Outlander

I have been lost this last week, completely and utterly entranced, captured and enthralled by the joy that is Diana Gabaldon's Outlander the first in her series of historical time travelling novels. I have barely been able to part myself from the book and have foregone even television the past few evenings in order to further immerse myself in this wonderful book.

Having watched the initial 2 episodes of the new television dramatisation of the book I suddenly found myself longing to spend more time with the characters and so delved into the book. It is a story which,when I initially read the outline, sounds an odd premise for a book. A young nurse on honeymoon in Scotland in 1946 touches a magical circle of standing stones and is transported back through the stones by 200 years to 1746 and a time before Culloden where Scotland is a land of Clansmen and fierce overseer's from England's army. A simpler time in many ways but a harsh one where Claire finds superstition and treachery are order of the day.

There she meets Jamie Fraser and through necessity of her safety finds herself drawn to the strong young Scotsman, and facing a situation which will see her forced to marry this brave and noble young man.

Sounding a little odd? Well it may, I thought so too before delving in. Instead though I found it enchanting. I have lots of knowledge of The War of the Roses leading into Tudor history but this is a period I was less familiar with and I also found it educational, as it led me to go away and read more about the period. It was perhaps though less advisable to read it the week before I need to vote whether Scotland should break free from the UK and be an independent nation. Perhaps a book where we learn the brutality many Scots faces at the hands of the English was not the best choice for enforcing the ‘Better Together' campaign!!

There are so few books which have engaged me as fully as Outlander did, few which has hade literally whooping with joy and punching the air when the hero rides in to save his fair maiden with the words “I'll thank ye to take your hands off my wife!” Not in so long have I truly been able to truly feel such exalted pleasure in the trouncing of a villain as Captain Jack Randall.

I have read many people say they found it full of unnecessary sexual scenes and too much soppy erotica. For me it was just wonderfully romantic and passionate. Several reviews have said they couldn't buy how easily Claire left behind her husband Frank for new husband Jamie, personally he comes across as a wimp and next to the brute force and sheer sexuality of Jamie Fraser I'm not sure I'd have been rushing back through the standing stones.

It has translated amazingly onto screen also, the television adaptation is visually stunning and I am so excited to see how the rest of the series continues to bring the story of Claire & Jamie to life, so far it had been outstanding and our hero and heroine haven't so much as kissed yet. If it's half as sizzling as the book it will set the screen on fire.

I cannot wait to spend more time with Jamie and Claire, the only reason I'm not moving immediately on to read Dragonfly in Amber is because I'm sure my children would appreciate a little engaging conversation with me in the next few days instead of my head being lost in my book.