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)

Perfect!

The Narrator was amazing with this book! With her words she made the story come to life and I cried, laughed and enjoyed every bit!

I'm hooked!!

There is no better feeling than to read a terrific book and know that it is but one of a series of nine!

Davina Porter is OUTSTANDING!!

Would you listen to Outlander again? Why?

If you get an Outlander book DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT get any other narrator other than Davina Porter, she is outstanding and has a really nice voice, and can do SO many characters it's amazing. She really is an outstanding Narrator and her skills make this such an enjoyable listen. I've listened to the Outlander series a couple times now because when a new book comes out, I want to be up to speed on all the issues, and EVERY time I listen to them again, I catch something I didn't really catch before. Diana Gabaldon puts very subtle hints about future events and the first time thru the read I definitely missed most of them, but as I listened to the series a 2nd, 3rd and 4th time I am starting to catch those valuable little jewels. I think I actually get much more out of listening than I do reading. I have tinnitus, so I need to have something meaningful to listen to almost constantly (besides loud children!) and these books are fantastic. But... if you find your mind drifting and not paying attention, you will miss important things in the book that will show up later, so take a break and come back to it later. Overall I found the audible version WAY better than the Kindle version, but I have both, because in the evening when I'm in bed, I like to listen and read at the same time. Again, outstanding performance by Davina Porter and really good story!!

Amazing narration.

Great story but made all the better by the narrators ability to effectively portray multiple characters while all the while maintaining the protagonist Clair's lovely soft voice.

Love this series, audible is great way to re-read!

Would you listen to Outlander again? Why?

Yes. Listening as opposed to reading gives a different feel to the story, particularly one like this with the Scottish words and accents being an integral part of the story.

Any additional comments?

I've read all books published to date in the series and wanted to refresh before the next book is published in 2013. I'm so glad I used Audible as opposed to re-reading as it gave a different feeling to the same story.

How have I lived without this story?

Where does Outlander rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of the best audiobooks I have ever listened to. Davina Porter's performance is wonderful, pulling you deep into the world Diana Gabaldon created.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Outlander?

I think the moment that stood out so strongly to me was when Jamie and Claire reconciliate after his 'punishment'. It's not just about the sex so much as the emotion in this scene. She angry with him, rightfully so. But her need to be with him is stronger and she knows she's not complete without him.

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

I actually had not listened to Davina Porter before, but I knew I would never be able to listen to another 'Outlander' book unless she narrated it (to my pleasure, she has narrated them all). :)

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

When Jamie is willing to let Claire go but you know it's killing him. Even though most readers (like myself) are already in love with Jamie and wanting her to go to him, you can still understand and sympathize with Claire at the turmoil of choosing between Frank and Jamie.

LOVED the audio version!

Adding audio to my Kindle books was one of the best investments I've ever made!

It was so much better being able to "hear" the dialog, giving me a wonderful and enriched reading experience.

The narrator was spectacular. Having a clear distinction between characters made the listening experience so much better!

I love DG books. Davina is wonderful!

Where does Outlander rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I am a huge DG fan, and this is my first time trying audio books.
Davina Porter is a wonderful narrator :-)

What about Davina Porter’s performance did you like?

wonderful!

Wonderful!

I was looking for an audio book that would take me on a journey and was not disappointed.

GOOD ENOUGH TO BE A MOVIE

What made the experience of listening to Outlander the most enjoyable?

The narrator does such a great job with the voices, especially the male voices, and the different dialects.

I usually read a book first then buy the audio, but with this series I have found that the narration is so much more enjoyable than the read.

What did you like best about this story?

I really like the history aspect, giving what I believe to be an enlightening look at a period of history that I was not very knowledgeable of.

What about Davina Porter’s performance did you like?

The narrator does such a great job with the voices, especially the male voices, and the different dialects.

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

At the end when Claire and Jamie were in France fighting Jamie's demons. Very moving!