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emmkayt's review against another edition
4.0
An unexpectedly terrific read. A literary Western set in 1903, as a young woman flees through the Alberta frontier after having killed her husband. The lyrical language - which in the wrong CanLit hands can leave me bored and grouchy (I'm looking at you, [b:The Night Stages|23209962|The Night Stages|Jane Urquhart|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1413131311s/23209962.jpg|42753066]) - in this case was fresh and deftly handled, and the plot had momentum that propelled me forward happily. A couple of threads/themes were not developed as much as they might have been, such as the main character's mental illness, and the ending was rather quick and tidy, but that's the flip side of momentum, and not much of a downside really. 4.5 stars.
monnibo's review against another edition
5.0
The prose is almost poetic, which makes sense considering the novel was inspired by a poem that Gil Adamson wrote years prior. I liked how we mainly stayed with Mary as she traversed the Canadian wilderness. It was interesting to see how she grew and developed as a person.
At times I felt the story dragged a little (running through the forest, passing out, running more), and at one point (what I thought was going to be gripping) it was a little too drawn out for my preferences. However, I like the choices the author made and I like how, although it was a bit open-ended, it didn�'t leave me feeling unfulfilled. I put the novel down with satisfaction and will be passing it on to my mom to read.
Read my complete thoughts on my blog post: http://www.monniblog.com/2010/07/the-outlander-by-gil-adamson/
At times I felt the story dragged a little (running through the forest, passing out, running more), and at one point (what I thought was going to be gripping) it was a little too drawn out for my preferences. However, I like the choices the author made and I like how, although it was a bit open-ended, it didn�'t leave me feeling unfulfilled. I put the novel down with satisfaction and will be passing it on to my mom to read.
Read my complete thoughts on my blog post: http://www.monniblog.com/2010/07/the-outlander-by-gil-adamson/
hayleysbooks13's review against another edition
4.0
There were times were I didn't really understand the way it was written, I'm not used to books like this, but it kept me hooked from the start! The ending was brilliant!
angarena's review against another edition
3.0
I liked it even though it didn't turn out the way I thought it would. Great descriptive writing.
kerrin's review against another edition
2.0
Really like the first half, but thought the second half was slow and maybe a little too predictable.
taylorb's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
teghan's review against another edition
2.0
It was a weird book that I could not finish. The writing was flat, the character was flat and worst of all, I couldn't know her. There was a block between protagonist and reader that prevented me from understanding her and caring for her. I was persuaded to buy this book based on its literary awards and critical praise (and the really awesome book cover). I have a niche interest in the Canadian western, so I thought this would be great. It wasn't. A shame really.
paperbackwriter's review against another edition
2.0
DNF. I gamely tried, but could not finish this book. An odyssey of unconnected trial, the story simply plods along from one calamity to another with no drama. She is disoriented in the wilderness; she meets a hermit; the hermit leaves (why?); she is disoriented in the wilderness again; she meets a Native American stranger and gets shot by an arrow; the Native American delivers her to an eccentric preacher. ENOUGH!
And the over abundance of description. For example on page 151: "Mornings found the widow making the Reverend his breakfast on an old, spraddled stove that stoked hot as a forge and smoke at its poorly welded seams. It stood on pale bricks, and the sooted pipe went straight up through a hole in the celing, heading the single room above, and from there ran through the roof the end in blackened and smoky funnel. She made bread and biscuits, coffee, salt pork, oatmeal with blueberries in it."
That paragraph pushed me over the edge to DNF. Please, author, exercise a bit of restraint. I realize that the craft of writing fiction is to enter the fictional dream in your imagination and report to the reader what you see. But do you have to write absolutely everything, ad nauseum!? I am overwhelmed.
And the over abundance of description. For example on page 151: "Mornings found the widow making the Reverend his breakfast on an old, spraddled stove that stoked hot as a forge and smoke at its poorly welded seams. It stood on pale bricks, and the sooted pipe went straight up through a hole in the celing, heading the single room above, and from there ran through the roof the end in blackened and smoky funnel. She made bread and biscuits, coffee, salt pork, oatmeal with blueberries in it."
That paragraph pushed me over the edge to DNF. Please, author, exercise a bit of restraint. I realize that the craft of writing fiction is to enter the fictional dream in your imagination and report to the reader what you see. But do you have to write absolutely everything, ad nauseum!? I am overwhelmed.
therewillbefireflies's review against another edition
2.0
I struggled to feel invested in this book, in terms of both characters and plot. I also didn't see the reasoning behind calling the main character "The Widow" all throughout instead of naming her and calling her by her name. This just wasn't the right book for me, but may be right for others who like historical fiction and Westerns more than I do.