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    Outlander: A Novel
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    Outlander: A Novel
    Unavailable
    Outlander: A Novel
    Ebook1,099 pages17 hours

    Outlander: A Novel

    By Diana Gabaldon

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NOW A STARZ ORIGINAL SERIES 

    Unrivaled storytelling. Unforgettable characters. Rich historical detail. These are the hallmarks of Diana Gabaldon’s work. Her New York Times bestselling Outlander novels have earned the praise of critics and captured the hearts of millions of fans. Here is the story that started it all, introducing two remarkable characters, Claire Beauchamp Randall and Jamie Fraser, in a spellbinding novel of passion and history that combines exhilarating adventure with a love story for the ages.

    One of the top ten best-loved novels in America, as seen on PBS’s The Great American Read!

    Scottish Highlands, 1945. Claire Randall, a former British combat nurse, is just 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 circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach—an “outlander”—in a Scotland torn by war and raiding clans in the year of Our Lord . . . 1743.

    Claire is catapulted into the intrigues of a world that threatens her life, and may shatter her heart. Marooned amid danger, passion, and violence, Claire learns her only chance of safety lies in Jamie Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior. What begins in compulsion becomes urgent need, and Claire finds herself torn between two very different men, in two irreconcilable lives.

    This eBook includes the full text of the novel plus the following additional content:
    • An excerpt from Diana Gabaldon’s Dragonfly in Amber, the second novel in the Outlander series 
    • An interview with Diana Gabaldon 
    • An Outlander reader’s guide

    Praise for Outlander

    “Marvelous and fantastic adventures, romance, sex . . . perfect escape reading.”—San Francisco Chronicle

    “History comes deliciously alive on the page.”—New York Daily News
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRandom House Publishing Group
    Release dateOct 26, 2004
    ISBN9780440335160
    Unavailable
    Outlander: A Novel
    Author

    Diana Gabaldon

    DIANA GABALDON is the author of the award-winning, #1 New York Times best-selling Outlander novels, described by Salon magazine as “the smartest historical sci-fi adventure-romance story ever written by a science Ph.D.” She serves as co-producer and advisor for the Starz network Outlander series based on her novels.

    Read more from Diana Gabaldon

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    Reviews for Outlander

    4/5

    425 ratings529 reviews

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    • 3/5
      Someone should have told me that, although this is historical, it's essentially a romance. The time travel thing that attracted me in the first place is really only a device to bring modern (well, 1945) sensibilities to 1743 Scotland.
    • 3/5
      This book was not even on my radar until the show. I think the "genre defyingness" of it scared me off. Just do time travel! I don't want to read romance! I'm very much like the kid in the Princess Bride movie that way. The romance scenes of this book were much more palatable than the ones in the Kate Daniels books. Fewer detailes. Same goes for the fight scenes. When I saw some of the injuries on the show it was horrible. But by talking around the problems, narrator Claire manages to make a book I hardly ever cringed at.

      I got the audiobook (33 hours!) after I had watched 3 of the episodes. I would try to catch up to the show in the week before. This was a good method, especially for something so long you forget what happened 150 pages ago. By this week I had surpassed the show so much it didn't catch up. And then I got into it and just powered through.

      This is the first book in a series that seems to be even longer than A Song of Ice and Fire. Claire, a WWII nurse I'd in Scotland on a second honeymoon with her soldier husband. But then she touches some magic rocks and finds herself in 1743 Scotland. Right before the second Jacobite rising. She has to figure out how to use her medical skills using 18th century supplies in order to make herself useful to the Scots who find her. They already think she is an English spy. Stuff happens and Claire makes mistakes in trying to get back to the magic rocks and she finds herself inextricably intertwined with her new Scottish friends. This is partially a romance book, so there is that part of it, but always in the back of her mind she remembers her 20th century husband. He's not technically dead since he hasn't been born yet. Does that make her an adultress, even if she is married to the Scottish dude? And does she even want to go back, not that she has found this more vibrant (i.e. violent) life? These are tough questions that Claire can't even talk to anyone about because they will charge her with witchcraft. Because it's the 1700s.

      And it being the 1700s was my favorite part. I like a good period piece, and Scottish rebellion was great for this month of the referendum. Plus the historical stuff like how medicine was done and how a water wheel works. And if your main character is a time traveler, she has an excuse to ask dumb questions for the benefit of the 21st century reader. Time travel really is a good exposition excuse.

      I liked that the romance and battle aspects of the book were not described explicitly . Makes it much easier to read, and no more cringing while driving. However, sometimes this circumlocution made it easy to miss what was happening. Lots of times they would be talking about some unsavory thing, and someone would say "well, you know." BUT I DON'T KNOW. This is a while different continent and several centuries distant from me. Just tell me what is going on. I know even less Gaelic than Claire. And when you're talking about the moon and cycles I know pregnancy is related, but if you don't come out and say "I'm pregnant" sometimes I'm going to miss the announcement.

      Overall, this book kept my attention and had a good premise. The writing style was palatable if sometimes confusing. I think it was too long though. Not that enough didn't happen, but that the story just keeps on going. It's not bad, I just didn't think it was worth the time commitment. So, maybe over the summer I will start the next books. But they are too long for casual reading. They are quite an investment, and the return you get is not as great as it could be for that many pages. I feel the same with A Song of Ice and Fire.
    • 4/5
      The story took some time to get into but one into the story I couldn't put it down. Can't wait to watch the tv series.
    • 5/5
      This book was such a good book! I love historical fiction novels and I usually stray away from time-traveling novels, but Diana Gabaldon works the time-traveling into her story seamlessly without any real difficulty. The characters are so well-developed and she really provides the reader with a sense of time and place in Scotland. Definitely worth a re-read!
    • 4/5
      I came across this book in a quest for some good historical fiction to read. I was completely unfamiliar with the book series or the show it spawned. From the standpoint of historical fiction, it leaves quite a bit to be desired. Most of the 'history' you're immersed in is fictional. It is less of a historical fiction than it is a period fiction, set in a historical era.While I was unsatisfied with the book's value as a historical fiction, I was intrigued nevertheless. The story is well-told and it keeps a good pace once you get past the first few chapters. There is a nice balance of detail and action, keeping the plot moving forward at a good clip, and making you hesitant to put the book down until it is finished. The characters are well-crafted, if not a bit of a caricature at times. The story generally stays as grounded in reality as a time-travel tale can. And at the end of the book, both my wife and I were eager to acquire the next book in the series. To the extent that I have criticisms, they are less about the book itself and more about the nature of the book's appeal to me. As such, I will do my best to qualify them as follows:I am not a fan of the romance genre. The center of this story, however, is a romance between the two main characters. That isn't a problem in and of itself, but the frequent and detailed lovemaking scenes got to be a bit more than I cared for. Not that they were graphic, or offended my 'delicate' sensibilities, more that they weren't interesting to me and they detracted from the pace of the story. That being said, there was humor mixed in with them a bit and they didn't take themselves too seriously. I am also not a fan of sci-fi/fantasy stories. I can get past the time travel (and I knew that was coming) but there are a few parts of the book where the main characters pull off fantastical miracles that would make the entire cast of Kill Bill blush. If you don't share my aversions to those two genres, you'll probably have no major reservations about this book. It's a good read for anyone who likes period pieces in the 18t century Scotland (or any time going back to medieval Scotland, since the lives of the average Scot don't appear to have changed much). It's a good read for adventure fans and people intrigued by the endless 'what-ifs' posed by time travel stories. As far as the show on STARS, I have never seen it, so I can't speak to how similar or dissimilar they are.
    • 5/5
      Hold on for a terrific ride!I have read this book two times...so far. The first was when it came out 20 years. Was it that long ago? And second when I listened to the audiobook on my ride to and from work every day. Even after all of these years, the story is still what I remembered. Brilliant! It has something for everyone. Time travel, romance, history, adventure and evil villains to name a few. Claire Randall is happily married to Frank Randall and they are on holiday in the highlands of Scotland in the 1940s when Claire is magically cast back in time to the 1760's and thrown into an era that changes her life completely. She meets a young Scot named Jamie Frasier with whom she marries for her safety and then the excitement begins. The heroes are breathtaking and the villains are pure evil.After first reading this story 20 years ago, it stayed with me due to the wonderful writing and superb characterization. I also wanted to note that the narrator for the audiobook, Davina Porter, is fantastic! Her mastery of the Scottish, English and French accents is amazing and makes you feel like you are right there.I plan to continue the series, which I did not do 20 years ago and look forward to the continuing saga of Claire and Jamie.
    • 3/5
      I wish goodreads would implement half stars. This was probably 3.5 stars for me.

      I loved the historical details and the setting in Scotland. For the most part I liked Claire and really liked Jamie.

      It seemed like there were several side storylines that were never tied up in this book, although given the length of the series I am sure that a few of them will be wrapped up eventually. I want to know more about some of the characters at Lallybroch and the Leoch Castle.

      I have the books up to #7 that I purchased last year as a bundle from Amazon but since I know they don't spend much time in Scotland I am not super motivated to continue reading.
    • 4/5
      Some parts were very good, some very slow. Overall a readable book but not one of my this year's favorites.
    • 4/5
      Okay, it's basically a historical romance novel. There is literal bodice-ripping. I don't care. This book was entertaining to read, and referenced a period of history that I didn't know much about, so that was interesting to me. The time travel element was interesting too - not something you find in a standard romance novel. The villain also has some darker proclivities than the average romance villain; some of the scenes are graphic. If you don't like romance novels at all, in any form, maybe this book isn't for you. If a novel with elements of romance, history, and sci-fi genres sounds appealing, give it a try.
    • 4/5
      It took a couple times to get into this book, but once I did I didn't want to put it down. Love!!!!
    • 3/5
      600+ page tome, and only the first of a 9 book series, about a time traveler who ends up in 18C Scottish Highlands. As a time traveling-historical-romance, the plot obviously requires suspension of disbelief but the writing is decent. It was fun to read about places I visited last summer. Recommend for those who like period romances with tons of sex.
    • 4/5
      For the purchase of an audible book, I had to choose the longest book possible. I also chose this as an audiobook because I wanted to continue working on my TBR pile without having to conquer this entire series. Warning: slight spoilers ahead.

      I loved the suspense and action and story line of Outlander. But, something I could have done without was the high amount of sex scenes in the book. If I had been reading the hard copy it would have definitely gotten to the point that I skipped through them. While I understand that this was the romance aspect of the book, it was just too much for me. Claire is the heroin of the story, a strong character, and brilliant independently. She holds this up for a while even after her marriage but whenever they have sex this character I so adore disappears. She becomes a walking stereotype. She bows to his every wish, ends up loving sexual violence, has sex at least once a day, and of course has perfect orgasms every time, usually in sync with the love of her life. This made me want to throw up. The feminist in me wanted to scream. I get the historical time period was much more male-dominated than it is today, but that should not account for a change in Claire's character. It also makes this book completely inappropriate for younger audiences.

      Forgetting this, I did like the book. It made a great audiobook, especially if you are new to the medium. Gabaldon captures and holds your attention and keeps you guessing at what will happen next. The story is not too predictable but not too far fetched. The premise of the story is enchanting and I'm happy to have a tv series to help me bring the characters further to life.
    • 3/5
      I haven't been torn over rating a novel like this in some time. There were parts of this I really enjoyed, parts that dragged, and then parts I didn't enjoy at all. The historical fiction parts of this book were great. It was good being transported back to the time of the Scottish Highlands of the mid-18th century. It made me want to read more history about that time. Some of action was good (if not repetitive). I enjoy romance in a story, but the amount of time spent with the main two characters talking about their feelings, and having sex, went on for far too long. I enjoy that stuff as much as the next guy, but the sheer amount of it was not necessary to move the story along or make the point. The parts dealing with sex in the last section of the book left me disturbed, and I am not sure if it couldn't have been done differently and the story would have kept its intensity.

      My wife enjoyed the next few books in the series much more than the first, so I am willing to keep going. I read this because she had asked me to, and because we are going to watch the television series and I wanted to read the story first.
    • 5/5
      I loved the suspense and the pace of the book. The writing takes you on a journey through Claire's eyes. It is very descriptive and well written. I felt as though as I was on the adventure with Claire as opposed to just reading about the adventure. I also fell in love with Jamie and their relationship and their fight to be together.
    • 2/5
      A time travel/historical romance set in Scotland, the history was interesting but this book really wasn't my cup of tea.
    • 4/5
      Finally got around to reading it and was surprised to find that I enjoyed it. I'm not going to become an obsessive Outlander fan, but I liked it enough to put the second book in my tbr stack.
    • 5/5
      The popularity of this series speaks for itself. Outlander is in my top 5 all time favorite books. The story was enthralling and so well written. Once you start reading you can not put it down. If you read and loved Paullina Simons's The Bronze Horseman then you will love this one too. A must read for any historical and/or romance lovers.
    • 4/5
      I think this is the longest book I have ever read. 850 pages in a paperback has my eyes about worn out! But quite worth it. Historical fiction has always been a favorite of mine and given the Scottish setting, it was a win-win! Loved the herbal remedy concoctions and sporadic Gaelic terminologies. (I took plenty of notes through this read) .. Brutal, barbaric and ruthless, yet tender and erotic. The toils of Claire and Jamie as they just try to enjoy a blissful marriage while keeping themselves alive from the English hunters that seek them both, for the most part, dead. Over hill, over dell, they save each other and a few others along their search for safe haven. Familial secrets are revealed, lessons learned and lives taken. With all the good and bad in near excess, I can see why this is such a popular TV series and will, for sure, partake of it, as well.
    • 2/5
      This book is strangely polarizing. People love it for the same reasons others hate it. I vacillated for a long time before picking this up, as traditional romance is not usually my genre of choice. I also read through many of the reviews, so I felt like I had a good idea of what I was getting myself into. **Spoilers Below***---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- There are largely 3 things that people take issue with- 1) the sex 2) the scene where Jamie beats Claire and 3) the rape of Jamie by Cptn. Jack Randall. My observations are as follows. The sex- there is definitely a point in the book where it goes from none to pretty much constant. This is also the point at which I began to enjoy the book less. While not as graphic as a traditional bodice ripper, it is still not the kind of writing where it is alluded to rather than described. It's just described more tastefully, with somewhat fewer giggle inducing references, although there was still plenty for me to find eye-roll worthy.The physical altercation- I think that a lot of the anger directed towards this portion of the book is due to a 21st century reader point of view, where we would define what happens as domestic abuse. However, i can also see that the author was writing this book about a character who is clearly NOT from the 21st century, and clearly would be subject to the rule of the land at that time. So while I understand the overall point that the author was trying to make, justice within the clan and all, I can also see this as a trigger for many people who have been victims of abuse, and as such feel it is worth pointing out BEFORE people read it so that they can decide if its something they are OK with, or not.The rape of Jamie by Cptn. Jack Randall- OK, full disclosure, I did not actually read this part of the book. Based on the graphic nature of the sex and numerous near rape's of Claire, I decided that it was time for me and Outlander to part ways. Honestly, once Claire and Jamie were married, I really lost interest in the characters and the plot, and just didn't care enough to finish the book.So I would place my opinion of this book somewhere in the middle of the two extremes. I didn't hate it, in fact I really enjoyed the first third of the book, but I definitely didn't love it either. I do think that anyone interested in reading it should be aware of some of the more controversial themes, so they can choose based on their own reading preferences whether or not it is something they would enjoy.
    • 5/5
      Wonderful book combining history, time travel, romance. On my re-read shelf. From BrookBrowse: Claire Randall is leading a double life. She has a husband in one century, and a lover in another...In 1945, Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon--when she innocently touches a boulder 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 border clans in the year of our Lord...1743.Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire's destiny is soon inextricably intertwined with Clan MacKenzie and the forbidden Castle Leoch. She is catapulted without warning into the intrigues of lairds and spies that may threaten her life ...and shatter her heart. For here, James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, shows her a passion so fierce and a love so absolute that Claire becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire...and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.
    • 4/5
      I feel really conflicted about this book. On the one hand I grew to really love the characters and I feel very invested in their lives. Then again, the author had about 800 pages to get me to that point, so was it really a good book? What initially got me hooked was the reminder of how exciting a new relationship can be. The tension! I'm disappointed that the author didn't let that relationship develop just a bit longer on its own. I found myself not as excited about the book once the author had the main characters collide, again and again. (I'm not a prude by any means, but were all of the fairly graphic sex scenes really necessary?) I also really wish I had skipped everything to do with Randall. That whole bit was disturbing to say the least and made me feel like I needed a long bath. The odds are good that I'll check out the next book, because I still have questions and I do want to know where the couple will go from here. I'm going to stop watching the show, because the Jaime in my head is just sooo much better and I'm not interested in seeing any of the Randall bits. My imagination was more than enough.
    • 3/5
      Enjoyable read, a little predictable but great holiday book
    • 3/5
      DNF. I don't begrudge the diehard fans their love for this book, but I definitely don't get it. The descriptions are very detailed, and I have no doubt the author did a lot of research because of the historical accuracy and all, but I got to the scene where Jamie beats Claire for not listening to him, and I was out.
    • 5/5
      It was hard to get into the book in the beginning but once I was past about page 100, it was even harder to put down. I love Claire and James!
    • 5/5
      unexpectedly amazing
    • 4/5
      First in the 'Outlander' series (published in the US as 'Outlander' in 1990). Claire Randall has seen her fair share of blood and pain whilst nursing during World War II. But now it's 1946, the war is over and she is reunited with her husband Frank on a second honeymoon in Inverness. He is caught up in researching his sixth great grandfather 'Black Jack', captain of dragoons in the 1700s, whilst Claire indulges her love of plants, especially their healing properties. On one of her forays she makes her way into the middle of an ancient standing stone circle, one of many in the British Isles. She is inexplicably transported back in time to 1743 where she becomes acquainted with Frank's ancestor, the brutal 'Black Jack'. Saved by passing Highlanders and taken to Castle Leoch with the MacKenzie clan, she becomes known as Sassenach (an 'outlander') in a Scotland torn by raiding border clans and passing English patrols. Great story.
    • 5/5
      I started reading Outlander after watching the fourth episode of Season 1 of the Starz series. In turn, I read all eight books and am now on book 5 of my second reading. I have never voluntarily read a book twice but Gabaldon's books are equisitely addictive. Subsequent readings are every bit as good as the first because there are so many new details to pick up. I never read fantasy novels but the time travel aspect here is really not a large focus of the stories; it's just a mechanism to bring the characters and history together.The amount of historical research the author has put into her books is simply astounding. And the history is all factually true so I learned a lot of British and French history I never even wanted to study in school. I know more about American history, of course, but Gabaldon brings the dry historical figures more fully to life than anything I have previously read. The abundant detail and descriptions that a small minority of reviewers complain about are what keeps drawing me back.I can unequivocally state that the eight Outlander books are my absolute favorite books of all time; nothing else I've read even comes close. No wonder so many readers are obsessed.
    • 5/5
      This book has quickly turned into my favorite. Amazing story, lovable characters, detail of history, and my least favorite; time travel. Before this book, I had avoided all time travel novels, as most seem "unrealistic" and hard to follow. "Herself" as what Diana Gabaldon is being referred to all of the Outlander Fans, has created another world that I cannot get out of.
    • 4/5
      There were times when I wondered what the point was of a chapter I was reading (the book is really long!) but overall, I really enjoyed this story! :D
    • 5/5
      The detail of the story's historical scenes is amazing. The developing love story is beautiful to read. The obscene amount of adventures the two main characters face keeps the reader totally engaged.