Ha! That got your attention, didn't it??
I've noticed some chatter (mostly in the latest meme floating around) in the blog-o-sphere about the
Outlander series by
Diana Gabaldon. It seems that lots of people have heard of it but have put off reading it (perhaps due to the sheer size of the books) or have heard of it and have no interest in reading it. There are also those that have read the series
many times and revere it to a disturbing degree. :o)
I thought I would offer my two cents to those who have the books (or at least
Outlander) in their TBR piles.
I have read the first five books -
Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager, Drums of Autumn and The Fiery Cross - and have the
A Breath of Snow and Ashes in my TBR. Yeah,yeah...I'll get to it. :o) So, see, I understand about the intimidation factor when dealing with these books. I look at ABOSAA every so often and consider reading it but so far it is too much for me to take on (please no SPOILERS - for any of the series -in any comments!!).
You know what the main appeal is? My title for this blog might be a clue. :o)
JAMIE!! You'll probably hear people talking about the attention to detail and the tons of research that obviously go into the books, the characterizations, the plotting...yada, yada. You know what hooks people in and makes them stick with series?? Our hero - James Alexander Malcolm Mackenzie Fraser. Jamie is the lynchpin for the books. He is, simply stated, the most perfect romantic hero ever. (And I'm not even one of the scary, reverent fans!) Just look at the polls for favorite hero - he's always number one!
*Some brief examples of Jamie's wonderfulness:
From
Outlander -
"I'm sorry," Jamie said. "I dinna mean to wake ye, lass."
"What are you doing? Why are you awake?" I squinted over my shoulder at him. It was still dark, but my eyes were so accustomed that I could see the faintly sheepish expression on his face. He was wide awake, sitting on a stool by the side of the bed, his plaid flung around him for warmth.
"It's only....well, I dreamed you were lost, and I couldna find ye. It woke me, and....I wanted to look at ye, is all. To fix ye in my mind, to remember while I'm gone. I turned back the quilt; I'm sorry you were chilled."Chapter 24: By the Pricking of My Thumbs - Page 513And in case you think he's a bit sappy:
"Looks as though it was a hard ride, Sassenach," he said, lightly touching a blue bruise on my inner thigh. "A bit saddle-sore, are ye?"
I narrowed my eyes and traced a deep bite-mark on his shoulder with my finger.
"You look a bit ragged around the edges yourself, my lad."
"Ah,weel," he said in broad Scots, "if ye bed wi' a vixen, ye must expect to get bit." He reached up and grasped me behind the neck, pulling me down to him. "Come here to me, vixen. Bite me some more."Chapter 23: Return to Leoch - Pages 438-439From
Dragonfly in Amber (my least favorite of the books, actually but, oh, this quote
sigh)-
"Well, I'll tell ye, Sassenach, 'graceful' is possibly not the first word that springs to mind at thought of you." He slipped an arm behind me, one hand large and warm around my silk-clad shoulder.
"But I talk to you as I talk to my own soul," he said, turning me to face him. He reached up and cupped my cheek, fingers light on my temple.
"And, Sassenach," he whispered, "your face is my heart."Chapter 11: Useful Occupations - Page 205And, finally, from
Drums of Autumn (just so you know what we're dealing with) -
I glanced at the slightly bulging front of his breeches, and then up at him. Broad-shouldered and tall, with bold, clean features and a Highlander's proud carriage, he drew the glance of every woman he passed, even with his bright hair covered by a sober blue tricorne. The breeches, which were borrowed, were substantially too tight, and did nothing whatever to detract from the effect---an effect enhanced by the fact that he himself was totally ignorant of it.
"You're a walking inducement to harlots," I said. "Stick by me; I'll protect you."Chapter 1: A Hanging in Eden - Page 9*Copyright by Diana Gabaldon. All rights reserved.Yes, it is certainly not light reading - literally or figuratively. Yes, it is written in first person (mostly) and some people don't like that. Yes, there are paranormal elements (not many, really). So, should
you tackle it?? Well, to those of you who are on the fence, I say "Try it! You may like it, Mikey!" Start small (-ish)...read
Outlander (and give it a good 50 pages or so before giving up, I'll admit it starts off a bit slow). That way you can judge for yourself whether it is or is not a romance (my opinion?? YUP!) and whether or not you're willing to continue through the rest of the series.
What do you think??
For more info on all things Outlandish visit the Ladies of Lallybroch.Labels: 2 cents, book stuff, cuties, quotes
