Voyager

Outlander, Book 3

By: Diana Gabaldon

Narrated by: Davina Porter

Length: 43 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

Diana Gabaldon's magnificent historical saga, begun with Outlander and Dragonfly in Amber, continues with this New York Times best seller. Set in the intriguing Scotland of 200 years ago, the third installment in the romantic adventures of Jamie and Claire is as compelling as the first. Now that Claire knows Jamie survived the slaughter at Culloden, she is faced with the most difficult decision of her life. She aches to travel back through time again to find the love of her life, but, in order to do that, she must leave their daughter behind. It has been 20 years since she and Jamie were forced to separate. Can she risk everything, maybe even her life, on a gamble that their love has withstood the long, rigorous test of time?

Diana Gabaldon's powerful, witty, and heroic characters lend themselves well to the rich, melodic narration accorded them by Davina Porter. Under her spell, listeners find themselves transported back through time to exciting, faraway places alive with people they would enjoy knowing.

©1993 Diana Gabaldon (P)1998 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

"Triumphant....Her use of historical detail and truly adult love story confirm Gabaldon as a superior writer." (Publishers Weekly)

Smarter than the average bear ;)

There is a reason Diana takes years to finish writing her books - QUALITY!
The books are well written, well researched, witty, detailed and just hard to put down. Voyager somewhat gives closure to books 1 and 2, then about half way through Claire goes back in time again and... we have a new set of plots and new openings for the following books.
I am reading and "audio reading" Voyager for the second time while I patiently wait (quality, people!) for book 9 to come out; and although Starz season 2 so far has not disappointed - it is in fact excellent! I already can't wait for the third season to be announced, and for Voyager be put on the screen. That one could not come out fast enough!

Second favorite in the series

What did you love best about Voyager?

First of all, as usual, I cannot say enough good things about Davina Porter's narration of this entire series (unabridged versions). Her Scottish accent is so good, it has spoiled me for Scottish narrations by other narrators whose weren't raised in Scotland. Then there is the story which contains the very touching reunion between Claire and Jamie followed by an incredibly exciting series of adventures culminating with their arrival on the shores of America. Although I love all the Outlander books, I find myself returning to this one again and again for the speed with which it moves through an amazing variety of places, events, and experiences that shed so much light on the history and geography of the time. There is academic research, a destructive urban fire, acupuncture, shipboard plague, the slave trade, a mangrove swamp (a fast-disappearing natural feature in our world) and even St. Elmo's fire. For those readers who find the historical development in the succeeding books a little long-winded, returning to Voyager will be just the ticket.

So much happens

So much happens in this book! Claire, Roger, and Brianna keep researching Jamie Frazier and eventually find documentary proof that he survived the battle of Culloden. They find only sketchy records – a rumor that he hid out in a cave for several years, his name on a list of prisoners at a makeshift prison in England, and finally a political pamphlet that leads Claire to believe he was posing as a printer in Edinburgh. We, however, are allowed to see much more of the story of the twenty years after Jamie and Claire parted just before Culloden.

We also see a bit of Claire’s life after she returned from the eighteenth century, including what really happened to Frank Randall.

On the strength of the printed pamphlet, Claire decides to return to the past. This time she sets out with a facsimile of appropriate dress for the time (although this doesn’t hold up very well), a small medical kit, and what few supplies she can take. Although it looks doubtful for a time, she does succeed in rejoining Jamie in Edinburgh, and from there they take off on a whole new round of adventures that eventually take them all the way to America.

Best of the series so far

I have listened to the first three books in order and this one was my favorite so far. Davina Porter’s portrayal of the various characters is outstanding. Could never go back to reading this in print because I need to keep hearing her voice!

My last book of this series

Would you listen to Voyager again? Why?

No. I noted in my review of the first book that, although I loved the story of Claire and Jamie, I did not enjoy the sex scenes. Just personal taste but I like sexual encounters that leave a little to the imagination. Although tastefully done, this series of books leaves nothing to the imagination in Claire and Jamie's sex life.

It's unfortunate for me because I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know this period of history and Diana's writing is thorough yet engaging. After reading 3 books of the series, I found I just couldn't listen to another.

If you’ve listened to books by Diana Gabaldon before, how does this one compare?

I found each of the 3 books I read in t he series to be unique in their own right. My favorite was probably the first but that is likely due it being fresh with a completely new idea -- at least I've never read anything similar.

It Gets Better and Better

Would you consider the audio edition of Voyager to be better than the print version?

Yes, in it's immediacy. It takes longer to actually read it!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Claire, because she is so "present" and because we're starting to see so many layers of her.

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

Yes, Outlander and Dragonfly in Amber. They are equal in my mind. She pulls off the different accents, and the differences between male and female characters with great believability.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, but it's far too long to do that!

Any additional comments?

I have read all of the print books in the series but it's been several years. I am delighted to experience them all over again in the audio versions. Can't wait to get the next one!

Absolutely love this series!

The narrator is second to none. The story takes me away for hours and hours with Adventure after Adventure. Never a dull moment

Fantastic!

This book was the best book in all the series! I highly recommend it to anyone.

I am enthralled by the ongoing Outlander saga

I have never enjoyed such an amazing ongoing saga such as this series. I have already read the books and decided to try something different, by listening to the recording while reading along. It has been a great experience and a wonderful way to absorb these dense stories. I am now ready to move on to book 4, The Drums of Autumn. Ms Porters narration continues to make this an enjoyable experience.

PERFECTION

completely hooked...so much better than the series on TV. narrator is the star of the show. Love this book!