Hi there!
So my obsession with Outlander is well known, and I have now completed book two in the series! It was in no way a disappointment, still furthering my love for Scotland and Diana Gabaldon's magical writing style.
This review will be a spoiler review, obviously as Dragonfly in Amber is the second novel in the Outlander series.
When I began the novel, I was super super confused when Jamie and Claire's daughter Brianna appeared straight away! I had a total freak out that we weren't going to see what happened to Claire and Jamie in between that time, but of course Diana would never do that to us! While I am obsessed with the Scottish highlands thanks to Outlander, I adored the change of scenery we got for a while in this novel. The characters in Paris were just as rich and fascinating as those back in Scotland. I was slightly concerned when it seemed that Claire was going to have problems with being called a witch again, but that was luckily avoided. Also, how agonising was it when Claire wasn't speaking to Jamie after the incident with Black Jack? I wasn't sure how everything was going to go down with them, but I was fairly certain that Black Jack could not be killed, as then Frank would never exist. My theory is that they cannot change anything in history as what has happened has happened, right?
I also adore the characters introduced in the future setting, including Brianna. She's just as incredibly stubborn and beautiful as you'd expect of Jamie and Claire's daughter, along with her own little quirks and flaws. Her relationship with Roger is heartwarming and I found it a lovely addition to that aspect of the story. Their relationship is so different to Jamie and Claire's, so it is, in a way, a refreshing change for a little while.
Some people have said that the ending was an unexpected turn, but I did see it coming from the very beginning. I mean, Jamie couldn't just disappear from the series, could he?! That didn't bother me though, the story was still full of Diana's classic twists and turns. Her storylines are so intricate yet easy to follow, and I am so so excited to continue with the series soon.
Rating: 5/5
Let me know your thoughts on the Outlander sequel. Did you like it as much as it's predecessor? I'd probably still say Outlander was my favourite, but Dragonfly in Amber comes super close!
Love always,
Ari
Showing posts with label scotland. Show all posts
Showing posts with label scotland. Show all posts
Saturday, 27 February 2016
Monday, 25 January 2016
Outlander Book/TV Show Review!
Hey all,
Today I want to talk about a recent obsession of mine, inspired by the wonderful Sasha from abookutopia. OUTLANDER!!
NON-SPOILER REVIEW:
Words cannot express how much I loved this book, and the first season of the tv show came pretty close. For those of you who are yet to experience the wonders that is Outlander, this novel (previously called Cross Stitch) by Diana Gabaldon, follows the adventures of Claire Randall. Claire is a nurse during WWII, during which time she was unable to see her husband Frank very often. After the war, Frank and Claire take a trip to the Scottish Highlands to reconnect. Whilst exploring some ancient standing stones near Inverness, Claire is transported back in time to 1743. This is where the real excitement starts, and she comes across Jamie Fraser (sigh!). Diana Gabaldon's writing truly fleshes out both the characters and their surroundings, creating such a vivid story.
In short, if you have not read Outlander yet, READ IT!
Similarly, season one of Outlander was incredible. It stuck extremely close to the book for the most part, and further enhanced my new-found love of the Scottish Highlands. I would recommend reading the book first, of course, as I found this really enriched my viewing experience. However, if you find that massive novel a tad daunting, the show is a great way to start!
Book rating: 5/5
TV series rating: 4.75/5
Now for the SPOILERY SECTION:
Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ, what a read! Despite the amount of action bundled up in this book, due to it's size, Gabaldon managed to ensure that it never felt rushed, or as though too much was happening at once. I absolutely adored every single character in this book. And, I mean, Jamie. What more can I say. The only time I was concerned about the nature of Jamie's character was when he whipped Claire in punishment. At first I was like nooooo Jamie what are you doing you terrible man. However, as I considered it, I reminded myself that we were in 1743, and despite Jamie's actions still being awful, he was extremely kind for that time period.
The story really ended in an unexpected way. I cannot even comprehend what happened to Jamie, and was in absolute agony reading the ordeal of their arrival in France. But now I am super duper excited for a little baby Jamie-Claire in the next book!!!
In regards to the book-tv show comparison, I was extremely impressed. I found it very accurate in the significant aspects of the plot, and nearly every character was as I imagined them when reading (especially Jamie ;)).
The only minor criticism I would give the show was some of the portrayal of Claire. I was watching the series with my parents, neither of whom had read the book before. Whilst I didn't have the need to explain much to them as the story went, they did say that they found Claire a very annoying character. Initially I didn't understand this, mostly due to my bias for the book. But as I considered their points I did begin to notice that Claire was more annoying in the show that in the book. At no point whilst reading Outlander did I find myself frustrated at Claire, however in the show she seemed slightly over-dramatised. This is evidently due to the nature of tv series - they need drama for people to engage entirely. So this small fault I can easily forgive.
Let me know in the comments your thoughts on the Outlander book and tv series! Also feel free to suggest any reviews you'd like me to write, or any book recommendations you may have.
Love always,
Ari
Today I want to talk about a recent obsession of mine, inspired by the wonderful Sasha from abookutopia. OUTLANDER!!
NON-SPOILER REVIEW:
Words cannot express how much I loved this book, and the first season of the tv show came pretty close. For those of you who are yet to experience the wonders that is Outlander, this novel (previously called Cross Stitch) by Diana Gabaldon, follows the adventures of Claire Randall. Claire is a nurse during WWII, during which time she was unable to see her husband Frank very often. After the war, Frank and Claire take a trip to the Scottish Highlands to reconnect. Whilst exploring some ancient standing stones near Inverness, Claire is transported back in time to 1743. This is where the real excitement starts, and she comes across Jamie Fraser (sigh!). Diana Gabaldon's writing truly fleshes out both the characters and their surroundings, creating such a vivid story.
In short, if you have not read Outlander yet, READ IT!
Similarly, season one of Outlander was incredible. It stuck extremely close to the book for the most part, and further enhanced my new-found love of the Scottish Highlands. I would recommend reading the book first, of course, as I found this really enriched my viewing experience. However, if you find that massive novel a tad daunting, the show is a great way to start!
Book rating: 5/5
TV series rating: 4.75/5
Now for the SPOILERY SECTION:
Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ, what a read! Despite the amount of action bundled up in this book, due to it's size, Gabaldon managed to ensure that it never felt rushed, or as though too much was happening at once. I absolutely adored every single character in this book. And, I mean, Jamie. What more can I say. The only time I was concerned about the nature of Jamie's character was when he whipped Claire in punishment. At first I was like nooooo Jamie what are you doing you terrible man. However, as I considered it, I reminded myself that we were in 1743, and despite Jamie's actions still being awful, he was extremely kind for that time period.
The story really ended in an unexpected way. I cannot even comprehend what happened to Jamie, and was in absolute agony reading the ordeal of their arrival in France. But now I am super duper excited for a little baby Jamie-Claire in the next book!!!
In regards to the book-tv show comparison, I was extremely impressed. I found it very accurate in the significant aspects of the plot, and nearly every character was as I imagined them when reading (especially Jamie ;)).
The only minor criticism I would give the show was some of the portrayal of Claire. I was watching the series with my parents, neither of whom had read the book before. Whilst I didn't have the need to explain much to them as the story went, they did say that they found Claire a very annoying character. Initially I didn't understand this, mostly due to my bias for the book. But as I considered their points I did begin to notice that Claire was more annoying in the show that in the book. At no point whilst reading Outlander did I find myself frustrated at Claire, however in the show she seemed slightly over-dramatised. This is evidently due to the nature of tv series - they need drama for people to engage entirely. So this small fault I can easily forgive.
Let me know in the comments your thoughts on the Outlander book and tv series! Also feel free to suggest any reviews you'd like me to write, or any book recommendations you may have.
Love always,
Ari
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