Reviews with content warning for Sexual harassment - Outlander

Everyone told me I was just going to love Outlander. My parents were enjoying the show a lot and the glimpses I've caught of it were interesting. And, I love historical stuff. I love romance. I love rich detail and expansive lore and I can bury myself in it for hours and hours at a time, just soaking it all in. By all that, this should have been a book that made my want to dance naked in the moonlight, worshiping it.

It didn't. Not even remotely.

The first, I don't know, third, maybe, of the book was really interesting and I was super into it. But, then it just really started to drag on. And on. And on. I was pretty much ready for it to end by the time they reached Lallybroch or whatever it's called, and that's already after the plot stopped resembling a plot and turned into a Monster of the Week format where someone gets captured, people run around a bit and then they get escaped and everyone gets a breather where we pretend that Claire and Jamie are a good romance and then we rinse and repeat the process.

And, don't even get me started on the romance because Jamie was cool up until he turned into a wife-beater. It doesn't matter how many times it happened, or if it fits the time period. Don't expect no modern day reader to read that and be all "oh hey yeah he's super sweet and the perfect romantic hero" cause he just needs to be tossed into the trash heap like all the other ones. The abuse was played for laughs, too, just a reminder. It was funny that Claire couldn't sit straight cause he beat her. Remember that tidbit.

It took me a while to realize why this is a rape-y book, as people like to call it. Claire and Jamie didn't even get it on until about 300 pages in. But, then, yeah, I found out it's a rape-y book. (Oh yeah, extra reminder that sometimes Claire says no but Jamie is horny so they "make love" anyways). In fact, that's pretty much the plot because that's what the climax is about. If that was the climax. I don't even know.

Don't get me wrong. I liked a lot of parts of this book. But, there was so many parts I didn't like or made me side-eye it that, at the end of the day, I just can't be into this series. It should have honestly been half as long. No one needed to be captured and rescue that many times. Seriously.

I'll go read something now where the main character doesn't spend five pages poking the dirt with a stick as she digs for weeds, or whatever it is that Claire does with her time when she's not being kidnapped or rescuing Jamie or whatever.

Content Warnings

creeepybones's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

I honestly have no idea what the hype or gross fixation people have with this book.
I could understand how the basic story line could be romantic; but the toxicity and open sexual violence and misogyny is sickening.
I did not enjoy it at all.
As well as it being such a slow read.
I would not recommend to anyone.

Content Warnings

booksnart2023's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging emotional inspiring reflective tense slow-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? It's complicated

4.5

Content Warnings

gooddaykelly's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative tense 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? No

5.0

Content Warnings

fairytales's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.0

This is a challenging book to rate. I enjoyed most of the characters and the romance but the violence, particularly the sexual violence was both frequent and severe and I found it difficult and upsetting to read

(anything to do with Jonathan Randall in particular, who is one of if not the most villainous characters I’ve come across in my reading). It’s also challenging to sort out how to apply historical context to these characters and their actions, since both the 1940s and 1740s are not current times. I enjoyed Claire’s personality, though I occasionally found her incongruent or confusing, but I think some of that can be chalked up to the time travel and her changing thoughts around it. I did really enjoy her medical background and innovation without modern medicine. The witch trials were interesting though I wish we had learned more about Geillis Duncan.

Content Warnings

isabellajay_books's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional funny lighthearted mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Certainly problematic at times. If you're after sex and enchantment, stick to the TV show. If you want never ending conflict, and character backstory - the book is good. The narrator is incredible. This story will always hold a place in my heart, so perhaps I'm being a little biased in my rating.

Content Warnings

egrey's review against another edition

Go to review page

Felt too repetitive and triggering

Content Warnings

More...