Outlander: Outlander, Book 1

JBenoit

An epic adventure and an epic love story!

"I’ll admit, I hadn’t heard of these books until I heard everyone talking about the new show. When the wedding episode aired, my entire Facebook feed was filled with excited posts about it. Curiosity got me and after discovering I had Starz on my cable I went and watched the first episode. I was hooked and promptly watched all of the episodes, each one better than the last! I fell in love with these characters and figured if the show was that good then the book was probably even better so I knew I had to read it! When I learned that the midseason hiatus would last until April I thought what better way to pass the time than to read the books? Well I finally just finished Outlander and I have to say, it was everything I hoped it would be and I fell even more in love with these characters and this epic story and epic love throughout the course of the book! I’m an avid reader of romance novels, but historical romance was not a genre I’d ever considered, and if I had never seen the show I probably never would have given it a try. Which would have truly been a shame because I would have missed out on this great adventure! Normally I prefer reading the book before I watch a movie or TV adaptation, but in this case I’m glad I did because it gave me a frame of reference and I could clearly picture the locales and the characters as I read. And I can just imagine the brilliant performances we’re going to get to see as the 2nd half of the series unfolds. But back to the book. I loved the concept of time travel and I love how resourceful and strong Claire is when faced with the prospect of having to live in the 1700s. She could definitely hold her own and I loved that she continually stood up for herself and for what she thought was right, often risking her neck in the process, but she didn’t let these foreign times get the best of her. I loved the development of her relationship with Jamie, first as friends, then as reluctant lovers after they are forced together in marriage and finally as soul mates who are clearly meant to be together. Of course the both of them are incredibly stubborn and strong willed so their relationship is not without its fair share of arguments and disagreements but I like how they learn to navigate each other and work together as a partnership. Jamie was a wonderfully written alpha male who like I said was very stubborn and strong willed, but he was also playful and caring and loving. There were many different sides to him and it didn’t take much to fall in love with him! Here are just a few of my favorite quotes from Jamie to Claire that show his alpha and softer sides: “Ye need not be scairt of me,” he said softly. “Nor of anyone here, so long as I am with ye.” “Aye, I mean to use ye hard, my Sassenach,” he whispered. “I want to own you, to possess you, body and soul.” “Oh, aye, Sassenach,” he answered a bit ruefully. “I am your master… and you’re mine. Seems I canna possess your soul without losing my own.” “I wanted ye from the first I saw ye – but I loved ye when you wept in my arms and let me comfort you, that first time at Leoch.” All the while that this beautiful love story unfolds, there is also an epic story going on as the Scots are at war with the British and danger awaits at every turn. Claire is dealing with trying to conceal her true story while trying to fit into this foreign time (with witch hunts a common occurrence and just by virtue of her being an Englishwoman mysteriously appearing in the Scottish Highlands, this often proves to be difficult) and Jamie is trying to keep a low profile due to being a wanted man. And with a sadistic man after them both, the action never lets up. There are many humorous moments and equally as many heart breaking and difficult moments. This book really had it all and I am so glad that I read it. I look forward to watching the second half of the season when it returns and in the meantime I look forward to continuing their journey in the other books in the series! ["

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November 18, 2014 Verified Purchase

Jacy

Fascinating Story That Includes Romance, Mystery, Action (Yes, Guys Will Like It Too), and Even Time Travel!

"What can I say to anyone who's read a Diana Gabaldon book? This woman has 'the gift,' (and I am also a 'paid' writer/part-time editor, so don't write many customer reviews on books unless they're REALLY, Really good OR, REALLY, Really bad)! I have to admit that although I'd heard of Diana from my sister who's read her books, it wasn't until we watched the (Starz) televised version of her first novel, Outlander, that I sought out her novels. All of Gabaldon's novels are a unique mixture of genres; Romance (but do NOT let this turn you off guys as there is plenty of 'manly action,' and testosterone in the male characters via clan conflicts, revolutions, and plenty of broadsword and dirk, hand-to-hand fighting), History - including U.K. in post world II, and later, US and U.K. in 1960s and 70s, AND, even Scotland, France, & more in the 1740s and, 1760s, because it's also somewhat Sci-Fi due to time travel! I am not typically a big Science Fiction or time travel fan, but Diana has found a most uncommon and pretty fascinating way to weave all of these topics together in such a way that it is quite believable and very entertaining. Her stories are also an inspiration because she had never been to the U.K., Scotland, or France, before writing her first few novels (and to think I was worrying about my current writing project because it covers several time periods and mostly takes place in another major city in the U.S. that I've not really seen firsthand - D.G. has definitely helped to alleviate my fear with this). As a college Professor, Gabaldon, certainly zeros in on research and it shows in the intricate and factual details about pretty much everything she writes about - I love that while being completely entertained, I'm also always learning something new while reading her books! I think that since I saw the TV series (Season One last Fall), I was totally ready to submerge myself into these books and, while I'm on novel number four now, Outlander may always be my favorite - it being my first. This first book begins with the main female character, Claire, and her fairly new husband, Frank, taking a much needed get-a-way to a quaint town in Scotland right after World War II. Claire, who worked through the war as a nurse, and Frank, an officer, hardly saw each other during that time between 1939 and 1945. Anyway, their little second honeymoon doesn't end up being the catalyst for bringing them closer together but instead, on a trip to an ancient circle of stones, Claire is transported back in time through one of the stones smack dab in the middle of a skirmish between the Scots and British soldiers. It takes her a while to realize she's not in the middle of some filming crew doing a historical movie or documentary, but REALLY, 'in' the 1740s! The story just gets better and better as Claire is rescued by a band of Scots from a villainous Red Coat who is about to have his way with her, and, just happens to look just like her husband, Frank, BECAUSE, he is Frank's Great, Great, (however many 'greats') Grandfather. The Scottish clan who swoops her out of harm's way doesn't quite know whether they can trust her since she's English or, as they say, an "Outlander," or a Sassenach. As the story progresses and Claire constantly tries to think of ways to get back to the circle of stones and, her own time frame (and husband), she inadvertently finds herself falling for one of the young Scots, Jamie Fraser and well, by this point, you won't be able to put the book down (or, stop watching the series). Does Claire fall for the handsome young Scottish warrior with a heart and soul as big as he is, or does she find her way back to the stones and her own time and, Frank? You'll want to know so I'll not include any spoilers from this point. I will say, that my husband, is not much for "period romances," but after he watched the first two episodes, he was hooked - like I said, plenty of 'action,' all around if Diana Gabaldon is behind the story. Season 2 of Outlander starts April 4th here in the U.S. and we've already set it to record. In the meantime, you can go to Starz web site and find out how to catch up with Season 1 - which is playing now I believe as a precursor to the upcoming season. I'll also be reading on through novel number four ( Drums of Autumn). There are four more novel waiting after this as Diana has written a total of eight novels in this series - and to think this incredibly gifted author started writing Outlander, "Just to see if I could write an entire book." Uhm, Ms. Gabaldon, I'm pretty sure we can say a resounding "YES" to that! ["

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March 27, 2015 Verified Purchase

XS

4 stars

"OUTLANDER by Diana Gabaldon I have avoided reading this for forever because there are nine books (at way over 700+ pages each!) with a tenth in the works. However, I do love a challenge. This time of year calls for settling into lengthy novels. So, I figured now was as good a time as any to start the series. Firstly, this was an epic and intricately crafted story. I enjoyed the historical information about Scotland in the 18th century. The author did a great job at world building, incorporating historical context, and making the fantasy (time travel) believable. There are lot of characters to keep track of. I think it would have been helpful to have a character list at the beginning. In any case, once the story got going, it was easy enough to follow. As for the romance, I liked it for what it was. Claire and Jaime are an interesting duo. I enjoyed their banter, and the way their relationship developed. While I feel there was a lot more “spice” than necessary, I expected it. And poor Jaime! All that awful torture and trauma he endured —oof! Definitely check trigger warnings. Overall, this was a great start for the series. I was sucked into the story and was left wanting more. Looking forward to the next book! [ Note : I have absolutely no regrets listening to the audiobook in tandem. Excellent narration by Davina Porter. Loved hearing the Gaelic words/phrases — what a beautiful language! ] Rating: 4/5 ⭐️ ["

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October 24, 2025 Verified Purchase

Unleashed Zombie

Believe the hype, but be ready for a long journey

"I’m writing this as a review for the *Outlander* series as a whole, even though it isn’t finished yet. What can I say? It’s one of those acclaimed series that actually earns its reputation. It won awards, it got turned into a TV show, it shows up on all the “best of” lists. So of course you go in expecting it to be good. The surprising part, for me, is that it still managed to meet those expectations and even surpass them at times. I don’t enjoy romance novels. At all. I do love time travel novels, they’re my favorite genre, but I really hate when the time travel is treated like a background gimmick or a sub-genre label. In Outlander, the time travel is definitely more of an abstract framework than a hard sci-fi system, and there's a lot of romance. On paper, that should annoy me. But this series is just so good that I’m able to forget all of that. Obviously every book is written by an author. But every now and then you run into an Author, and there is a difference. This is one of those. You can feel the words on the page flow through you. You can see the scene play out in your head. You end up highlighting a line or two almost every chapter because it’s written that well. Phrases you never would’ve come up with in a thousand years show up every few pages. The emotions are handled beautifully, some of the best I've ever seen. When the action (which is rare) does show up, it feels perfectly placed. The background stories are rich. The world building is immaculate. It all just feels incredibly well crafted. I usually enjoy fast-paced novels. This series is not that. You’re pretty much forced to read it carefully. If you skim, you’ll find yourself going, “Wait, what just happened, what did I miss?” and flipping back. And yet, somehow, even for a guy like me who likes action-heavy books, everything still ends up being interesting. The world building is that good. I can’t even imagine how much work and research went into this... it feels like there was a massive amount of research done just for a single random chapter. There are so many little historical tidbits and details sprinkled in. The dialogue and characters are just as impressive. You meet one person and they have their own distinct way of speaking. Then you might see that same character again several books later and they still sound like the same person. Same dialect, same favorite words, same tone. Another character has a completely different voice. That consistency across such a long series is incredible. I honestly can’t fathom the amount of work it takes to keep all of that straight. This is also one of the very few authors I’ve actually subscribed to for updates. That’s how much I respect what she’s doing with this series. It isn’t perfect, of course. Some of the romantic stuff is, to put it mildly, a bit unhinged. There are a good many clichés here and there, and a good many implausible coincidences. The length and slower pace can absolutely be a downside. Sometimes it really does feel like a slog, and you have to be in the right mood to tackle it. But even with those flaws, what the author's pulled off here is incredible. This level of craft is rare. And this is coming from a male reader. I know this is very much seen as a “female” series in a lot of ways, and I know there probably aren’t that many guys who pick it up. All I can say is that yes, it really is as good as the hype says. For me, it even exceeds the hype. If you can handle long books, a slower pace, and a heavy dose of romance wrapped around a more abstract time travel setup, this series is absolutely worth your time. ["

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November 30, 2025 Verified Purchase

Sherry Riley

Outlander-Begin the Journey

"I have to admit that the first time I saw this book in the library, I avoided it. As much as I love the time travel genre, the length put me off. That changed when the Outlander series started in August of 2014. I discovered that this book is more than just a time travel romance, but a journey into an era that covers so many aspects of human existence. Reading this book led me to the other books in the series and I find myself immersed in the lives and times of people who struggled to survive a terrible crisis in Scottish history. Diana Gabaldon wrote a series that begins with three people that will become entangled in events they have no control over. Claire Randall, on her second honeymoon in Scotland with Frank, witnesses a ceremony that will change her life. At Craigh Na Dun, she is pulled into what I think of as a time vortex and ends up in 1743. The first person she meets up with is a man who is a descendant of Frank, Captain Jonathan "Black Jack" Randall. At first, she thinks he is Frank, but soon finds out that he is nothing like her husband when he attacks and tries to rape her. Fortunately, she is saved by Murtagh, a Jacobite sympathizer, who takes her to where the rest of his raiding party is hiding. There, she meets Jamie, who has a dislocated shoulder and the rest of the "gang" who are very suspicious of a English lass wearing nothing but her "undergarments." She fixes Jamie's shoulder and is taken along to Castle Leoch until it is discovered whether Claire is a spy. This is just the start of a very long and intricate story, full of intrigue and characters that can never be taken at face value. It is no wonder that Ron Moore is making a television series out of it. I have never been so impressed with a story that makes me laugh so much or cry so much in one book. The relationship between Claire and Jamie is different from most "romance" since they are friends, long before the next step is taken. This may be due to the fact that Claire doesn't want to cheat on Frank, even though, technically, he doesn't exist yet. Also, though Jamie is not perfect, he respects Claire enough to keep his distance, though you know that he is falling for her. You will find many uncomfortable situations coming up in this book, which will test your patience with the morals and beliefs of people in the 1740's, but Diana is very honest about these moments and does not sugar coat them. You will have to make up your own mind about them as you read. I personally felt sick to my stomach at many of the events, especially with what happened to Jamie in prison because of Randall. I try to use it at an object lesson to remember to care about others and be careful about becoming prejudiced of any group of people. I look forward to reading the rest of the series and watching Ron Moore's adaptation on Starz. Hopefully, they will approve the release of the series on DVD for those who do not have cable. Everyone deserves to see this book on film. As Jamie would say, "Je Suis Prest-I am ready." ["

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October 2, 2014 Verified Purchase