Reviews tagging 'Abortion'

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

22 reviews

kmac14's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5


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ccgrassie's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

This book was so exciting and interesting to read. I could not put it down while I was reading, and even though the book was ~600 pages long, it felt like it was such a quick read because it was so captivating. It brought up a lot of complex emotions which I really appreciated (although maybe I felt them more deeply at this time in my life than I would have if I were in a different place emotionally/romantically). Almost every character had aspects to them that felt so deep, complicated, and human. My only issue with this story (and I’m not sure if issue is the right word) is that it felt like any characters who were not hetero were more strongly associated with negative (or outright evil) personality traits. I think this is most likely due to the historical time period and character lens of the story, but it was something that stuck out to me towards the end of the book in a way I didn’t like. There were some very violent and emotional scenes that were difficult to read, but I also think that these moments added to how realistic and complicated the story felt. Overall, I really loved this book. I laughed out loud while reading, cried so many times, and was completely swept away by the characters and their world. 

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gellyreads's review against another edition

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adventurous dark slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

I feel like this book is just an absolute mess.
She’s abused and forgives him too quickly.
The romance is paper thin. The fantasy and time travel elements were the most interesting, but it’s not really the point.
Why couldn’t we see more of the “witches?”
I don’t get it.

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elizlizabeth's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

3.0

I enjoyed the first half of the book but by the end it honestly felt like the plot was there only to justify the smut. Jamie was my favorite character but by the end he had lost all semblance of personality and coherency in favor of whatever the plot or Claire's own arch required. Claire herself was very annoying and unlikable to me, but her actions and personality made sense for the plot so it's not really a critique and more of a lack of affinity on my part.
Gabaldon is a very good writer and I truly enjoyed the historical fantasy part of this. Not sure if I'd read the rest of the series after that infamous dungeon scene tho. Definitely read and heed the warnings on this one.

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emhaze's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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hailsatan's review against another edition

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orcea's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25


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strawberrypinch's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5


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donatio's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

The author's style was easy to read but I have a view critique points:
- Why so much sex? 
-
The first point connects to the second: I had a problem with Jamie, he had a few good lines and while I understand that the time was different then, I just can't agree with some things he did, because he really doesn't give her a proper choice. And the beating, no, I could not really forgive him for that even though Claire did.

-
Why did Claire have to cry so much and always had to be held in Jamie's arms to calm down?

-
The ending. I knew she would have a baby but still. Maybe it's just personal preference but I don't like the Pregnancy trope.

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leweylibrary's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I never wrote a review the first time I read this book about 2ish years ago, so here we go!

So my first ever impression of Outlander was the show, but I hadn't seen it recently enough after reading the book the first time to track all the ways the story is interpreted on each medium, but they are quite different. There's a lot they cut or twisted a bit to make action happen and certain events happen faster on the show, and we see a lot more of Claire's thoughts in the book since she is the first-person narrator. I think the time in the books that it takes for Jamie and Claire to marry and then for their relationship to develop makes it feel all the more real and believable, especially when he's confronted with her real origins.

Other random thoughts, the show does a good job of using flashbacks to the 1940s to remind us that what she's experiencing now isn't her usual "normal" and to remind us of the historical and personal significance of what she's experiencing. If I didn't love this series as a whole so much, I would probably have been annoyed that this book ends with
a pregnancy trope
. I forgot how much of the
sexual assault and rape scene with Jamie and Randall
is in this book, for some reason I thought a lot of the detail came in the second through him recounting it? Oh and I forgot how absolutely lovely Jenny is in the book (they make her a bit mean to Claire in the show). Actually, they make Claire more blunt and aggressive on the show too, but again I think that was to up the drama and make the drama more visible. Claire and Jamie's wedding night and following day is just as swoon-worthy as I remember it, and damn it Jamie is a smooth talker and loves the shit out of her. I actually had a dream in which my fiance kinda merged with him? It was amazing lmao. He's so innocent when it comes to relationships at this point which is an interesting juxtaposition with how mature he is in so many other ways. The witch hunt part is pretty different than the show, they definitely play up her healing as witchy and at odds with the Father a ton which almost none of which happens in the book. But that realization that Geilis is
also a time traveler
hits just as hard as the first time. Oh, and Jamie's recovery after Wentworth is...a lot more intense than I remember it. Man that was rough. 

Overall I just have to say in the official capacity of this review that I love these books and the precedent that is begun in this one for the slow, decadent pace. Sure, there's a lot of detail that could be cut, but the story feels so much more real and immersive for it. I truly feel like I know these characters and am living life alongside them, especially Claire and Jamie. I desperately wish I was as cool as Claire (and it's crazy that she only gets cooler from here even after birthing a child lol), and Jamie is forever my favorite fictional man as far as a being a partner in a relationship goes. Besides that one scene. Iykyk

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