I picked up Outlander (formerly Cross Stitch) as it was only £2 on Amazon for the paperback and had been on my “to read” list for some time. Then one sunny weekend I decided to pick it up as I was in the mood to read something with a bit of fantasy and historical elements.
However, other than the first few chapters of the book, this book quickly turned from being about fantasy to a historical love story. Below is my first book review on this blog.
Plot – 3.5/5
The general summary of this book is that a lady gets transported through time from 1945 Scotland to 1743 Scotland and is unsure why. She meets a man whom she cares for as he’s injured and they build a bond through forced marriage and then naturally fall in love. You then proceed to read their struggles and triumphs together which inevitably makes them fall deeper in love with one another and actually makes you as the reader like them more.
As aforementioned, this book offers a really genuine and heartfelt love story. It takes you through a few months or more of a couple. One of whom is a woman who has come back through time and fallen in love. The plot didn’t feel like the central focus point of the book and I wouldn’t argue is the reason to pick up this book. Don’t expect some constant jumping between time frames and a power struggle between the protagonist’s two main love interests. This story does have a plot but it feels more like a journey you’re a part of.
Characters – 4.5/5
I thoroughly enjoyed the characters in this book – everyone seemed to have a very distinct personality and all kept the plot plodding along. No one came into the story who seemed to come in as filler. Everyone brings their own story to the plot. Each character has the ability to either make you love or loathe them – a testament to Diana Gabaldon’s own personality and writing skills I believe.
This is definitely a character-driven book – don’t get me wrong, plenty of plot happens, but there’s not exactly a middle and an end, just an ongoing tale which I look forward to continuing in the sequel.
Outlander summary – 4/5
This book surprised me in quite a few ways. It took me on a different journey than I thought it was going to and it made me thoroughly enjoy the characters more than I thought I would. There’s wit, humour, passion and genuine admiration oozing out of the pores of these characters and this is ultimately what kept me reading.
Have you read Outlander? Did you enjoy it? Do you have any recommendations for books of a similar nature that either I or fellow readers could pick up? Let me know in the comments below.
