Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

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ā€œThere’s no place on earth with more of the old superstitions and magic mixed into its daily life than the Scottish Highlandsā€¦ā€

I’ll be honest, I honestly didnā€™t expect to like this, but I very, very much did. Also, all the credit and thanks to one of my best friends, Paloma, for encouraging me to read her favorite book! I was a complete Outlander virgin; Iā€™ve never read the books, Iā€™ve never watched the show, and somehow none of my friends had spoiled me for any of the events in any of these books. But I really loved the writing, the atmosphere, and the characters. Plus, someone told me Diana Gabaldon came up with the premise for this book because of Dr. Who, and thatā€™s pretty badass if I do say so myself.

But I know most of you arenā€™t Outlander virgins, but I should probably give a brief synopsis for the few, like me, that were living under a rock. A woman named Claire, who lives in the year 1945 and is a combat nurse who just got home from World War II. Her and her husband are finally together and happy and trying to conceive a child.

Then, one day, Claire finds an ancient circle of stones and she instantly teleports to the year 1743, where there is war in Scotland. Her healing skills make her a huge asset to a group she meets. She is forced to adapt to the time period, while everyone believes her to be a spy, and she is also trying to figure out if she will ever be able to go back home to her time period and to her husband.

For one, no one told me this story was pretty much about two people traveling through the Scottish Highlands, going to tons of different taverns, pubs, and castles. Like, that is something I will always enjoy in my Fantasy, so this book was already set up for me to like it.

Then, I found out very quickly, that this was so intelligently crafted. Like, Diana Gabaldon did some research while writing this novel and it shows. This book is smart and the story is expertly woven. Plus, this entire book is over twenty years old, and still holds up in 2017. I am so impressed with how well developed and researched this book is. And I was actually blown away by the writing in this.

Next, you guys were all right: I now love Jamie Fraser and he probably is the perfect man. Dammit all. I never thought Iā€™d be a part of the Highlander craze, but here my thirsty self is. *looks at picture of Sam Heughan and entire body shivers* Like, God took some extra time on that man, true?

ā€œDoes it ever stop? The wanting you?ā€

And do I even need to talk about the Romance? Jamie Fraser isnā€™t so many girlsā€™ favorite fantasy because of the way he looks (I mean, Sam Heughan definitely helps. Are you looking at the gif above this?) Itā€™s because Jamie is so, so, so, very romantic. Him, and his wanting, and his two hands. Ah, the things he says are truly perfection and had me feeling some type of way.

Also, no one has ever mentioned this to me before, but I loved the fact that Claire was older than Jamie! We so rarely get to see that dynamic in romance, and I never thought Iā€™d see it in a series as popular as Outlander! It was just a nice change of pace, and I really enjoyed that minor element.

Plus, and this is a very minor spoiler, I was living for the fact that Claire was not a virgin, but that the male love interest was! This is a dynamic we really never get to see in the romance world, still, almost thirty years since this book was published! Like, Diana Gabaldon really switched up some common tropes, and I was so happy for them all.

And I just really want to stress the point that Claire is a strong female protagonist that is constantly saving the day. I could write essays on Jamie and how he is one of the most romantic male love interests Iā€™ve read about, but Claire and her intelligence and bravery are truly the heart of this book. Claire is sex positive, smart, empathetic, crafty, and so damn fearless. I loved reading about her and her journey.

Okay, for the bad, and I mean really bad. First off, I will say that 80% of Outlander is honestly a five star book for me. I really loved it, the writing, the atmosphere, and the characters. But, for the bad, I personally feel like this book demonizes/villainizes a queer character and uses rape as a constant ploy to move the plot forward. It reads and feels just plain bad, and that has nothing to do with any triggers I have towards rape. It reads and feels bad because the villain of this story, who is male, likes to rape men. Itā€™s discussed so much in the book that I actually hate even discussing it in my review, but itā€™s important, and we shouldnā€™t ignore this problematic aspect. Itā€™s gross, and I hope the author does better with the rest of the series.

And obviously content/trigger warnings for violence, gore, torture, assault, and rape that is very detailed. Also, this book has a lot of sex in it, so use caution if thatā€™s something youā€™re not really into.

But I will say that this book does open up a good and important discussion about male rape, and how it does exist. And how we need to talk about it, instead of hiding it as a shameful thing towards the victim. Sexual assault doesnā€™t just happen to women and weak and fragile men; it can happen to anyone at any time, and we need to normalize that concept and not keep making it taboo. It was obviously taboo in this book that is set in 1743, and in Claireā€™s year of 1954, and back when this book was originally published in 1991, and guess what? Itā€™s still taboo in 2017. So, I will say that books that open discussion like this are very important and Iā€™m very appreciative of that.

Also, there is also another scene that bothers a lot of people that involves domestic violence between a husband and wife where it is sort of brushed under the rug and normalized. Here is the thing, do I think that scene was in any way, shape, or form okay? No. Hell no. But itā€™s supposed to be a realistic depiction of the time then, which is awful to say the least. Again, I just want to bring this to your guysā€™ attention, so youā€™ll know going in, or youā€™ll know this book isnā€™t for you. Which is totally okay. I was personally okay with it, because I forced myself to look at it through historical context, but I will never make an excuse for this behavior in any literature, regardless of the time period.

And the last negative thing I really have to say is about the author, Diana Gabaldon, who has said some gross things on Twitter. I normally can never separate the art from the artist, and thatā€™s the main reason it has taken me so long to pick this book up. Diana Gabaldon has made some terrible comments about fast food workers, about English majors, and has proven over and over that sheā€™s not sorry for any of it. I also just felt like I couldnā€™t ignore her nasty behavior and not bring it up in this review. If this is a reason why you donā€™t want to read Outlander and support her books, thatā€™s completely valid and completely understandable.

Overall, I really enjoyed this, and I was really surprised by this. Also, this is an outstanding mixture of fantasy, historical, and romance! And this story is filled with adventure, twists and turns, romance, and so many magical elements that I truly wasnā€™t expecting. Iā€™m so thankful that I finally read this beloved book, and I canā€™t wait to read more and find out more about a certain ghost at the very start, because my curiously is at an all-time high. Also, I canā€™t wait to finally watch season one. You know, for research and totally not because of Sam Heughan.

ā€œBecause I wanted you [ā€¦] More than I ever wanted anything in my lifeā€

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Buddy read with Paloma! ā¤

42 thoughts on “Outlander by Diana Gabaldon”

  1. Wow, fantastic review. I’m so glad you read it. I have the second on my shelf to read next month. I can’t wait. I understand about the bad parts, it was a bit difficult in the portrayal. I also wasn’t aware of some of the author backlash, thanks for opening my eyes! šŸ™‚

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    1. Awh, thank you for your kind words, James! I am still so surprised I enjoyed this as much as I did. I thought there was NO WAY this would hold up in 2017! But here we are. Hahaha. I’m excited to see what we both think of the next book. Happy reading, handsome! šŸ’—

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      1. No, youā€™re right! I think book 5 has 1400 pages and thatā€™s the one I need to read next. Thatā€™s the only reason Iā€™ve been putting it off.

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  3. Yes, yes , yes!!

    Also I love your picture of the book!

    I started rereading book 2 with the show recently but the season 2 feels straight up pornographic. Maybe I’m becoming a prude in my old age. I don’t remember having a problem with season one.

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    1. IT’S FOR SURE ROMANCE BEYOND ANYTHING ELSE! So just know that going in! But… It would be for your benefit to read it, I promise! Hahaha! Also, you have to DM me your thoughts throughout if you decided on giving it a try! ā„ā˜ƒšŸ’™xx

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  8. This is a really great, well-written review, and I’m glad you enjoyed this! I tried reading it earlier in the year and I ended up DNFing bc I had trouble with a lot of the abuse stuff, especially the scene between Claire and Jamie and the whole demonization of a gay villain. I did like the writing and I especially loved the detail of the worldbuilding, though. Thank you for taking the time to acknowledge the issues and being considerate of other people’s perspectives ā¤

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    1. ā¤ Thank you for this comment, Emma love! I honestly expected to hate this… so I was already a tiny bit shook, haha! But yeah, I'm scared to continue on, because I've heard that this series becomes way more problematic, and I'm not sure if I can deal.

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  11. This is a really well written review! Thank you for the insight on the book. I plan on re-reading it, and it will be interesting to see how your comments change my POV, I’m excited for it!
    Also, I agree, the books are incredibly irresistible… But Jamie! šŸ˜

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  13. I meant to read the book in high school but never got around to it. I wasn’t really familiar with the series until I did some research on imdb. I’m a HUGE Braveheart fanatic so this was recommended. Since the first episode, I was hooked! Glad you’ve become a convert, too! šŸ˜€ Such a wonderful series. I didn’t know that about Diana, that her inspiration was Dr. Who. But I love who complex the plot is. So cool! šŸ˜€

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      1. I am currently finishing book one! Hey I wanted to ask ya when you read the first book did you catch in the wedding scene where Dougal engraved Jamie and Claireā€™s initials into each othersā€™ wrists? I somehow missed this and theyā€™re talking about it on the fb fan groups I follow! Isnā€™t that kinda neat? Like they each got tattoos of each other! #relationshipgoals lol

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  14. I just reread your blog post because I finished Outlander and oh man you’re so right. Jaime is my new love interest and Sam Heughan is also so šŸ˜. So so dreamy. Are you planning on continuing with the series?

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      1. I think I’ll actually start it tonight! I’ll be borrowing it in e-book format from my library so it’s not going to be the same as a physical copy but at the same time I’m itching to start already šŸ˜

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