Describe your latest work. When I started working on Plant-Thinking in 2008, I had no idea that the project would turn out to be as broad as it did....
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Ami Johnson, January 8, 2013 (view all comments by Ami Johnson)
This eloquently told story of love, honor, and war in 18th Century Scotland was indeed gripping and I could not put it down, as well as the rest of the books in the series that followed. Although it contain elements that I would normally never be drawn to, such as time-travel, the story is so beautifully written as to allow the reader to completely suspend disbelief, to such a point that you are left thinking how utterly possible every riveting detail in this novel could be. Diana Gabaldon describes, in exquisite detail, what life was in war-torn Scotland. She does such an excellent job of this that you are completely transported back in time. You can almost smell the scents, taste the food, and hear the sounds. What makes this book even better is that these elements are brought to life for you through the eyes of a 20th Century woman. I would also add that, while being a novel of fiction, Diana goes to great lengths to ensure that nearly all aspects of this time remain historically accurate. As a lover of Historical Fiction I find nothing more distracting in a book than the creation of falsehoods that do nothing to add to the story.
My one, and only, complaint is that the author, at times, goes into such great detail as to become somewhat tedious. It is my understanding that all of her novels are self-edited, and I am of the opinion that this can be a double-edged sword. On one hand you get the complete vision of the writer, but on the other hand there are times when the writer is so invested in the characters and story that you find extraneous details that do nothing to either add to the plot or develop a more clear vision of the characters. That being said, this is one of those books that has become to me much like a warm comfortable blanket. You just want to enfold yourself in it and escape from the world for a bit, and you find yourself retreating into this wonderful book on more than one occasion.
Waney, December 31, 2012 (view all comments by Waney)
This series changed my life. I cannot even begin to go into the details of how much I fell in love with the main characters: Claire Beauchamp and Jamie Fraser. The love story between these two beautifully written characters actually transcends time and logic. Their devotion, respect and soul-reaching love was one of beauty and even awe inspiring. Theirs is a long and beautiful historic journey together reaching limits and boundaries of both heartwarming depth and gut-wrenching tragedy. Not to be cryptic, it's just that this indescribable story is meant to be told through the words of the brilliant author, Diana Gabaldon.
Orenthal, January 16, 2012 (view all comments by Orenthal)
I am rereading the entire Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon now. I am on the 4th book and have several more to go. This series is so good that it calls me back again,and again. The characters are great and I can picture them as they move through the books. Sometimes their adventures are pretty fantastic, but within the context of the story, they are not only believable but totally captivating. One day I happened to be at Powells in Cedar Hills Crossing. I looked up and realized that Diana Gabaldon was scheduled to speak in about 15 minutes! How amazing is that?? Obviously I stayed to listen and found her to be different than I'd imagined, but very charming, funny, and an interesting speaker. It's often difficult to imagine what the author of a favorite book or series, looks like. Are they similar to the characters they've created? (Does the author of The Hobbit, look like a hobbit, or a wizard?) Diana Gabaldon doesn't have flaming red hair, like her main characters, Jamie and Bree, nor does she appear to have very curly, unruly and long hair, like Claire. She does have long, dark hair, perhaps resembling Jamie's sister, Jennie. But maybe not!! Imagination, isn't it grand?
anitaballerina, March 29, 2010 (view all comments by anitaballerina)
I read this book when it was recommended by a community of women that love to read. I picked up the first book and it was so good. Seeing the other books in the series and seeing how at over 800 pages this is the smallest book I have to admit it was intimidating, but I am so glad I stuck with it and read the whole thing. I have read the first 3 books and I love them all.
Ms. Gabaldon is a very talented author who's imagery in her books so good it makes the reader feel like they are there with the characters. This is an amazing series and the time travel aspect is very interesting.
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"Review"
by Chattanooga Times,
"Marvelously entertaining....A page-turner of the highest order and a good read from start to finish."
"Review"
by Publishers Weekly,
"Absorbing and heartwarming....Lavishly evokes the land and lore of Scotland."
"Review"
by Los Angeles Daily News,
"Gabaldon is a born storyteller."
"Synopsis"
by Random,
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 millions of readers.
Here is the story that started it all, introducing two remarkable characters, Claire Randall and Jamie Fraser, in a spellbinding novel of passion and history that combines exhilarating adventure with a love story for the ages....
The year is 1945. Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is 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 stone circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach — an "outlander" — in a Scotland torn by war and raiding Highland clans in the year of Our Lord ... 1743.
Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire is catapulted into intrigues and dangers that may threaten her life ... and shatter her heart. For here she meets James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, and becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire ... and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.
"Synopsis"
by Libri,
This bestselling novel of time travel fuses the drama, passion, and violence of 18th-century Scotland with a wry, modern sensibility, as Gabaldon tells the story of one daring woman and the man who loves her.
Powell's City of Books is an independent bookstore in Portland, Oregon, that fills a whole city block with more than a million new, used, and out of print books. Shop those shelves — plus literally millions more books, DVDs, and eBooks — here at Powells.com.
