I started reading the Outlander book series, by Diana Gabaldon, in mid-August of 2014, after watching the first episode of the STARZ show. I was hooked.
An avid reader who also loves time travel romances, it didn't take much for me to dive into the Outlander books, quickly becoming head over heels thoroughly wrapped up in the series of books.
It has taken me six months to finish the series of eight books – the eighth published just last year and, we hear from Gabaldon - not the final book either.
Nevertheless, I panicked three weeks ago when I started on book eight. For six months I had opened my Kindle and read the books – a little each day – at breakfast, lunch, sometimes dinner and before bed. Yes readers, I do have a life, but anyone who loves to read knows that when you get hooked on a good book ... you just can't put it down.
I knew I'd no longer be able to pick up my Kindle and wonder what Jamie and Claire were up to on a daily basis. Where were Bree and Roger? William and Lord John? How was the Ridge doing? Fergus, Marsali and the children?
After six months, one begins to have these characters in the back of the mind all day. They become real, and in a small sense you can't wait to find out what they are doing.
In reality, it becomes "what is Gabaldon doing with them?"
Spoiler Alert
Read no further if you haven't read the books and don't want to know anything past where the TV series left off.
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| Claire and Jamie from a scene in the Outlander TV series. Claire is played by Catriona Balfe, Jamie by Scottish actor Sam Heughan. |
Gabaldon's zest for history, all things Gaelic, smells and sights
You only have to read through the first book in the series to fall in love with Gabaldon's writing style. There are thousands of authors and books out there, some are very good - some not so good. But not all writers have a specific "style" that sets them apart from even the good writers.
Gabaldon is one of those writers who is set apart. Stephen King is another. Their styles are totally different as is the genre of their works. Nevertheless, their writing styles are so distinctive that one is drawn into their books like a moth to light.
Gabaldon has sucked me in with her vivid descriptions of the smells, odors, fragrances surrounding the characters. You could almost sense yourself sharing those smells with Claire as she describes the smell of a tavern (ordinary) - the smell of unwashed bodies, sweat, beer, cheese, wood smoke, cooking ham and more. You get the picture – or the smell anyway.
She describes the terrain so perfectly - whether it's the highlands of Scotland, the muddy, dirtiness of 18th century Edinburgh (or Philadelphia) or the mountains of North Carolina.
Claire's healing ability is featured throughout every book. Going from nurse to physician in the 20th century and back to the 18th century, where she takes her vast surgical healing skills and customizes them for the times. She becomes "conjure woman" - a healer - a physician.
Claire makes use of what is available to her - herbs, oils that she makes - to ether, penicillin, a make-shift stethoscope and microscope, even acupuncture needles; she always figures it out. From fixing a crushed finger to surgery and amputation during war, to delivering babies, eye care, dental care and more - she finds a way; always sticking to the physician's oath she took back in the 20th century.
Can you speak Gaelic?
Gabaldon makes use of the Gaelic language throughout her books - yet always explains what the phrase means. By the time I finished the eighth book, I found myself fascinated by the Gaelic phrases - using them from time to time.
I caught myself using ken and kent instead of "know." And instead of telling someone to worry, I was saying, "dinna fash." Now, everyone I know is looking at me like I'm a lunatic.
Don't mind me, it's Outlander fever.
How did I miss Outlander 20 years ago?
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| Diana Gabaldon is the author of the Outlander series. |
After about 55 years of reading physical books, I caved in and bought a Kindle a few years ago and it usually goes with me wherever I go. It's one less thing to clean (meaning no book sitting on a shelf) and now I can lay in bed and hold my Kindle, backlit and able to read easily enough. All of my Outlander books are on my Kindle.
I loved being able to click on a word to know the meaning. Because as any Gabaldon fan knows, Diana is a scholar and researcher, she is well versed in her vocabulary and strove throughout her books to not only use words native to the 18th century, but descriptive words that I had to find the meaning to in order to understand a sentence. The books are a history lesson with fascinating characters.
Gabaldon is not just the creator of this fabulous fiction series, but holy smokes - she's smart as a whip!
The cast of characters
With the STARZ series having begun broadcasting last August, Outlander fans now know what Claire and Jamie look like, Dougal, Geillis, Colum, Murtaugh, Black Jack Randall and Frank, and others native to the first book in the series.
It's been wonderful to read the books and picture Claire and Jamie growing old and I can't wait to see who is picked to portray other main characters on the show, such as Brianna, Roger, Fergus, Marsali, Ian the son of Jenny and Ian Murray, William and Lord John - to name a few.
Then there are the other time travelers, the characters we do know from history – Benedict Arnold, Marquis de Lafayette, George Washington, Sam Adams and others.
I can only hope to write as well as Gabaldon
As a writer of mostly historical accounts, I have loved Gabaldon's description of her early years of writing ... from her desk, without traveling all over the world. She did her research the old-fashioned way - through libraries and books and yes, the Internet.
And she's still managed to write a series of epic proportions.
Now that I've got some time on my hands, perhaps I can finally finish my nonfiction book on the heinous crimes of Dr. George Fraker.
After all, Diana Gabaldon has inspired me to get moving.
Meanwhile, she is working on book 9. Just what will Jamie and Claire be up to next?
