A Fun Read, It Keeps the Pages Turning

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	• Outlander Diana Gabaldon Dell, 1992 - 896 pages average customer review:based on 1345 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Outstanding in every way

There is a reason that this book has over 1300 reviews and almost all of them are 5 stars. It is simply outstanding in every way.

I had heard about this book for years and knew it was described as a "time travel romance," but that really doesn't do it justice. It's an incredibly engrossing epic adventure tale, with a lot of romance and suspense sprinkled in. Absolutely one of the most entertaining and enjoyable books I've ever read.

Greater than the sum of its parts

I can't help but wonder if Diana Gabaldon is one of those cooks who, with a few items from the pantry, can turn Tuesday's leftover meatloaf into a five-star repast.

Well, whether or not she can cook is beside the point--because one thing I know for sure is that she can write books. Throwing together elements of science fiction, history, adventure and romance, she has created an unforgettable novel that defies categorizing. And, judging by the number of review posted here, she has a legion of enthusiastic fans clamoring for more.

I'm not exactly sure why this book captivated me. Strictly speaking, it's a sprawling mess that meanders for a couple hundred pages without seeming to go anywhere. The story doesn't so much end as it just stops--and in a rather anticlimactic spot as well. Did I mention that it's written in the first person and that it weighs in at over 600 pages (and apparently the page count increases dramatically in subsequent books).

The story, however, never seems to drag as the heroine wisecracks her way through eighteenth-century Scotland. Gabaldon has real gift for painting word pictures that are so vivid you can almost feel the Highland mists. Her character are complex and beautifully realized, full of flaws and foibles. The romance between the lead characters is defiantly not the typical Harlequin-style love match (a fact that is much appreciated as I despise "romance" novels).

I can sketch out the basic plot for you in a few words: twentieth century girl Claire is magically transported back in time 200 years where she meets and falls in love with Jamie, a Highlander with a price on his head. However, that's like telling you the Grand Canyon is a hole in the ground or the Atlantic Ocean is a big pond. Gabaldon's tale is multifaceted and intricately layered--a most rewarding read.

I can think of no higher praise than this: after reading the last page, I seriously considered starting the book over again. It's been several days since I finished the book and I still find my mind returning to the story. Happily, there are several more books in the series.

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Great story.

This book is great. I really enjoyed the story and the characters. My only criticism of the book was that it ended too soon, until I realized it's the first of a series. The characters are rich and well developed, the overall plot is interesting, and the action kept me interested. Although it seemed a bit daunting picking up a 600+ page book, it was a pretty easy read. Anyone who enjoys a good historical romance will enjoy this series.

Time Well Spent......

This book is a time commitment....this series is a HUGE time commitment, but I feel after reading it that it was so worth the time spent reading it.

This is an epic tale of an unlikely romance between a married ex- army nurse transported back in time and a Scottish Warrior. I am usually not a huge time travel reader, but this time travel story "makes sense" in a strange way and you are so "swept away" by the adventure, romance, and characters that you are gobbling up every chapter, taking deep breaths between each story line, and are emotionally drained and then reinvigorated over and over.

Although this is certainly a romance novel...it is really so much more. This one is very difficult to put into any genre because it's story line spans across many genres. A great many men have read this and recommend it....romance lover's recommend it, fiction lover's recommend it, adventure lover's recommend it, science fiction lover's recommend it....check out the reviews...there really should be no doubt when it comes to the appeal this book has.

Jamie is one of the most highly developed characters that I've ever read. He is what made this novel excellent for me. It is difficult to describe, but the way that Gabaldon gradually and yet so completely reveals Jamie to the reader is absolutely spellbinding.

Claire is "spunky" to say it lightly. I enjoyed her character immensely. The way she adapts to her new life and time period was very interesting to watch and the love between her and Jaime is absolutely all consuming and oh so real. I thought as I was reading "So this is what real love is!", and I meant it. Very few couples display that concept in such pure ways. It is moving and beautiful.

I am hooked. Outlander ends so nicely and completely that you wouldn't necessarily have to continue on with the series, but after reading this I guarantee that you'll want to.

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A Fun Read, It Keeps the Pages Turning

The Outlander series came highly recommended from a friend, so I decided to give the first book in the series--"Outlander"--a try. I'm not usually a fan of romance novels or sci-fi (yeah the time traveling thing is a little sci-fi) but I was pleasantly surprised by the book.

Outlander's heroine Clare is smart and punchy, and her WWII era girl in 18th century Scotland is a fun mix. The book reads pretty fast, with lots of plots twists and turns, which is essential to keep you reading through a book this long! At times Outlander gets a little Outlandish--I mean how many times can people really be on death's door and still escape--but it was fun reading throughout. The book does stretch history a bit, but it still has a historical flair that makes for lively reading. When I reached Outlander's inevitable cliff hanger ending (I knew there were several more books in the series), I was ready to move onto to the next book in the series--but sadly I don't have two weeks to devote to reading it right now.

I would recommend this books to fans of historical romance/fiction--fans of Phillipa Gregory's books are likely to like this series too. Outlander is fun, light, page turning reading.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Claire Randall is leading a double life. She has a husband in one century, and a lover in another...

In 1945, Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon--when she innocently touches a boulder in one of the ancient stone circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach?an "outlander"?in a Scotland torn by war and raiding border clans in the year of our Lord...1743.

Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire's destiny in soon inextricably intertwined with Clan MacKenzie and the forbidden Castle Leoch. She is catapulted without warning into the intrigues of lairds and spies that may threaten her life ...and shatter her heart. For here, James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, shows her a passion so fierce and a love so absolute that Claire becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire...and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

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