“One never stops to think what underlies romance. Tragedy and terror, transmuted by time. Add a little art in the telling, and voila! a stirring romance, to make the blood run fast and maidens sigh.” (470)
I wasn’t sure I wanted to read Outlander (1992) by Diana Gabaldon. I first heard of it through a Cannonball review. Although I believe Mrs. Julien called it a classic, there appeared to be some mixed feelings. The novel was reported as an amalgam of time travel, history, and romance, along with some healthy servings of violence, beatings, and rape. It was also very long. I was thinking of skipping it, but my interest was piqued, so it stayed in the back of my head. Then I heard they were adapting it for television, and I figured I better read it before the show comes out. Even so, I began reading with some trepidation…and got sucked immediately into the story.
Great review. You know you’ll have to read Dragonfly in Amber as well now, right? Even more Jamie and Claire goodness. I may prefer it to Outlander even.
I do prefer Dragonfly, I don’t care who knows it.
Outlander is not a work of great literature, it’s just a really entertaining historical epic with a female protagonist. That alone is indeed refreshing. For the series, I keep thinking of specific elements they will need to fix.
I should probably re-read in advance of the new one but….nah I’m jumping right in. But Outlander is a delight – glad you took a chance!