ROS-G-MOM

I started a thread for this incredible series about two years back. Just thought I'd reach out and again see if anyone old or new has been touched and drawn into these Timeless books. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

StellaSlight

I love the books.
I discovered them because so many people that love romances told me about them, and I have to say that I totally fell in love with that universe that Diana Gabaldon created.
And Jamie Fraser is one damn yummy man [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

Star5

I have all these books at home because they were highly recommended to me by a friend but I've not started them yet. Now I'm on holiday for a bit maybe I'll have time to start one [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

ROS-G-MOM

star5, I guarantee that once you start the first one, Outlander, you will be drawn into the story like a magnet.

I do remember that I became addicted to the series from the moment that Claire puts her hand on the stone.

My favorites of the series are the first and the second which is Dragonfly in Amber, I've read the first two a total of four times. But all of books are excellent reading. I can't tell you how many times I've gone back to read the part where Claire and Jamie first meet. Actually I've read the entire series through twice, and am now patiently waiting for the next book which probably won't be out until sometime in 2004.

I'm beginning to think that my soulmate lives in Scotland sometime back in the 18th century. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

StellaSlight, I'm curious which was your favorite?

[ 08-04-2003: Message edited ROS-G-MOM ]

StellaSlight

Star my friend, you should definately read that series. I don't think I'll ever be able to forget the series! The books are tryuly amazing, and I bet that you'll get as addicted as I got [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

ROS-G-MOM I think my favourite, though I love them all, has to be the very first one. The book was total mystery to me, and I have to say that from very scene where Claire's husband told her that he met a ghost staring at her window with a sad face, I got totally hooked! I kept on being shocked : shocked by the barbaric but wonderful world where I/Claire landed, shocked to see that I couldn't live without knowing the end of it, shocked by the end of it (oh my god, that's one scene I would never ever forget), shocked by the impressive talent Diana Gabaldon possessed in created a story that could be credible, hooking, mysterious, sad and funny, worderful and terrible.

That's what I call great reading, folks.

Star5

I'm convinced!! [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] As soon as I finish my current book I'm going to dig these out and start reading. I love a book that becomes so adictive you can't bear to put it down.

StellaSlight

[img]smilies/lol.gif[/img] then Star we'll have another topic to discuss in the Classic Couple thread [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

ROS-G-MOM

Yes, I agree..classic couple indeed. Jamie and Claire are two most unforgettable characters.

Diana is a most excellent writer and there are a few very interesting websites, one being her official on and another The Ladies of Lallybrach. There's a thread at the last mentioned site, which is called "Jamieisms" listing every fantastic incredible sexy and romantic line that he uttered to Claire throughout all the books.

star5, be sure to let us know how it's going when you start the first one.

StellaSlight

thanks for mentioning the sites.
I have to admit that, though I'm a big fan of the series, I've never looked for any information about it in the web. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

ColorMist

I was going to start a new thread for this but then I thought I should check and see if one already existed...so here's a mighty big bump! [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

The first time I heard of this series was last spring...I was wandering around the Barnes and Noble trying to find a good book.

I was attracted to Outlander for three reasons:

1. It was in the romance novels section, and I like love stories.

2. The cover was really cool...the whole set looked great, bold colors with simple designs on the front. Very colorful. Very nice.

3. It was long. I like long books that I can live in for several days at a time. Many pages + small print = yay.


I flipped through...saw that they were speaking Scottish dialect...was not impressed. (I had bought a book a few weeks before in which the characters had been speaking in heavy Scottish accents and found that it was taking a great deal of concentration to figure out what the hell they were saying to one another -- more concentration than I was willing to spend on a standard-fare romance novel...since then I'd been wary of the idea of trudging through a book trying, and occasionally failing, to understand the main characters' conversations.)

Then I looked at the next book in the series. It quickly became apparent that this was a very long, very very historical romantic epic series...time-travel...husband in one time, love interest in the past...spanning several decades...in book two they suddenly have a grown daughter...then there's something about the American Revolution on one of these other ones...which means not only is there time-traveling, later there's continent swapping...and I'm going to have to remain invested in this couple for thousands of pages? Invested enough to care about their daughter?

It seemed too daunting a prospect even for me.

And plus there was that Scottish dialect thing.

I put the book down and moved on.


Then, a few weeks ago, I was browsing books on Amazon.com in a mad effort to fill my Christmas list with as many novels as possible (even though I've got so many I should be reading instead). I was reading people's reccomendation lists and kept coming across the Outlander series. They were falling all over these books...gushing like there was no tomorrow...throwing the link (to the book's page on Amazon.com) all over the place...

And I thought, "Well, you know, what the hell."

I clicked one of the links and saw that it was rated very highly...read over the summary a few times...read several more gushing, indepth reviews...

Could all of those people really be wrong?

I decided to put it on my list...if I didn't like it, oh well...but I would give it a shot...and if I DID like it...how lucky, because there are several other books in the series for me to enjoy.


I did get Outlander for Christmas, along with several other books (mostly all novels). I read it first, and fell absolutely in love! Before I had even finished, I raced to the bookstore (dragging my sister and a friend of hers with me) to buy Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager, and Drums of Autumn.

I finished Outlander the other day and I'm about a hundred pages into DiA, which I hope is just as good (actually I hope they're ALL just as good!).


I'm so happy that this thread is here, because I have some questions...actually I had more the other day, and now I can only remember one... At some point does Claire remember that Frank saw the ghost looking at her

I have another question but it's spoiler-ish and I don't want to ruin it for those that are thinking of reading the books but haven't yet...so here's a spoiler warning...

*
*
*
*

At the end of Outlander and at the beginning of DiA, Claire is pregnant. I get that. But also in DiA, Roger finds out that she was pregnant (with Brianna) when she made it back through the stones. Is this the same pregnancy, or two different ones?

And I don't mind being spoiled for this bit. I already spoiled myself for some other stuff, unfortunately.


On another note...someone please tell me that there's more Roger in the remaining books...not to mention Jenny, Ian and "wee Jamie" -- I love all of them!

And now for some questions about the books...

I have the first four (Outlander, DiA, Voyager, DoA)...and I saw a fifth one that I decided to wait and buy later, (The Fiery Cross). Is that the last book, or are there more on the way?

I also saw a hardcover book by DG which was about someone named John...that's a spin-off, right? It was a lot shorter than the others. Is it any good?

And does anyone here have the companion reference book? I was thinking of buying that off of Half.com or something but wasn't sure whether I should get it before I've finished the series...or after...or if I shouldn't get it at all, for that matter.
-[-*colormist*-]-

Surya

Color Mist: I [img]smilies/love.gif[/img] these books. I've read the series as a whole three times and some of the books five or six times. They are wonderful. I devour each new one in one sitting.

I'm new to the book board and I'm not sure about the rules for spoilage and I really don't want to ruin these amazing books for someone who does not want the information in advance but please feel freeze to PM me and I'd be more than happy to gush over details with you.

Hope to hear from you.

Surya

galela

finally some ppl who share my love for this series!!!

my mom started reading outlander & couldn't stop. so i started reading it & i couldn't put that book away. i read all the available parts of it (1 to 3) & after that just waited anxiously for the story to continue. i loved all 5 parts & couldn't read any other book for more than a year cause all of them just couldn't compare to that series. i first read them in german, then got all the parts in english.

my fave part still is outlander. nothing comes close to that book. i also liked voyager & drums of autumn. the fiery cross was a little weaker & dragonfly in amber - the time in paris just was too long for me.

still, i cannot wait for the next part. she's made us wait long enough now!

yoshhh

Morrigan

[img]smilies/wave.gif[/img] hi all.
I once posted in this thread a long, long time ago.

I first read Outlander 8 years ago and I still haven't found anything to surpass it.
Since then I've read the books over and over again and finally got to meet Diana last fall.
It was fantastic 'hearing' Jamie and Claire speaking through her voice.

Oh and I also got my mom, my sister and 6 of my friends addicted. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]


ColorMist the companion is definitely worth getting. Very interesting. Diana explains how she selected names and character traits amoung other things. There's also a short gaelic dictionary at the end.
And I just finished reading Lord John and the private matter, it's supposed to be a 'shortstory' .
I really enjoyed it , but I'm looking forward to the third installment 'Lord John and the scottish prisoner' [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

PeaCock thanks for the link. I heard they were trying to design different bookcovers so men won't have to feel too embarrassed reading a romance novel [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

[ 01-28-2004: Message edited Morrigan ]

galela

i just started over again with the series. [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]