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4.2 AVERAGE
4.2 AVERAGE
Lots happens in this book.
Yet also, nothing happens?
There is no feel of a story arc. No-one is redeemed, no-one fulfills a quest.
Events happen, and Diana obviously wants us to know about them, so reasons are created to send people all over the Eastern seaboard.
There are so many characters that some completely vanish - we don't hear about Lizzie and the rest of the Beardsley family for so long that when Lizzie is mentioned in the closing pages, I wondered who she was for a moment.
And despite the dramatics of her life as presented in the story, Dottie also almost completely vanishes, having only one scene, and that confusing.
I will read this again, as I know I will have missed things. I want to know what happens next to the Greys, as they actually have what feels like the most interesting story line at the end.
Lots of little errors and issues that could have done with editing and simplifying, but for heavens sake, NOTHING is closed off in this book.
We are still waiting on the resolution of things from several books ago, but with even more convoluted issues added.
I know that in real life, we don't get tidy quest narratives and resolutions, but this is a novel. We're all waiting to see how the series ends. If it ends on a cliff hanger with the next book, I think many people will be very angry at the time they have given it.
2022 Re-Read: Listened to this in audiobook and a lot of it seemed to make more sense and be less annoying.
But I'm still fucked off that Jamie Fraser did not die like he was forecast to, and like the book spent its near entirety building up to.
Yet also, nothing happens?
There is no feel of a story arc. No-one is redeemed, no-one fulfills a quest.
Events happen, and Diana obviously wants us to know about them, so reasons are created to send people all over the Eastern seaboard.
There are so many characters that some completely vanish - we don't hear about Lizzie and the rest of the Beardsley family for so long that when Lizzie is mentioned in the closing pages, I wondered who she was for a moment.
And despite the dramatics of her life as presented in the story, Dottie also almost completely vanishes, having only one scene, and that confusing.
I will read this again, as I know I will have missed things. I want to know what happens next to the Greys, as they actually have what feels like the most interesting story line at the end.
Lots of little errors and issues that could have done with editing and simplifying, but for heavens sake, NOTHING is closed off in this book.
We are still waiting on the resolution of things from several books ago, but with even more convoluted issues added.
I know that in real life, we don't get tidy quest narratives and resolutions, but this is a novel. We're all waiting to see how the series ends. If it ends on a cliff hanger with the next book, I think many people will be very angry at the time they have given it.
2022 Re-Read: Listened to this in audiobook and a lot of it seemed to make more sense and be less annoying.
But I'm still fucked off that Jamie Fraser did not die like he was forecast to, and like the book spent its near entirety building up to.
I’ve been a fan of this entire series but this one was hard to get through.
This series is so fabulous on audiobook! I just can't get enough!
I love the lyrical, yet gritty, style of DG's writing. Her descriptions make me feel as though I was there. Of course, Jamie and Claire are fabulous---but really all the characters have depth and presence---it is a big part of the appeal.
I recommend this series to any who love a blend of fiction and history.
I love the lyrical, yet gritty, style of DG's writing. Her descriptions make me feel as though I was there. Of course, Jamie and Claire are fabulous---but really all the characters have depth and presence---it is a big part of the appeal.
I recommend this series to any who love a blend of fiction and history.
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
‘Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone’ by Diana Gabaldon is a frustrating novel! While well written, it is basically a recapitulation of the previous 8 books in the Outlander series for 700 of the 832 pages!
> : @
Well.
At least a number of small plot threads left over from previous books are neatly wrapped up. And there are the usual detailed descriptions of domestic life in America, this time during the Revolutionary War, which are obviously based on meticulous research.
Readers who are fans of in-depth historical descriptions of daily life in the eighteenth century and who love the style of domestic-genre fiction reads will be ecstatically happy with ‘Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone’. Plus, Claire and Jamie are still powerfully in love despite that decades have passed since they married. Also, a battle takes place between American rebels and British loyalists which is a turning point in the Revolutionary War, which I had never heard of before. But a STUPENDOUS cliffhanger begins in the last hundred pages. The book stops without conclusion in the year 1781…
( > _ < )
Apparently, we fans are promised a book ten, not yet available, which will be the end of the series.
My rating does not reflect my disappointment with this novel, which is HUGE, but instead I am rating it four stars because of my admiration for the author’s research and writing talent. And maybe also because I am irrationally committed to finishing what I started after sticking with the series for so long, irritated as I am with what seems a book to me that simply treaded water for 700 pages….
If you want to start the series, start here: [b:Outlander|10964|Outlander (Outlander, #1)|Diana Gabaldon|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1529065012l/10964._SY75_.jpg|2489796]
> : @
Well.
At least a number of small plot threads left over from previous books are neatly wrapped up. And there are the usual detailed descriptions of domestic life in America, this time during the Revolutionary War, which are obviously based on meticulous research.
Readers who are fans of in-depth historical descriptions of daily life in the eighteenth century and who love the style of domestic-genre fiction reads will be ecstatically happy with ‘Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone’. Plus, Claire and Jamie are still powerfully in love despite that decades have passed since they married. Also, a battle takes place between American rebels and British loyalists which is a turning point in the Revolutionary War, which I had never heard of before. But a STUPENDOUS cliffhanger begins in the last hundred pages. The book stops without conclusion in the year 1781…
( > _ < )
Apparently, we fans are promised a book ten, not yet available, which will be the end of the series.
My rating does not reflect my disappointment with this novel, which is HUGE, but instead I am rating it four stars because of my admiration for the author’s research and writing talent. And maybe also because I am irrationally committed to finishing what I started after sticking with the series for so long, irritated as I am with what seems a book to me that simply treaded water for 700 pages….
If you want to start the series, start here: [b:Outlander|10964|Outlander (Outlander, #1)|Diana Gabaldon|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1529065012l/10964._SY75_.jpg|2489796]
My first introduction to Jamie Fraser was in early 1997. I remember it vividly, as I was reading "Drums of Autumn", one of the most popular Christmas release books on the plane back to Uni, and I can still remember that frisson of excitement when I realised I had a fabulous book ahead of me to enjoy.
Even though I jumped into the middle of the saga, there was enough action and plot to immediately engross myself in. The same can't be said of "Go tell the Bees". The first half of this 912 page epic is rehashing old happenings and is very slow. The last half finally moves along, but erratically.
I love Jamie and Clare, and I was happy to be amongst all the characters of Frasers Ridge again. Part of the joy of these books is their leisurely pace and detailed minutiae. But as a series, Culloden was done in a book, Bonnie Prince Charlie was dealt with in a book, and yet the American revolution has been drawn out over several. It feels like Gabaldon is reluctant to let her characters go (understandably) and yet we know that Clare and Jamie must die in the end (hinted at several times). I'm not saying I'm ready for Jamie to go either, but there needs to be some movement in the story, and this one really dragged it out. Sure, things happened, people died, babies were born, there were a few medical procedures performed by Clare (although strangely with less gorey details than usual), but it all just felt like tidbits to placate us until the real meat of the story which will hopefully happen in Book 10.
Fans will still love this. I did enjoy it. I'd just hoped for more.
Even though I jumped into the middle of the saga, there was enough action and plot to immediately engross myself in. The same can't be said of "Go tell the Bees". The first half of this 912 page epic is rehashing old happenings and is very slow. The last half finally moves along, but erratically.
I love Jamie and Clare, and I was happy to be amongst all the characters of Frasers Ridge again. Part of the joy of these books is their leisurely pace and detailed minutiae. But as a series, Culloden was done in a book, Bonnie Prince Charlie was dealt with in a book, and yet the American revolution has been drawn out over several. It feels like Gabaldon is reluctant to let her characters go (understandably) and yet we know that Clare and Jamie must die in the end (hinted at several times). I'm not saying I'm ready for Jamie to go either, but there needs to be some movement in the story, and this one really dragged it out. Sure, things happened, people died, babies were born, there were a few medical procedures performed by Clare (although strangely with less gorey details than usual), but it all just felt like tidbits to placate us until the real meat of the story which will hopefully happen in Book 10.
Fans will still love this. I did enjoy it. I'd just hoped for more.
3.5 ✨I think this is my least favorite in the series so far. Nothing happened in the first half of the book; they just kept rehashing things that had happened several books ago that they had already discussed. Then when things finally got good, the story kept jumping around several months at a time, making the pacing feel off.
Having waited however many years for the next book, I can't say that I remembered every detail of the previous books. I most certainly did not go back and re-read any to help with my memory of places and characters. It is a shame that there isn't a character and other helpful information sheet in the book.
I found this book difficult to read because it was tedious with information I didn't remember (or care about) and frankly, it was on the boring side. So many details seemed unnecessary; I ended up skimming along until I found something that described a person or was a person talking.
With the 'discoveries" and all, this book should easily have been at least 100+ pages shorter.
I found this book difficult to read because it was tedious with information I didn't remember (or care about) and frankly, it was on the boring side. So many details seemed unnecessary; I ended up skimming along until I found something that described a person or was a person talking.
With the 'discoveries" and all, this book should easily have been at least 100+ pages shorter.
adventurous
emotional
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
adventurous
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No