Tuesday, April 18, 2017

O is for Outlander


Have you read Outlander by Diana Gabaldon?  Outlander and the books that followed - Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager, Drums of Autumn, The Fiery Cross, A Breath of Snow and Ashes, An Echo in the Bone, Written in My Own Heart's Blood and all of the other shorter novels and novellas chronicle the time travelling adventure of Claire and Jamie Fraser.  Steeped in the history of the Scottish clans, Culloden, and the subsequent scattering of the clans, the books are a must read for anyone who loves Scotland and all things Scottish.


From the post-World War II era to 18th century Scotland and France and back to the 20th century, the adventures of Claire and Frank Randall are interwoven with those of Jamie Fraser and the MacKenzie clan and the fiendish Jonathan Wolverton Randall, Frank's ancestor.  Throw in Bonnie Prince Charlie, a host of colorful clansmen, the canny lawyer Ned Gowan, and a (presumed) witch who is a time traveler herself and you have an adventure that will be hard to put down.  Now that it has come to the small screen on STARZ, millions have tuned into what has been called "addictive" and "immersive" and the series launched a merchandizing frenzy for tartan and other Scottish clothing, jewelry, and other memorabilia, not to mention the huge impact it has had on tourism.  Google Outlander Tours and you'll have a whole host to choose from.

As is usually the case, the screen version is wonderful but it's better to read the books first and you might want to keep this chart handy.  The intertwined relationships can sometimes be a bit tricky.

2 comments:

  1. I read a few of these books many years ago, but think I might read the whole series now. I haven't watched the show yet either!

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  2. Outlander ...... *swoon*. I loved the books so much! I downloaded them on my Kindle to re-read, most likely later this summer! I love the show too. That Jamie! <3

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