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Duchess Nicole's Reviews > Outlander
Outlander (Outlander, #1)
by
Quick question: if this book has a quarter of a million ratings and still maintains an average rating of 4.13, why the hell are the most popular reviews the snarky, mean spirited, one or two star reviews? That doesn't match up at all with what I'd assume would be the case, which is that most people who read this book LOVED IT. Including me.
Please, people. If you enjoy a book, click "like" on the good reviews as well. That's what people see first when they look for reviews on ŷ...the ones with the most popularity, or "likes". Sad that this amazing book's two most populare (and therefore most visible) reviews are not in keeping with most people's thoughts.
~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~
~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~
SUMMARY:
Claire is happily married. She and her husband are visiting Scotland and soaking up the history while indulging in some much needed time alone. One morning, they are witness to a group of women performing a ritual at a nearby stone circle.
"They should have been ridiculous, and perhaps they were. A collection of women in bedsheets, many of them stout and far from agile, parading in circles on top of a hill. but the hair prickled on the back of my neck at the sound of their call.
(The modern witches at the stone circle...spooky and oh, such a good mood setter!!!)
Claire returns to the circle later. I wonder if she felt called to that magical place, as if fate had plans for her and she was simply following her destiny.
The tallest stone of the circle was cleft, with a vertical split dividing the two massive pieces..."
Without warning, and for no apparent reason, Claire is whisked back to the year 1743.
I could say that my field of vision contracted to a single dark spot, then disappeared altogether, leaving not darkness, but a bright void. I could say that I felt as though I were spinning or as though I were being pulled inside out. All these things are true, yet none of them conveys the sense I had of complete disruption, of being slammed very had against something that wasn't there."
There she meets James Fraser, a man who is as complex as their relationship turns out to be. Claire never stops trying to get back home, but this world of the past and her present is slowly beginning to sink into her. She must now decide between remaining faithful to a man she may never see again, or conceding to the realization that she will forever remain in this time, with this fascinating man who has become her fiercest protector.
~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~
It's pure craziness to me how this book can be summed up in a couple of paragraphs. And it's both detrimental and beneficial that a summary simply cannot encompass the sheer scope of heart that is in these pages. I was absolutely unprepared.
Why detrimental? Because the details did become tedious, even as they were adding to the story. The downtime...instead of a time of building anticipation, became a time of hurry up and wait. This is the only reason that I can't give this five stars...because, for a couple hundred pages, I was 'a wee bit' bored. And I hope that my saying this won't keep someone from reading it. I wish that I didn't have to mention it, but in order to be fair and honest, I feel like it's necessary, if only to keep someone's expectations from becoming too high.
And to be totally confusing, it's the details that drag you down into the middle of the eighteenth century, the minor secondary plots that make you live this life for awhile. So I'm not certain that they weren't necessary. I do wish that we got more of Claire dealing with the mundane things, but she just never seems bothered enough with inconveniences to mention them.
I don't want to do much of a character breakdown except for maybe the three big key players in this story.
~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~
Claire...
Oh boy. I had heard that a lot of people didn't like Claire at first. And to be quite honest, for most of the book I really DID like her. She was fairly steadfast to her husband...although circumstances bieng what they were, it would have been nearly impossible for her to stay that way. This was a fascinating look into what it must have been like for a woman back in those times. Not quite the Dark Ages but boy, they were a far cry from modern women's rights. This was a time of witch burnings and mob mentality. Imagine what it would be like to go back to these times, knowing what we know now, remembering what took place in history, and being scared to death to be female. You're completely at the mercy of the men you are with. Thank goodness Claire stumbled upon Jamie.
Her character did fluctuate for me, for obvious reasons. I had a few minor hiccups with how wishy washy she was at times, and how little she seemed to think about how her actions would affect Jamie. However, (view spoiler) At some point, she has to think of herself. The time frame in which all of this happens is not exactly conducive to accepting her fate and giving up on her whole life before Scotland. So I felt like I could cut her a break. She has an awful lot to deal with and I feel like she did the best she could. And toward the end...she becomes just as much a hero as Jamie does. You just have to wait for her to build up to this amazing person that she was meant to be.
~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~
Jamie...
Yes, I swooned, I gushed, I loooooooved Jamie Fraser! Who wouldn't? Who would admit to it if they didn't? However, he is really not at all what I expected. I like the badass boys, the heroes, the heartbreakers, those men who make you wonder if they will ever be tamed. I like men on the edge of good and evil, the ones that you are always unsure of. But there's just something about the nice guy, the man who...as soon as you meet him, you know his heart is pure and good. There are no questions with regards to Jamie about his purity of character. He's the epitome of good. He's a great mix of beta male (somewhat in the background, not horribly outspoken, usually backup for the leaders) and alpha male (leader, loud and proud, tends to be bossy and pushy.) I expected Jamie to be a more stand out guy but honestly, it was all in the “knowing� of Jamie that made me fall for him. He is one of the most honorable, strong minded, tender, loyal and devoted fictional men I've ever, ever read about. As Jamie himself puts it, he ”I havena the taste for power at the cost of other men's blood.� All of these romance heroes that we read about...the Dukes and Lords and Lairds and such...all of the battles and death and heartache...they're entitled to their place in society, to revel in their own sense of power and self-righteousness. Jamie just wants peace, a home, his wife, and a good life. Simple but so powerful. If only more people felt that way, if only more men were heroes because of the battles they didn't fight.
Claire tending to Jamie's shoulder...
That is not to say that he was perfect. One big, huge point of contention for me was (view spoiler)this is one of the more cruel things that I've ever forgiven a hero for. I suppose if I'm going to forgive, it may as well be James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser.
~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~
Randall...
I truly think that he is not only one of the most vile, heartless, disgusting, noxious, EVIL villains that I've ever met, he is also, oddly, an object of pity. Not to be mistaken for sympathy. He deserves a slow, torturous, endless agonizing death. His singleminded foxhunt of Jamie is confusing at first and later, every time his name is mentioned, I literally became filled with rage. I'm one of those that cried when I'm angry and I can't even tell you how hard I cried. Enough that I couldn't read any more. I had to calm down first.
Poor Jamie :(
Here is my reaction, of which I typed in the buddy read I was taking part in after I read the specific part that made me hate...literally hate Randall. Do not read this if you don't want a huge spoiler. You've been warned!!82%
(view spoiler)
Yeah, suffice it to say that I really hope we get more of Randall and that Ms. Gabaldon feels the black rage that I felt toward him. I hope, I hope, I hope. Even rereading my reaction makes my blood pressure rise.
Final thoughts:
Yes, this is a great historical fiction novel but Jamie and Claire..their love, their devotion to each other is what makes this story epic. You just can't get around that fact. This is a love story. And so much more. I was so conflicted from the position that both Claire and Jaime were put in. What is right and wrong here? Claire loves her husband. But here she is, in this impossible situation, of which she can confide in no one. Not a single person. And so she goes first with her gut. Then with her head, and finally, FINALLY with her heart.
"Does it ever stop, Claire? The wanting?"
"You're mine, mo duinne," he said softly, pressing himself into my depths. "Mine alone, now and forever. Mine, whether ye will it or no." I pulled against his grip, and sucked in my breath with a faint "ah" as he pressed even deeper.
"Aye, I mean to use ye hard, my Sassenach," he whispered. "I want to own you, to possess you, body and soul." I struggled slightly and he pressed me down, hammering me, a solid, inexorable pounding that reached my womb with each stroke. "I mean to make ye call me 'Master," Sassenach." His soft voice was a threat of revenge for the agonies of the last minutes. "I mean to make you mine."
and later...
"Oh, aye, Sassenach...I am your master...and you're mine. Seems I canna possess your soul without losing my own."
With the gorgeous backdrop of Scotland, the descriptions alone, and the way the dialogue forces you to sink into the setting is worth the entire read.
I'm beyond happy that I finally started this series. I'm trying to pace myself while reading the next stories, as I feel the greatness in ma bones. This book itself was so amazing, I can't imagine what's in store for me. There were a few hints...very, very tiny hints in this book of some strange happenings with regards to the time travel aspect. Things always get convoluted when it comes to the whole switching time thing. What came first, Claire in real time or Claire in 1743? What will she change by going back and messing around with her ancestors, or more so her husband's ancestors? I can't wait to find out.
by
Duchess Nicole's review
bookshelves: e-pcs, dead-tree-books, genre-historical-romance, genre-time-travel-romance, 4-star-read, buddy-reads, epic, favorite-heroes, favorite-heroine, favorites-of-all-time, genre-historical-fiction, genre-is-a-mystery, hero-is-a-beta, hero-is-an-alpha, highland, highly-rated, hyped, love-triangles, make-me-cry, read-in-2014, recommendations, signed-copy, with-a-twist
Mar 19, 2011
bookshelves: e-pcs, dead-tree-books, genre-historical-romance, genre-time-travel-romance, 4-star-read, buddy-reads, epic, favorite-heroes, favorite-heroine, favorites-of-all-time, genre-historical-fiction, genre-is-a-mystery, hero-is-a-beta, hero-is-an-alpha, highland, highly-rated, hyped, love-triangles, make-me-cry, read-in-2014, recommendations, signed-copy, with-a-twist
Quick question: if this book has a quarter of a million ratings and still maintains an average rating of 4.13, why the hell are the most popular reviews the snarky, mean spirited, one or two star reviews? That doesn't match up at all with what I'd assume would be the case, which is that most people who read this book LOVED IT. Including me.
Please, people. If you enjoy a book, click "like" on the good reviews as well. That's what people see first when they look for reviews on ŷ...the ones with the most popularity, or "likes". Sad that this amazing book's two most populare (and therefore most visible) reviews are not in keeping with most people's thoughts.
~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~
"Ye are Blood of my Blood, and Bone of my Bone.
I give ye my Body, that we Two might be One.
I give ye my Spirit, 'til our Life shall be Done."
~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~
SUMMARY:
Claire is happily married. She and her husband are visiting Scotland and soaking up the history while indulging in some much needed time alone. One morning, they are witness to a group of women performing a ritual at a nearby stone circle.
"They should have been ridiculous, and perhaps they were. A collection of women in bedsheets, many of them stout and far from agile, parading in circles on top of a hill. but the hair prickled on the back of my neck at the sound of their call.
(The modern witches at the stone circle...spooky and oh, such a good mood setter!!!)
Claire returns to the circle later. I wonder if she felt called to that magical place, as if fate had plans for her and she was simply following her destiny.
The tallest stone of the circle was cleft, with a vertical split dividing the two massive pieces..."
Without warning, and for no apparent reason, Claire is whisked back to the year 1743.
I could say that my field of vision contracted to a single dark spot, then disappeared altogether, leaving not darkness, but a bright void. I could say that I felt as though I were spinning or as though I were being pulled inside out. All these things are true, yet none of them conveys the sense I had of complete disruption, of being slammed very had against something that wasn't there."
There she meets James Fraser, a man who is as complex as their relationship turns out to be. Claire never stops trying to get back home, but this world of the past and her present is slowly beginning to sink into her. She must now decide between remaining faithful to a man she may never see again, or conceding to the realization that she will forever remain in this time, with this fascinating man who has become her fiercest protector.
~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~
It's pure craziness to me how this book can be summed up in a couple of paragraphs. And it's both detrimental and beneficial that a summary simply cannot encompass the sheer scope of heart that is in these pages. I was absolutely unprepared.
Why detrimental? Because the details did become tedious, even as they were adding to the story. The downtime...instead of a time of building anticipation, became a time of hurry up and wait. This is the only reason that I can't give this five stars...because, for a couple hundred pages, I was 'a wee bit' bored. And I hope that my saying this won't keep someone from reading it. I wish that I didn't have to mention it, but in order to be fair and honest, I feel like it's necessary, if only to keep someone's expectations from becoming too high.
And to be totally confusing, it's the details that drag you down into the middle of the eighteenth century, the minor secondary plots that make you live this life for awhile. So I'm not certain that they weren't necessary. I do wish that we got more of Claire dealing with the mundane things, but she just never seems bothered enough with inconveniences to mention them.
I don't want to do much of a character breakdown except for maybe the three big key players in this story.
~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~
Claire...
"You're no verra sensible, Sassenach, but I like ye fine."
Oh boy. I had heard that a lot of people didn't like Claire at first. And to be quite honest, for most of the book I really DID like her. She was fairly steadfast to her husband...although circumstances bieng what they were, it would have been nearly impossible for her to stay that way. This was a fascinating look into what it must have been like for a woman back in those times. Not quite the Dark Ages but boy, they were a far cry from modern women's rights. This was a time of witch burnings and mob mentality. Imagine what it would be like to go back to these times, knowing what we know now, remembering what took place in history, and being scared to death to be female. You're completely at the mercy of the men you are with. Thank goodness Claire stumbled upon Jamie.
Her character did fluctuate for me, for obvious reasons. I had a few minor hiccups with how wishy washy she was at times, and how little she seemed to think about how her actions would affect Jamie. However, (view spoiler) At some point, she has to think of herself. The time frame in which all of this happens is not exactly conducive to accepting her fate and giving up on her whole life before Scotland. So I felt like I could cut her a break. She has an awful lot to deal with and I feel like she did the best she could. And toward the end...she becomes just as much a hero as Jamie does. You just have to wait for her to build up to this amazing person that she was meant to be.
~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~
Jamie...
Yes, I swooned, I gushed, I loooooooved Jamie Fraser! Who wouldn't? Who would admit to it if they didn't? However, he is really not at all what I expected. I like the badass boys, the heroes, the heartbreakers, those men who make you wonder if they will ever be tamed. I like men on the edge of good and evil, the ones that you are always unsure of. But there's just something about the nice guy, the man who...as soon as you meet him, you know his heart is pure and good. There are no questions with regards to Jamie about his purity of character. He's the epitome of good. He's a great mix of beta male (somewhat in the background, not horribly outspoken, usually backup for the leaders) and alpha male (leader, loud and proud, tends to be bossy and pushy.) I expected Jamie to be a more stand out guy but honestly, it was all in the “knowing� of Jamie that made me fall for him. He is one of the most honorable, strong minded, tender, loyal and devoted fictional men I've ever, ever read about. As Jamie himself puts it, he ”I havena the taste for power at the cost of other men's blood.� All of these romance heroes that we read about...the Dukes and Lords and Lairds and such...all of the battles and death and heartache...they're entitled to their place in society, to revel in their own sense of power and self-righteousness. Jamie just wants peace, a home, his wife, and a good life. Simple but so powerful. If only more people felt that way, if only more men were heroes because of the battles they didn't fight.
Claire tending to Jamie's shoulder...
"Ye need not be scairt of me," he said softly. "Nor of anyone here, so long as I'm with ye."
That is not to say that he was perfect. One big, huge point of contention for me was (view spoiler)this is one of the more cruel things that I've ever forgiven a hero for. I suppose if I'm going to forgive, it may as well be James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser.
~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~`*`~
Randall...
I truly think that he is not only one of the most vile, heartless, disgusting, noxious, EVIL villains that I've ever met, he is also, oddly, an object of pity. Not to be mistaken for sympathy. He deserves a slow, torturous, endless agonizing death. His singleminded foxhunt of Jamie is confusing at first and later, every time his name is mentioned, I literally became filled with rage. I'm one of those that cried when I'm angry and I can't even tell you how hard I cried. Enough that I couldn't read any more. I had to calm down first.
Poor Jamie :(
Here is my reaction, of which I typed in the buddy read I was taking part in after I read the specific part that made me hate...literally hate Randall. Do not read this if you don't want a huge spoiler. You've been warned!!82%
(view spoiler)
Yeah, suffice it to say that I really hope we get more of Randall and that Ms. Gabaldon feels the black rage that I felt toward him. I hope, I hope, I hope. Even rereading my reaction makes my blood pressure rise.
Final thoughts:
Yes, this is a great historical fiction novel but Jamie and Claire..their love, their devotion to each other is what makes this story epic. You just can't get around that fact. This is a love story. And so much more. I was so conflicted from the position that both Claire and Jaime were put in. What is right and wrong here? Claire loves her husband. But here she is, in this impossible situation, of which she can confide in no one. Not a single person. And so she goes first with her gut. Then with her head, and finally, FINALLY with her heart.
"Does it ever stop, Claire? The wanting?"
"You're mine, mo duinne," he said softly, pressing himself into my depths. "Mine alone, now and forever. Mine, whether ye will it or no." I pulled against his grip, and sucked in my breath with a faint "ah" as he pressed even deeper.
"Aye, I mean to use ye hard, my Sassenach," he whispered. "I want to own you, to possess you, body and soul." I struggled slightly and he pressed me down, hammering me, a solid, inexorable pounding that reached my womb with each stroke. "I mean to make ye call me 'Master," Sassenach." His soft voice was a threat of revenge for the agonies of the last minutes. "I mean to make you mine."
and later...
"Oh, aye, Sassenach...I am your master...and you're mine. Seems I canna possess your soul without losing my own."
With the gorgeous backdrop of Scotland, the descriptions alone, and the way the dialogue forces you to sink into the setting is worth the entire read.
I'm beyond happy that I finally started this series. I'm trying to pace myself while reading the next stories, as I feel the greatness in ma bones. This book itself was so amazing, I can't imagine what's in store for me. There were a few hints...very, very tiny hints in this book of some strange happenings with regards to the time travel aspect. Things always get convoluted when it comes to the whole switching time thing. What came first, Claire in real time or Claire in 1743? What will she change by going back and messing around with her ancestors, or more so her husband's ancestors? I can't wait to find out.
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Reading Progress
March 19, 2011
– Shelved
May 17, 2011
– Shelved as:
e-pcs
August 14, 2012
– Shelved as:
dead-tree-books
August 14, 2012
– Shelved as:
genre-historical-romance
August 14, 2012
– Shelved as:
genre-time-travel-romance
February 12, 2014
–
Started Reading
February 12, 2014
–
0.35%
"That was spooky and awesome all at the same time! Was that Jamie!?!? And is Claire happily married? That throws a bit of a wrench in things!"
page
3
February 12, 2014
–
6.0%
"LOVING IT!
"I could say that my field of vision contracted to a single dark spot, then disappeared altogether, leaving not darkness, but a bright void. I could say that I felt as thought I were spinning, or as though I were being pulled inside out. All these things are true, yet none of them conveys the sense I had of complete disruption, of being slammed very hard against something that wasn't there.""
"I could say that my field of vision contracted to a single dark spot, then disappeared altogether, leaving not darkness, but a bright void. I could say that I felt as thought I were spinning, or as though I were being pulled inside out. All these things are true, yet none of them conveys the sense I had of complete disruption, of being slammed very hard against something that wasn't there.""
February 13, 2014
–
37.0%
""Does it ever stop, Claire? The wanting?"
**THUD!!!!!!!!!!!!**
(That was me, falling for Jamie.)"
**THUD!!!!!!!!!!!!**
(That was me, falling for Jamie.)"
February 14, 2014
–
49.0%
""Oh, aye, Sassenach," he answered a bit ruefully. "I am your master...and you're mine. Seems I canna possess your soul without losing my own."
Duchess swoons again....and again...and again..."
Duchess swoons again....and again...and again..."
February 16, 2014
–
82.0%
"I'm so into this book, but I feel so torn up right now. I don't know if I can keep reading."
February 16, 2014
–
Finished Reading
February 17, 2014
–
100.0%
"Done...my emotions are all over the damned place. 
This was not AT ALL what I expected from this book. I loved it/I hated it...the writing was both fantastic and dull. I'm confused and satisfied?
Compared to some other crap I've read and loved, this was the tops but almost too much. Talk about a bag of mixed emotions!"
This was not AT ALL what I expected from this book. I loved it/I hated it...the writing was both fantastic and dull. I'm confused and satisfied?Compared to some other crap I've read and loved, this was the tops but almost too much. Talk about a bag of mixed emotions!"
March 29, 2014
– Shelved as:
4-star-read
March 29, 2014
– Shelved as:
buddy-reads
March 29, 2014
– Shelved as:
epic
March 29, 2014
– Shelved as:
favorite-heroes
March 29, 2014
– Shelved as:
favorite-heroine
March 29, 2014
– Shelved as:
favorites-of-all-time
March 29, 2014
– Shelved as:
genre-historical-fiction
March 29, 2014
– Shelved as:
genre-is-a-mystery
March 29, 2014
– Shelved as:
hero-is-an-alpha
March 29, 2014
– Shelved as:
hero-is-a-beta
March 29, 2014
– Shelved as:
highland
March 29, 2014
– Shelved as:
hyped
March 29, 2014
– Shelved as:
highly-rated
March 29, 2014
– Shelved as:
love-triangles
March 29, 2014
– Shelved as:
make-me-cry
March 29, 2014
– Shelved as:
read-in-2014
March 29, 2014
– Shelved as:
recommendations
March 29, 2014
– Shelved as:
signed-copy
March 29, 2014
– Shelved as:
with-a-twist
Comments Showing 1-50 of 151 (151 new)
message 1:
by
Poppy
(new)
-
rated it 5 stars
Jul 29, 2013 09:43AM
You will love this series! It is one of my all time favorites!
reply
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I plan on starting it later this year...maybe read one every four months or so. It'll take me awhile to finish the series but that way the next one will be available, lol. I know she takes awhile to release a book.
Yes - #8 is scheduled to be released early 2014. Also in 2014, Starz and Sony Pictures TV is creating an original series based on the books. So far, they have cast the lead, Jamie Fraser. Everyone is waiting with bated breath for who will play Claire...lol. They do seem to be taking great care with the casting so that is a VERY good sign! I'm usually disappointed with the film versions.Have a great day! :)
Robyne wrote: "You started! =D"I started! I'm loving it? A bit slow right now.
I'm so glad you like him as much as we do Nicole!
You're gonna love it! Such a great series!
Those pictures, do they come from the TV series?
It starts slow but woman it's so good once it gets going!!! This is one of my ALL time favorite series!!!!!! I'm a Jamie addict!!!! This book is one of my all time favorite reads:)):)):))
I can't wait for the series to start this summer:)):)
Melody wrote: "Those pictures, do they come from the TV series?"The character pics, yes, Melody! The others are on my Pinterest page. I've a fascination with all things Scottish and Irish. I just love that first picture of the sword!
It's just me Shelly B wrote: "It starts slow but woman it's so good once it gets going!!! This is one of my ALL time favorite series!!!!!! I'm a Jamie addict!!!! This book is one of my all time favorite reads:)):)):))"I'm beyond thrilled that I finally started, Shelly! It was so good!!!!!! I'm reading book two at the end of March in a group.
The end of March? This is why I'm a terrible BD'er bc I couldn't wait to start book 2.....not just this series but if it was a series I liked I would have to break the rules:)
I know! We're gluttons for punishment. But I've heard that I absolutely won't want to stop between books 2 and 3 so I'm guessing I'll read those back to back.
I hope you enjoy them:)
Love it babe! This book was epic!
Love the pics you chose, Nicole! Waiting for your full review! ;)
DN---You are starting on a remarkable journey here. Gabaldon is fine, rich author. The whole series has been a wonderful soul-filling treat. (I can't wait for the series). And because she lives out here in my neck of the woods (the greater Phoenix area)--I'll tell you she a fine, warm person too!
Great pre-review Nicole! Loving the pics too!
Oh, you read it!!!!??? It's my favorite book ever. Glad you liked it. And each consecutive book just made me love Jamie even more. I'll probably reread the series before the next book comes out, in June. Or, at least, bits of books, to make it in time, lol.Will be on the lookout for your review. Can't wait to see what you liked/disliked the most. Although I can probably guess about some things :)
Wonderful review! Love reading first impressions of Gabaldon's series since I read it about 10 years ago and have re read and listened to it several more times over. Terrific review...can't wait to hear what you think of book two!
Ellen W-S wrote: "Wonderful review! Love reading first impressions of Gabaldon's series since I read it about 10 years ago and have re read and listened to it several more times over. Terrific review...can't wait to..."Thank you so much Ellen :D I've heard that the audio of this series is one of the best, so I'm sure I'll listen to it as well.
I'm starting book two tonight! It's been a month since I finished this one, but it's just one of those books that I couldn't be satisfied with my own review, so I just decided to go ahead and post it. There's just so much to say about it, you know?
Wonderful review Nicole! Is this the series that's being made into a tv series or movie? I thought I saw something on that before.
Cathy wrote: "Wonderful review Nicole! Is this the series that's being made into a tv series or movie? I thought I saw something on that before."It is, Cathy! Most of the pics are from the series. It airs sometme this summer. I think you'd love this! Each book is very long though.
I thought I saw a promo or something the other day. Will need to look it up. Yea I just saw it was almost 900 pgs! Holy hell, I don't know if I have the attention span for it!
Fantastic review, Nicole!! Glad you enjoyed it. :)
Wonderful review Nicole!Outlander hooked me on this series, but Voyager is my absolute FAVORITE!
Hope you continue on with the series, because it is well worth it! :)
Ommmmmggggggggg!!!!! Is this not the best series EVER!?!? I could be projecting but I just LOVE it!! Claire and Jamie are epic to me I adore them:). I read them before I was active on gr I think I reviewed the first one briefly but it was years later.
Meli Mel *Ty and Zane's Creeper* wrote: "Fantastic review, Nicole!! Glad you enjoyed it. :)"Thank you Mel :)
Roksana wrote: "I am so blown away by your review Nicole....it was written in so beauteous and enticing way...glad to be back to my loved reviewers and books when I am free!All best :)"
Its great to see you again, Roksana! I hope school is going well? I haven't been on GR much lately either.
Kimberly wrote: "wow great review"Thanks so much Kimberly!
Lady Heather wrote: "Wonderful review Nicole!Outlander hooked me on this series, but Voyager is my absolute FAVORITE!
Hope you continue on with the series, because it is well worth it! :)"
I've heard that book two one has a hell of a cliffie and that I'll probably move right on to Voyager! Just the beginning of Dragonfly in Amber about killed me.
It's just me Shelly B wrote: "Ommmmmggggggggg!!!!! Is this not the best series EVER!?!? I could be projecting but I just LOVE it!! Claire and Jamie are epic to me I adore them:). I read them before I was active on gr I think I..."You should reread before the tv series comes out! I'm LOVING it so far, already reading the next one. I'm trying to space out the series since it takes her five years to write a new book.
Nika (Off to Neverland) wrote: "Gorgeous review, Nicole! =D"Thank you dearling! **curtsies**
Duchess Nicole wrote: "It's just me Shelly B wrote: "Ommmmmggggggggg!!!!! Is this not the best series EVER!?!? I could be projecting but I just LOVE it!! Claire and Jamie are epic to me I adore them:). I read them befor..."Yes it does take her forever but it's so historically correct I can't blame her for taking her time:). I still need to read the last one.........but I will be subscribing to STARZ when that series is available:)))) The kids will be forced to bed and I will be glued to the tv:))
It's just me Shelly B wrote: "Duchess Nicole wrote: "It's just me Shelly B wrote: "Ommmmmggggggggg!!!!! Is this not the best series EVER!?!? I could be projecting but I just LOVE it!! Claire and Jamie are epic to me I adore th..."Me too...you can already tell that they're doing a really good job with it. And I actually really like both actors playing Jamie and Claire.
Isn't that a bummer about the mean spirited ones? Now, I just read the reviews of my GR friends hahaha :) Great review by the way! :)
Vera wrote: "Isn't that a bummer about the mean spirited ones? Now, I just read the reviews of my GR friends hahaha :) Great review by the way! :)"I tend to do the same Vera. It mainly bothers me for people who aren't avid users of ŷ, who don't realize that if you're cleverly hateful, you become more popular. It's like high school all over again. If you're mean, you must be cool, right?!?! Lol...Oh, well.
Jill wrote: "Quick question: if this book has a quarter of a million ratings and still maintains an average rating of 4.13, why the hell are the most popular reviews the snarky, mean spirited, one or two star r..."Hell, Jill, you can just post the book's COVER in your review space and it'll get voted up. I tried starting a ruckus on the Feedback group but apparently I'm not very good at ruckus making. I suggested that if they aren't going to do anything about the fangirl "reviews" and "pre-reviews", the least they could do is make MY book's homepage sortable, sort of like my feeds page, where I can pick and choose whose reviews I see according to top friends. I have the power at least to be smart enough not to be friends with the oh-so-clever meanies but I also get tired of trying to find an actual review for a book before it's release and finding a whole bunch of squeeing OMG can't wait reviews as well. And because they get a ton of likes, they never go away from the top of the review pages. I just want to find a dang review, you know? I should probably let it go, I just think the integrity of the reviews has gone down in the last couple of years. We are a society of visually stimulated people, I suppose.
Duchess Nicole wrote: "Vera wrote: "Isn't that a bummer about the mean spirited ones? Now, I just read the reviews of my GR friends hahaha :) Great review by the way! :)"I tend to do the same Vera. It mainly bothers m..."
I didn't even realize that they're more popular on GR. That sucks... The bad thing would be too if people liked those reviews when they even haven't read the book. Good thing I was cool in school because I fight for underdogs and not because I'm mean. Kidding! LOL! ;D
Vera wrote: "Duchess Nicole wrote: "Vera wrote: "Isn't that a bummer about the mean spirited ones? Now, I just read the reviews of my GR friends hahaha :) Great review by the way! :)"I tend to do the same Ver..."
Lol...I'm all about being nice. Who wants to be ugly and grumpy all the time, you know? Although I've written a couple of one star reviews and was not very nice about it due to the subject matter. I just think people take the lack of censorship too far. It's not there so people can be ass holes. It's there so you can speak your mind. Anyways, moving on. I just felt like mentioning the disparity between the rating and the most popular Outlander reviews. Great book.
Fantastic review, Nicole... and I love that you used the screencaps from the series. I can't wait to watch it. Outlander is seriously one of my favorite books of all time. I loved every second of it!
Duchess Nicole wrote: "Vera wrote: "Duchess Nicole wrote: "Vera wrote: "Isn't that a bummer about the mean spirited ones? Now, I just read the reviews of my GR friends hahaha :) Great review by the way! :)"I tend to do..."
Nicole - you made a valid point. :D But yeah, can't wait to read the next one.
I agree Jill. I've really backed off of my GR time lately. I get disheartened sometimes but you know, I'm slowly going back to my old mind set of just reviewing for myself, writing reviews for my friends and focusing on reading more. I didn't realize just how much time I spent on GR until I noticed how many more books I read now, lol. I'm really glad that I caught your love for this series because I may have kept putting it off indefinitely. Now, I'm hooked though! I have some friends reading the series with me, slowly, so it's really a great time and a complex series. Loving it!
Lovely review Nicole! I loved this book as well. But I have read the synopsis and other reviews for the latter books and I am not impressed with them. If you get around to reading it, I can't wait to see what you think of them.
Feminista wrote: "Lovely review Nicole! I loved this book as well. But I have read the synopsis and other reviews for the latter books and I am not impressed with them. If you get around to reading it, I can't wait ..."Thanks chica! I'm reading Dragonfly in Amber right now. I'm enjoying it. It started off in a crazy place, so a bit faster than this one, at least for me.
It's funny, because I thought of you when I read this...Miss Feminist-a :D I was unsure whether a couple of scenes would have rubbed you wrong, but you liked it!! I'm so glad!!
Yeah! That one scene was a bit off-putting. But I know it was commonplace for that to happen before. Hell, it is still now in some households. But at least the society knows it's not okay. And I thought the author handled it well.
