Read-A-Long: Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon (WEEK SIX)

1. Jaime has the worst case of seasickness. Do you get seasickness or motion sickness? If not, is there something else that makes your stomach a bit queasy?

I don’t get motion sickness and thank GOODNESS! I’m a big reader in the car and on the plane and pretty much everywhere, save for a bike, so it would be tough to get motion sickness. My brother definitely gets motion sickness — I’m so happy that I’m not!

What does make my stomach queasy? HEIGHTS! I’m terrified of heights, especially on those glass floor-type of places — I will NOT go onto any high surface with a glass floor! Or bridges — I don’t like bridges. Nor will I go up on ladders. Even though ladders don’t go that high, I think it’s the instability mixed with the height.

2. How did you handle reading the details of Jamie’s torture at the hands of Randall? Did you blame Jamie for anything that happened during the encounter with the captain? If you were Claire, how do you think you would have taken hearing about the abuse from your husband? What did you think of Claire’s method’s to get Jamie to start healing psychologically from his wounds from Randall (when she filled his room with opium and simulated another attack by the Captain)?

I hated reading about Jamie’s torture! Randall was a sick, sick person and even though I’m all for gay marriage and all that, to see someone take advantage of someone else like that was just wrong. I wouldn’t say Jamie asked for it — he was just doing what he could to save Claire’s life AND he pretty much figured his life was over and he’d be hung in the morning.

If I were Claire, it would be so hard to hear of the abuse — I mean, I would think it would be hard for Jamie to get intimate again with Claire after that. It would also be hard for Claire after Jamie told her to leave — I get that she wanted to exorcise the demon that was Randall that seemed to linger in him, but I didn’t quite get her methods. I mean, Jamie’s a strong guy — she could have been killed! But I guess back then they didn’t really have psychiatrists or therapists (or did they?), so maybe this was the only way?

3. This cover:

“history, warfare, medicine, sex, violence, spirituality, honor, betrayal, vengeance, hope and despair, relationships, the building and destruction of families and societies, time travel, moral ambiguity, swords, herbs, horses, gambling (with cards, dice, and lives), voyages of daring, journeys of both body and soul…you know the usual stuff of literature.”

Which of the above elements of Outlander were you most looking forward to? Which did you enjoy the most while reading? Which did you enjoy the least while reading? Which did you just not care about? Any of these do you which there were more of? Or less of?

I think what I most looked forward to when reading this — at least for the first time I read it — I was most excited for the time travel and the relationships (i.e. the romance). What I enjoyed most about the reading was the time travel bit — how Claire adjusted to being thrown back in time. I adored her relationship with Jamie, as well as her transition of a doctor from the 1940′s when there was so much at her disposal, to being a doctor in the 1800′s when healers used more herbs for medicating and healing.

I think what I didn’t like most about the book is the political aspect, though I know it plays a huge part. Sometimes I feel like my eyes just glaze over when I read about Prince Charles.

4. Share with us your overall thoughts on Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. Your favorite quotes, scenes, and/or your favorite words that had you searching for a dictionary. If you haven’t been marking your favorite quotes/passages, you can find Outlander quotes on Goodreads.

Well, first of all, my favourite scene of all in the book is the wedding! Favourite scene ever! As well as the days after the wedding — those were some perfect chapters! I also really enjoyed Lallybroch and meeting Jenny and Ian.

I wouldn’t say I had any favourite words — nothing really had me searching in the dictionary. Though, when I’d come across a word I didn’t know, I’d just fit it in with the mood and the sentence and try and figure out what it meant on my own. There’s reading to be done! No time for dictionaries!

Now, some of my favourite quotes:

“Ye are Blood of my Blood, and Bone of my Bone,
I give ye my Body, that we Two might be One.
I give ye my Spirit, ’til our Life shall be Done.”

“A hedgehog? And just how does a hedgehog make love?” he demanded.
No, I thought. I won’t. I will not. But I did. “Very carefully,” I replied, giggling helplessly. So now we know just how old that one is, I thought.”

“Where did you learn to kiss like that?” I said, a little breathless. He grinned and pulled me close again.
“I said I was a virgin, not a monk,” he said, kissing me again. “If I find I need guidance, I’ll ask.”

5. Are you going to continue with the series or are you done after Outlander? For those of us who are new readers of this series, any predictions? Do you think participating in the read-along helped or hindered your experience with the story? For those of you who’ve already read Outlander and books beyond, how much did you enjoy (or not enjoy) this re-read?

This is a reread for me and I really enjoyed it! Not as much as the first time around, but it was still great to revisit the story. I’m hoping that I can read the next books in the series as well, but I probably won’t start them right away — they’re very long books!

*Bonus #1* Take the Outlander QUIZ on Goodreads and tell us how you did!*

I knew I wouldn’t do very good on the quiz! I got 12 out of 15 right (80%). I got questions 2, 4, and 8 wrong. Oops!

*Bonus #2* Claire is able to visit the library at The Abbey. Share with us pictures or a description of your own personal drawing of your dream library. Feel free to share more than one. Some of you may even have a Pinterest board full of inspiration, please share!

I’m actually lucky enough to have my own “library” at home with well over 800 books — a lot of which I still haven’t read. I have about 5 bookcases full, and am starting to pile books in a second row on the shelves. It’s crazy, but I love it. Though, there are some other ones I really like!

Some of my other favourite libraries (courtesy of Pinterest):