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Outlander
The following report compares books using the SERCount Rating (base on the result count from the search engine).
Rating: 4.62/5 from 930 reviews DevouredStep into another world ...This novel will transport you into a brilliantly imagined version of Jacobean Scotland, as seen through the eyes of Claire Randall, an English army nurse. When Claire is transported by an ancient stone circle to the year 1743, she must use all her wits to survive in a violent new world where women are commonly chattel and she is an Outlander -- believed by some to be a spy and by others, a witch. During her efforts to return to the stone circle (and Frank, her husband in 1945) she is forced to wed Jamie Fraser, a fierce and passionate Scottish warrior. As many of the reviews on this page state, the book is long and the detail is exacting. (In other words, don't expect to read this book while keeping one eye on the TV.) The story is also violent and sometimes wrenching. If you are looking for a by-the-numbers romance or a sci-fi book about the mechanics of time travel, pass it up. But if you want to try something new and exciting, and discover just how Claire survives and live through the choices she must make, this is a book you will never forget. This book is a bodice-ripper romanceI had heard wonderful things about it, and for the first couple of hundred pages, really enjoyed it. But let's face it, this is a historical romance -- great if that's what you like. I learned that I really don't like historical romances any better than I like romance novels. I quit reading about halfway through -- the book just went on and on, and after a while, the novelty of the device (time travel) seemed to have lost interest for the author, because we were totally imbedded in the earlier time period. If you love romances, this will probably be just your cup of tea. If you don't normally read romance novels, be warned. | ||||||||||||||||||||
The epic tale begins when Claire Randall, a young combat nurse in World War II, moves to Scotland with her beloved husband to re-ignite their marriage interrupted by the war. Hiking one day, Claire accidentally passes through the stones of an ancient stone circle and wakes up to find herself in 16th century Scotland. Lost, alone, and confused (yet, determined), Claire's path crosses, and is inextricably linked to, a young Highland warrior, James Fraser. (The kind of man women want, and men want to BE.)The story that ensues would make Shakespeare proud--danger, suspense, passion, betrayal, true love, and tragedy. Gabaldon is a master story teller. She shrouds her fantasy in just enough reality as to completely seduce her readers.
The time-travel element as well as the romance, while unconventional for a "serious" historical novel, are handled brilliantly by Gabaldon. Not, for the faint of heart-- the author tackles themes of a violent and sexual nature. However, the story is so realistic and beautifully told, it doesn't come off as a ploy to shock readers. Well-crafted and meticulously researched, The Outlander is historical fiction at it's finest-but never this much fun! The hero and heroine come alive. You'll find yourself living and breathing in their world, anxiously devouring each chapter.
WARNING: have the next three books in the series handy. Once, you turn the last page of Outlander, you won't want to return to the 21st century. I couldn't get to the bookstore fast enough. And, Gabaldon does not disappoint...