Outlander

Outlander, Book 1

By: Diana Gabaldon

Narrated by: Davina Porter

Length: 32 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

This stunning blend of historical romance and time traveling adventure has captured the hearts of millions of readers around the world and catapulted author Diana Gabaldon to the top of the New York Times best seller list. Outlander introduces an exhilarating world of heroism and breathtaking thrills as one woman is torn between past and present, passion and love.

In 1945, former combat nurse Claire Randall returns from World War II and joins her husband for a second honeymoon. Their blissful reunion is shattered when she touches a boulder in an ancient stone ruin and is instantly transported to 1743 Scotland, a place torn by war and raiding border clans. Will Claire find her way back to her own time, or is her destiny forever linked with Clan MacKenzie and the gallant James Fraser?

©1991 Diana Gabaldon (P)1997 Recorded Books, LLC.

Critic reviews

"Davina Porter maintains the distinct voices she creates for each character throughout the lengthy narration. Her delivery of 18th-century language sounds authentic and is easily understandable." (AudioFile)

You feel as if you are there

Would you listen to Outlander again? Why?

This was great!

However I had tried to read this before and just could not get into it, so I tried the audio book and feel in love.

There is so much detail in this book that reading it I found it was slow reading.Listening on the other hand it was great! You could visualise everything and just get pulled into the story. I am excited to start the second book!

If you love old stories of the past with the twist of time travel you will love it. Lots of action,love and intrigue! Also a lot of history of the era that is very interesting and beautiful for you can visualise as its being told!

I would listen to this again after I finish them all

binge binge binge!

once you start you can't stop! beautifully written and wonderfully read. book 2 already downloaded!

I love the story line more in-depth then the show

I always like reading the books behind the shows I'm interested in I can't wait to get all the 9 books

Loved It.

Any additional comments?

I was wary of reading Outlander, and wasn't sure what to expect. I had heard many conflicting things about the book and I hope to touch on most of them in this review. At any rate, I ended up loving the book.

The characters were easy to relate to them and I really felt and understood their emotions.

Claire, a WWII combat nurse and our heroine, was especially great. She is spunky, quick-witted, resourceful and has a great sarcastic sense of humor. Finding herself in the middle of the 18th century Scottish Highlands, she meets Jamie, who plays the hero. He's strong and independent (often to the point of stubbornness!), but he has his own monsters chasing him. The supporting characters were equally well drawn and unique. Even the main villain, who started out as a love to hate character, grew on me until I finally started to understand his viewpoint.

Historically, Outlander is beautifully researched, and paints a fantastic picture of the 18th century Scottish Highlands and clan life therein. I love when historical fiction ties large scale events into their world, rather than just taking place during a certain period of time.

Two of the main disputing points I've seen between those that loved and those that were disgusted by the novel are the sexuality and brutality of the novel, so I definitely want to say my peace in that regard. Yes, there is a lot of sexuality. Yes, there is beating, whipping, and rape - much if it with a good deal of detail. But I think that without it, Outlander would not be the book it is and, especially with the brutality, it really illustrates the time period where the book takes place. I didn't find any of it unnecessary or out of place. However, if you have a low tolerance for these types of things, Outlander may not be the book for you.

Davina Porter is an excellent narrator. She was able to distinctly portray both English and Scottish, male and female voices. It seemed as though almost all the major characters had a distinct voice. She's definitely going on to my list of favorite narrators.

Well Done!

Very good narration. Enjoyed the time travel period. A long story but worth listening to.

Excellent

Great story, awesome narration, interesting thought process. Mind boggling at times but self explanatory. Glad it was audio, brought me to tears and made me laugh out loud.

Beautifully Done

The author does an amazing job painting a picture of the characters and the setting. This book is by far my favorite (along with the rest of the series). I’ve read the books and I’ve listened to them repeatedly over many years.

Great book, not good performance

Would you consider the audio edition of Outlander to be better than the print version?

I love audio books, so I always prefer them. But all in all, its the same book.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Jamie because it is easy to picture him and understand him. He has a great story and is very interesting.

What aspect of Davina Porter’s performance would you have changed?

Davina did pretty good. Every once in a while her accent sounded more German or Russian than Scottish. But, the main problem was the background noise that I heard. I heard mumbling or coughing in the background at least 10 times.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Listening to Jamie and Claire evolve in their relationship.

Any additional comments?

My new favorite book series! I'm obsessed! Already bought the second book!

Beautiful Writing that will Stand the Test of time

Would you listen to Outlander again? Why?

I don’t think so, but not because it was bad but because I’ve had that experience and I want to listen to the rest of the series. It is a very long book and a bit emotionally fraught for the listener, absolutely worth hearing and experiencing, but for me, just once.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Outlander?

I think the scene when Jamie saves Claire from being burned as a witch was read with a great deal of emotion and suspense. I was really on the edge of my seat.

Have you listened to any of Davina Porter’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, I have not.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

A love to span centuries.

Any additional comments?

I am not a romance reader, at all. I love fantasy and science fiction. I like dense, right technically accurate novels. But, I am so glad I have this genre-spanned a chance - it is so beautifully written and so meticulously researched, it was a joy to hear. The story stayed with me for months.

Love, Love, Loved it!

It almost seems like all of the authors I love have hit a writers block and I can't seem to find a book to read. But one day while watching the Starz network, I saw the show Outlander advertised. It peaked my interest, and I watched the first season. I loved the show and wanting more, I got the first book.

What an enjoyable book! The narrator "made" this book. I've noticed others have called this a romance, but I disagree. Had it been one, I wouldn't have finished the book. I have book 2 in my library and I will be listening soon!