Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

from goodreads

2.75 stars

Happy New Year!

It is crazy that it is 2015. I feel I did all this New Year stuff not that long ago and now it is upon me again. I guess that is what happens when you get older. As a kid days seem to go on forever. When we went to school the school day seemed so long. Now as a parent I feel the days fly by and that I just dropped the kids off and now I am having to pick them up. It is funny what age, experiences and priorities do to time perception.

While I enjoyed 2014 I am looking forward to 2015. My family and I have some exciting excursions and trips planned for this year. I am excited by some of the financial goals we have planned this year and am looking forward to doing my part in making those plans a reality. I am also looking forward to some of my personal goals too. While I don't make resolutions at the New Year I do like to take this time to reflect on how I am doing with my goals and seeing if there is any tweaking that needs to be done or a redistribution of energy. It is exciting. How do you celebrate your New Year? Do you make goals or resolutions?

Synopsis

Claire Randall and her husband Frank are in Scotland rekindling their relationship after being apart during WWII. While Frank is learning about his geneaology, Claire is learning about botany and is enjoying her time in the highlands. When Claire goes to a local stone circle she is suddenly flung back roughly two hundred years. There she meets Jaime a charming highlander. Claire needs to make a decision. Go back to Frank and the modern world, or do what she can do help her new friends and make a life with Jamie?

My Thoughts

Before reading this book I knew nothing about it except that it took place in Scotland. I only knew that because I caught a bit about the the t.v. series and they happened to be in scottish kit. I didn't know it was a huge hit or anything.

I don't know what the big fuss is about it. While I do think it is well written, there was so much sex, and almost rape, and more sex. While sex is part of the adult experience and is an important aspect in our lives, I was like, get on with it already. We get it, they are both horny. Let's move on. I like a good romance as much as the next person, but seriously, leave some room for the imagination. Though, you  might pick up some new tips. Just saying.

Because there was such a focus on the sex aspect of their life I found the story did not flow as quickly as I would have expected. When there was more action it was a really good read and intriguing. I guess going into the book I was expecting more of the action part and less of the romance side of things.

What also was time consuming was Claire's back and forth struggle about fidelity with her husband from the 20th century and that of the one in the 18th. Was she still being faithful if her husband didn't really exist? Was it okay to stay with this new love? While the moral dilemma is an interesting issue to explore, I found it went on too long. It seemed she, for almost the full 600 pages of her being in the 18th century, was always questioning it. While it is important not to be light about it the constant flip flopping and guilt was kind of crazy.

I also wish we found out more about Geillis Duncan. I don't want to give anything away so I will be really obscure here. We find out something, I would say rather pivotal about her, but then that's it. We don't know if there are more like her or how she came to be one or anything. It's like why bring it up if you aren't going to do anything with it. Perhaps it plays more of a role or theme later on in the series. I don't know.

There are seven more books in this series. I don't know if I am in a rush to read them. While the ending left me slightly intrigued as to what the characters were going to do I'm not sure if I am interested in knowing more. I hear that the t.v. series follows the story pretty well. Maybe I will just watch them if I want to learn more.

I think I might have liked this book if I was in a more racy mood, but I was not and so it was just meh, to me. Maybe in a different and time and season I would like it better. It has a ridiculously high goodreads rating, but I just didn't get it.