Thursday Treat #21: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

My mother reads a lot of romance novels. And when I mean she reads a lot of them, I mean it. She even subscribes to one of those book club things so she is constantly getting new books in the mail (although, she recently bought an Ipad to read books on, so that may change). Anyway, some of my many memories from childhood involve her reading a romance novel.

Once I grew up a little, my mom would let me read a few of the many romance books on her shelves. Some I really liked and others I didn't care for. I have really different book taste from my mom and while I enjoy a good romance every once in awhile, I crave other things too (like dragons!). :)

But when she recommended I read Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, I listened. She told me it had a lot of history in it, and time travel, which surprised me. My mom doesn't usually go for such things. Then I saw the mammoth size of it, but I decided to give it a go.

Well, I was sucked in. I could not put the book down, which was bad, as I was teaching at the time and coming up to the end of a card marking. I decided to wait to read the rest of the series until summer break, which I did at the end of that year. For a few weeks, I was IN the world of Outlander and Diana Gabaldon. I flew through each book and I think it only took me a month to get through all six titles that were out (through A Breath of Snow and Ashes which was the last out at the time) and all 6, 808 pages of my paperback editions (I just went and added them). I will say that out of all of them, this title and the third book (Voyager) are my favorites.

I was in love and I still am. The fact is, Gabaldon didn't just write a romance, she wrote an epic story of love and survival. I was a sucker and I fell for it. While she may be a TOUCH long-winded, I loved every moment of it. She created such a deep, interesting world that I believed everything she wrote and with Claire, I also fell in love with Jaime (if you have read the series, I hope you know what I mean). It is a beautifully crafted story that I really don't want to stop. It weaves in and out of historical fact, blending the romance with drama and intrigue. And somehow, Gabaldon's characters are right in the midst of all of it.

As a fantasy and history fan, I can appreciate the effort it took to create such a believable world and premise. It takes years of research to perfect what Gabaldon created to make it so realistic. When I shut that last book, I knew that that I was going to have to wait patiently for each of the next books to be written and printed. It is a series that will keep on growing and capturing my attention for as long as Gabaldon desires to write it.

Now, if you decide to tackle these books, here is the order: Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager, Drums of Autumn, The Fiery Cross, A Breath of Snow and Ashes, and The Echo in the Bone (I have not read this one. It came out in September and I had already started THIS blog and challenge).

Book 29: Alias Grace.

I enjoy well-done historical fiction. I can appreciate it when an author stays true to the time period and facts of a certain era while creating a new story, or elaborating on facts to make a story come to life.

However, when it is done badly, it makes me want to throw the book against the wall-something I have done a few times in the past.

For those authors who do create beautiful fiction set in historical settings, I commend them. Writing good historical fiction is extremely difficult. There is that threat of a history buff finding something at fault in the novel and ripping it to shreds (I have been known to do that). That is why I can appreciate work like Diana Gabaldon's Outlander. While she certainly takes some liberties in what she is writing, she does it well and for the most part, only tweaks history when she needs to. It is also clear from reading her work that she did her homework.

So I am looking forward to Atwood's novel, which could also be classified as historical fiction. Alias Grace is centered on the true story of the deaths of Thomas Kinnear and Nancy Montgomery in 1843. The two other servants in the house, James McDermott and Grace Marks, were convicted of the murders and sentenced to death. Somehow, Grace was saved from her death sentence and spent many years in prison before being released (not a plot spoiler, merely what happened).

In Alias Grace, Atwood attempts to fill in the questions that so many people had at the time. Taking place years after the murders, Atwood creates a fictional doctor who is trying to learn the truth from Marks through interview. Atwood also throws in excerpts from newspapers published during teh time of the murders, observations from the wardens and guards where Grace was kept, court transcripts, as well as poems, etc that all highlight the characters.

Now, while I am only about 50 pages in, I can tell you this. Atwood is creating GREAT historical fiction. She is remaining true to the facts that are known, while creating a story to fill in the gaps. It is riveting. And while I already know what happens to Grave Marks based on historical fact, I am still anxiously turning each page to see if I am right. That is the mark of a great writer. She is turning a story I already know into something much more powerful and emotional.

My only hope is that she continues to stay true to the story and history, or this book will be fated to hit the wall as well. But I have a feeling it won't go there.

Book 18: Accents, Dialect and Dialogue.

Sometimes when a writer uses a certain dialect or accent in their writing, it can make things really difficult for the reader. It gets even worse when the writer doesn't do it well. Rather than adding to the story, it distracts the reader and makes it too difficult to read. The reader spends more time deciphering the author's words than absorbing the story. Sometimes, the reader simply abandons the book.

Or, there are the writers who create a huge world and then the characters talk and ??? Nothing. The writer forgoes the idea that these people need to fit the world they created. It takes away from the impact of the story if the characters don't fit.

However, if it is done well, then it adds to the story. The reader is actually a large part of the story, as the characters' voices work their way into the reading experience. It makes the story feel more authentic and realistic.

Those are the kinds of reading experiences that I enjoy, especially when it is crafted to beautifully that I get sucked in from the very beginning.

I do struggle at first when a writer uses distinct and different accents and dialects from what I am used to. I have to pay attention a little more at the beginning until it sinks in, then it becomes second nature to make the switch in my head so I can see a new word and understand the sound. For example, when I read the Outlander books back in the Spring of 2009, I struggled at first with the Scottish accent the main characters had. Obviously as a girl from Michigan I don't speak that way, so it was an adjustment. However, by the time I finished the sixth book, I was an old pro.

In Arnow's The Dollmaker, it is the same process. The first few pages were an adjustment period and as I am chugging along, the Kentucky twang is getting stuck in my head, as it should. Arnow was from Kentucky, so she has it down to a science.

Here is an example of dialogue from the book;

"But jist between you an me-an I mean no harm-when he was home he warn't worth a continental to you in th crop maken. His coal haulen wasn't regular, an his tinkeren didn't bring in much. He loved it too well-he'd tear down some feller's old car an set it up agin and mebbe never git paid," (111).

There are some definite distinctions here between the writing style of my post and that quote. And when you have a lot of characters all speaking with a similar accent, sometimes you can get lost in deciphering.

When I was student teaching, we were reading a novel similar to this--one with a very strong accent in the writing. My students had a real hard time learning what appeared to be new words, so I had them create bookmarks out of strips of paper with the words and their meanings. This helped many of them make those connections in the story and understand the novel much better than they were.

Another favorite aspect of this dialect in the novel is what happens when Gertie's family moves north to Detroit and they have neighbors from different regions of the country. You then have a huge blending of dialects, accents, and slang melding together. Jumping back and forth is difficult, but fun to read. It keeps me entertained and I love the distinction.

"Max pondered an instant, her gum still, then nodded. 'Yu said it, sister. Damned if I'm gonna let anybody make me wanta be nothen but another piece a Hamtramck.'

'But you're very much afraid you'll start wanting to please, that's why you hate. You'll have to learn at least to cover it all up, so that they won't know and be, well, shall we say, tempted?'

'But how inu hell do yu cover up somethen that's burnen a hole inyu?'" (232).

Here Arnow is showing further distinction from what the characters in the novel see as educated and non-educated. The second speaker is a woman from a wealthy area north of Detroit, sent to the projects where the rest of the characters live to spread the Gospel. The other speaker is a young woman who lives in the projects and works as a waitress to help ends meet. You can see the difference Arnow is making between the two characters.

This way of writing the speech so accurately and making distinctions between the characters from different regions is making me fall deeply in love with the novel. It truly is excellent.

Anyway, enough of my lecturing for today and on with the reading!

Book 17: Length in Novels.

I have no problems reading novels that are lengthy. If I had a problem with length, then I never would have made it through the Outlander series in 2009. There are other big works of fiction that I also hold dear to my heart, like the Harry Potter books. Their length helps rather than hinders the story, so I have no problem reading them.

I also love short books. I like being able to sit down and go through an entire story in one sitting lasting an hour or so, as long as the story is told well. Two of the books I have already read for my odyssey have been short novellas-Ethan Frome and The Old Man and the Sea. Both of those novellas were well done; the characters were developed, the plot was detailed enough, and the story left me thinking.

So it really bothers me when the scope of a work does not fit with the length. Simple plots and characters don't need as much time to develop as elaborate schemes. Harry Potter condensed into 7 300 page books would be a completely different story. The world that J.K. Rowling created would not be as deep or detailed.

In reading Sons and Lovers, I am finding that I am annoyed with Lawrence's use of page space and how the story is developing. To be quite honest, the first 50 or so pages have nothing to do with the rest of the story. Yes, the description of his mother and father and their early life does provide nice background, but it could have been given in another way. And while I appreciate that Lawrence is setting up the character of Paul Morel and his relationship to his mother, I find it completely aggravating. There is too much language and too much exposition for my tastes.

(I am not saying that I don't enjoy description, because I do, but I hate when the description is overbearing. On with the story, you know?)

And since my edition of Sons and Lovers is 370 pages long, there is a lot of time that I know will be wasted trucking through Lawrence's description and what he deems to be important to the story. I am hoping that when it is finished I will feel differently, but I don't think I will.

It is incredibly hard to like a book that drags on and on with only little spurts of excitement. Dull and monotonous writing bores the reader and this reader is bored with Lawrence. I really hate to be so negative, especially towards a book that I had high hopes for, but I can't help it.

Mind, this is not as bad as when I had to force myself through Great Expectations, but this is still pretty bad.

I know I cannot force myself to like a book and I know there will be other books on this list that I will also dislike for various reasons. Obviously not everything will appeal to me and I have been lucky so far that I have enjoyed pretty much everything I've read, but let me ask you this; Why are all the books I dislike the longest ones? It sure seems like they are!

So here are some questions for you, dear readers:

1. What length of book do you prefer and why?
2. Are there books you have avoided because of their length? If so, what titles?

Thanks, and happy reading!

Background on the Writer.

I’m not a certified book expert, if there is such a thing. Instead, I am a normal person with an abnormal obsession with literature. Although, my normalcy might be contested by a few certain people close to me.

I say this in good humor, but I do need to lay out my background for those of you who may be asking, what does this chick really know about literature?

I grew up in suburban metro Detroit. As a kid, I remember both of my parents reading fairly often. My dad read more then as his job as become more stressful over the years and he lacks free time. My mom still reads like a fiend, but we have very differing tastes. She reads a lot of romance, and while I do love a break from reality and a happily ever after, I like to read a variety. But she does offer some good suggestions and one of my favorite series (The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon) is one that she recommended.

As a kid, my mom was always very supportive of my reading. I didn’t lack for want of books and she was always encouraging. I think the only time she ever got mad at me was when I wouldn’t go outside and play instead. I hear stories of parents who aren’t so supportive of their children’s reading habits and it breaks my heart. I was very fortunate.

When I went to college, I knew that I wanted to do something in connection to English. English was always my favorite subject in school, with history being a close second. I threw around the idea of going into publishing before eventually settling on education. I figured that since so many of my English teachers were so instrumental in my love of words, that I could also pass that love on.

I ended up at Michigan State University in the fall of 2003 with my major declared in English. Since I went to MSU with 12 Advanced Placement credits, I decided to declare History as my second major in the fall of that first year. This was an extremely full load and after that first semester, I was always taking at least 19 credits a semester. And I did love it.

I was accepted into the MSU College of Education the spring of my sophomore year at school. So, in addition to my classes for English and history I was also responsible for taking on the credit requirements for my education classes.

And I loved my education classes. I was able to go into classrooms in the Lansing area and begin working with students at the secondary level. I was always surprised by how anti-book so many of those students seemed to be. Many regions of the Lansing area are low-income. Students would come in without showering, with empty stomachs, and incomplete homework. It seemed, from my perspective, that they just didn’t value literature, perhaps because they did not have a support system at home.

I began volunteering at one of the elementary schools in Lansing. I tutored students in the first and second grade in reading. For 2 hours a week, I sat down with these kids and read with them. We read Dr. Seuss, the Berenstain Bears, and everything in between. I think it was in those sessions that I realized that the value of literacy has become very low.
I ended up finishing my student teaching in one of the biggest districts in the state of Michigan. I loved being in front of my students and helping them find book choices. I tried then to stress my own love of literature. The school I was working in did a “stop, drop, and read” program three times a week where the teachers also read with their students. I loved that time of day, when I was reading what I loved and so were the students.

Last year, I was fortunate enough to land a long-term substitute teaching position in a district north of where I live. While I was teaching history, I still stressed reading. I also taught a section of a new study skills class where reading was part of the curriculum. Those kids and I fought tooth and nail over their reading, but once they learned that they could read what they loved they read.

This year I was not so fortunate and I currently don’t have a teaching job. Instead, I am working for the city I live in doing a job that I really love. I’m also getting married to Matt, who I have been dating for over seven years, on December 26 of this year.

I have a lot of challenges ahead of me this coming year. In between looking for a full-time job and planning a wedding, I am taking on this challenge. Not just because it’s something to do, but because I think it’s important. I can think of no better challenge for myself than to read these works and teach.

I suppose that’s me in a nutshell. As always, if there are any questions feel free to ask!