger and Bree and Lord John.
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Later, Jamie said in one of the scenes that he outweighs her for at least 5 stones, so 14 stones = 196 lbs.
I read in an interview that Sam spent three months to bulk up. He also has to be careful not to bulk up too much to be unrealistic. Jamie is big from working in a farm, not from going to gym.
Balfe is a bit too tall for Claire because in the book she is 5 feet 6 inches tall. However, if they want her to look taller or as tall as men in the show. Balfe's height might serve the purpose.
I think they are both doing a great job. I watch the show before reading the book although I wanted to read the book for a while. To me, it seems they fit in their roles and descriptions well. (Unlike True Blood, Sookie should be natural blonde and Bill should have brown eyes.) Besides, they have good chemistry between them.
After watching the show and reading the book, I read the past discussions about Outlander imaginary casts. I found that there are some actress that might be more suitable than Cait. I can easily imagine other actresses as Claire. However, Sam is irreplaceable. I really can't see Chris Hemsworth as Jamie, apart from the fact that he is too expensive to be in the show. Sam is a Scot, so he has believable accent.
About the story, I feel that the show does not deviate much from the book. Of course, the show is more dramatized. Many dialogues are exactly the same. I almost gave up on the show after watching the first episode of Claire and Frank. It was so boring that I almost fell asleep. I had to keep telling myself that it's gonna be better when Claire meets Jamie, and it is. The landscapes are so beautiful that I would really love to visit and drive around the highlands in Scotland.