Outlander Series discussion

Hi Ladies!

Sorry I'm so late opening this reread thread! Looking forward to chatting with you all.

Has anyone started this book for the reread?

I started re-reading Drums of Autumn but stopped when I got close to going to put down the uprising. I have trouble reading after about that point because I know what is coming.
I also was wondering if we were taking a break from the re-reads and didn't want to read the whole book and not be able to participate in the discussions because I couldn't remember what I read and where it was.

I got stuck in overtime at work and have about 1/4 of Fiery Cross left. Yes, to the re-read of A Breath of Snow and Ashes!!!!

I was a little disappointed in the lack of discussion on the last book, like was it great fore-sight on Jamie's part to send Roger out in his own to deal with his injury.

And why do you think Brianna is protecting Stephen Bonnet? or does she just wish the whole matter just drift away? Like Jamie would every let that happen.

I still have some reading but these were some of my thoughts if anyone was still around.

Yay! I think I need a break from some of the books on my TBR shelf - LOL!

Need me some Jamie&Claire again.

I am almost done with my re read on The Fiery Cross. I am on page 888 out of 980.

Dawn, I think Brianna is more protection Jamie more then Stephen Bonnet. She keeps hearing how he is not only a good fighter but a ruthless cheating fighter at that. I don't think she wants Stephen Bonnet to get the opportunity to hurt any of her family.

I've been rereading all the books because DG originally said early 2013 for the next book. I'm about 3/4 of the way through BOSA. Reading on my Kindle so don't have normal page numbers for reference to discussions though.

Although I am only as far as page 450 of Fiery Cross, which means 1.000 more pages to read, I can easily join the ABOSAA reread. I liked this one much better than FC, though I do not feel as unhappy as many others do with the (very!) detailed accounts in the former.

It does not quite fit in here, but anyway, I did not comment on the FC thread and just want to say this: I have a special tender spot for FC, as his was the book that made me familiar with the Outlander series - and that's how it happened:

About 10 years ago, on occasion of a visit with my local book club, I was attracted by a very thick book with the most beautiful brooch (the running stags) on its spine, a German title I can't remember any more and by an author I never heard of. After having checked the comments in the rear, I tried to find out whether it were a translation and the original title, which was FC, of course. The next thing was a trip to the foreign languages department of one of the larger bookstores, and there it was, in all its splendour. As usual, at home it first went to my shelves and remained there till I came past it some years later. I was rather astonished to find out that it was number .?. of a series. I wanted to know the story from the beginning and #1 was not on the shelves, I had to order it. As I do not remove such things, I've got the dates: May 13, 2005 I collected Outlander, started the reading and fell in love with Jamie and Claire. It was an exceptional experience to read the first 5 books (which means 5.369 paperback pages) in one go. With ABOSAA the waiting began, and as we experience right now: this did not stop!

Lotte, a friend recommended for years that I read them, but I didn't do it until 2008. Read one right after the other! EITB came out right after I'd read ABOSAA. Great timing!

I plan to start a reread of ABOSAA soon so I can participate in this discussion. I missed out on the FC discussion because I reread it in Aug. before my 3 wk vacation in Sept. and didn't have good access to internet most the time. By the time I got home in early Oct. I couldn't remember it well enough to discuss. I have a lousy memory.

I finished FC today and I am ready for BOSSAA. I had to go back to the beginning of the book to figure out how Lillywhite started out as a character in the series. I will say no more.

Re: Lisa's memory: there are so many characters, adventures, side stories, that you can re-read these books several times and continue to enjoy them, so don't worry about your memory, we all have the same problem.

Just finished rereading ABOSAA last night. Trying to resist the urge to start rereading Echo. Would like to do that just before the new book comes out.

Annie wrote: "Just finished rereading ABOSAA last night. Trying to resist the urge to start rereading Echo. Would like to do that just before the new book comes out."

Annie, despite the perfect timing of the books coming out according to your reading, you are quite fast! I am still with the Fiery Cross and want to read on till Jocasta's wedding. So much is going to happen there, but I think I still remember.

I'm wondering about something else, something that is in each of the books (at least that's what I think): When they go and "sleep rough" it is not just sleeeping on blank floorboards or on rocky ground in the woods - in most cases it is bitter cold. Could they really have survived all this or is this just DG's imagination?

The most appalling things I recall:

- Young Ian swimming to the silkies island in December, do not know whether this was the Atlantic or the North Sea. I would not try either in summer, I know the English (an probably the Scots as well) do so. From reports after shipwrecks I know that it is always pointed out how short a time you might stay conscious at temperatures below 10 C. (Voyager)

- K. Beardsly barefooted in the snow and the others of Fraser's Ridge debating how to lie down near the fire: head or feet first. (Fiery Cross)

- Another outing in February 1776 (ABOSAA)

Any ideas how they did all this and with their type of clothing?

-

Started into the book... couldn't help myself. It's been awhile since I read Jamie & Claire. Definitely parts of this book I don't like revisiting, but there's something of that in every book, so I push through.

Lotte wrote: "Annie wrote: "Just finished rereading ABOSAA last night. Trying to resist the urge to start rereading Echo. Would like to do that just before the new book comes out."

Annie, despite the perfect ..."

With FC I had accidentally bought the abridged audio version. I debated whether to get the unabridged but as I remembered FC was the hardest book to get through, I didn't. Lots of things left out though that I remembered from reading the book.

But I read ABOSAA on my Kindle.

Lotte wrote: "Annie wrote: "Just finished rereading ABOSAA last night. Trying to resist the urge to start rereading Echo. Would like to do that just before the new book comes out."

Annie, despite the perfect ..."

I wondered why they didn't freeze either when they slept rough. Kilts are very heavy and warm, but still...

Ian swimming with the silkies - would have been the North Sea. I would never swim in any water in Scotland as it's freezing all the time!! Our loch stays in the low 50'sF/10C all year.

Wendy F wrote: "Hi Ladies!

Sorry I'm so late opening this reread thread! Looking forward to chatting with you all.

Has anyone started this book for the reread?"

Oh Wendy, so sorry I haven't kept up with the re-read. I finally finished Voyager but have been side-tracked by so many other books on my TBR list! Still love reading the comments here to get my "Outlander" fix! :D

I stopped reading Fiery Cross after part 4 and switched over to ABOSAA. Although I very well remember the rest of the story, in the beginning it was a rather difficult leap in time, especially when Jemmy was concerned: When I finished with Fiery Cross he was still a baby and in ABOSAA he talks, he's almost 3 at the beginning, of course.

There was a lot of fighting in the previous books as well (DOA being an exception, maybe), the oncoming war in ABOSAA never was so obvious to me in earlier readings, though. Jamie thinks that it was the same "gang" that attacked Ian and the Dutch people. Are they the same (if only in part) who cause the trouble for Claire and Marsali at the distillery and then at Fraser's Ridge? Wendigo was involved in both occasions. Any ideas?

I also noticed something else for the first time: the name of a village Macduff! Till now I did not read ABOSAA after my stay in Scotland last year, it seems. I'll go on in the "Visit Scotland" thread.

Lotte - putting this into a spoiler, 'cuz I'm not sure if it's OK to reveal... plus it's my opinion - LOL!

(view spoiler)[IMO, yes, the groups are the same. Or rather, I think that two groups merged because of like interests: the Browns and Boble and his gang. If you remember, Boble was the "thief-taker" at the beginning of Drums of Autumn; he was trying to take Manfred, now Lizzie's betrothed. While Jamie and company put the fear of god into the man, his mercy comes back to haunt Jamie once again. Although, to be fair, I don't think he could have predicted what happened to Claire at Boble's gang's hands.

Because Wendigo goes off with Boble and his gang when they split up, I think Wendigo is part of Boble's gang. Yes, Lionel Brown is with them, too, but that's to keep the Brown interests (namely the whisky) in view. Besides, the Browns were the head of the local Committee of Safety (ha!), so they're technically "the law" in those parts.

Boble's gang is probably more blood-thirsty, so I suspect it's his men who took out the Dutch family. Too bad Boble wasn't one of the guys poisoned by that poor Dutch woman, huh? (hide spoiler)]

Anyway, that's my opinion, but feel free to disagree. The discussion is one of the best parts of this group for me! And I sometimes miss obvious things.

I'm not that far Lori, but I am finding it interesting to see with whom Lizzie will be with. I forgot his entirely.

Dawn wrote: "I'm not that far Lori, but I am finding it interesting to see with whom Lizzie will be with. I forgot his entirely."

You forgot who Lizzie ended up with? Oh.... I won't tell. LOL.

Yeah, that part's one of the strangest.

It has been a very long time since I read this book, so for every one who is re-reading and following along I have the following questions:

Why would Claire not use this time to teach the likes if Tom Christie and others instead of coming across as a witch. She knows that some of the things she does makes her appear like she is a and has witch like qualities. She is playing with fire.

And why would Roger be so hard headed knowing he is feeding into the gossip and poor Bri is home doing his and her work? Why would Jamie not knock Roger into next week to wake him up?

Dawn, I think that Roger's sense of dedication and his pure motives make it difficult for him to believe that anyone else sees what he's doing as different. But even DG alludes to Roger feeling a vague sense of guilt... and that continues whenever Amy & her boys are involved. For example, even when looking at Bobby Higgins as a possible husband for Amy late in the book, Roger has a quick flash of jealousy.

IMO, it's because, as he told Bree, Amy NEEDS him. Bree is very self-sufficient, as a "modern" woman would be; but again, IMO, that's part of the difficulty with male-female relationships in our day & age. Men *need* to feel needed, and many of the roles that men naturally see themselves as doing to "take care of" and "protect" their women and children are roles that women today can do and do do for themselves. It's almost the curse of the modern woman sometimes! (Or so I call it in my own experience.)

I just finished my re-read... yeah, took me awhile. I'd forgotten just ALL THE MANY THINGS that take place in this book! Whew!

It almost seems as if DG just threw in everything but the kitchen sink into this one: Kidnapping, murders, gangs, rape, illness, Claire almost dying, Malva Christie/Tom Christie/Allan Christie, Bobby Higgins, Ian & Emily, Bree & Roger and baby Mandy, all the numerous Jem things, the Browns, the Bugs, the gold, Loyalists versus Rebels for liberty, Lord John & William, Stephen Bonnet (more than once!), Fergus & Marsali - almost suicide, moving, the print shop... SHEESH!

It was almost draining to finish the book this time. And I found myself putting it aside many times, because some of it would depress me.

NOTE: I'd forgotten what happened to Major Donald MacDonald! How did you all view what happened to him?

And Murtagh's ghost... Jamie's memories... and it seems, Jamie laying to rest most of BJR and the Culloden stuff with BJR that haunted him.

Rather than go straight into EITB, I decided to venture into Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade, Lord John and the Custom of the Army, and Lord John and the Scottish Prisoner first. I want to recapture those events to have folks like Hal, Percy, Isobella, and William firmly in my mind before stepping back into Echo.

Just started the reread. Have been putting it off because I remember ABOSAA being quite dense, dark and depressing. It's the Murphy's Law of the series: anything that could go wrong does. Over and over again.

So true, Courtney!

Lori McD wrote: "Dawn, I think that Roger's sense of dedication and his pure motives make it difficult for him to believe that anyone else sees what he's doing as different. But even DG alludes to Roger feeling a v..."

I only read this book once, so this was my second time through the book. I forgot who was the villain in the story. I thought it might be Tom Christie. That was a twisted relationship (I will leave it at that for those who are still reading).

I have never read DG's Lord John novels. I am currently slowly reading the last book in the Outlander series, so I might get around to reading that series.

Dawn -
You'll enjoy the Lord John series. I found them rather enjoyable. Gives a good insight into Lord John.

Dawn, in terms of "villains", there are plenty in this book. Not sure I'd put Tom Christie in that category, though.

Boble, Donner, the Browns, Stephen Bonnet, and the lawyer (can't think of his name now, but Bree spurned him), among others.

Lori,
Tom Christie was not very charitable to Claire and I thought he was going to be the one to have her arrested for being a witch.

He ended up very differently.

He was a very stodgy man, and they certainly didn't see eye to eye on most things but I never pegged him as a villain either, myself.

Donner either. He was a coward, lol, but I never saw him as a villain.

Wendy F wrote: "He was a very stodgy man, and they certainly didn't see eye to eye on most things but I never pegged him as a villain either, myself.

Donner either. He was a coward, lol, but I never saw him as a..."

I agree about Donner, but Christie did save Claire's life by confessing to a crime he didn't commit. I have to say he has a lot of character. I understand Christie was kind of a hard person, but with his background I could see why that happened. If he would have been married to a woman like Claire-in that she loves Jamie with all her heart- he might have softened some.

Agree