Outlander

    Yet again, I'm here with a cinematic tie-in to my literary adventures. This time it's Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon. I read it some time ago and initially wasn't planning to write about it, but after a conversation with a certain someone, I felt the need to share.

    Best described as a historical fiction work crossed with time travel, it starts in post-WWII Scotland, where Frank and Claire Randall are taking a well-deserved break after their service in the war, as an intelligence officer and combat nurse, respectively. Scotland is an amazing place (my second-favorite country at the moment, in fact) and one of the reasons for that is the history and mythology that permeates through its air and soil. And so, while gathering plants near one of these points where historical markers crop up in the modern world, Claire falls back through time about two hundred years. Right into a Scotland on the verge of rebellion, soon to take part in the Bonny Prince Charlie uprising. 

   The beauty of the Scotland and castles clashes with the fierce harshness of the Highlands in the mid-eighteenth century. And through out it all Claire, an Englishwoman with mid-twentieth century sensibilities tries to navigate the cultural differences. She's an alien in that strange world... One might even call her an outlander...

    Starting with the book - it's a well-written, albeit hefty book, and the audio narration is also pretty good if you prefer that format. I have no complaints that I can think of right now. Good world building, amazing character descriptions, and all the characters act in reasonable ways - I never felt like there were uncharacteristic actions that ran counter to their motivations. Furthermore, strong character development was paired with great plot development. In other words - I liked it. As for the show - great casting and an impressive dedication to book accuracy. It's one of the closest adaptations that I've seen in a while.

    Overall, Outlander has a great story, great characters, and is an interesting idea. I liked it, and strongly endorse it for those who like similar works, like Game of Thrones. Actually, it's as if Game of Thrones was moved from a magical setting to a historical one. Interesting.