Majj
05-13-2005, 11:02 PM
This is the first book in a series of 5 with the 6th book due for release in September 2005...
"Outlande/Cross Stitch" Is Simply...The BEST!!, February 28, 2005
Reviewer: ceruleana from Manhattan, NY
Claire Randall is on a second honeymoon with her husband Frank after serving as a combat nurse in World War II. While on a trip to Scotland they visit an ancient stone circle known as Craigh na Dun. Claire touches one of the standing stones and is suddenly sucked back in time to war-torn Scotland in 1743. After almost being captured and raped by hostile British soldiers, she is rescued and taken by a band of Scottish outlaws. An "out of the fire into the frying pan" situation if there ever was one. The Scots are deeply suspicious of Claire's dress, speech and manner. Thinking her to be a British spy they decide to take her with them to their stronghold. She does win the men over, to some extent, when she uses her nursing skills to save the life of one of their comrades, James Fraser, a recent escapee from a British prison.
And so begins one of the most remarkable sagas in modern fiction. To label "Outlander," ("Cross Stitch" in the UK), a romantic historical novel is to do it a terrible injustice. This is an epic romance, yes, and so much more. The relationship between Claire and Jamie is one of the most caring and intimate I have ever encountered in fiction. Claire, having lived in England during the bombings of WWII, and served as a nurse at the front, is a resourceful, strong woman. And Jamie is an educated, philosophic man with a sense of humor...who is also a warrior in a "Braveheart" kind of way! This is a couple who are truly committed to a life together for better or worse. And since Claire's first husband Frank will not be born for another 200 years, she is not committing bigamy.
"Outlander" covers a tumultuous period in Scotland, England, and France when Prince Charles Edward Stuart is attempting to regain the throne. I have read time travel novels before, and this is like no other. The sheer magnitude of material that Diana Gabaldon covers, from the intrigues of the Scottish clans and the politics of the Jacobites to the everyday life of survival in 18th century Scotland, is extraordinary. Her research is impeccable and she tells a tale like no other. This is the kind of book you will want to read slowly and to savor. Ms. Gabaldon knows how to draw the reader into the story with her deft prose, wonderful humor, unusual characters and awesome adventures. One of the main reasons that I love this book is because Ms. Gabaldon develops her characters, major and minor, so that they become almost real. It is difficult not to form strong attachments to them and to care what happens to them all.
Obviously, I highly recommend "Outlander" and the other books in the series. Don't be intimidated by the number of pages...once you begin to read, you'll soon wish there were more.
JANA
Every Book was as engaging as the first ....:emot-danc
Books following this ...
No2..Dragon Fly in Amber.
No3..Voyager
No4..The Drums of Autumn
No5..Fiery Cross
No6.. To be..Released in September 2005
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v373/Maj/Gifs%20and%20siggys/Bookflippingpages.gif
"Outlande/Cross Stitch" Is Simply...The BEST!!, February 28, 2005
Reviewer: ceruleana from Manhattan, NY
Claire Randall is on a second honeymoon with her husband Frank after serving as a combat nurse in World War II. While on a trip to Scotland they visit an ancient stone circle known as Craigh na Dun. Claire touches one of the standing stones and is suddenly sucked back in time to war-torn Scotland in 1743. After almost being captured and raped by hostile British soldiers, she is rescued and taken by a band of Scottish outlaws. An "out of the fire into the frying pan" situation if there ever was one. The Scots are deeply suspicious of Claire's dress, speech and manner. Thinking her to be a British spy they decide to take her with them to their stronghold. She does win the men over, to some extent, when she uses her nursing skills to save the life of one of their comrades, James Fraser, a recent escapee from a British prison.
And so begins one of the most remarkable sagas in modern fiction. To label "Outlander," ("Cross Stitch" in the UK), a romantic historical novel is to do it a terrible injustice. This is an epic romance, yes, and so much more. The relationship between Claire and Jamie is one of the most caring and intimate I have ever encountered in fiction. Claire, having lived in England during the bombings of WWII, and served as a nurse at the front, is a resourceful, strong woman. And Jamie is an educated, philosophic man with a sense of humor...who is also a warrior in a "Braveheart" kind of way! This is a couple who are truly committed to a life together for better or worse. And since Claire's first husband Frank will not be born for another 200 years, she is not committing bigamy.
"Outlander" covers a tumultuous period in Scotland, England, and France when Prince Charles Edward Stuart is attempting to regain the throne. I have read time travel novels before, and this is like no other. The sheer magnitude of material that Diana Gabaldon covers, from the intrigues of the Scottish clans and the politics of the Jacobites to the everyday life of survival in 18th century Scotland, is extraordinary. Her research is impeccable and she tells a tale like no other. This is the kind of book you will want to read slowly and to savor. Ms. Gabaldon knows how to draw the reader into the story with her deft prose, wonderful humor, unusual characters and awesome adventures. One of the main reasons that I love this book is because Ms. Gabaldon develops her characters, major and minor, so that they become almost real. It is difficult not to form strong attachments to them and to care what happens to them all.
Obviously, I highly recommend "Outlander" and the other books in the series. Don't be intimidated by the number of pages...once you begin to read, you'll soon wish there were more.
JANA
Every Book was as engaging as the first ....:emot-danc
Books following this ...
No2..Dragon Fly in Amber.
No3..Voyager
No4..The Drums of Autumn
No5..Fiery Cross
No6.. To be..Released in September 2005
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v373/Maj/Gifs%20and%20siggys/Bookflippingpages.gif