Product Description
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 in 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.
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Amazon.com Review
In Outlander, a 600-page time-travel romance, strong-willed and sensual Claire Randall leads a double life with a husband in one century, and a lover in another. Torn between fidelity and desire, she struggles to understand the pure intent of her heart. But don't let the number of pages and the Scottish dialect scare you. It's one of the fastest reads you'll have in your library. While on her second honeymoon in the British Isles, Claire touches a boulder that hurls her back in time to the forbidden Castle Leoch with the MacKenzie clan. Not understanding the forces that brought her there, she becomes ensnared in life-threatening situations with a Scots warrior named James Fraser. But it isn't all spies and drudgery that she must endure. For amid her new surroundings and the terrors she faces, she is lured into love and passion like she's never known before. I was lame and sore in every muscle when I woke next morning. I shuffled to the privy closet, then to the wash basin. My innards felt like churned butter. It felt as though I had been beaten with a blunt object, I reflected, then thought that that was very near the truth. The blunt object in question was visible as I came back to bed, looking now relatively harmless. Its possessor [Jamie] woke as I sat next to him, and examined me with something that looked very much like male smugness." Gabaldon creates characters that you'll remember, laugh with, cry with, and cheer for long after you've finished the book. --Candy Paape
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 It is what it is ( dcnhays )
I didn't care for this book, although I read it from beginning to end, just to see what happened. I totally skimmed each page, making sure I didn't miss any necessary events, and finished it in a matter of days of picking it up when I sat down. My son would look to see what page I was on and marvel at my speed reading. Not to lessen his awe of my lightning fast skills, I didn't enlighten him. :)
Back to my review: This was probably an excellent read for lovers of romance novels, as is evident from the glowing reviews. I detest romance novels, but have a weakness for time-travel related books - thus, the reason I found myself reading this. Yes, the characters were developed very well, and there were lots of historical facts throughout. Again, it was probably very high level for this type of book. It just reminded me of why I hate these books - trite, feisty, damsel-in-distress vs. strong-willed, repugnant, at first, man, who, despite his rough exterior, is just putty in the hands of said damsel once he's smitten with her. And the time-travel aspect was so underdone. There was so much potential in the rock formation being a portal. There was so much potential once she got there, to describe her shock and disbelief at what had apparently happened to her. There was so much potential in her relationship with the witch, and the conversations they COULD have had once they discovered each other. Oh, I could go on and on, but I'm alone here. This was a perfectly nice romance novel, but a dreadful essay into the wonders of time travel.
C. Hays
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 A refreshing, enthralling read ( myt_sapphire )
I've read this book three times now. It never ceases to amaze me how caught up I am in Claire and Jaime's story!! LOVE IT!!
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Truly amazing love story!
I will read this book over and over again. What an amazing, adventurous love story. I recommend this book to anyone!!! All of the characters were incredible and I found it difficult to believe that most of them have never existed. Diana Gabaldon did an amazing job making this story and the characters jump from the page to your heart. I fell in love with this series from page one! I really liked Diana's usage of the facts. She presented just enough history to make it feel like the story was real without making you feel like you were reading a history textbook. If you are a lover of historical romance, stop reading these reviews and order this book, it's wonderful!!!
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Outstanding ( jdq1175 )
So much has already been said about this series of books, but I can't help it, I have to add my two cents just in case there are still people out there who have put off reading this series because of the time-travel aspect, (which is why I didn't read them for so long as a big fan of historical fiction). Stop resisting, start at the beginning, go out and pick up a copy of Outlander and I promise you will not stop until you have read all of the books in the series!
Ms. Gabaldon writes such strong, individualistic characters and her plots are well thought out and drawn together very nicely. There are so many stand-out scenes in this book, so many intense experiences for both the characters and the reader. Claire and Jamie Fraser are by far the best characters I've ever encountered - so complex and yet so simple at their core. Ms. Gabaldon is truly talented and I hope this series never ends! I only wish I had read it years ago!
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Great fun literary couple
I have read and reread this book several times and I love it everytime. Great major characters and interesting minor characters make this story fun and you get drawn into the time frame of the story. If you read the first couple of chapters and you are bored just keep reading get into it.
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