Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

32 reviews

clucas0614's review against another edition

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Violence, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Death of parent, and Blood

ailsaod's review against another edition

adventurous emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.0

 This review contains vague spoilers throughout.

I genuinely don't understand why this book and show are so popular. For starters this book would do better to be re-named fifty shades of tartan! This is almost 900 pages of increasingly less consensual sex scenes with the occasional bit of historical set dressing. I honestly don't get how this book was so long - its not like much happens and there was a good stopping point at about the third of the way through that I wish had been the end of this book.

I had heard going in to this book that it probably wasn't going to be my cup of tea but I kept on hearing about it and I am far too nosy for my own good. Nosiness and spite is all that got me through this book - it contains literally EVERY content warning you can think of that could possibly be crammed into that time period. I am not kidding; you can play sensitive topics bingo and you will always win (and lose in doing so I guess). It gets to a point where it feels gratuitous as it is one thing to write about these subjects - it does not take a genius to realise that there is going to be a lot of sexism during Jacobite times for example - but some of the things that come up seem unnecessary. Like how is Jamie's story about how a lord groomed him and tried to assault him when he was a teenager funny? I am not a scholar of Jacobite Scotland but it seems weird that everyone would know about an individual being a paedophile - and with a particular liking for boys too - and find it entertaining. Even I know that during that time the people here were very Christian. Even weirder is that Claire (who is from the 1940s) also thinks it is funny and sides against Jamie?!

There are many things in this book that made me question if Gabaldon is existing in her own universe. She has publicly claimed to have researched everything in her books but they are full of inconsistencies - apparently traditional Scottish marriages now include blood oaths?? Nessie is real and there are specimens in the British Natural History Museum? Claire is supposed to have an interest in wild flowers and yet she can't identify a forget me not (one of the most common and easily identifiable wild flowers in the UK!). It is bizarre as there are a lot of details in this book regarding the society and clothing and what was used as medicine that seem accurate and yet Gabaldon is happy to just chuck any semblance of her precious historical accuracy away whenever it concerns something that is actually relevant to the plot. Also why are we using Sassenach as a pet name? It's a very complicated word as in Gaelic (which is spelled Sasannach) it just means "English man" but in scots it is more like "English scum" and that is before we get to the misinformation where some people claim it used to mean lowlander. In the book Sassenach is translated to mean "outlander" which is quite a reach. I am not aware if Gabaldon is aware of the quagmire she wandered into with this one but it just isn't a thing most Scots say anymore and it was uncomfortable to read. After a while Jamie seems to just forget Claire's name entirely!

The best thing about this book was Jamie and even then that only applied until the romance begun. If this book just chucked out the time travel (a sentiment I commonly feel when reading time travel stories) and had this story be about Jamie's tragic circumstances it would be greatly improved. Early book Jamie comes across like a halfway decent person (which in this book is quite something) and I actually wanted to hear his backstory. However that all changed as soon as he has sex for the first time - he immediately becomes demanding and feels entitled to sex and on one occasion enjoys beating Claire.

I won't go into everything I disliked about this book - we would be here far too long! - but there is one particular scene that I would like to mention for all those nosy folks like me. Late in the book there is a character who is on deaths door after being sexually assaulted and badly injured and Claire (someone qualified as a nurse!) decides the best thing she can do is force them to relive their trauma by simulating the assault they experienced. I may have sounded appalled earlier in my review but really a lot of it fades into insignificance next to this one scene. I have never read something so heinous before and I hope not to again. This scene was so bad it was apparently cut from the TV show entirely and I am not surprised!

To conclude I would strongly advise against reading this book unless you enjoy this sort of story (good for you?). Curiosity will kill the cat in this situation!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Rape

Moderate: Kidnapping, Murder, Torture, Death, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Infidelity, Incest, Homophobia, Sexism, and Misogyny

marakay's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious relaxing sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Are there a lot of content warnings? Yes. It’s historical fiction and realistic to the time, but that’s why it’s one of my top favorite books. There is so much good with this book, too. Witty, informative, strong characters, peaceful and beautiful scenes along with romance and dramatic chaos. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Blood, Gore, Sexual content, Sexism, War, Sexual violence, Torture, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Cursing, Misogyny, Death, Alcohol, Vomit, Grief, and Kidnapping

Minor: Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Car accident

willow_belle's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative sad tense medium-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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Rape, Religious bigotry, Torture, Gun violence, Hate crime, Murder, Sexism, Toxic friendship, War, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

It's bloody good!

emhaze's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Drug use, Gore, Racial slurs, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Bullying, Classism, Colonisation, Cursing, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Torture, Alcohol, Gun violence, Murder, Violence, Animal death, Child abuse, Infertility, Medical content, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Death, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Vomit, War, Blood, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Abortion

ncm5228's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

Was a decently good book, but incredibly long…it got to the point where the plot was just jumping back and forth from the main characters being happy, in mortal danger, barely escaping, relieved, and happy again before the cycle restarted.  I got a little bored, realized it’s a series of 9 books, and decided to end the book early for myself to force the idea of a happily ever after. Oops. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Violence, Sexual content, Rape, Blood, and Cursing

Moderate: Medical content and Torture

Minor: War, Vomit, Death of parent, and Grief

eemadeeberry's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, Torture, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Rape, and Sexism

Moderate: Pregnancy, Kidnapping, Alcohol, Blood, Cursing, and Death of parent

hailsatan's review

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Rape, Pedophilia, Medical content, Incest, Confinement, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Death, Blood, Child death, Violence, Cursing, Alcoholism, Bullying, Chronic illness, Adult/minor relationship, Pregnancy, Body horror, Body shaming, Torture, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Abortion, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Murder, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual assault

strawberrypinch's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Torture, Pregnancy, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Violence, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Grief, Infertility, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Rape, Vomit, Cursing, Death, Gore, Child abuse, and Suicide

Minor: Abortion, Animal death, Car accident, Child death, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Homophobia, War, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Drug use, and Fatphobia

laurenleigh's review against another edition

tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

What a bizarre reading experience. This was a TERRIBLE book with a FANTASTIC narrator. I’ve heard the book and the show described as “rapey,” and that is spot on. How the hell are there like 9 more books and 8 seasons of this?? I can’t believe I actually made it through 33 hours. Davina Porter was just so magical with all the different voices and accents. I enjoyed listening to her so much! I guess I gave up trying to make excuses for the plot and had to laugh at it instead. Except I’m not laughing at all at a husband beating his wife. That scene and the aftermath were so twisted. So much about the plot and Claire’s character make absolutely zero sense to me. Pretty much only giving stars for the narration. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Rape, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Blood, Gore, Gaslighting, and Violence

Moderate: Death of parent, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Ableism