5 out of 5 This is probably one of the best books I have EVER read, and that is such an achievement. After constantly recommending this book to various customers at work, going of the opinion of a fellow colleague, I felt I should at least give it a go, and therefore took on holidays with me. It is now an extremely battered and horrid looking book (and I hate damaging books) but I simply could not go 3 metres without it. I even carried it snowboarding in my parka and read it on the ski lift ! Now for some people, the sheer length of the book might be a massive turn off for some readers (it was for me). However once you chew through 100 pages in no time you won't even notice the number soaring. At 867 pages, this is actually the shortest book in the series, I am currently on book 2 which measures in at 927 pages. The absolute originality of this book completely blew me away and I could not believe the historical accuracy with which Miss Gabaldon set up the environment and each and every character. |
' Claire Randall is leading a double life. She has a husband in one century - and a lover in another ...
In 1945, Claire Randall is back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon in Scotland. Innocently she walks through a stone circle in the Highlands, and finds herself in a violent skirmish taking place in 1743. Suddenly she is a Sassenach, an outlander, in a country torn by war and by clan feuds.
A war time nurse, Clair can deal with the bloody wounds that face her. But it is harder to deal with the knowledge that she is in Jacobite Scotland and the carnage of Culloden is looming. Marooned amid the passion and violence, the superstition, the shifting allegiances and the fervent loyalties, Claire is in danger from Jacobites and Redcoats - and from the shock of her own desire for James Fraser, a gallant and courageous young Scots warrior. Jamie 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.'
So basically she teleports through time unto a period she knows will soon be destroyed by war by the English, and her being an English woman doesn't help suspicion. I absolutely loved the vast number of Genres that this novel encapsulated; it had an all-consuming passionate romance, historical accuracy, action, thriller, humour and just an eerie sense of amazement when you finished yet another chapter.
I can't say too much without giving anything away, that's how interwoven this story is. I absolutely loved the dynamic between her and Jamie, and especially the ease with which he accepted and protected her.
The one difficulty I had was sometimes interpreting the dialogue, Miss Gabaldon wrote the dialogue to match the characters, and Highlanders have a very strong accent. So words like 'ye' and 'canna' became constant vocabulary. But to be honest you get used to it quite quickly, it also makes you concentrate that much harder and adds a sense of realness to the story.
The accuracy with which this book is written is absolutely mind-boggling, from description of torturing methods actually used in this time, to the ways and names various herbs and plants aid Claire in healing patients, to the historical accuracy of the battles between 'The Watch', 'The Jacobites' and the 'Redcoats'.
I really enjoyed the medicinal parts of this book, being a nurse Claire becomes the Clan healer and applies modern medicine to practices and ingredients of the 18th Century. I loved hearing the various plants and herbs and how she applied and used them. It added a sense of purpose to a woman in a time where they were considered lower-class.
Each and every character plays a significant role in the progression of this book, meaning you fall in love with each and every one and are able to witness the role they play. I especially loved the journey Claire underwent, from submissive wife, to outgoing Sassenach determined to prove her loyalty to the Mackenzie Clan.
One thing that makes this book so amazing, is the fact that no storyline goes unfinished, something could be implied in chapter 2 and later on be expanded in chapter 20. Despite the fact that the reader might have forgotten about it all together. This is one book that is an absolute must-read for any book lover. It has actually also been turned into a mini TV series and 8 episodes have been released as a tester under 'Outlander' (view the trailer here)
This can be a very descriptive, raw and primal book at times and I wouldn't recommend it to younger readers. Probably 16 years and older. It is actually an adult fiction book.
I highly recommend this novel to anyone who likes a well written, original novel.
Well done Miss Gabaldon,
You have a new life fan !!!
Hayley xx