BLURB:

The year is 1945. Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is just back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon when she walks through a standing stone in one of the ancient circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach—an “outlander”—in a Scotland torn by war and raiding border clans in the year of Our Lord…1743.

Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire is catapulted into the intrigues of lairds and spies that may threaten her life, and shatter her heart. For here James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, shows her a love so absolute that Claire becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire—and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

MY THOUGHTS:

By the time I decided to read these books, I had already watched the TV show, so I already knew the story. There are differences, of course, and the book is way more detailed. However, the book is painfully slow in places, and I don’t think that long-winded descriptions of every single thing are necessary. I assume the author wants us to get a good idea of the setting and all that, but seriously, I don’t need too much description. I prefer my imagination do the work and fill the gaps.

But the think that bothered me the most were the historical inaccuracies, and that’s one of my biggest pet peeves when I read historical fiction. Do your research, people. I can accept a slight literary license in benefit of the story, but not blatant mistakes.

Overall, the story is a good one and kept me entertained. I liked it better than the show, although that’s not a surprise. The books are always, ALWAYS, much better than the films or TV adaptations. Alright, maybe there are a couple of exceptions, but I will talk about those in another post.

Anyhow, for all of that, I give this book… 4 TEA CUPS!