Outlander Is Not Outlandish
Photo Credits: Lisa Gill
During quarantine it has become popular to binge shows on Netflix, deep clean the spots of the house you said you would fix up months prior, and catch up on that pile of books mounting on your favorite shelf.
I finally found myself doing the latter option (including re-reading several of my favorites if I’m being honest). One book that I could not put down the moment I started reading it was Outlander, By Diana Gabaldon. If you haven’t heard of the novel yet, dinna fash Sassenach, here’s some background: Diana Gabaldon, famous for writing the first Outlander novel as practice instead of to be published to the public, has sold roughly 30 million copies worldwide. And 29 years after its first publication Outlander has spawned eight sequels in the series. Currently Gabaldon is working on the ninth book in the series titled Go Tell The Bee’s That I Am Gone, which is set to release late 2020. The series will have ten books in total plus a prequel of Jamie Fraser’s parents story, according to the author. On top of that, the series was supposed to be turned into a movie franchise, with Katherine Heigl boosting rumors at the helm of the lead title character, Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser. But, years later Starz won the rights and are currently getting ready to film the sixth season of the popular hit show Outlander with Irish actress Caitriona Balfe and Scottish actor Sam Heughan as the leads Claire and Jamie. The series (both books and show) focus on Claire Randall, a World War 2 combat nurse who goes on honeymoon with her husband Frank Randall to Inverness, Scotland after the war has ended in 1946. During the trip Claire finds herself falling back into time through Craigh Na Dun’s magic standing stone circle, transporting our lead into 1743 Scotland—three years before the Battle of Culloden that ends the life of highlanders clan way of life as we know it. There she meets the dashing, brave, and redheaded kilt wearing Scot, James “Jamie” Fraser who shows her a life she never knew she would want or one that she would try so hard to change. And of course, drama ensues our duo wherever they go. The series has been praised from many for Gabaldon’s research and great representation on historical events and flawlessly adding her characters into the life of the 18th century.
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I have been watching the show adaption since season three premiered on Starz and was instantly pulled into the world Gabaldon imagined, but I had never picked up the books (and with an English degree under my belt I was sad to admit that)! But after reading the first book I can truly admit it was better than I even thought it would be. The book follows Claire and we see life through her eyes as she falls for Jamie Fraser and how her feelings complicate things when also thinking back to her husband Frank in the 20th century. And it is so beautifully written. Plus it’s hard not to fall for Jamie Fraser and his nonstop attempts to protect the woman he has fallen in love with, even if it means giving her up to keep her safe. I also really loved how Gabaldon had as a strong character who could hold her own and fight back when needed. Claire is never a full on classic ‘damsel in distress’ that people might assume she’d be coming from a different time. By reading the novels you see how her mind works and how she is more calculated than any other character she meets. She knows how to play her cards and get what she wants, even if it takes a few tries (or years) to get it right. Claire also utilizes her skills from being a combat nurse to be a headstrong female healer in the 19th century who is not “the meek and obedient type” as she says. Outlander may have a strong female lead, but the series are enjoyable for anyone to read. It has steamy romance (that could be compared to fifty shades by some with the details), battles, prisons galore, time travel, and of course—lots of Scots in kilts. The book captivated me and if you’ve read the book or seen the series you know the first book ends with a sort of cliffhanger that makes you want to keep going… and fast! Which means, yes I am already half way done with the sequel Dragonfly in Amber, which is set in France for the first half of the novel and gives the series a fun twist outside of Lallybroch and Castle Leoch.
I am truly in love with this series (both versions) and cannot wait to read the rest of the series, to see how much has changed from the pages to the screen, but also to enjoy Gabaldon’s words and Claire’s inner thoughts.
If you do not have Starz you can enjoy the first three seasons of Outlander on Netflix (US) and pick up the books today at any of your local realtors!
Written by: Mandy Deitering