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aserra's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I adore Diana Gabaldon's writing, I adore this series, but I cannot, in good conscience, give this book a rating of 4 stars or above due to the casual nature and dismissal of the sexual assault of Young Ian . The book was written in the 90s, and is certainly a product of its time; I don't think there's any malice in how racial and gender issues are addressed in this book. I think that Gabaldon does a fine job of balancing addressing the bigotry of the times, viewing that bigotry through the lens of a white woman from the 20th century, and choosing what to include and exclude as the author.
For all that Jamie and Claire are a distinct and progressive (in the context of the book's time periods) couple, Roger and Brianna's relationship is not. Roger is stiflingly misogynistic, possessive, whiny, and downright boring. That alone is a nuisance, but he stands in a series alongside James Fraser (who has his flaws, don't get me wrong), who is secure enough in his masculinity and person to listen to Claire, to consider her an equal, to respect her and other women, Jamie who is more forward-thinking as a product of 18th century Scotland than Roger, a product of 20th century Scotland.
Jamie and Claire's lives together continue to enthrall and enrapture me to no end. This series, in my opinion, would've benefited greatly from the exclusion and/or removal of Roger Mac, and I wish theSA's of other characters and the associated recovery were addressed with the same care and accuracy as Jamie's was and is treated in these books.
For all that Jamie and Claire are a distinct and progressive (in the context of the book's time periods) couple, Roger and Brianna's relationship is not. Roger is stiflingly misogynistic, possessive, whiny, and downright boring. That alone is a nuisance, but he stands in a series alongside James Fraser (who has his flaws, don't get me wrong), who is secure enough in his masculinity and person to listen to Claire, to consider her an equal, to respect her and other women, Jamie who is more forward-thinking as a product of 18th century Scotland than Roger, a product of 20th century Scotland.
Jamie and Claire's lives together continue to enthrall and enrapture me to no end. This series, in my opinion, would've benefited greatly from the exclusion and/or removal of Roger Mac, and I wish the
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Misogyny
Moderate: Colonisation, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Rape, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Gore, Grief, Sexual assault, Blood, Sexism, Murder, Violence, Slavery, and Racial slurs
Minor: Genocide and Pedophilia
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