Question For Anyone Who Has Read the Outlander Series and Remembers It!

[ChristineVA]

I am working my way through Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. I just started on book 5, The Fiery Cross.

I am having a horrible time getting into this. All the other books have been wonderful. This one is becoming an effort to get through.

For anyone that remembers, does it get better? Will I just have to trudge through it? I know a lot of "series" books have issues with some books in the series being much better than others.

But maybe it's me and I'm tired of it, or I don't like this particular setting (America right before the Revolution).

Also, I had two books come in from the library after I finished the fourth book so I took about a 2 week break from the series to read these two books. Maybe that derailed me?:confused:

[HejazSunKat]

Well, yes and no. I didn't think it was horrible and others will disagree but I frankly think this is the book where the series 'jumped the shark'. Sorry :D

[SugarNSpice]

ChristineVA I was in the same position you are in right now.

I powered through the first four books in one summer and absolutely loved them. I started reading The Fiery Cross and didn't get past page 100, it is still sitting on my shelf today.

I always think about picking it up again, but then I find something else to read. It could be that I burned myself out on Jamie and Clare (sp?), I did read the first 4 in under 2 months.


I love historical fiction, but Gabaldon seems to be writing more about politics than the character's relationships in the 5th book than ever before and I've never been into political history.

[Kristilyn1]

Yes, it was kind of a slog. That said, I felt I had to read it to be prepared for the next one.

Kristi

[stephanie678]

The beginning is very slow, and she sometimes writes for hundreds of pages to describe one day. However, I do think it picked up in the last third of the book.

I just finishedA Breath of Snow and Ashes, though, and I really enjoyed it. I don't think anything will be as good as the first two books, but I'm definitely looking forward to the next one!

I'd recommend at least reading/skimming.

[funniegrrl]

Yes, Fiery Cross is pretty universally regarded as the worst of the lot. I wasn't as disenchanted as some people, but I like most of the characters a lot and they lived up to themselves, if you know what I mean. DO go ahead and finish, though, because the next one IS better. (Side note: I really don't like Brianna, never have. And I don't know why -- I do know that I'm not alone in that. I enjoy the story less when she's the focus.)

[ChristineVA]

Thanks for the feedback. At least I know I'm not going crazy now.:D

I noticed in this book, the narration jumps around a lot more than the other books. In the past books, I think Claire did most of the narration. In this book, I am jumping between Claire, Brianna, and Roger. Sometimes it takes me a few sentences to realize who is narrating at any given point. Not a big deal, but a change in writing style, for sure.

funniegrrl--Now that you mention it, I really haven't warmed up to the Brianna character at all. And while I really was starting to like Roger in the 4th book, I just can't get a feel for him now and he seems kind of "old fashioned" all of a sudden. It's all just very weird.

[LakeMartinGal]

Go ahead and 'slog' through it! You will be glad you did when you get to A Breath of Snow and Ashes.

There are always books or parts of books in a series like this that have to set the stage for happenings further down the way, and you've just reached one of these parts... I disliked one of the earlier ones, I think it was Voyager, for the same reason, but they all fit together!;)

[Kristilyn1]

Add me to the group of people who don't care for Brianna. I just want to concentrate on my Jamie.:D

Kristi

[sararosalie]

Hey......he always told me he was MY Jaime....:D

[SugarNSpice]

Everyone, there is no need for fighting, let me clear this up...

he's mine :D

[funniegrrl]

Well, I convinced a guy friend of mine to read Outlander, telling him that contrary to marketing it was NOT a romance novel, had lots of manly derring-do, and was well written. After he finished he told me that Claire reminded him of me -- not in looks but in temperment, etc. So ... I believe that would make Jamie mine. :D

[LakeMartinGal]

You're all wrong... I'm actually married to the guy that Jamie is modelled after -- just not in looks!:p

[Terrie53]

You are all wrong! Jamie is mine and in fact I named my son after him, so there!!

When I first read Outlander, the particular book that was loned to me was so dearly loved and well read by the person who recommended it to me that it fell apart every time I turned a page. I could not contend with continually attempting to put this book back together; it was so distracting! The beginning dragged and dragged and I finally put the book down and returned it to the individual who loned it to me. She was stuned and somewhat insulted by my review. In fact, she went to the local book store and bought a new edition of the book and set it on my desk with a note. "Try this easy to turn book and see if it will change your mind."

I started vacation that day and started to read with a new frame of mind. OMG! In deed it changed my life. REALLY! I have read this series 3 times. I loved every book with the exception of Fiery Cross.

Fiery Cross was not my favorite and was a dissappointment after waiting soooooooooooooooo long for another book. I know her new one is out now and I hope it is more like the original and not more like FC.

I would re-read them again with out hesitation. They are awesome!!

[ChristineVA]

OP here!!!

Yes, Jamie is a wonderful character, isn't he? I guess I'll have to wait my turn for him.:p

I am still pushing through this book---it is REALLY difficult. And yes, pages and pages and pages for one day!! Wow. The writing is fine, everything is fine but the story is just so darned boring.

I like to read for about an hour before I go to bed and then, during the weekend, I like to steal a few hours here and there to do some serious reading. Not so with this book. I just am not drawn to it.

[sugarbaby]

I am on the 3rd book of the series (Voyager) and just love it!!! I thought Dragonfly in Amber was a bit slow, but I loved the characters and the idea of the story so much I slogged through it. I'll steel myself for The Fiery Cross. By the way, have these books kicked up anyone else's "romance life" a notch? DH is definitely my Jamie (except of German descent!) and...whoo! Is it hot in here, or is it me? :D

[funniegrrl]

NOTE: Possible spoiler below for those who have not read Voyager and beyond.


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I know her new one is out now and I hope it is more like the original and not more like FC.


A Breath of Snow and Ashes is the most recent volume in the series. It's been out for a while, the trade paperback came out a year ago.

She DOES have two new Lord John books coming out soon. She put one out a few years ago; they are more small regular-novel length and not behemoths. (Typical of Gabaldon, she started out writing the first one as a short story ... ). If you like Lord John -- and I do, very much -- then the first novel at least is worth reading. Although, if you are squeamish about such things, please remember that he is gay.

It's worth checking out her website (http://www.dianagabaldon.com)now and then, too. For example, right now she has her Lord John book tour schedule up. I highly recommend going to one of her book signings -- she's very nice and puts up with rabid fans quite well. She usually gives a little talk at the beginning to head off the 1,000 most commonly asked questions, especially those that tend to be asked by newbies. Then she takes other questions.

P.S. She also maintains a "methadone list" for people looking for something to read between Outlander books. One of the books she mentions is A Vision of Light, which came out several years before Outlander and which I loved. In fact, Claire reminded me of the heroine of this book when I first read Outlander.

[ChristineVA]

Thanks for the somewhat positive review on the Lord John books.

I had thought to read them because I really loved this character. But somewhere along the line I had heard that the book was truly awful and should be avoided. I did not know the person who told me that--maybe a possible homophobe???:D So, you think it worth reading?

[Veronica]

Just chiming in to say that I agree that Fiery Cross wasn't the page-turner that the other books in the series were, but I still enjoyed it. I love historical fiction, and I like all the details of Jamie & Claire's day-to-day life. I have to say, though, some of the descriptions were a little over the top. If memory serves me correctly, there was a passage where Jamie smelled like a mix of baby spit-up and sweat (or something along those lines). I never thought Jamie could do anything that would turn my stomach . . . until I read that.

Add me to the camp that hasn't warmed up to Brianna. I don't know what it is about her. Her personality is all over the map.

[LakeMartinGal]

I actually like Brianna -- it must be (have been) very difficult to get your mind around the time shift, and wanting to be with your parents, and your mom disappearing to 2 centuries ago... no wonder she's all over the map!