mormishmom
New member
Who are Jamie and Claire????
Oh, Mandy!
- Thread starter mormishmom
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Mandy
New member
OMG. That is like the worst question that anyone could ask me because I could go ON and ON and ON and...well, you get the point.
Jamie and Claire are the two main characters in the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. Seriously, I'm not kidding, it is about 100x better than the Twilight books and that is an understatement.
I will swear on my daddy's grave that if you decide to read these you'll like em. And that's pretty serious for me. Jamie and Claire makes you WAY more obsessed, have a wayyy better story and are wayyyy more in love than Edward and Bella by a longshot!
Some reviews:
Calling Outlander a time travel romance is like calling a Dove Bar ice cream on a stick. Mere labels can't possibly prepare you for the totally engrossing and sensual experience of either one. If you are ready for 850 pages packed with action, sex, life and death, then take the plunge. But then be prepared to read the sequels; there are six currently.
Claire Randall is celebrating a reunion in Britain with her husband Frank after serving as a combat nurse in World War II. While on a trip to a tourist attraction - an ancient stone circle known as Craigh na Dun - she is suddenly sucked back in time to war-torn Scotland in 1743. She is befriended by a group of Scottish outlaws who are suspicious of her dress and speech. Though they assume she is a British spy, they warm slightly to her when she saves the life of their young comrade, Jamie, an escapee from a barbaric prison.
Claire is eventually sought after by the cruel and twisted captain of the British garrison. In order to protect her, the Scots decide that she must marry Jamie. By this time she has spent some time with the group, and while she has come to admire Jamie's courage and honor, she is not thrilled with the idea of marrying him, especially when he is five years younger than she is and she is still married to Frank somewhere back in her own time. But eventually she and Jamie grow to have a love that is stronger than her marriage bond, a love that is so intense and passionate that the two are prepared to lay down their lives for each other - and they very nearly do.
Gabaldon doesn't spent a lot of time with the "fish out of water" side of time travel. Claire has experience with tough situations from her campaigns as a war nurse, and she quickly adapts to her new urroundings, treating the wounded as best she can under the primitive conditions. She is a solid, resourceful heroine, whose guilt about betraying Frank gives way to her overwhelming love for Jamie.
Ah, Jamie. I think I might be unfaithful for him too. Of all of the heroes I've encountered in my many years of reading, he would have to make the top ten, maybe the top five. <Edited for Spoilers> He can swear a blue streak but he can also be poetic and philosophical. Okay, he's a little bloodthirsty too, but that's a product of his time.
The author writes with great energy for a book of this considerable size, jumping from adventure to adventure with barely a breath in between. There's a certainly level of Braveheart-style violence, and some politically incorrect behavior on Jamie's part, but if you can get past that you will be swept away by the passion and intensity between Claire and Jamie. By the time Claire almost literally rescues Jamie's soul the reader is almost exhausted by the sheer emotion of it all. Their relationship develops, matures and is tested, but it never wavers.
I must admit that several friends, whose book opinions I respect, have told me they didn't like Outlander or had trouble getting through it. It is not a light-hearted read, for sure. There's a very high body count, and some brutal torture scenes. But for me all of that was outweighed by the epic-style adventure and truly satisfying romance that made the novel a "Dove Bar" experience.
Gabaldon followed this novel up with Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager and Drums of Autumn, The Fiery Cross and A Breath of Snow and Ashes. All of them are enjoyable (and of similarly impressive length) but none approach the sheer drama and passion of Outlander.
Readers should also be aware that the Happily Ever After in Outlander is tenuous at best, and a lot of questions are left unanswered.
I will say that there are a few really graphic, violent scenes, some really steamy scenes too, so if you aren't prepared to read stuff like that then I wouldn't recommend the books. However, I'm so serious, you will never read anything as good as these books again. Diana Gabaldon's writing is so detailed and intense that other authors will look like amateurs.
I discovered the series in 2000 and I'm STILL reeading them 8 years later.
Jamie and Claire are the two main characters in the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. Seriously, I'm not kidding, it is about 100x better than the Twilight books and that is an understatement.
I will swear on my daddy's grave that if you decide to read these you'll like em. And that's pretty serious for me. Jamie and Claire makes you WAY more obsessed, have a wayyy better story and are wayyyy more in love than Edward and Bella by a longshot!
Some reviews:
Calling Outlander a time travel romance is like calling a Dove Bar ice cream on a stick. Mere labels can't possibly prepare you for the totally engrossing and sensual experience of either one. If you are ready for 850 pages packed with action, sex, life and death, then take the plunge. But then be prepared to read the sequels; there are six currently.
Claire Randall is celebrating a reunion in Britain with her husband Frank after serving as a combat nurse in World War II. While on a trip to a tourist attraction - an ancient stone circle known as Craigh na Dun - she is suddenly sucked back in time to war-torn Scotland in 1743. She is befriended by a group of Scottish outlaws who are suspicious of her dress and speech. Though they assume she is a British spy, they warm slightly to her when she saves the life of their young comrade, Jamie, an escapee from a barbaric prison.
Claire is eventually sought after by the cruel and twisted captain of the British garrison. In order to protect her, the Scots decide that she must marry Jamie. By this time she has spent some time with the group, and while she has come to admire Jamie's courage and honor, she is not thrilled with the idea of marrying him, especially when he is five years younger than she is and she is still married to Frank somewhere back in her own time. But eventually she and Jamie grow to have a love that is stronger than her marriage bond, a love that is so intense and passionate that the two are prepared to lay down their lives for each other - and they very nearly do.
Gabaldon doesn't spent a lot of time with the "fish out of water" side of time travel. Claire has experience with tough situations from her campaigns as a war nurse, and she quickly adapts to her new urroundings, treating the wounded as best she can under the primitive conditions. She is a solid, resourceful heroine, whose guilt about betraying Frank gives way to her overwhelming love for Jamie.
Ah, Jamie. I think I might be unfaithful for him too. Of all of the heroes I've encountered in my many years of reading, he would have to make the top ten, maybe the top five. <Edited for Spoilers> He can swear a blue streak but he can also be poetic and philosophical. Okay, he's a little bloodthirsty too, but that's a product of his time.
The author writes with great energy for a book of this considerable size, jumping from adventure to adventure with barely a breath in between. There's a certainly level of Braveheart-style violence, and some politically incorrect behavior on Jamie's part, but if you can get past that you will be swept away by the passion and intensity between Claire and Jamie. By the time Claire almost literally rescues Jamie's soul the reader is almost exhausted by the sheer emotion of it all. Their relationship develops, matures and is tested, but it never wavers.
I must admit that several friends, whose book opinions I respect, have told me they didn't like Outlander or had trouble getting through it. It is not a light-hearted read, for sure. There's a very high body count, and some brutal torture scenes. But for me all of that was outweighed by the epic-style adventure and truly satisfying romance that made the novel a "Dove Bar" experience.
Gabaldon followed this novel up with Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager and Drums of Autumn, The Fiery Cross and A Breath of Snow and Ashes. All of them are enjoyable (and of similarly impressive length) but none approach the sheer drama and passion of Outlander.
Readers should also be aware that the Happily Ever After in Outlander is tenuous at best, and a lot of questions are left unanswered.
I will say that there are a few really graphic, violent scenes, some really steamy scenes too, so if you aren't prepared to read stuff like that then I wouldn't recommend the books. However, I'm so serious, you will never read anything as good as these books again. Diana Gabaldon's writing is so detailed and intense that other authors will look like amateurs.
I discovered the series in 2000 and I'm STILL reeading them 8 years later.
Last edited:
breakingbrie
New member
Ooooo, I'm off to look up these titles - I'm due for another trip to the library tomorrow! Sounds pretty good to me! lol, while I'm waiting on the library to get the first 3 books in the twilight series, this will work! I hope they have them!
Mandy
New member
Cool...I'll have to look for those books. The movie was filmed here!
Currently there is an Outlander movie, but it's not the movie from the books. They've discussed making the movie several times but to date, nothing is definate.:thumbup:
Jennilyn
New member
Ahh...gotcha...but still, an Outlander movie was made here. LOL
mormishmom
New member
I'm a little wary of the "steamy" stuff, but I don't mind the violence I might have to check them out.
I might have to check them out.breakingbrie
New member
Oh, jeez. So I stopped by the library today after checking out Diana Gabaldon's site to get a list of the books so I don't have to hunt for book 1, then 2... I found a whole shelf of her books, start searching... they had every stinkin one except the first one! LOL. Stinkers. And some of their computers were down, so I have to call in a few days and they can put it on hold for me. 
And they still don't have the first 3 in the twilight series. Double
And they still don't have the first 3 in the twilight series. Double
HeatherStokes
New member
OH MY GOD - OH MY GOD - The BEST Books I have ever read - and I read ALOT!!!! I started following the series when they first came out. SOOOOO GOOOD!
Mandy
New member
WOO yeah!!!!!!!! Lallybroch fans UNITE! LOL
YAY Brie. Keep at it...you will not regret it!
Mandy
New member
Umm..yes, I would say that it is an R rated book. More though for the graphic nature of some torture scenes rather than steamy scenes, though there are a few of those, too.
Really though, the love story, and the rich, rich history of the books overshadows any of the R rated stuff. Leaves you wanting WAY more in the end.:thumbup: