Week 40 Review: Outlander

From Goodreads:
The year is 1945. Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon--when she walks through a standing stone in one of the ancient stone circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach--an "outlander"--in a Scotland torn by war and raiding Highland clans in the year of Our Lord...1743.

Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire is catapulted into intrigues and dangers that may threaten her life...and shatter her heart. For here she meets James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, and becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire...and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

My Review:
Ok, I have to say, that I read this book after watching all but the last currently aired episode of the show (the show being the reason that finally got me reading this book!) And yeah, since they're different mediums, this review will be half review of this book, quarter comparison between the book and the show, and a quarter review of the show. So yeah!

I read somewhere that they found Dougal's character, and most things in the book, like Claire's nursing ability, to be hand plot tools, just being "conventional" there when needed, that Dougal would switch from back to forth as needed, and Claire comes back in time, and her useful skill is as a healer. I didn't find it that way. Though I do get absorbed into a book that I can't really see outside of it, I didn't get that feeling!

Jaime! If ever I could have a crush-and in all 20 and almost 1/2 years of my life, I have never had a crush-I could have a crush on him. If I was normal. Between his accent, history, his character, and the looks of the actor on the show, his 2 flaws are that a) he is from the 18th century, so conflicting and different attitudes with modern people, and b) he is in love with Claire, and she is in love with him. So basically, he's claimed. Other then that, he's perfect!

The wedding! That was so cute, and funny, and personally, I liked the way the show told it, alternating between the present, and bits and pieces of preparing for the wedding, and the wedding itself. It broke it up, and as they grew more comfortable with each other, it was sweet, and at first awkward, but it's giggle inducing! Though I did want Claire to say something like, "Anywhere but here. I don't want to have two different weddings in the same place." or something along those lines!

So a comparison of Jamie's conditions, 2 are pretty much the same, and one's different. The one that was like, absolutely the same, was that they get married in by a priest. The one that's a bit different, was that in the book, she just gets a used dress, while in the show, she gets a new, pretty fancy and nice dress that was very wedding-ly, and I think I prefer the show's version! The one that was completely different, was that Jamie didn't want them around after the confirmation of the consummation of the marriage, basically, in the book. In the show, he gets her a ring, made out of key that he has. I don't know which one that I like better, they're both so awesome!!

Oh, and it's complicated, too. So much going on, from Gellis, and her whole bit, the fact that she was an outlander like Claire-a time outlander-the political things of the rebellion, on both sides. Oh, and Black Jack, who personally, I prefer the book, because a) the show took Jaime's whipping from Black Jack's POV and commentary, was pretty soul shredding, and b) the book didn't have Black Jack pretend to want to be good, and then beat her, it went from some formalities, to the beating, which, to me, is a bit better emotionally!

Also, beyond the beating, Black Jack is awful, he almost rapes Claire, he beat her, and Jamie, and when he held Jamie captive, after Jamie made the deal, that just broke Jamie, and that was awful. Go Claire for taking some of the pain of that away! But that Black Jack was calling Jamie by Jamie's middle name, but Black Jack's younger brother, that suggests that Black Jack was into incest. And was forcing another to take the place of his brother. Which is so wrong!

Favourite lines: "...leaving the girl staring after us with an expression that made me relieved that looks in fact cannot kill." Yeah, suppose that'd be a good thing! "Thought I'd get my bum smacked if I touched it." That is a pretty true thought! "Bits and pieces had been added here and there over the years, until it was difficult to say whether there ever had been a plan originally." This is too funny!  "...and began to ask questions about the ailments of their children, husbands, and beasts, in most cases making little distinction between the later two in level of importance." Though if the former found out, that might not be a good thing! "Father Bain, on the other hand, resembled a sullen potato more than anything else, brown face lumpy with resentment." Which is what he deserves! "Reasonable, I thought; no one wants to see a grinning executioner." Nope, they don't! "The village square (which, like all village squares I had ever seen, was not square at all, but roughly oblong)..." Yeah, this is funny! "But I felt as though a friendship had been begun that ran a bit deeper than shared gossip under the apple trees." Yeah! I'd already seen the wedding episode, so yeah, I know a stop on where they're heading to! "Granted that stone doesna burn so well as wood..." True, that! "Instead of the customary ceremonial sip, however, he carefully raised the nearly full vessel, tilted it and drank. And kept on drinking. There was a gasp of mingled respect and amusement from the spectators, as the powerful throat muscles kept moving. Surely he'd have to breathe soon, I thought, but no. He drained the heavy cup to the last drop, lowered it with an explosive gasps for air, and handed it back to Colum, 'The honor is mine,' he said, a little hoarsely, 'to be allied with a clan whose taste in whisky is so fine.'" Love this so much, so hilarious! "An animal did this? What's it got, stainless steel teeth?" Yeah, that's not something that they'd recognize! "How would a modern-day Scot, like Mrs. Buchanan, the postmistress, react if someone like Murtagh, for instance, were suddenly to spring from the earth beneath her feet? The most likely reaction, I thought, would be to run, to summon the police, or perhaps to do nothing at all, beyond telling one's friends and neighbors about the most extraordinary thing that happened the other day..." Yeah, I can see that, and that is a pretty funny picture I see! "You're black and blue-again." Again, again, again! You'd think he'd learn! "I supposed Dougal can always tap-dance instead." Yeah, that would be something to see! "No, I bumped my head. What did I bang it on?' 'My head.'" That's just really too funny! "Sleeping? Here? You do pick the oddest places; first stables, now this." Yeah, he does!

Yeah, this was a really incredible book, and wow, am I amazed that it took me so long to read it, but yeah, I have now, with a little help from the TV show, and yeah, it was just that fantastic!

Author: Diana Gabaldon
Series: Outlander #1
Read: September 29th
Source: Tuebl
Reason Why: Sounded good, and it's a BBRC Book, Historical Fiction 2014 Book, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2014 Book and a WTC Book!
Publisher: Dell Publishing Company
Published: July 26th 2006

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars