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Kai Spellmeier's Reviews > Outlander
Outlander (Outlander, #1)
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Here, I'm going to rewrite the scene that ruined this book for me.
Jamie, some Highlander from the 1740's: Claire, you didn't listen to what I said. You disobeyed me, your husband. You risked everyone's lives and I'm going to punish you for your misbehaviour. Yes, I know the evil man abused you and nearly raped you. But that was your own fault. I love you, I really do, and I don't enjoy this, but people expect me to give you the punishment you deserve.
Claire, an educated woman from the 1940's: Jamie, first of all, rape never is the victim's fault. And now you better listen, because I am going to say this just once. If you should ever raise your hand against me, if you ever hurt me, I will, and I promise this, I will make this marriage a living hell for you. From now, until the bitter end, I swear to God that you will regret it.
Jamie, some Highlander from the 1740's who knows better than to disrespect his wife: You're right, Claire. I am very sorry. Forgive me.
Yup. Since that is not what happened, it took all the fun out of it for me. I won't be able to continue this book and forget about what happened. I don't like the way this relationship is portrayed as a healthy one, or how Jamie is a man and husband that teenage girls and women swoon over. We should all know better than this.
Jamie, some Highlander from the 1740's: Claire, you didn't listen to what I said. You disobeyed me, your husband. You risked everyone's lives and I'm going to punish you for your misbehaviour. Yes, I know the evil man abused you and nearly raped you. But that was your own fault. I love you, I really do, and I don't enjoy this, but people expect me to give you the punishment you deserve.
Claire, an educated woman from the 1940's: Jamie, first of all, rape never is the victim's fault. And now you better listen, because I am going to say this just once. If you should ever raise your hand against me, if you ever hurt me, I will, and I promise this, I will make this marriage a living hell for you. From now, until the bitter end, I swear to God that you will regret it.
Jamie, some Highlander from the 1740's who knows better than to disrespect his wife: You're right, Claire. I am very sorry. Forgive me.
Yup. Since that is not what happened, it took all the fun out of it for me. I won't be able to continue this book and forget about what happened. I don't like the way this relationship is portrayed as a healthy one, or how Jamie is a man and husband that teenage girls and women swoon over. We should all know better than this.
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Reading Progress
April 2, 2015
– Shelved as:
to-read
April 2, 2015
– Shelved
June 21, 2017
–
Started Reading
June 21, 2017
–
33.29%
"When I've finished the book, can I watch season 1 without fear of spoilers?"
page
283
June 22, 2017
–
45.06%
""Wife, you've nearly been raped just hours ago and it's your own fault but because you've also endangered everybody else by nearly getting raped I'm now going to punish you with this belt."
This book disgusts me. I want to throw it against a wall."
page
383
This book disgusts me. I want to throw it against a wall."
June 23, 2017
– Shelved as:
dnf
Comments Showing 1-50 of 82 (82 new)
message 1:
by
Josh Hyung
(new)
Sep 16, 2016 05:43AM
I was yearning to read your opinion on this, but, oh well. Patience is a virtue. Haha. ^^
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I'm so glad I'm not the only one who can't stand this book!
Now im having doubt.....idk whether i should read this or not
But isn't that kind of realistic for the 1700's? People did think that way, I'm not saying it's right I just don't think they were all about women's rights back then. I haven't read this book and I don't plan on it, I'm just not sure why something that's uncomfortable and wrong but ultimately realistic for the time period is enough to dnf the book and the entire series. Were there other issues with the book?
I'm literally only swooning over the tv show version tbh
Oh ok, I get it now. Thank you for the explanation!
Vanessa wrote: "Kelsie wrote: "But isn't that kind of realistic for the 1700's? People did think that way, I'm not saying it's right I just don't think they were all about women's rights back then. I haven't read ..."That's exactly what I meant :) thanks Vanessa.
Syira wrote: "Now im having doubt.....idk whether i should read this or not"Maybe just try it out and if it's not to your liking put it aside?
there's no way I am going to read it now (deleting it from my tbr) *sigh*
I DNF'd this one as well unfortunately. totally agree with you
Alex wrote: "I DNF'd this one as well unfortunately. totally agree with you"It's too bad. I really wanted to like it.
man i love your reviews. you have strengthened my resolve to stay away from this one
I didn't this like 150 pages in, it bored me tbh
I'm currently reading this and completely agree that this scene ruined the entire book for me. I wanted to like Jamie so badly until I read this part and I just can't get over how barbaric it is! How does she expect readers to just be okay with this?!!
emma wrote: "man i love your reviews. you have strengthened my resolve to stay away from this one"Thank you :) well, most people seem to like it and I don't want to keep people from reading it. It's just my personal opinion.
Baz wrote: "I didn't this like 150 pages in, it bored me tbh"Yeah it's not that exciting is it?
Kelly wrote: "I'm currently reading this and completely agree that this scene ruined the entire book for me. I wanted to like Jamie so badly until I read this part and I just can't get over how barbaric it is! H..."It's not only Jaime that I lost respect for. I lost respect for all of them.
I just read this scene and am extremely confused.. how on earth do people like/swoon over this man? I was okay with the book until this point, so I'm going to stick it out some more.
So was I but I stopped after that because it wasn't fun anymore
I'm so glad I read this! I was so excited to start this book but I know I won't be able to stomach those kind of scenes.
Sophie wrote: "I'm so glad I read this! I was so excited to start this book but I know I won't be able to stomach those kind of scenes."Glad I could help :)
My thoughts exactly!
THANK YOU for this review. I really don't understand how people can call this relationship goals.
I haven't read the book but I saw this scene in the show. It's just soooo messed up. How are so many people crazy over Jamie?
Cande wrote: "THANK YOU for this review. I really don't understand how people can call this relationship goals."Chiki-boom� wrote: "My thoughts exactly!"
Thank you for agreeing with me :)
ℨαrα wrote: "I haven't read the book but I saw this scene in the show. It's just soooo messed up. How are so many people crazy over Jamie?"I don't even want to watch it...
THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I FELT (the portrayal of her characters as individuals bothered me as well as this clearly unhealthy dynamic they have. I found Claire increasingly shallow? And Jamie was just... no. Just a big fat no.) „historical accuracy has absolutely nothing to do with this because never in a thousand millennias will you be able to make this dynamic look like anything other than abusive.
marie wrote: "THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I FELT (the portrayal of her characters as individuals bothered me as well as this clearly unhealthy dynamic they have. I found Claire increasingly shallow? And Jamie was just...."You're 100% right. It's despicable. However, up to that point I enjoyed the novel. I wanted to see where the story was going until this scene ruined it all.
I haven't read the book yet (probably never will), I ended up watching the tv show first. I was enjoying it a lot... until this very scene happened and ruined everything for me. It ruined Jaime for sure, but also Claire as a character. I could not watch one more episode because that had just become an abusive relationship, which is okay when you intend to portray it as such, but Claire ended up letting it go and a lot of people still treat Jamie as swoonworthy after that fact, I mean.. I hoped the book could be different cause I was really liking the story, but I a bunch of people said the book is the same. This whole thing is so frustrating for many reasons.
Camile wrote: "I haven't read the book yet (probably never will), I ended up watching the tv show first. I was enjoying it a lot... until this very scene happened and ruined everything for me. It ruined Jaime for..."I felt exactly the same when I read the book. I couldn't keep reading after that. And both, Jamie and Claire lots their appeal.
I've heard that the show changed the scene a little but the result is probably the same.
Maybe they did, but from all the discriptions of the book that I've seen, the scene sounds the same to me. Even the dialogue you used was pretty much just like I remember from the show. I wish it had happened with the changes you made. The endgame is the same whether it's the book or the tv show: he blamed her for almost being raped, beat her, she got mad but ended up sleeping with him again, then many people acted like that's okay because he's sorry or because his behavior is "historically accurate". Now what shouldn't be historically accurate is people swooning over a man that beat his wife because he's sooo hot and flirty, but that's the world we live in I suppose.Sorry I got carried away, but it is so frustrating aahh
I had to put this book down!!! I was so annoyed by many things in this book that I just could not handle it. I was really hyped about this series but oh well... I guess I should not always follow every hype
Camile wrote: "Maybe they did, but from all the discriptions of the book that I've seen, the scene sounds the same to me. Even the dialogue you used was pretty much just like I remember from the show. I wish it h..."Yeah that historically accurate argument is what annoys me the most. It's not valid. And believe me, I totally understand your frustration.
Leah wrote: "I had to put this book down!!! I was so annoyed by many things in this book that I just could not handle it. I was really hyped about this series but oh well... I guess I should not always follow e..."Yeah it was the same for me.
The 1700s were a very different time. Women were the property of men. Men ruled. That's just how it was. If you read the series, you will see that Jamie is just a product of his environment. However, through his encounter with Claire, he does evolve and learn the error of his ways. Initially, they are both shocked by each other's cultural views. Diana Gabaldon is very bright. Her books are well researched and well written. She has earned three degrees: a B.S. in Zoology, a M.S. in Marine Biology, and a Ph.D in Ecology.
Kim wrote: "The 1700s were a very different time. Women were the property of men. Men ruled. That's just how it was. If you read the series, you will see that Jamie is just a product of his environment. Howeve..."Great. Still sexist.
That's close to what they did in the TV series, they updated a lot of scenes ^^It's complicated because it's supposed to show how it was like in the 1700s and it was written in the 1990s, so our views are totally different now. Somehow, the TV show is better because it's more actual, but still, it's not adapted to our time morals.
S.N. wrote: "That's close to what they did in the TV series, they updated a lot of scenes ^^It's complicated because it's supposed to show how it was like in the 1700s and it was written in the 1990s, so our v..."
The thing is, this is not a normal historical novel. It has fantasx/scifi aspects. Now if you can send back a woman 200 years in the past, you can also not have her beaten by her husband. Now please tell me which is more realistic.
Usually I agree with you, but not on this.Yes, the author can send a women back in the time, because it's fiction, but we're talking about the culture of another era, that's not so easy to change. I think you should take into consideration that Jamie is a man that lives in a era that the woman are a possesion, and even with all these, he gets to the point that he promise to never hurt his wife again and have a more "modern" relationship. So that's big. I thinks is inmature to expect that the fictional world (specially in an historical novel with fantasy and anything you want) is perfect and has all the values we have now. It's a matter of separate fiction and reality. Out of that I love your reviews and I hope you don't hate me for having a different opinion haha ;)
Shari wrote: "Usually I agree with you, but not on this.Yes, the author can send a women back in the time, because it's fiction, but we're talking about the culture of another era, that's not so easy to change...."
I see your point, I do, but I don't want to read books that abuse women for historical accuracy. Especially not when they're fantasy. That argument isn't valid in my eyes.
And no I don't hate you :D we're fine.
I was about to click on this one, but I read your review and now I am completely sure I WON’T read this. Ever. Thanks, and I agree with you 100% on this.
Ana wrote: "I was about to click on this one, but I read your review and now I am completely sure I WON’T read this. Ever. Thanks, and I agree with you 100% on this."Thank you Ana!
I had the same problem with the book when I read it few years ago. I still mad at the author to write that kind of thing. I still likes the books and the tv show (in the series, the scene is way better !), and i know for sure it's the unique scene of the kind in the entire books serie. I'm not gonna lie, for me the characters in the series are way better than in the books. I love Jamie in the tv show, he learn so much, more than the book character in my opinion !
Pauline wrote: "I had the same problem with the book when I read it few years ago. I still mad at the author to write that kind of thing. I still likes the books and the tv show (in the series, the scene is way be..."I'm glad you still enjoy this series so much :) I, personally, won't keep reading the books or start watching the show.
Wow, this kind of puts me off reading the book. :/
This book was probably one of the worst books I have read so far. Everything about it was disturbing and twisted. I have so many issues with Outlander I could give a TED Talk
I was disgusted when I first read it. I actually don't care much for Jamie tbh. In my opinion he is just ok. Even though it is historically accurate the author could have changed that scene into one where they discuss the problem instead of Jamie being abusive towards his wife just to show how manly he is. Afterall it is a fantasy book. I don't think it is ok to be abusive towards kids, animals or to any person weaker than yourself. Though we tend to forget that when writing and reading books. I adore this series I won't lie but it has way too many abusive and rape scenes.
Autumn wrote: "I was disgusted when I first read it. I actually don't care much for Jamie tbh. In my opinion he is just ok. Even though it is historically accurate the author could have changed that scene into on..."It's not okay to be abusive to anyone, period. And I obviously agree with the rest of the things you said.
Mridu aka Storypals wrote: "Wow, this kind of puts me off reading the book. :/"It definitely also put me off reading the sequels.
