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A review by robotnik
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
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.
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
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Violence and Xenophobia
Minor: Adult/minor relationship