Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

14 reviews

robotnik's review against another edition

adventurous 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? No

2.5

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. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Violence and Xenophobia

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

sonygaystation's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

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

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body shaming, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Vomit, Grief, Colonisation, and War

Minor: Animal death, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, and Abortion

tieflingmom's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Death, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and War

gellyreads's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Vomit, Abortion, and Pregnancy

Minor: Pedophilia

elizlizabeth's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Blood, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Infidelity, Xenophobia, and Abortion

water_violin's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

Definitely an interesting story, but clearly had been published in the 90s, given the portrayal of the only gay characters as predatory and sadistic. The portrayal of Romani travelers was also somewhat problematic to a modern eye, but at least they were not shown to be monolithically negative. I was personally not a fan of how the main relationship developed, as both of the characters were in turns somewhat emotionally manipulative or abusive, but it does make sense with the setting and characterization. Overall, some very unpleasant themes, but an interesting storyline. I’m curious to see how the rest of the books progress and whether there are any more diverse portrayals of queer or non-white characters. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual violence, Suicide, Xenophobia, Vomit, Religious bigotry, and Murder

Minor: Child death, Chronic illness, and Classism

irinalast's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny medium-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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Cursing, Infertility, Misogyny, Xenophobia, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

skeptic_hecate's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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

3.5

 Entertaining enough, could do without the brutallity.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Torture, and Violence

Minor: Homophobia and Xenophobia

leweylibrary's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Xenophobia, Kidnapping, and Death of parent

Minor: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Religious bigotry, Abortion, and Pregnancy

emfass's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny inspiring reflective tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

A very slow delicious reread. My friend who originally recommended the series to me highly recommended the audiobooks as well, and I am SO glad I finally tried them. Davina Porter is absolutely exquisite. 

I've watched the TV show and read the books through A Breath of Snow and Ashes, but this was my first time rereading, and I absolutely loved revisiting the story, how Jamie and Claire started out and forged their relationship, plus all the small hints Diana drops about all of the events to come.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, and Death of parent

Moderate: Child abuse, Gun violence, Infertility, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, and Pregnancy