[Andorion]

I Got Crabs, on 29 October 2016 - 05:09 PM, said:

Were you able to appreciate Roger more? I said something about gayness to. It gets kinda tedious repeating it.

Definitely. Roger has become far less annoying and more useful. It helps that Brianna is reciprocating and so he is not gawking anymore.

Sorry BK I don't remember your gay comment, was it towards the beginning in context of Randall?

[Andorion]

Middle of the day update:

Outlander Book 3: Voyager - Chapters 22-40

Spoiler

I am about haflway into the book and I must say that everything has been extremely eventful since Claire came back

A few things:

Jamie is doing not one but two illegal things - smuggling and sedition?

Why didn't he tell Claire earlier about the Laoghaire situation earlier? I mean he could hardly expect that Claire would come to Broch Tuarach and not know about it!

I am a bit surprised that the serial killer thingy in Edinburgh didn't go anywhere. And whats this about Young Ian being kidnapped about a random ship?

Hopefully I will be able to put in another marathon reading session today. BTW I read this while listening to Trans Siberian Orchestra and they go well together

[Andorion]

Finished Outlander 3

Oooh boy

This book is really strange. It has three distinct bits for me.

Spoiler

First part is upto Claire returning. Its slow, but the anticipation builds up and the Jamie PoVs are nice.

Second Part is Claire's return to the transatlantic journey. Things move quite fast, a lot of stuff happens, some of it strange, but its entertaining.

Third Part is from the transatlantic journey to the end. In this part I think that the book goes off the rails. Too many improbable coincidences, a completely bizarre climax - it felt like the author was just pulling random things out of nowhere.

Now for the details

Jamie, Claire, Fergus and company board the ship and travel. Amusing stuff happens.

Met by the RN ship Porpoise Claire is compelled to stay against her will

Then everything goes insane.

The Governor on the Porpoise is John Grey. Coincidence 1

Claire ditches the ship at an island, spends some time hallucinating among the mangroves and talking to fish until she meets Stern, the naturalist that Jamie had referred to meeting earlier. Coincidence 2

He takes her to a rather deluded priest. She finds the original sheep wrecked near the priests house. Coincidence 3

Meanwhile Jamie has gone to rescue Claire - I am not entirely clear how he found the Porpoise, but he can't find her and is captured. He is then rescued by the goat woman for unclear reasons. The woman seems to be able to bypass ship security at will.

Jamie wakes up in an island, and somehow - I am totally confused about this part, somehow gets a lot of French soldiers to help his crew relaunch their ship. And then kidnaps the soldiers.

How Jamie managed to get back, and do his con job is entirely beyond me.

After this, they scour the slave markets, Claire almost gets them lynched due to a total lack of situational awareness.

Skipping over the meeting with Grey and the Chinese situation, they finally go to investigate the mysterious Mrs Abernathy, who is Geillis Duncan who never died but escaped with help from Dougal. The douchebag strikes from beyond the grave.

But, here is the most confusing part for me. Why was Geillis doing whatever it was that she was doing? She wants to resurrect an independent Scotland, through the Lovat line, due to a prophecy, which is referred to for the first time here.

So why did she get the pirates to kidnap a dozen scottish boys? Why did she rape Ian? Did she sacrifice the virgin boys? Why? None of it makes sense and is never explained.

Then there is the random ritual with Brianna's photo and her failed attempt to travel forward in time to Brianna. Why??? What would a Lovat in 1968 do for her? Frankly the entire thing is insane.

And if she was in fact suffering from dementia as Claire hinted with the syphilis comment, she seemed to have been able to manage her plantation just fine.

Also can someone please explain why there was this serial killing priest? It really felt tacked on.

Three other things

I found the Chinese portrayal to be offensive. It was stereotyped, unnecessarily sexualised, and overall just strange.

What was that entirely random voodoo ritual that involved talking to Brianna in the future?

I find it extremely infuriating that Jamie continues to hide things from Claire, and she accepts it. He did not tell her about the Laoghair situation until they were literally jumped on in bed by it. She did not tell her about his son. She did not confide in her the details of his relationship with John Grey. In fact I found it very strange that they talked so little about the time they had spent apart even though the ship journey gave them a lot of time.

Last point - the storm that sank the Porpoise and blew them to America - how did their boat survive it and not the ship?

[Andorion]

I Got Crabs, on 30 October 2016 - 05:32 PM, said:

I'd say coincidence 1 is more predictable then a coincidence. I saw that coming easily. Other stuff

Spoiler

the random meetings were a huge stretch and most aggravating element to me. Gellis showing up was nutz and I loved getting more info about the stones which is why I started the bks anyway as the show was playing. Idk exactly what she had in mind for Bri and the proficy made my brows raise. The voodoo stuff didn't bother me here as we are reading a bk about magic stones anyway. The hurricane blowing them to Georgia was a stretch for me, Florida would have been more real but oh well. I suspected they would wind up in America as we are not far from Rev War.

Spoiler

Yeah but what was Geillis Duncan's plan? Its not revealed, or explained, and she is dead!

Also how did Jamie go from being dumped on an island to scamming French soldiers?

Things like this make the book seem poorly plotted and planned. The last part read like she wanted them to get to America, so they got to America via hurricane, never mind how strange that is, or when a ship of the line sinks while a boat floats!

[QuickTidal]

The coincidental meetings don't stop in book 4. And yeah it's one of the things that irritates me about Gabaldon's writing.

[Andorion]

I think that I am quite happy stopping where I am.I read the blurb for Book 4 and I am not at all eager for Brianna to come to the 18th C.

To anyone who has read ahead, are the Geillis Duncan bits explained at all?

[Andorion]

I Got Crabs, on 31 October 2016 - 12:54 AM, said:

Andorion, on 31 October 2016 - 12:45 AM, said:

I think that I am quite happy stopping where I am.I read the blurb for Book 4 and I am not at all eager for Brianna to come to the 18th C.

To anyone who has read ahead, are the Geillis Duncan bits explained at all?

Your done with series?

For the moment yes. Its not about the issues I have with the writing, I just don't want to read about Brianna in the 18th C. I don't know why, its just one of those intangible issues. I have a bad feeling about it. Also I would feel better if the series was finished.

[QuickTidal]

Andorion, on 31 October 2016 - 01:42 AM, said:

I Got Crabs, on 31 October 2016 - 12:54 AM, said:

Andorion, on 31 October 2016 - 12:45 AM, said:

I think that I am quite happy stopping where I am.I read the blurb for Book 4 and I am not at all eager for Brianna to come to the 18th C.

To anyone who has read ahead, are the Geillis Duncan bits explained at all?

Your done with series?

For the moment yes. Its not about the issues I have with the writing, I just don't want to read about Brianna in the 18th C. I don't know why, its just one of those intangible issues. I have a bad feeling about it. Also I would feel better if the series was finished.

No Geillis explanations as of the end of Book 4...and I doubt it's in the offing.

I will say this. Brianna, Roger, Jamie AND Claire all feel in book 4 like they were written by a different person. I had to completely readjust to them as she chose to write them all differently in tone. That's not at all a selling point either.

[QuickTidal]

I Got Crabs, on 31 October 2016 - 12:53 AM, said:

Bk3 my thoughts on the

Spoiler

killer. I was certain it wasn't Willougby but I thought for sure it was one of the 6 crew so when it turned out to be Campbell I was a bit surprised. There was a hint back in herb store that he had a screw loose though. I was very bummed not to run into Raymond in Paris! Idk and don't want to know if he pops up in bk 4 or later on but I can't see him not esp after the added on dialogue in show. It would be a waste if he is just a one and done cause he is by far the most interesting thing to me currently. Wondering if the "one" Gellis met was him or not? Makes sense as she was in Paris! I still think bk 5 maybe a true winner looking at those 22K reviews on Amazon.

Spoiler

From what I know, book 5 is the proper beginning to the events leading to the American Revolution. So it probably gets by a lot on that.

[Andorion]

You see guys this is kind of my point. She leaves a lot hanging in the Geillis plot that really really needed an explanation. And I simply can't figure out why there was a serial killer plot to begin with. It added nothing to the main story.

And if these issues were not addressed in Book 4, and with the American rev story starting later, I don't think they will be addressed.

Maybe I will pick up Book 4 later. But for the moment, I am taking a break

[QuickTidal]

Andorion, on 31 October 2016 - 04:04 PM, said:

You see guys this is kind of my point. She leaves a lot hanging in the Geillis plot that really really needed an explanation. And I simply can't figure out why there was a serial killer plot to begin with. It added nothing to the main story.

And if these issues were not addressed in Book 4, and with the American rev story starting later, I don't think they will be addressed.

Maybe I will pick up Book 4 later. But for the moment, I am taking a break

Fair enough indeed.

If, at this point, you can manage to get your hands on the first 2 seasons of the TV show, they are well worth watching! I think they get rid of a lot of the extra chaff in the books and slim it all down, which I feel benefits the story.

I'm looking fwd to S3 (book 3) in the new year....and then I KIND of hope that S4 makes Book 4 better.

[Gabriele]

QuickTidal, on 31 October 2016 - 03:02 PM, said:

Andorion, on 31 October 2016 - 01:42 AM, said:

I Got Crabs, on 31 October 2016 - 12:54 AM, said:

Andorion, on 31 October 2016 - 12:45 AM, said:

I think that I am quite happy stopping where I am.I read the blurb for Book 4 and I am not at all eager for Brianna to come to the 18th C.

To anyone who has read ahead, are the Geillis Duncan bits explained at all?

Your done with series?

For the moment yes. Its not about the issues I have with the writing, I just don't want to read about Brianna in the 18th C. I don't know why, its just one of those intangible issues. I have a bad feeling about it. Also I would feel better if the series was finished.

No Geillis explanations as of the end of Book 4...and I doubt it's in the offing.

I will say this. Brianna, Roger, Jamie AND Claire all feel in book 4 like they were written by a different person. I had to completely readjust to them as she chose to write them all differently in tone. That's not at all a selling point either.

I think part of the problem is the shift to 3rd person narrative. There is not so much of it in book 2, and the Jaime parts in book 3 are ok, but from what I remember there is a lot of non-Claire POVs in book 4, and it doesn't work as well. Claire's first person POV is one of the things that makes the first books such a fun read.

And Gabaldon started to put the kitchen sink in.

[Gabriele]

I'm busy writing during the National Novel Writing Month - need to get a few more words on my own epic saga. Not much time for reading right now. But I will be back.

This post has been edited by Gabriele: 08 November 2016 - 04:42 PM

[Egwene]

Anyone still reading?

I treat Outlander much like Malazan (or any other book)... I just go along for the ride, skipping when I absolutely don't like something and not too worried if not everything makes perfect sense.

Bri in the 18th century works just fine - as for coincidences... I love them! The more the merrier If it was me writing them, there would probably be even more. So I hope Diana does not see and take notice of any of those comments earlier!

The change in style... Diana has said that she tries out a different writing style in each book. I guess she writes not just for the reader but for her own pleasure as well.

Anyway... keep reading - there is just so much fun ahead - although, you might need to get used to coincidences

[QuickTidal]

Briar King, on 09 October 2018 - 12:57 AM, said:

155 pgs into bk 4. Really liking it.

This bitch is hurting my hands something fucking fierce though. 1070 pgs..

I shudder to get to bks 5(1443) and 6(1483)...

You will likely overlap the new season a bit, but you'll have a good basis to watch the first few eps methinks.

I finished Book 6...as I said on thread, it is about a 600pg book hiding in the pages of a 1500pg one...that's a LOT of filler. Still, the stuff that was in there that is needed plot stuff was great.

Two more in the main series to catch up (ECHO IN BONE, and WRITTEN IN MY OWN HEARTS BLOOD)...and the in-world short story collection SEVEN STONES TO STAND OR FALL...which I am going to read before the two big volumes.

[QuickTidal]

Briar King, on 09 October 2018 - 07:40 PM, said:

Oh and there’s John Grey for you to read also. Can’t remember title

My sis in law says the John Grey novellas are boring

[Gabriele]

QuickTidal, on 09 October 2018 - 09:03 PM, said:

Briar King, on 09 October 2018 - 07:40 PM, said:

Oh and there’s John Grey for you to read also. Can’t remember title

My sis in law says the John Grey novellas are boring

They are not boring. Lord John, aka His Blurtness, is an interesting character who gets himself into crazy situations.

Most of them take place during the time Jamie is at Helwater in Voyager, thus a good place to read them is after Voyager. Lord John's role in later books makes more sense then. Diana gives a suggested reading order list on her site: http://www.dianagaba...tlander-series/

[QuickTidal]

Gabriele, on 11 October 2018 - 05:18 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 09 October 2018 - 09:03 PM, said:

Briar King, on 09 October 2018 - 07:40 PM, said:

Oh and there’s John Grey for you to read also. Can’t remember title

My sis in law says the John Grey novellas are boring

They are not boring. Lord John, aka His Blurtness, is an interesting character who gets himself into crazy situations.

Most of them take place during the time Jamie is at Helwater in Voyager, thus a good place to read them is after Voyager. Lord John's role in later books makes more sense then. Diana gives a suggested reading order list on her site: http://www.dianagaba...tlander-series/

Fair enough, even though she found them boring. I will likely check them out at some point down the road. I like Lord John as a character.

[QuickTidal]

Briar King, on 18 November 2018 - 12:37 AM, said:

Spoiler

Still looking forward to seeing how Jamie travels in book 1 to 1945 when Frank runs into him as he is spying on pretravel Claire.

Spoiler

Gabaldon has stated that this is not live Jaime per say (he can't travel the stones), but rather his ghost after his eventual death down the line wanting to see Claire before she came to meet him the first time. Will be fully revealed in the last book apparently.

Briar King, on 18 November 2018 - 05:59 AM, said:

Not tagging this. Got to page 707 and the last bit of pages went from very good to cringing/eye rolling fucking and fighting afterwards like people in high school.

Sigh

Like enough to put this fucker down for the night it was so dumb.

Let's just get this out of the way. This is neither the first time you will feel this way about some of the books, nor the last. Thankfully the good stuff is good enough to make you forget the interminably bad stuff.

[Gabriele]

Briar King, on 29 November 2018 - 05:23 AM, said:

Man this woman is brutal like on a grimdark imo lvl to her characters.

And the first books have been shelved as Romance for years.

I'd never have discovered them if I had not found a left behind exemplar of the first one on a pub table and started reading. Stayed until the pub closed and bought my own and the sequel right the next day