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Outlander series

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Lady of the Forest
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Post by Lady of the Forest » Mon June 7th, 2010, 10:48 pm

Clarie seems incapable of having mature, adult, rational discussions/conversations. It seems to me whenever anyone says anything to her or asks her a question which I personally think is perfectly legitimate her response is childish yelling.

She appears to be hell bent upon insulting, offending, and making angry the people who took her in, gave her shelter, and our protecting when as far as they know she could be an enemy spy.

She knows her own story is flimsy and that she has not told the truth, and while it is understandable that she would not attempt to explain time travel, she ought to be more understanding, under the circumstances of the Mackenzie's suspicions and not take it as some sort of personal affront against her.

And I really don't think that being defensive about everything is all that an effective way to get people to trust you and believe you.
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Ordinary morality is for ordinary people

CindyInOz
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Post by CindyInOz » Tue June 8th, 2010, 1:21 am

To be honest, I didn't really consider the fact that Claire was an adulteress - I was far too consumed by Jamie (my ultimate fictional hero) to worry about Claire... I don't think time travel stories can ever really be taken all that seriously. The Outlander series, for me, is pure escapism. Was Claire irritating, immature? Probably, but who cares! Jamie was awwwesome.

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Lady of the Forest
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Post by Lady of the Forest » Tue June 8th, 2010, 4:44 am

[quote=""CindyInOz""]To be honest, I didn't really consider the fact that Claire was an adulteress - I was far too consumed by Jamie (my ultimate fictional hero) to worry about Claire... I don't think time travel stories can ever really be taken all that seriously. The Outlander series, for me, is pure escapism. Was Claire irritating, immature? Probably, but who cares! Jamie was awwwesome.[/quote]

I think I am the only woman in the world who is not infatuated with Jamie. I have to say that I don't dislike him, but I am not in love with him, though perhaps that is because in my opinion Gabaldon's character development is not that good.

Her characters are not that "believable" to me, they don't really draw me into the story or captivate me. Sometimes her characters feel a bit too forced like she is trying too hard.

Maybe he will grow on me more as the book prograssess.
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Ordinary morality is for ordinary people

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Vanessa
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Currently reading: The Farm at the Edge of the World by Sarah Vaughan
Interest in HF: The first historical novel I read was Katherine by Anya Seton and this sparked off my interest in this genre.
Favourite HF book: Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell!
Preferred HF: Any
Location: North Yorkshire, UK

Post by Vanessa » Tue June 8th, 2010, 8:47 am

Jamie was quite real for me! :D I don't think I worried too much about Claire either. I've got the first two or three books on CD, too. I like the narrator (Davina Porter, I think she's called) - I think she reads them very well. I listen to them whilst I'm gardening!!! Takes the monotony away from weeding! LOL.

Perhaps it's not your sort of book, though, LotF? I think some people would find the time travelling thing a little bit bizarre and definitely 'unreal'. I never know what to class these books as. Are they fantasy, sci-fi, historical romance.....? I think I'd class them as historical fantasy.
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Books are mirrors, you only see in them what you already have inside you ~ The Shadow of the Wind

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Lady of the Forest
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Post by Lady of the Forest » Tue June 8th, 2010, 8:58 am

[quote=""Vanessa""]Jamie was quite real for me! :D I don't think I worried too much about Claire either. I've got the first two or three books on CD, too. I like the narrator (Davina Porter, I think she's called) - I think she reads them very well. I listen to them whilst I'm gardening!!! Takes the monotony away from weeding! LOL.

Perhaps it's not your sort of book, though, LotF? I think some people would find the time travelling thing a little bit bizarre and definitely 'unreal'. I never know what to class these books as. Are they fantasy, sci-fi, historical romance.....? I think I'd class them as historical fantasy.[/quote]

I think it is the romance part of it that bothers me more than the time travel. I read a lot of surreal and bizarre books with stranger things than time travel, as well I love fantasy books, but I generally do not read romance.

I picked this one up because of my interest in HF and I heard a lot of people whom enjoy HF talk about this book and how good they thought it was and people claimed that it was not a typical romance.

But I do not generally read Historical Romance

I also personally think that the author's writing is mediocre at best with some really bad prose work, and weak character development.
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Susan
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Post by Susan » Sat March 12th, 2011, 5:44 pm

I'm currently working my way through the Outlander books. I'm in the third book currently, so I don't know if any of the information in this post plays into the future books.

I often delve into the genealogy of real people (usually royals or those related to royals) when I read historical fiction. Although Jamie Fraser is a fictional creation, his paternal grandfather and uncle were real people. His grandfather was Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Fras ... Lord_Lovat ) and he has the dubious honor of being the last person beheaded (for treason) on Tower Hill outside of the Tower of London. He was 80 at the time of his death. It appears he liked to change sides as indicated for his support at times for William II and Mary III, the Hanovers, and the Jacobites. Here's an engraving of him.

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Lord Lovat's son and Jamie's uncle was Simon Fraser of Lovat, 19th MacShimidh (19th Chief of the Clan Fraser) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Si ... r_of_Lovat ). After fighting on the Scots side and surviving the Battle of Culloden, he turned out to be a general in the British Army. Below is an engraving of him. Hugh Fraser, the first husband of the biographer Lady Antonia Fraser, was a younger son of Simon Fraser, 14th Lord Lovat.

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Last edited by Susan on Sat March 12th, 2011, 5:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
~Susan~
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Royal news updated daily, information and discussion about royalty past and present
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Susan
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Post by Susan » Wed May 4th, 2011, 2:05 am

I think I've been spending too much time with Jamie lately. Someone is playing bagpipes in my neighborhood and it's 10 PM!
~Susan~
~Unofficial Royalty~
Royal news updated daily, information and discussion about royalty past and present
http://www.unofficialroyalty.com/

M'lady
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Post by M'lady » Wed May 4th, 2011, 8:04 pm

These books are long but there's so much action going on that I find myself flying through. However, I'm only on book three and they get even bigger from there. :p

I agree though, I liked Claire's character at first and even found her funny but now she's just annoying. Her hissy fits and "witty" comments no matter what situation make me want to slap her sometimes. Also I'm getting fed up of her and Jaime having physically violent rows that just turns into the inevitable.

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