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Outlander Audiobook
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(4.45) - 125 listener ratings
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Synopsis
They were odd circumstances, the ones that brought Claire Beauchamp and James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser together. She was married, a World War II army nurse, and at that, they were supposed to be on their second honeymoon. Sure, her husband Frank's history wasn't something that particularly interested Claire, but this was not supposed to be a trip for kindling a new romance...until strange things began to happen.
The men, the ones that found her in the field...they seem to think that her nightie is, well, a state of undress, and what's more, they're running from the English. It's only when she meets James that she realizes the truth: she's gone back in time, and the year is now 1743. She's taken to a high court and questioned: Who is she? Where does she come from?
Fortunately for Claire, although she's an 'outlander', someone ignorant of Scottish history, and a dreaded Englishwoman at that, she's a gifted healer. She's able to earn the trust of some of the villagers, and with them comes James, a dashing young man who Claire talks out of a wedding...but it appears her feelings are more than just general helpfulness.
As the book goes on, the questions grow: Will she be able to return home? What of her husband? And who is this mysterious stranger? Claire wonders, will she ever see Frank again? And more than that...if she doesn't, does she care?
Diana Gabaldon was born in Arizona on January 11, 1952. Daughter of Mexican-American and English parents, she took examples from both backgrounds when creating her books. She is most known for her outlander series, a series of romantic fiction books set in the 1700s. She also did a stint as a full time researcher on environmental studies at Arizona State University, and also taught classes at the same time. She is currently married to her husband, Doug, and they have had three children together.
"I listened to this audio book which was narrated by Davina Porter. The only reason I made it through the book was BECAUSE it was narrated by Davina Porter. She is one of the absolute best audio book performers I have ever listened to and I've listened to a LOT of audio book performers. The book itself was good, but for my taste, it had way too much sex...over and over and over and over and over again. OK, we get it. They had a bunch of sex. Move on.The historical detail/information/situations were entertaining overall and the descriptions of life as they lived it in 18th century Scotland along with their experiences were engrossing and enlightening while at the same time a bit scary (not to mention disgusting!). The author, Diana Galbaldon, must have invested in an unimaginably extensive exploration of the times prior to writing this book. As mentioned by other reviewers, I too wish she had included more reactions by Claire to the disparity of the times as opposed to her 1940's life.Overall, I liked the book but because of the overabundance of sex scenes and Claire's lack of reaction to 18th century Scotland, I've only given 3 stars on the story. There were parts that I enjoyed immensely, but there were also parts that left me either annoyed (sex, again!) or less than satisfied (a lack of emotions or reactions).Without the excellent performance by Davina Porter, I would have given up about half way through!"
— RKathryn (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Stunning!…Gabaldon is a born storyteller.”
— Los Angeles Daily News -
“It is a large canvas that Gabaldon paints, filled with strong passions and derring-do. Strong willed and sensual, Claire is an engaging modern heroine plopped down in a simpler, more primitive time….Great fun…marvelous and fantastic adventures, romance, sex…perfect escape reading.”
— San Francisco Chronicle -
“Don’t let the number of pages and the Scottish dialect scare you. It’s one of the fastest reads you’ll have in your library…Gabaldon creates characters that you’ll remember.”
— Amazon.com -
“Gabaldon shows not only a talent with factual detail but also a flair for creating memorable characters and some striking sex scenes.”
— Locus -
“Highly imaginative and suspenseful…Gabldon’s ambitious first novel gives the reader a well-researched view of eighteenth-century life as seen through the eyes of a twentieth-century woman.”
— Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel -
“Marvelously entertaining…A page-turner of the highest order and a good read from start to finish.”
— Chattanooga Times -
“An old-fashioned page-turner…A mix of history, romance, and adventure.”
— Cincinnati Post -
“This is escape fiction at its best.”
— Booklist (starred review) -
“Absorbing and heartwarming, this first novel lavishly evokes the land and lore of Scotland, quickening both with realistic characters and a feisty, likable heroine…Scenes of the Highlanders’ daily life blend poignant emotions with Scottish wit and humor…Claire’s resourcefulness and intelligent sensitivity make the love-conquers-all, happily-ever-after ending seem a just reward.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Though first novelist Gabaldon uses time travel primarily to allow a modern heroine, this is basically a richly textured historical novel with an unusual and compelling love story.”
— Library Journal -
“Once-in-a-lifetime romantic passion and graphically depicted torture sessions are only the two extremes of this lively time-travel romance set in eighteenth-century Scotland—an imaginative and lighthearted debut by a promising newcomer…A satisfying treat, with extra scoops of excitement and romance that make up for certain lapses in credibility.”
— Kirkus Reviews -
“Gabaldon’s genre-crossing classic of romance, fantasy, and historical fiction…achieves a new dimension in the audio format. Davina Porter maintains the distinct voices she creates for each character throughout the lengthy narration. Her delivery of eighteenth-century language sounds authentic and is easily understandable. The hot sex and graphic violence, integral to the story, are far more vivid [in audio] than they are on paper.”
— AudioFile
Awards
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Winner of the 1992 RITA Award for Best Romance Novel
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A USA Today bestseller
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A Doubleday Book Club Main Selection
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A #1 New York Times bestseller
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A Wall Street Journal bestseller
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A Publishers Weekly bestseller
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An iTunes Top Seller
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A New York Times audio bestseller
Outlander Listener Reviews
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Elayna, 12/5/2024
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T Warren, 10/12/2024
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Jack, 4/10/2024
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" As one would expect, the original book is better than the TV series. Diana Gabaldon has created intriguing characters and an amazing setting to place them in. Her full book contains details that cannot possibly be included in the filming of a TV series. I encourage you to read the book! "
— BHD, 10/26/2023 -
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Diana Helms, 1/28/2023
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paula phillips, 12/21/2022
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laurie redmond, 12/3/2022
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Pekka Lehtikoski, 11/28/2022
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Amanda McClure, 10/13/2022
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Lindsay Bruce, 7/9/2022
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" I listened to this story before the TV series came out and was just drawn into this world that Diana Gabaldon created. I have been totally entranced ever since. I have now gone thru all 9 of her books and when things get stressful in my life, I just pick up Outlander and listen from the beginning. As audiobook lovers, you know that the narrator is the most important factor in the book. Davina Porter is outstanding as the narrator! I have a friend who is an avid reader who started to read this book and had to give it up and said she hated it. After listening to it and loving it, I couldn't understand why and then it hit me - in reading it, she had to get thru some of the old English language and contend with the Gaelic language and in figuring them out, she lost track of the story but in listening to Diana you could just enjoy what was happening. The way she changed her voice for every character was fantastic! I have been thru the entire series about 3 times and will pick it up and start again soon. If you liked the TV series, you definitely need to hear these books. The TV series mimic most of the first 3 books only leaving out a portion here and there. After that they started changing everything to suite their version. Believe me, so much is lost and left out, you just have to listen to the books to really enjoy this love story that only Diana could tell. "
— Donna McD, 4/7/2022
About Diana Gabaldon
Rebecca Lowman is an actress and audiobook narrator who has won numerous Earphones Awards. She has starred in numerous television shows, including Law & Order, Big Love, NCIS, and Grey’s Anatomy, among many others. She earned her MFA from Columbia University.
About Davina Porter
Davina Porter has been enthralling listeners for over twenty-five years with her ability to mine the psychological depths of the characters she reads and bring them convincingly to life. In 2006, she won the prestigious Audie Award for Best Female Narration and in 2004 for Best Inspirational Literature Narration. She has been honored as an AudioFile Golden Voice and has won nineteen AudioFile Earphones Awards. As an actress, she has appeared on stage at the Vineyard Playhouse and the Square One Theater, among others.