Outlander Read-A-Long: Weeks 5 & 6

Hey all. Carrie here. I was on vacation last week and forgot to post my answers for the read-a-long. So I have two weeks worth of answers for this go around.

I really was sucked into the last half of the book and found it impossible to put down. I hope everyone enjoyed Outlander as much as I did. I won't keep you waiting any longer...here are my answers to all the fabulous discussion questions.

Q&A for Chapters 29-35

1. We are now settled into life at Lallybroch. What are your impressions of this place, and Ian and Jenny Murray? How do the stories of Jamie’s life here growing up shape your feelings toward him?
I really enjoyed our time at Lallybroch. Jenny and Jamie were very entertaining (especially their first spat). I really enjoyed their relationship and the glimpses into Jamie’s past. Having Jenny, Ian and Jamie all in the same room made for good fun reading. Lots of laughing out loud indeed.

2. What do you think of the story of what really happened between Jenny and Jack Randall? Could you have been as bold as Jenny? Does this change your understanding of Randall?
It takes a special person to stand up to their attacker. For most of us I would think human nature would be for self preservation, no matter what the cost. I just felt like Jenny was probably thinking what did she have to lose at this point and once she found his weakness it was easy to exploit. She is a brave one indeed I don’t know if I could have done the same. Captain Randall is one scary, sadist dude.

3. For the second time, we see Claire warning a Fraser about future events. Do you think this is wise? Or does this mess with history/the space-time continuum/the natural order of things? 
I was wonderinrg about this myself. I know in watching movies and reading other books dealing with time travel, changing even the smallest thing can lead to major consequences. I am definitely interested in seeing if her actions will lead to any changes in history. I understand her reasoning. Who wouldn’t want wto keep Jamie out of harm’s way if possible?

4. Do you consider Claire brave or foolish for going after Jamie? Would you be courageous enough to go into enemy territory to try and save the man you love?
I think it was very brave of Claire to go after Jamie but then again how could she not after what he went through last time to save her. I would definitely have done the same way. There is no way I could live with myself as a person if I didn’t at least try to save the man I love.

5. Jamie makes a gut-wrenching decision in Chapter 35. Do you blame Claire for putting him in that position? What kinds of repercussions do you expect?
I don’t really want to elaborate too much on this question since I have finished the book and already know the outcome. I didn’t blame Claire in the slightest and I totally understood Jamie’s choice. That stubborn Scot! My stomach was in knots at this point in the story.

Q&A for Chapters 36-41

1. Jaime has the worst case of seasickness. Do you get seasickness or motion sickness? If not, is there something else that makes your stomach a bit queasy?

Yep to both. I get motion sick pretty easy. For long trips in the car I need to sit in the front passenger seat and I can't look out the window or try to read. I remember lots of car trips when I was younger  where ginger ale and saltines were a must. As for boats, they aren't any better. When we went to England we rode a ferry and a jetfoil, I almost lost my lunch. Ugh. Pass me the barf bag. Jamie I feel your pain!

2. How did you handle reading the details of Jamie’s torture at the hands of Randall? Did you blame Jamie for anything that happened during the encounter with the captain? If you were Claire, how do you think you would have taken hearing about the abuse from your husband? What did you think of Claire’s method’s to get Jamie to start healing psychologically from his wounds from Randall (when she filled his room with opium and simulated another attack by the Captain)?

So yeah that chapter pretty much ripped my heart out. I had to DM with Jess after I finished reading it. I wasn't quite prepared for how graphic it was going to be but I was so caught up in Jamie's pain that's all I could think about. Diana puts it all out there, doesn't she? She isn't scared to go there and she knows how to write one intense scene. As for blaming Jamie, not at all. I wanted to shake him and tell him to fight but he is a man of his word and honor is everything to him. How can you blame him for that? I can't imagine how it would feel to have to listen to those details coming from the man I love. I can sympathize with Jamie though and I understood his feelings of shame and guilt and how those memories would bleed into his relationship with Claire. I thought it was brave of Claire as well as clever to force Jamie to face his past and present in that way. It could have gone terribly wrong though and she is very lucky that it didn't. Jamie is a fighter though and sometimes the hardest thing to do is face up to your fears.

3. This cover:

“history, warfare, medicine, sex, violence, spirituality, honor, betrayal, vengeance, hope and despair, relationships, the building and destruction of families and societies, time travel, moral ambiguity, swords, herbs, horses, gambling (with cards, dice, and lives), voyages of daring, journeys of both body and soul…you know the usual stuff of literature.”

Which of the above elements of Outlander were you most looking forward to? Which did you enjoy the most while reading? Which did you enjoy the least while reading? Which did you just not care about? Any of these do you which there were more of? Or less of?

On a side note: This is the cover I have. Now to answer the question. I was most looking forward to the history and relationships. I enjoy good historical fiction as well as great characters. This book had both of those things for me. What did I enjoy the least? Violence/sex I guess. I enjoy some steamy sexytimes now and again but violent sex (whether gay or straight) is hard for me to stomach. As for which of these I wanted more of, I would say time travel. I am really curious now about who the stranger was at the beginning. I guess I will need to keep reading the series to see if we come back around to that. Well played Diana, well played. 

4. Share with us your overall thoughts on Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. Your favorite quotes, scenes, and/or your favorite words that had you searching for a dictionary. If you haven’t been marking your favorite quotes/passages, you can find Outlander quotes on Goodreads.

I gave Outlander 4 stars. I really liked it and I will definitely read more of the series. I already have the next two sitting on my shelf. These were my initial comments I posted on Goodreads. 

Oh Outlander. What a rollercoaster ride of a book! You made me laugh, you made me cry, you made me swoon, you tied my stomach in knots and left me ready for more. Bring on more Jamie Fraser!

“Ye werena the first lass I kissed," he said softly. "But I swear you'll be the last.”

Diana Gabaldon doesn't skimp on the details and she isn't afraid to go there so be prepared for some mature subject matter.

5. Are you going to continue with the series or are you done after Outlander? For those of us who are new readers of this series, any predictions? Do you think participating in the read-along helped or hindered your experience with the story? For those of you who’ve already read Outlander and books beyond, how much did you enjoy (or not enjoy) this re-read?

As I mentioned above, yes I plan to continue with the series. I definitely need a little break though. Her subject matter and writing is intense so I need to catch my breath a bit before jumping into the next book. As for predictions, I can't even beginning to imagine what Diana has in store for us next. I really enjoyed the read-a-long. It was so nice to have others to discuss my feelings with and to help me through the rough parts. Special thanks to Jess and Lauren. I seriously <3 you girls!

*Bonus #1* Take the Outlander QUIZ on Goodreads and tell us how you did!*

I scored 13 out of 15. Doh! The ones I missed I guess I interpreted differently. I didn't consider what Claire did to Jamie at the end as witchcraft. 

*Bonus #2* Claire is able to visit the library at The Abbey. Share with us pictures or a description of your own personal drawing of your dream library. Feel free to share more than one. Some of you may even have a Pinterest board full of inspiration, please share!

Best.library.ever! (image from Disney's Beauty and the Beast)

Also don't forget the official Twitter hashtag for the read along is #OutlanderRA – You can use it to tweet your read along posts, updates or just comment about the book while reading it! Happy Read-A-Long Everyone!