Outlander

Outlander

By Diana Gabaldon
Published (my version): Delacorte Press, 2011
Pages: 662
Genre: Historical fiction, Romance
Check it out on Amazon

People disappear all the time...
Many of the lost will be found, eventually, dead or alive. Disappearances, after all, have explanations.
Usually.

It's 1945 and Claire Randall is reunited with her husband after being apart for several years because of a war. Claire accidentally touches an ancient boulder in the British Isles and gets thrust 200 years into the past. On just her wits and nursing knowledge along, Claire must survive in eighteen hundred Scotland long enough to get back to her home. Or will she be stuck in 1743 forever?

Outlander starts out promising and then falls flat. I tried to read Outlander a few years ago but didn't bother finishing it because I found it too unbelievable. I managed to finish it this time because I actually did enjoy reading it and wanted to know the ending.

Plot: OK, so the premise behind Outlander is really interesting. The book itself is very well-written, and Gabaldon's writing is addicting. It's also clear that she did her research - it really feels like I'm transported to that time while reading the novel. However, about two-thirds of the way in the book, I felt like the plot goes stale and I was left wondering when Outlander would end. Also, I still feel like the parts with Jamie were forced at the beginning - like I know that Claire is opposed to the marriage at first and is seen feeling guilty about her husband in 1945 but Claire and Jamie having to be forced to be married at the beginning is still unbelievable to me.

Characters: The characters in Outlander are great - especially Jamie. I love the little traits Gabaldon writes for Jamie, such as smiling in his sleep while being touch is a sign that he's happy. Ignoring the whole forced to be married thing, I really got a feel for Claire and Jamie's love. I have to admit, the ending portion when Claire talks to the priest to sort out her feelings was a great way to close that part of the storyline.

Overall, I enjoyed reading Outlander but I doubt I will be reading the other books in the series anytime soon unless I get in the mood for some Scotland historical fiction. I'd recommend the series to someone who enjoys Outlander's setting... but other than that I would not. I give Outlander three puppies instead of two because I really enjoyed the writing.

RATING (out of five puppies):