812
people found this helpful, as of 2023
ranked #15,390 most helpful
out of 571,544,897 reviews
★★★★★
Happily surprised...
I must admit, the synopsis on the back of this tome threw me off. I didn't think I would be much interested in a romance novel based on time travel -- it just seemed way too implausible. However, at the persistence of several friends from a book group, I gave this novel a try. I am certainly grateful that I did. Firstly, this is not merely a romance novel. It involves a romance, to be sure, but this romance is not one you'd find again and again in your average Harlequin. This is an original romance, which so completely describes love that I found myself better understanding love than I did at the onset of the novel. When a novel has the capacity to make you understand something as vague as love, you know it is good.
It is also filled with adventure, religion, and human conscience. A historical novel rarely has the ability to make me understand things about my own presence, and yet, Outlander simply did. I was unable to put this book down, as enraptured as I was by the compelling writing.
The character development is beyond any I have lately read. Dianna Gabaldon has a true gift for understanding human emotion and translating it for the rest of us to understand.
If you fear that the plot seems to be a bit too "outlandish" for you, still, give this one a try. While certain aspects may be unbelievable, the reality is, this novel has so much truth to it, you will be amazed. I was.
December 2001 · Books
the product in question
Outlander
4.6★ · 96,925 ratings, as of 2023