Diana Gabaldon

The Outlandish Companion Diana Gabaldon

 

 

For nine years, four books, and nearly 4,000 pages, Diana Gabaldon has entranced readers with her talent for historical authenticity, dramatic plot lines, and strong characters in the Outlander series. Her superb writing has earned a loyal audience, but after a million and a half words, even the most fervent of fans may have a difficult time trying to recall the exact details of the secondary characters, let alone the obscure ones. Thankfully, Gabaldon's The Outlandish Companion is here to help.I absolutely loved The Outlandish Companion. I think it deserves one star for the Gaelic pronunciations and explanations, a second star for the sketches and pictures (loved seeing Claire's rings!), a third star for the character list, a fourth star for Diana taking the time to answer all of those questions from everyone, and the fifth star for her explanation of where characters come from. I would give her a sixth star for her wit and humor if Amazon gave me that option. 

I was a little surprised to see how closely the horoscopes matched Jamie and Claire's personalities. Diana didn't write the horoscopes anyway, they were sent to her and she liked them so she included them for anyone who was interested. Who cares that they are fictional characters? Not me. The fact that Diana has made Jamie, Claire & Co. 'real' to so many people is an amazing accomplishment itself. I enjoyed the Companion for the reasons I listed above. Will I read the book cover to cover repeatedly? No. Will I go through it fairly often? Yes. Why? Because it's interesting information and I participate in Outlandish Trivia Games and I could use all the help I can get. My book was worth every penny I spent on it and I hope to someday have it signed along with the rest of my books. Great job Diana and I look forward to books 5 & 6 as well as the next Companion! Part crib notes and part trivia guide, this essential handbook includes synopses of the first four novels, a character guide, notes on plot development and research, answers to frequently asked questions, and teasers for the upcoming novels--there're even horoscope charts of the central characters, a list of fan Web sites, and choice recipes for the truly devoted.
Readers looking for a fix of Gabaldon's humorous voice or insight into her writing processes and characters will certainly be more than satisfied, but those looking for the next installment of Jamie and Claire's adventures will have to wait for The Fiery Cross, the fifth book in this bestselling series, expected sometime in late 1999 to early 2000. --Nancy R.E. O'Brien .

   Gabaldon fans who have followed the story of British Red Cross nurse Claire Beauchamp Randall will welcome this act of buoyant hubris by a vividly entertaining author whose later installments have turned into baggy-pants behemoths of 900 pages. (Literary Guild featured alternate selection) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

From Kirkus Reviews

As with the guides to the Hobbit tetralogy and the fiction of Stephen King, Gabaldon offers a companion volume to her Outlander Seriess four time-travel historical romances, Drums of Autumn (1997), etc., in which she tells us much is revealed regarding Claire and Jamie Fraser, their lives and times, antecedents, adventures, companions and progeny, with learned commentary (and many footnotes) by their humble creator. She also provides full synopses of the four novels and includes excerpts of forthcoming books in the Claire and Jamie Fraser series. Listed, too, are all the novels characters, their origins and family trees, horoscopes, and sketches of clan badges and shields, along with genealogical notes. For non-Gaelic readers, Gabaldon assembles a glossary and pronunciation primer. Additionally, she supplies details on her research, E-mail excerpts, notes on herbal medicine, illustrations, and recipes, plus a huge bibliography.