Outlander

Outlander, Book 1

By: Diana Gabaldon

Narrated by: Davina Porter

Length: 32 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

This stunning blend of historical romance and time traveling adventure has captured the hearts of millions of readers around the world and catapulted author Diana Gabaldon to the top of the New York Times best seller list. Outlander introduces an exhilarating world of heroism and breathtaking thrills as one woman is torn between past and present, passion and love.

In 1945, former combat nurse Claire Randall returns from World War II and joins her husband for a second honeymoon. Their blissful reunion is shattered when she touches a boulder in an ancient stone ruin and is instantly transported to 1743 Scotland, a place torn by war and raiding border clans. Will Claire find her way back to her own time, or is her destiny forever linked with Clan MacKenzie and the gallant James Fraser?

©1991 Diana Gabaldon (P)1997 Recorded Books, LLC.

Critic reviews

"Davina Porter maintains the distinct voices she creates for each character throughout the lengthy narration. Her delivery of 18th-century language sounds authentic and is easily understandable." (AudioFile)

My first audio book

This was my first audio book. I have now read (heard) all of this series and am totally addicted to my audio books. I first got them as I drive a lot for my job and I promise you the km's just fly by when I have a good book. I actually look forward to long drives now! I even got my book club to read the paper version of this book 2 months ago and they also loved it. It can be a little racy if you are a conservative reader, but what a great story with fantastic characters!

I felt vaguely dirty reading this book

The book has an interesting premise. What would happen to a World War II era nurse who stepped through a time warp into 1743 Scotland? Fortunately she is well schooled in her history and her husband's genealogy, so she has amazing insight into her new time's impending future. All good and promising.

But her structure speedily devolves into alternating passages of soft core porn between our protagonist and her new, virile, hunky young Scottish husband and sadistic ones between the two lovers and the wicked English captain with the uncanny resemblance to her modern-day husband Frank. Captain Randall pursues them both, leaving us for a time uncertain who he actually wants sexually.

I appreciate that modern novels need a bit of sex to make them sell, but I wasn't prepared for so much or so graphic a depiction. It always seemed that my husband or son would walk in on me when I was listening without headphones to a particularly salacious bit. I could only wonder what they thought I was listening to. I was frankly rather mortified.

All that said, the author has a way with words and an engaging style. She is clearly prepping for a long run of novels and I regret that I won't be reading them because I like a historical novel and the period has a lot of dramatic possibilities. So if you're prepared to wade through the unrelenting graphic depictions, or perhaps because of them, go to. Not me I fear.

I only got this book because it was on sale

Idon't care for sci-fi, fantasy, wizards, demons or the like. There's nothing wrong with that sort of thing but I just don't happen to care for it myself. You aren't going to tumble through a portal in time just because you touch a certain stone in a certain way, the idea is utter nonsense it can't happen. Diana Gabaldon, however made me believe it could happen. She has brilliantly woven a sequence of events into a completely captivating story. Still you can not tumble through a portal in time because portals in time do not exist so I only gave this selection a 3 star rating, but because I like `em long I added 1 more star for length to give it a total of four stars. This particular selection demonstrates to me that sometimes it might be a good idea to look at something you wouldn't normally consider.

If You're Here Because of the TV Show...

It took me 4 tries to make it through this book. I Love Love the TV show. Like obsessively love. So I thought I would instantly fall in love with the book, because everyone knows the books are better. Yeah, that didn't happen. I have never encountered a book so alike yet still so vastly different from the TV show/Movie. Factually they are practically mirror images which is great. The difference is the personalities of the characters. They are night and day. And it took me forever to like any of them. (Like I said 4 tries) Finally I had to reside myself into believing they were completely unrelated with each other at all, as in they were two separate stories. It took me longer to like the book versions of them, but eventually I did. But just in case you are stubborn like me I feel I must add the book was almost over before I gave in. By book 4 (finally passed three seasons I've watched) I am completely in love with this series and quite irritated with myself for not buying it sooner.

Even better than I imagined

This book is beautifully written and superbly narrated. It holds all aspects of a story that will draw any and all readers into its grasp. This is a book to dream about.

Great book, a little abstract at times

Great book, great story, great positioning, fun to listen to. The story got a bit abstract here and there, resulting me distracting and having to rewind a few times.

Never the less I have just got the whole series, promises to keep my busy during my nashville drives.

Totally Awesome

When I started listening, I thought that it was going to be a complete dud and very nearly turned it off.. Then, Claire gets sucked in through the rocks and I got sucked in to the story. What an amazing book and the narrator does such an excellent job with changing voices and accents. I have a distance to drive of 250km a day to and from work and this book has wiled away the distance in no time! What an absolute pleasure of a "read". One of the nicest books yet! You wont be wasitng your money on this one... so down load and enjoy!!

Best book I've ever read-or heard!

This book is wonderful. Terrific character development and stories. There is no category for it. Historical and modern all in one. You will leave this book thinking that the characters are actually real people. Read the entire series. It's a wonderful saga. Don't be scared because of the size. You'll want more!

Starts a bit slow, but by chapter 4..hooked! A+

If you could sum up Outlander in three words, what would they be?

Smart, memorable, stirring.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Outlander?

After Claire is captured and accused of being a witch, she is saved at the last moment by Jamie. After putting a few miles between themselves and the angry mob, Jamie asks claire for truth. Is she a witch? Claire confesses all and losses her sanity. Jamie takes her back to that fated boulder and gives Claire the choice to stay or go back to her time. And Frank.
This book has so many moments where every choice made counts! This is one of my favorite books ever!

What does Davina Porter bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Davina Porter gives each character their own uniqueness. I can hear the characters smile as they talk. You can hear how dangerous some of the characters really are by their slow clipped words. Plus as much as I try to do a Scottish accent I fail really badly. She's simply amazing.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I have read and re read this book over and over again. Once I got into audible I listened and re-listened to this book multiple times. I've laughed and cried, Ive been so angry at some of the characters I've wanted to scream! This book is fantastically emotional. But in a good way

Outlandish adventure

I love this series so much. When I first started the series, I wondered what my Mom has set me to reading. Well after 5 years, I have read and re read my books so much, I am working on my second and some books my third copy as they have been read to shreds. I have also listened to the series at least once and am happy to come here and listen to it again and again. I will admit I prefer Geraldine's reading over Davina, but that is just a preference thing, nothing against anyone. I hope you come to love the characters as much as so many of us have to. Enjoy a wonderful book and find yourself hooked from start to finish.