Outlander Series discussion
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anyone having problems with Echo?
The title should have Been Echo in the Bone a Lord John Book!
Way to much William and LJ. Not enough Jamie and Claire!
On the contrary, I was thrilled to read about William for it was a chance to understand the type of a man he is and how much he resembles his biological father.It was the little nuances and attitudes and reactions to certain situations that I found so endearing in William. I actually grew to love him for he gave me a chance to imagine how Jaime might have been in his younger years...
I might have read it too quickly but I thought it was unevenly written, I don't read the lord john series so I was confused about some of the backstory, there wasn't enough claire and jamie and what there was was mostly them mooning over each other and then the ending was too too too rushed.other than that, I loved it!
I enjoyed EITB but, it seemed to me that the beginning drug on and got bogged down in details that weren't necessary and then a whole bunch of really interesting events were crammed into the end without much detail to explain them.
Leslie wrote: "I enjoyed EITB but, it seemed to me that the beginning drug on and got bogged down in details that weren't necessary and then a whole bunch of really interesting events were crammed into the end wi..."You're right it just started to get good and then ended.
I had a hard time getting into and through the book too. I agree with Deanna and Kelly. I love all her other Outlander books, but this one took me longer to read. I found myself skipping through the book. I agree with Kelly in that there was not enough of Jamie and Claire. I really love their story and can't wait to find out about Bree and Roger!
I kinda felt like it was a commercial to read the Lord John books. Who is Percy anyway??
Although I've bought the Lord John Books, I have yet to start reading them. Percy's background was made perfectly clear in Diana's Outlander series book. An Echo in the Bones provides a perfectly good explanation of who he is. There is no need whatsoever to read any of Lord John books to understand all the characters in Echo....
Really? Percy enters stage left and I'm searching my memory and coming up blank. I know I should know him but just don't have the energy to go back and look for him... I'm half way through and stopped for a while so I can read more quick reads - I usually do a book a day, but Diana's of course take me a week. I'm glad to hear things pick up at the end. I'm loving the interaction between the cousins
I don't remember Percy in any of the previous books. Somewhere in Echo in the Bone there is an explanation of who he is but, I can really see how it wouldn't have the same impact if you didn't know the whole story behind the relationship of Percy and Lord John.I read all of the LJ books and I think they really helped me to understand EITB more fully.
Yes, and his 1/2 brother. Their relationship ended badly when LJ caught him with another man in his room.
I agree that Percy came out of left field. I do not agree that there was a perfectly good explanation of who he was in Echo. I think it's crap that she included a character from the Lord John books as a major character in Echo. I read the first LJ book and didn't like it. I resent the assumption that we have to read her other series in order to have a clear understanding of a major storyline now in the Outlander series.
Yuck...John had an affair with his 1/2 brother? That somewhat explains why it was so easy for him to have sex with Claire. Apparently, almost anything goes with Lord John.
Lady wrote: "Yuck...John had an affair with his 1/2 brother? That somewhat explains why it was so easy for him to have sex with Claire. Apparently, almost anything goes with Lord John."Wait! I screwed that up. They are step brothers. LJ's mother married Percy's father.
That's a little better. My opinion of the book was getting more twisted by the minute. Thanks for clearing that up.
Lady wrote: "That's a little better. My opinion of the book was getting more twisted by the minute. Thanks for clearing that up."Sorry for the confusion. It is strange enough - I don't need to add to the perversion.
I am on my 2nd read of Echo and I admit I didn't like it the first time, but It does have several story lines I'm interested in following...The short mention of Rogers's father maybe having gone through the stones, Fergus' possible relationship to Comt. St.Germain & Amelie Beauchamp,
Does that make him a relative of Claire's or am I hopelessly confused? And of course Young Ian's future.
I am going to obsess over the possibilities for the next few years until the next book comes out!
I read EITB quickly. I remember Claire telling Roger about his father's death not being exactly what he thought it was. Was there a reference that Roger's Da went through the stones?
I think that is the idea. Roger's father may have flown over the 'time hole' or whatever you want to call it, instead of dying in the crash. Didn't someone say that his body wasn't found or something?
Hmmm...if Roger finds his Da in the 1780s, I wouldn't be surprised if somehow Bree and the kids go back to live out their lives on the Ridge with J&C and Roger's Da. Big happy family.
If only! I don't think Rog's Da would survive, though, if he was any distance out over the ocean. Since DG is planning a short story based on Rog's parents called "Star-Crossed Lovers", I don't think the prognosis is good.
Lady wrote: "Hmmm...if Roger finds his Da in the 1780s, I wouldn't be surprised if somehow Bree and the kids go back to live out their lives on the Ridge with J&C and Roger's Da. Big happy family."If you remember Roger's Da died when Roger was a child, and that typically people went back through time 200 years. That means that if Roger's Da DID go through time that he would be an old man or dead by the time Roger or Bree and the kids would find him in the late 1770's.
Diana wrote: "Lady wrote: "Hmmm...if Roger finds his Da in the 1780s, I wouldn't be surprised if somehow Bree and the kids go back to live out their lives on the Ridge with J&C and Roger's Da. Big happy family...."Would he have been that much older than Claire?
ChristinaRae wrote: "Diana wrote: "Lady wrote: "Hmmm...if Roger finds his Da in the 1780s, I wouldn't be surprised if somehow Bree and the kids go back to live out their lives on the Ridge with J&C and Roger's Da. Big..."Maybe. Roger was older than Bree but than again Claire didn't have her until she was nearly 30 or so. Either way Roger's da would have been in his sixty's and that's really old in the 1700's so he'd probably LOOK older than he was. The reason Claire doesn't look as old as the other women of the 1700's is because she spent 20 years in modern times with modern health and cleanliness, where as IF Roger's da went to the 1700's he would have had to have spent at least 15 years there...15 hard years.
Okay..I know that Roger meets his great several generations back grandfather, who comes into the l970's. Other than seeing his dad the first brief "test" trip back, when Fiona saves him (he was thinking about his dad when he started through the stones the first time, and came back on fire), I don't remember any other mention of Roger's birth father. What am I missing?
At some point in Echo, (and now I am thinking I need to re-read it so I can be up on my references) there is some discussion of the time-travel spots; I think it was when Bree and Rog were discussing how they follow linear patterns, and the suggestion was that Roger's Dad didn't crash his plane but instead flew over a time-travel spot and went through. I don't remember when Claire made the hint. Was it in one of the letters?
Thanks! I'll be rereading Echo soon, and will pay better attention!
Before Roger and Bree went back Claire told Roger the story of a Spitfire fighter pilot named Jeremiah who's plane went down in Northumbria (where there are lots of standing stones) and the pilot was never found.It's on page 228/229 in Echo
My distress with Echo is well known by now. I completely agree with Kelly. Clearly this is more of a Lord John book. I can't wait for the next book because there are so many loose ends concerning Bree, Roger, and Jem.
I agree that the parts with Lord John and William were a little dry...i also wish more of the book had been devoted to the Bree/Roger/Jem storyline, as well as more about Claire and Jamie, as that is why we ALL read the stories...I DID however, enjoy the increased prescense of Ian in the books, and am loving the Hunter's and their addition to the book! (i'll admit, sometimes I skim all the excessively historical bits to get to the good stuff)
Personally I found The Fiery Cross the hardest to get through, but thought ABOSAA and Echo were both back on track!
Just finished Echo and I have to say that though I LOVE these characters and books, including this one, Echo was very unbalanced. We had 7/8 of a somewhat slow-moving war/espionage novel (with a smattering of romance and drama mixed in) while the last 1/8 just rollicked along with plot twists thrown in willy-nilly throughout. Every one of the last 50 pages, I was like, "Wait, WHAT?" And we haven't seen this many bizarre coincidences since Voyager...At least with the all LJ stuff I actually looked forward to Bri and Rog's 1980 chapters...though they didn't ramp up until the very end either.
I really feel like Diana spent way too much time researching Saratoga and then felt that she had to include ALL of it in this book... Still, I loved it, love them all. Just...we need Book 8 and FAST!
wow...for some reason i wasn' tgetting updated when people replied...i'm reading EITB on my kindle, so it makes it hard to flip back and forth...i think i might wait to read it until i can get a paper copy (first one i'll have read in a while...) - i've read the other books on my kindle, but only after reading them several times in paper, so i knew the story better, if that makes sense...
Deanna wrote: "ok, i'm going to preface this by saying i've loved all of DG's other books and devoured them when I read them, but for some reason, I've having problems getting into An Echo In The Bone - i've prob..."I agree, I had a hard time at first. I think it was all the Lord John stuff. It did pick up for me...keep at it. It is worth it :)
Deanna wrote: i'm reading EITB on my kindle, so it makes it hard to flip back and forth...I had that problem too...not really too adept at the search feature yet, and the last page snuck up on me...otherwise, I did fine with it. So convenient not to lug those giant books around. Not sure if I want to re-invest on the series in Kindle, though. Trying to decide.
those were the first books i bought on my kindle, but i'd also read them many times, so they were comfort reads on it...i'm going to invest in buying the paper copy though i think and read it that way...
I read as many books as I can on my iphone using ereader. Been using ereader on my phone even before I switched to the iphone. there is a way to bookmark pages and search using key words. I've gotten used to looking for things.Unforuntetly, the e books are limited. there are alot of books i cant read. I much prefer the ebooks as I hate lugging around books - just one more thing to loose!
Okay - about this book...I have some issues:
1. I find it hard to believe Rob Cameron read all the letters, that Bree and Roger didn't notice him reading them, and that he knew what they were, what the meant, and that he beleived them. I don't remember one mentioning the stones.
2. I am tired of Roger whinning about his faith. I am beginning to think he is a big sissy.
3. I don't understand why claire doesn't put her foot down about the war. They are almost 60...they are getting to old for this stuff. They should be working their farm not fighting wars that they already know they can't influence. With or without them America is born.
4. There really is no plot. From book to book it is a different plot. I have no idea where all of is leading...
Anyways...it think it is time for the final book.
I love the story, but it can't go on forever...each book in my opinon has less and less impact...
so what say y'all?
Wendy wrote: "I read as many books as I can on my iphone using ereader. Been using ereader on my phone even before I switched to the iphone. there is a way to bookmark pages and search using key words. I've gott..."First off I have to say I agree about the fighting in the war? I was like "Duh didn't you guys learn from Culloden? (I know that's probably misspelled.)
Secondly, Claire IS over sixty. :D I did the math.
Thirdly, I don't think Rob read ALL the letters just the ones that were open and you're right I don't think they say anything about standing stones or the fact that Roger and Bree were in the past. Although the letters were probably dated, since that was a common thing to do during Jamie's time.
And lastly, I don't know if the final book is coming up soon or not but I would think so. Claire and Jamie's health can't stay like it is....sooner or later their bodies are going to start saying "Ok we're old it's time to stop acting like we're still 20!"
Dianawhat about the plot? I read all the Harry potter books and by the 3rd or 4th one there was a clear over arching plot. I don't see one here. I think that is detracting from the story. at least it is part of my waning interest.
Wendy wrote: "Dianawhat about the plot? I read all the Harry potter books and by the 3rd or 4th one there was a clear over arching plot. I don't see one here. I think that is detracting from the story. at leas..."
Hmmm. Well I still think there's a plot in this book its just not obvious to us mere mortals. I think what's going to happen is we'll read book 8 and it will be like a light bulb over our heads kind of deal. Now whether we have to wait 3 years before book 8 or not I don't know. I certainly hope not!
I just finished Echo last night, I tried to read it slow but found it to be very disconnected especially the first 600 pages or so! I have not read the LJG books due to the fact that I never really warmed up to LJG. So, the Percy , espionage, exlover storyline was confusing to me. I couldn't piece things together very well.The book did pick up at the end and I think I liked it alot better than the begining.
All in all I'm not sure _how_ I _actually feel about this book. I agree with Wendy however..was there a plot?
I don't understand Rob Cameron and that whole situation and it seemed to me that Rachel liked both Ian and Willie! OH NO a potential Lizzie???????
I loved Ian's storyline, I don't like Jenny any longer. I'm sad Ian Sr. is gone...I still love Rollo!
Maybe I'm on the short bus! I will probably reread ECHO at some point...but geeeez I'm worn out!!!
I will of course be first in line for the next book!
just my disconnected 2 cents!!
Cynthia
Cynthia wrote: "I just finished Echo last night, I tried to read it slow but found it to be very disconnected especially the first 600 pages or so! I have not read the LJG books due to the fact that I never really..."LJ doesn't do it for me either...I was disappointed in William. He didn't seem to inherit his dad natural leadership or fighting skills.
I can't buy into the fact that Jenny left her farm and her family to come to America.
I'll read book 8, but if it is 6 years between book 7 and 9, I don't see me keeping up on the series. I need a plot and some characters that captivate like Jamie and Claire did in the first few books.
Overall I am was disappointed.
I love the comments about Jamie and Claire's ages, health issues, etc. I am about the same age as I assume Claire is (she was 27 in Outlander in 1743, and it is now 1776. (I am 58)Claire is 60 and Jamie is 56 and they are just NOW having problems with vision? Most of my friends started having vision issues around age 45. I think it was one of the most humerous moments in Echo! She also had the easiest menopause on record! I think that DG read Dr. Ruth, and Jamie and Claire are definitely role models regarding sex after say...50?
Carol wrote: "I love the comments about Jamie and Claire's ages, health issues, etc. I am about the same age as I assume Claire is (she was 27 in Outlander in 1743, and it is now 1776. (I am 58)Claire is 60 and..."So true about the eyesight failure! The sex after 50....I don't know many of my friends that think to themselves "Gee it's almost been a whole week since we've had sex" at least not my female friends!
Okay, Rob Cameron--he read the open letters AND Roger's notes on time travel--remember they talked about it being a work of fiction (Roger trying to cover it up) and there is perhaps a chance he somehow had a run w/ Gellis in the past.
My thoughts on the question of overarching plot: Ages back, we find out that Geillie new about some prophecy regarding the next Scots-not-English ruler, and that it was to be a descendant of Jamie's. She steals the picture of Brianna, Jem has that crazy power with gemstones... And in the 1960s when she was Gillian, she was into the Scottish National Party, yes? Same as Rob, yes? Thoughts to ponder....And for what it's worth to anyone still debating reading this one, I loved it. I feel like there were some timeline issues, and I agree that I always want more of the central characters. But I love Lord John, I like William (of course he didn't inherit all of Jamie's qualities, Jamie didn't raise him). And I enjoy the historical research she put into it. I'd just been on a family trip to Ticonderoga and Saratoga this summer (over which I geeked out on the possible familial connection with Simon Fraser and made my poor husband stop anywhere he was mentioned) and it was cool to have the historical picture colored in a little more.
SpoilersDue to life circumstances (meetings, illness), it took me nearly 3 weeks to finish it last night...the other devoured in a couple of days. Did anyone find it amazingly coincidental that all the characters on both sides of the ocean knew each other (six degrees of separation??)...Denzell and Dorothea, Rachel and Willie and Ian, that Beauchamp fellow, Fergus being the long lost son of a relative of...well, now I forget who lol; the son of Black Jack Randall (well his brother anyway)showing up...
And what the heck was Claire thinking, spying for the Rebels? She knows the outcome of the war...they don't need her help for pete's sake! Was that just a device to get her married to John?
The end seemed to be hurried up...when she thought Jamie was dead, she didn't seem to mourn very much...except by having sex with John??
Parts of it I found a bit tedious, other parts I read voraciously. Mostly I liked it a lot, but didn't LOVE it like the earlier books. For sure I'll have to re-read it before the next one comes out.
Shannon wrote: "SpoilersDue to life circumstances (meetings, illness), it took me nearly 3 weeks to finish it last night...the other devoured in a couple of days. Did anyone find it amazingly coincidental tha..."
That is such a good point about Claire getting involved with spying! I didn't even think about that but it's so true. Why would she put herself and her family at such risk? That's STUPID.
Shannon wrote: "SpoilersDue to life circumstances (meetings, illness), it took me nearly 3 weeks to finish it last night...the other devoured in a couple of days. Did anyone find it amazingly coincidental tha..."
Good point about Claire! I had fleeting thoughts of that myself while reading...It took me 2 months to get through the book!!
it mighht just be that there is so much other stuff going on with grad school and work, but i was so looking forward to the book.
anyone else out there like that?