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Everything you say you wanted in Outlander is actually in the Outlander series. But if you didn't enjoy the first one I doubt you would enjoy the rest either.
I disagree, Mrsbooks! I didn't hate the first book, but I didn't like it. I found it formulaic and tedious, and Claire was so self centered and so willing to use Jaime that she comes across as a little sociopathic.
But, if you can get through the first book, the 2nd book is a good bit of historical fiction. Gabaldon can be a bit self indulgent with her strange fascination with spanking and torture, but the books do get better and better -- although the last 2 seem to go off the rails a bit.
I think Jaime and Claire are decent character sketches in Outlander, and they get fleshed out in interesting ways in future books. Claire, for example, becomes a lot more likable and a lot more fleshed out as a character.
I like when the story line moves to the Americas, because I get the impression that Gabaldon is more familiar with the landscape and the history there, and it definitely shows in her writing.
Anyway, I don't think I would describe these books as the best ever written. But they were diverting for a couple of months reading, and I enjoyed 2,3, and 4 quite a lot. So I am glad I gritted my teeth and read past the first one.
I love these books more than almost anything I have ever read. Time travel is not the main point; it's just a mechanism to allow a present-day viewpoint on the past. That said, the first book is probably my least favorite, because of the rape.
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Mrsbooks
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Sep 14, 2014 05:09AM
Everything you say you wanted in Outlander is actually in the Outlander series. But if you didn't enjoy the first one I doubt you would enjoy the rest either.
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I disagree, Mrsbooks! I didn't hate the first book, but I didn't like it. I found it formulaic and tedious, and Claire was so self centered and so willing to use Jaime that she comes across as a little sociopathic.But, if you can get through the first book, the 2nd book is a good bit of historical fiction. Gabaldon can be a bit self indulgent with her strange fascination with spanking and torture, but the books do get better and better -- although the last 2 seem to go off the rails a bit.
I think Jaime and Claire are decent character sketches in Outlander, and they get fleshed out in interesting ways in future books. Claire, for example, becomes a lot more likable and a lot more fleshed out as a character.
I like when the story line moves to the Americas, because I get the impression that Gabaldon is more familiar with the landscape and the history there, and it definitely shows in her writing.
Anyway, I don't think I would describe these books as the best ever written. But they were diverting for a couple of months reading, and I enjoyed 2,3, and 4 quite a lot. So I am glad I gritted my teeth and read past the first one.
I love these books more than almost anything I have ever read. Time travel is not the main point; it's just a mechanism to allow a present-day viewpoint on the past. That said, the first book is probably my least favorite, because of the rape.
