Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Outlander
By Diana Gabaldon


I need six stars. 


Ask anyone who knows me and they will be able to tell you that THIS is my Favorite All Time Book and series.   I am a teeny bit obsessed.  If you are at all interested in historical fiction in England, Scotland and France in the 1700’s, and like a fully fleshed character base with lots of meticulous research into the times, the language, the accents, the styles, and some wicked smart humor, give this a try. I will warn you, it is addictive, and there is, um, more than one book (tome, some say). And they are long, but well worth the investment.

Some think this first book is a little slow to start, but bear with it and know rewards lie ahead.  Claire Randall and Jamie Fraser are the main characters in a love story for the ages (that can get a little bit steamy, a-hem), but this is not a book I would categorize as romance, or time travel, or science fiction, although there are elements of each within.  (Ok, team Frank - Frank Randall is the third main character, sheesh.)   This book is "genre-bending" in the words of several critics. Gabaldon is a fantastic writer. She's smart, she adds fascinating detail, and she has woven in to all of her stories real historical figures.  The dialogue is hilarious, poignant, emotional, frighteningly real.  The wartimes, the family dramas, the place of women, and the idea of witches all play a big part in Claire's survival as a 20th century nurse thrown back to 1743 Scotland.  She keeps her wits about her in admirable fashion and manages to survive, and yes, fall in love with the man who literally saves her life.  Over and over again.  But Claire is no damsel in distress, far from it.   She saves lives with her medical knowledge and shows a rare strength in impossible situations.   I rarely read books more than once - this, and Harry Potter of course, is the exception.  Every time a new book comes out I go back and read the previous one or two again, and each time I find a new tidbit.  I have lost count of how many times I have read or listened to the books in this series.  Yes, the Audible versions of these books are fabulous as well - the narrator Davina Porter really gets the various accents down perfectly. I love it, and it is currently in production for its third season on STARZ.   Can't wait. Go read it, ye wee lads and lassies, quickly, ken?

Tulach Ard!!!!!!!!!!!