Series
Publication
Delacorte Press (1996), 880 pages
Description
Fantasy. Fiction. Romance. Historical Fiction. Diana Gabaldon's fans will be delighted to find Jamie and Claire as spirited and endearing as ever in this fourth installment of this magnificent saga. Romance, history, and time travel blend once again as the couple builds a new life together in the wilderness of pre-Revolutionary America. Twice Claire has used an ancient stone circle to travel back to the 18th century. The first time she found love with a Scottish warrior but had to return to the 1940s to save their unborn child. The second time, twenty years later, she reunited with her lost love but had to leave behind the daughter that he would never see. Now Brianna, from her 1960s vantage point, has found a disturbing obituary and will risk everything in an attempt to change history. Davina Porter's narrative talent adds a special vibrance and resonance to Gabaldon's complex, colorful characters. If you've experienced Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber, or Voyager), you already know the length of the book is deceptive. None of them is nearly long enough.… (more)
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LibraryThing member atheist_goat
(Halfway through; review in progress.)
These books drive me CRAZY and yet I CAN'T STOP READING THEM. I have friends who have read the entire Twilight series, and while let's give Gabaldon credit for being a much better writer than Meyer, it's in a lot of ways the same hypnotic trainwreck: an
Anyhoo, so in this book our scene has moved to 1767 America. Remember how incredibly (and inexplicably, given her 1960's origin) racist our heroine is? Well, let's put her among Native Americans! What could possibly go wrong? Nothing, unless you have a problem with the word "savages", used an awful lot. Interestingly, the eighteenth-century characters tend to call them "Indians"; it is our heroine who pulls out the "red savages" tag. Also she makes fun of how they smell. In return, they recognize her as a more magical shaman than any of their own race (no, seriously, she somehow develops mystical Native American-based powers; this is not a reference to her medical training) and respect her enormously, and in one case a Native American spirit comes to rescue her. When she needs rescue because she decided to shelter from a lightning storm under a tree. Hoo boy.
Meanwhile, in the twentieth century, our heroine's daughter has fallen in love with a dude who subscribes to the same idea of love as her father, i.e., This Love is Fated Therefore I Get to Yell at You a Lot. When we first met this guy a couple books back he was kind of nerdy and sweet and I liked him, but the second he fell in love Gabaldon turned him into her standard romantic lead and now he's bossy and sex-crazed. And boring.
Onward I plunge. Edits to this review as events warrant (like if Gabaldon kills the dog, which I'm 80% sure she's going to and which will Not Be Okay, reading as I do with my own enormous wolf-like canine curled up at my feet).
These books drive me CRAZY and yet I CAN'T STOP READING THEM. I have friends who have read the entire Twilight series, and while let's give Gabaldon credit for being a much better writer than Meyer, it's in a lot of ways the same hypnotic trainwreck: an
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impossibly perfect heroine with no personality save the smugness that comes with knowing she is impossibly perfect, a universally desired hero whose preference for the heroine over everyone else he has ever met, male or female, all of whom wanted him, is yet more proof of her impossible perfection, and a large amount of page space devoted to said hero and heroine discussing her perfection and calling these discussions love. AND I CAN'T LOOK AWAY. Anyhoo, so in this book our scene has moved to 1767 America. Remember how incredibly (and inexplicably, given her 1960's origin) racist our heroine is? Well, let's put her among Native Americans! What could possibly go wrong? Nothing, unless you have a problem with the word "savages", used an awful lot. Interestingly, the eighteenth-century characters tend to call them "Indians"; it is our heroine who pulls out the "red savages" tag. Also she makes fun of how they smell. In return, they recognize her as a more magical shaman than any of their own race (no, seriously, she somehow develops mystical Native American-based powers; this is not a reference to her medical training) and respect her enormously, and in one case a Native American spirit comes to rescue her. When she needs rescue because she decided to shelter from a lightning storm under a tree. Hoo boy.
Meanwhile, in the twentieth century, our heroine's daughter has fallen in love with a dude who subscribes to the same idea of love as her father, i.e., This Love is Fated Therefore I Get to Yell at You a Lot. When we first met this guy a couple books back he was kind of nerdy and sweet and I liked him, but the second he fell in love Gabaldon turned him into her standard romantic lead and now he's bossy and sex-crazed. And boring.
Onward I plunge. Edits to this review as events warrant (like if Gabaldon kills the dog, which I'm 80% sure she's going to and which will Not Be Okay, reading as I do with my own enormous wolf-like canine curled up at my feet).
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LibraryThing member Clueless
Drums of Autumn-Diana Gabaldon
Gabaldon states in an interview that she was tired of romances that stopped at the altar. So she wanted to tell a married love story. Marriage is hard. It’s hard to be half a couple—it's hard to support the relationship without forfeiting yourself.
“…ye canna be
In spite of everything, I felt a lightening of spirit, as though some indefinable burden had dropped away.
…
“You’re the best man I’ve ever met,” I said. ”I only meant…it’s such a strain, to try to live for two people. To try to make them fit your ideas of what’s right…you do it for a child, of course, you have to, but even then, it’s dreadfully hard work. I couldn’t do it for you—it would be wrong to try.”
A coping strategy I have is to memorize every detail about a nice moment. Then I recall that memory when things aren’t going well. My recollections are usually at the beach. But they can be anything:
It was one of those strange moments that came to him rarely, but never left. A moment that stamped itself on heart and brain, instantly recallable in every detail, for all of his life.
There was no telling what made these moments different from any other, though he knew then when they came. …the still moments, as he called them to himself—they came with no warning, to print a random image of the most common things inside his brain, indelible.
On loneliness;
At first he had thought the loneliness would kill him, but once he had learned it would not, he came to value the solitude…
While I do realize that not everybody gets their energy from being alone-like I do, I am still mystified that more people don’t seek out solitude just for the reflection and peace-what’s so scary about that?
Gabaldon states in an interview that she was tired of romances that stopped at the altar. So she wanted to tell a married love story. Marriage is hard. It’s hard to be half a couple—it's hard to support the relationship without forfeiting yourself.
“…ye canna be
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my conscious.”In spite of everything, I felt a lightening of spirit, as though some indefinable burden had dropped away.
…
“You’re the best man I’ve ever met,” I said. ”I only meant…it’s such a strain, to try to live for two people. To try to make them fit your ideas of what’s right…you do it for a child, of course, you have to, but even then, it’s dreadfully hard work. I couldn’t do it for you—it would be wrong to try.”
A coping strategy I have is to memorize every detail about a nice moment. Then I recall that memory when things aren’t going well. My recollections are usually at the beach. But they can be anything:
It was one of those strange moments that came to him rarely, but never left. A moment that stamped itself on heart and brain, instantly recallable in every detail, for all of his life.
There was no telling what made these moments different from any other, though he knew then when they came. …the still moments, as he called them to himself—they came with no warning, to print a random image of the most common things inside his brain, indelible.
On loneliness;
At first he had thought the loneliness would kill him, but once he had learned it would not, he came to value the solitude…
While I do realize that not everybody gets their energy from being alone-like I do, I am still mystified that more people don’t seek out solitude just for the reflection and peace-what’s so scary about that?
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LibraryThing member scarlett78
This book focuses way to much on Brianna and Roger. Brianna is beyond annoying, which is truly a shame as she has a ton of potential. The author writes her a series of reactions. There seems to be no motivation for what she does.
LibraryThing member FieryNight
Now we understand Claire and Jaime better, and begin to worry over and love them.
LibraryThing member justine
Series review: Fascinating and mostly very readable series even if it gets a little bit soap opera like at times. Rich with historical detail and description.
LibraryThing member meghanlee
ok, i love these books. normally i wouldn't go for a book (much less a series!) that has 900 pages & i can still read it in a week or 2. so, i'm not sure what it is about these books, but i can't put them down & i don't even care if they are well written or not. i mean, ms. gabaldon does her
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research, right? because i am fascinated by the events that claire & jaime (& now roger) face. this series is officially my secret addiction (well, not so secret now:)). Show Less
LibraryThing member aprildt
The fourth in the Outlander series. Claire, a 20th century Englishwoman steps through a circle of stones and is transported 200 years back in time, where she falls in love with 18th century Scotsman, Jamie Fraser. Some reviewers comment that this is the weak link in the series. I agree. While Jamie
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and Claire fascinate me, and I cannot get enough of them, there were other characters who did not interest me at all. Overall, this is an excellent author. Show Less
LibraryThing member mchrzanowski
I did not care for this book as well as the others. I'm not exactly sure why, but there was just something about it. I think part of it has to do with the absolute melodrama of it. There were so many situations that seemed out of the ordinary that really just irritated me. It was interesting though
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to hear about places that are close to where I live now. I've actually been to some of the places spoke of in the book, so I found that to be interesting. Overall, its a good read for those interested in the series, but to be honest, you could probably skip it and really not miss too much. Show Less
LibraryThing member taconsolo
Wat can you possibly say about one of the most wonderful series written. Remarkable storyline, wonderfully rich caricatures, fabulous detail - I LOVE THIS SERIES!
LibraryThing member Nancy-Jean
Such a magnificent addition to Ms. Gabaldon's Jamie and Claire series--she just gets better and better.
LibraryThing member alana_leigh
Drums of Autumn is the fourth book in Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. By this point, I wonder if there's a reason to write a true review of the fourth book in a series of thousand-page books. After all, no one's glancing at reviews to say, "I suppose I'll just dive in here and not read the first
What I mean is that I feel like I'm not trying to sell anyone on these books by this time. You're either hooked or you're not, so a review becomes unnecessary... unless it's something intended to whet the appetites of expectant readers prior to the book's release? Or sway someone who once liked the books and then was disappointed? Well, rather than write a real review, I'm opting for a plot summary and then something that's more of a discussion of certain points. My assumption is that if you're reading this review, you've already read the book and might simply want to chat about it with someone. Or you're a friend who feels obliged to read my reviews because you love me or at least find me amusing from time to time... in which case, I apologize for the fact that this is the fourth book in this series that I've read about Scottish Highlanders, time travel, adventure and romance. This'll teach you for saying you always read my reviews.
In Voyager, Claire and Jamie Fraser were reunited after twenty years (or two hundred years, depends how you look at it) of separation and now they're together for good (most likely). While rescuing Jamie's nephew Ian from pirates, they crossed the Atlantic to the Caribbean Islands and not only found Ian, but Claire ended up killing fellow time-traveler/accused witch, Gellis Duncan. Now Jamie and Claire (and everyone else they have in tow) are in the American colonies, trying to figure out just what to do with themselves. Settle down? Continue to travel? Return to Scotland? Claire's a bit terrified about that gravestone in Scotland with Jamie's name on it, but perhaps that's not the best indicator as to where their fate may lie.
Rather than simply stay with Claire and Jamie in the eighteenth century, this book dips back to also pick up the "modern" time. Brianna (Jamie and Claire's daughter) and Roger (descendant of Jamie's uncle Dougal and the witch Gellis) might be mad for each other, but Roger is fairly insistent that if Brianna wants him, it has to be for life... and that means marriage. Brianna was a bit concerned about promising such a thing when they have years of obligations between them (her school, his work) and puts things off, thus keeping them on separate continents. So when Roger realizes that Brianna has gone missing (apparently leaving for Scotland without telling him), he no longer has any idea if Brianna wants him or not, as she's clearly gone into the stones to find her mother. Roger had failed to tell Brianna about a notice he found in a Colonial paper that announced the deaths of Jamie and Claire in 1776, so he knows that Brianna will eventually be headed to the Colonies once she finds out where they've gone. Thus, Roger dives into the stones to find Brianna, uncertain if she wants to be found and uncertain if they'll be able to make it back.
So from this point on, I'll be bringing up some discussion points... which means there are spoilers. Just FYI.
I suppose I see why it had to be America, given the time period, but I will, indeed, miss Scotland. After internal debate and external discussion, Jamie and Claire decide to take the governor up on his offer and settle in the Carolinas, attempting to build up a home for themselves and the opportunity for others to settle. It is, indeed, as though Jamie is creating his own lairdship here in the Americas, except he's insistent that it's not the same. There may not be generations backing up his claim, but Jamie is enough of a leader to command the same amount of allegiance. I suppose if need the drama, then at least we have the same structure we're used to... and we're not creating an isolated settlement where it's just a handful of people. (Of course, the pessimist in me believes that we're simply building up a good amount of characters so we can kill them off soon enough once we hit the Revolutionary War). In this book, there was the tempting offer of Jamie taking up the management of River Run, his aunt Jocasta's plantation, but here I appreciated the fact that Gabaldon knows her characters well (I suppose she ought to by now). Jocasta is quite a strong-willed character and Jamie would have to do things her way... and he's not one to take orders. Better to have him establish something that's his own... and allow us the historical glimpse into everything it takes to set up a settlement.
One thing that I found to be a trifle irritating in this particular book is a trick that Gabaldon uses more often in this volume than in any other (aside from the fact that this was the whole structure of book two) -- she takes us right up to a scene that should be quite important... and then skips forward in time, only to return to this scene much later. I understand there's a desire to spread out the tension and her story structure rested on the need for us to not know the truth of things until it was necessary, but the repeated use of this was the really annoying bit. The two big examples of this are when Bree gets raped by Bonnet and when Jamie potentially kills Roger. (Side note: I'm nearly done with book five by the time I write this review and I have to say that poor Rogers gets the short end of the stick for quite a while to come.) By not coming out with information at the get-go, confusion is caused, and that's important for Gabaldon's storytelling structure. We need to not know if Bree slept with Bonnet, yet know that Lizzie suspects Roger of raping Bree. We need to not know if Jamie has killed Roger. We need the miscommunication (or lack of communication) for her story to do what she wants it to do... it's just that it gets to be a bit wearisome when everything in a thousand page book is based on this story structure. And it also tends to suggest that if Gabaldon can't jump between two centuries, then I suppose we can hardly stop her when she feels the itch to jump between a matter of days or months.
By virtue of shifting the stories to focus a bit more on the drama between Roger and Bree (young and at the start of their romance), we do move away from Jamie and Claire, but only a bit. We have to give way a little, I suppose, or else the book would be even longer, but at least Gabaldon doesn't feel the need to focus on them entirely. After all, Jamie and Claire already have our hearts. Roger and Bree are good enough, but don't quite have the pull of Jamie and Claire. Perhaps it's to do with the fact that their romance doesn't have the same epic feel to it. Perhaps it's that neither one of them are as charismatic as Jamie or Claire. I often find myself frustrated on their behalves, for neither of them were born to the eighteenth century and so they both seem to be fish out of water, whereas at least Claire has Jamie... and her own practical focus that allows her to settle into this world without much fuss. There's also a sense of the tragic with them by the end of the book -- Bree pregnant and uncertain as to who could be the father; Roger bought back from the Indians at the expense of sacrificing young Ian; both Bree and Roger now stuck in the eighteenth century, for Bree won't leave Jemmy and Roger won't leave Bree.
When it comes to villains, I suppose no one should have worried about a lack of them in the New World. Gabaldon does have a tendency to come up with some truly depraved folks. First it was Jonathan "Black Jack" Randall, who might be Frank Randall's ancestor and yet was a truly wicked sadist, consumed by his obsession for dominating Jamie. Then we had Gellie Duncan, who seemed to rise from the dead so that she might debauch and kill young boys in her witchy attempts to return to her own time. Now we have Stephen Bonnet, an Irish smuggler who repaid the Frasers kindness with robbery and then raped their daughter, potentially impregnating her. Of course, all of Gabaldon's villains seem to have another side to them (certainly Randall seemed all but forgiven in his grief-stricken descent) and the same is true of Bonnet, though not quite to the same degree -- yet. Bonnet actually does drag John Grey's body to safety from the fire that his associates set (even if it's at Bree's insistence)... and gives Bree the black diamond for the child's keeping. Of course, this can only end badly, as this all but assured that Bonnet will try to return for the child, who he believes to be his son. He'll have to end up dead in the end if Bree, Roger, and Jemmy are to remain an intact family.
In the meantime, even if I wasn't always delighted with this novel, I'm well aware that I've fallen under Gabaldon's spell and will continue to devour her novels. I might need a break soon, though, and I'm a bit surprised I haven't overdosed already. That's testament to an excellent storyteller, I suppose.
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three, shall I?" People who make it through thousand-page books of historical fiction don't tend to jump around in a series, right? If you do, then stop it this instant.What I mean is that I feel like I'm not trying to sell anyone on these books by this time. You're either hooked or you're not, so a review becomes unnecessary... unless it's something intended to whet the appetites of expectant readers prior to the book's release? Or sway someone who once liked the books and then was disappointed? Well, rather than write a real review, I'm opting for a plot summary and then something that's more of a discussion of certain points. My assumption is that if you're reading this review, you've already read the book and might simply want to chat about it with someone. Or you're a friend who feels obliged to read my reviews because you love me or at least find me amusing from time to time... in which case, I apologize for the fact that this is the fourth book in this series that I've read about Scottish Highlanders, time travel, adventure and romance. This'll teach you for saying you always read my reviews.
In Voyager, Claire and Jamie Fraser were reunited after twenty years (or two hundred years, depends how you look at it) of separation and now they're together for good (most likely). While rescuing Jamie's nephew Ian from pirates, they crossed the Atlantic to the Caribbean Islands and not only found Ian, but Claire ended up killing fellow time-traveler/accused witch, Gellis Duncan. Now Jamie and Claire (and everyone else they have in tow) are in the American colonies, trying to figure out just what to do with themselves. Settle down? Continue to travel? Return to Scotland? Claire's a bit terrified about that gravestone in Scotland with Jamie's name on it, but perhaps that's not the best indicator as to where their fate may lie.
Rather than simply stay with Claire and Jamie in the eighteenth century, this book dips back to also pick up the "modern" time. Brianna (Jamie and Claire's daughter) and Roger (descendant of Jamie's uncle Dougal and the witch Gellis) might be mad for each other, but Roger is fairly insistent that if Brianna wants him, it has to be for life... and that means marriage. Brianna was a bit concerned about promising such a thing when they have years of obligations between them (her school, his work) and puts things off, thus keeping them on separate continents. So when Roger realizes that Brianna has gone missing (apparently leaving for Scotland without telling him), he no longer has any idea if Brianna wants him or not, as she's clearly gone into the stones to find her mother. Roger had failed to tell Brianna about a notice he found in a Colonial paper that announced the deaths of Jamie and Claire in 1776, so he knows that Brianna will eventually be headed to the Colonies once she finds out where they've gone. Thus, Roger dives into the stones to find Brianna, uncertain if she wants to be found and uncertain if they'll be able to make it back.
So from this point on, I'll be bringing up some discussion points... which means there are spoilers. Just FYI.
I suppose I see why it had to be America, given the time period, but I will, indeed, miss Scotland. After internal debate and external discussion, Jamie and Claire decide to take the governor up on his offer and settle in the Carolinas, attempting to build up a home for themselves and the opportunity for others to settle. It is, indeed, as though Jamie is creating his own lairdship here in the Americas, except he's insistent that it's not the same. There may not be generations backing up his claim, but Jamie is enough of a leader to command the same amount of allegiance. I suppose if need the drama, then at least we have the same structure we're used to... and we're not creating an isolated settlement where it's just a handful of people. (Of course, the pessimist in me believes that we're simply building up a good amount of characters so we can kill them off soon enough once we hit the Revolutionary War). In this book, there was the tempting offer of Jamie taking up the management of River Run, his aunt Jocasta's plantation, but here I appreciated the fact that Gabaldon knows her characters well (I suppose she ought to by now). Jocasta is quite a strong-willed character and Jamie would have to do things her way... and he's not one to take orders. Better to have him establish something that's his own... and allow us the historical glimpse into everything it takes to set up a settlement.
One thing that I found to be a trifle irritating in this particular book is a trick that Gabaldon uses more often in this volume than in any other (aside from the fact that this was the whole structure of book two) -- she takes us right up to a scene that should be quite important... and then skips forward in time, only to return to this scene much later. I understand there's a desire to spread out the tension and her story structure rested on the need for us to not know the truth of things until it was necessary, but the repeated use of this was the really annoying bit. The two big examples of this are when Bree gets raped by Bonnet and when Jamie potentially kills Roger. (Side note: I'm nearly done with book five by the time I write this review and I have to say that poor Rogers gets the short end of the stick for quite a while to come.) By not coming out with information at the get-go, confusion is caused, and that's important for Gabaldon's storytelling structure. We need to not know if Bree slept with Bonnet, yet know that Lizzie suspects Roger of raping Bree. We need to not know if Jamie has killed Roger. We need the miscommunication (or lack of communication) for her story to do what she wants it to do... it's just that it gets to be a bit wearisome when everything in a thousand page book is based on this story structure. And it also tends to suggest that if Gabaldon can't jump between two centuries, then I suppose we can hardly stop her when she feels the itch to jump between a matter of days or months.
By virtue of shifting the stories to focus a bit more on the drama between Roger and Bree (young and at the start of their romance), we do move away from Jamie and Claire, but only a bit. We have to give way a little, I suppose, or else the book would be even longer, but at least Gabaldon doesn't feel the need to focus on them entirely. After all, Jamie and Claire already have our hearts. Roger and Bree are good enough, but don't quite have the pull of Jamie and Claire. Perhaps it's to do with the fact that their romance doesn't have the same epic feel to it. Perhaps it's that neither one of them are as charismatic as Jamie or Claire. I often find myself frustrated on their behalves, for neither of them were born to the eighteenth century and so they both seem to be fish out of water, whereas at least Claire has Jamie... and her own practical focus that allows her to settle into this world without much fuss. There's also a sense of the tragic with them by the end of the book -- Bree pregnant and uncertain as to who could be the father; Roger bought back from the Indians at the expense of sacrificing young Ian; both Bree and Roger now stuck in the eighteenth century, for Bree won't leave Jemmy and Roger won't leave Bree.
When it comes to villains, I suppose no one should have worried about a lack of them in the New World. Gabaldon does have a tendency to come up with some truly depraved folks. First it was Jonathan "Black Jack" Randall, who might be Frank Randall's ancestor and yet was a truly wicked sadist, consumed by his obsession for dominating Jamie. Then we had Gellie Duncan, who seemed to rise from the dead so that she might debauch and kill young boys in her witchy attempts to return to her own time. Now we have Stephen Bonnet, an Irish smuggler who repaid the Frasers kindness with robbery and then raped their daughter, potentially impregnating her. Of course, all of Gabaldon's villains seem to have another side to them (certainly Randall seemed all but forgiven in his grief-stricken descent) and the same is true of Bonnet, though not quite to the same degree -- yet. Bonnet actually does drag John Grey's body to safety from the fire that his associates set (even if it's at Bree's insistence)... and gives Bree the black diamond for the child's keeping. Of course, this can only end badly, as this all but assured that Bonnet will try to return for the child, who he believes to be his son. He'll have to end up dead in the end if Bree, Roger, and Jemmy are to remain an intact family.
In the meantime, even if I wasn't always delighted with this novel, I'm well aware that I've fallen under Gabaldon's spell and will continue to devour her novels. I might need a break soon, though, and I'm a bit surprised I haven't overdosed already. That's testament to an excellent storyteller, I suppose.
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LibraryThing member theeclecticreview
This is the fourth book in the Outlander series and Claire and Jamie's new adventures are in the Americas. They travel with Ian Murray (Jamie's nephew) to North Carolina where they meet Jamie's Aunt Jocasta at River Run. Even though Aunt Jocasta wants to leave Jamie her estate, he prefers to settle
In addition to Claire and Jamie's story, Brianna (Claire and Jamie's daughter) and Roger Wakefield MacKenzie's (distant ancestor of Dougal MacKenzie and Gille Duncan) join the adventures by doing some time travel themselves. Brianna goes back on her own from the 1970's to the 1770's to warn Claire and Jamie about a historical fact she finds out and Roger finds out and follows her.
I didn't give this book 5 stars because I thought the whole Jamie/Roger misunderstanding and the search for him took too long. However, that won't stop me from continuing on to the next in the series, The Fiery Cross.
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at Fraser's Ridge which it is more secluded and something he can call his own . Of course, Claire and Jamie run into Indians and bears on the way and meet interesting characters as well. In addition to Claire and Jamie's story, Brianna (Claire and Jamie's daughter) and Roger Wakefield MacKenzie's (distant ancestor of Dougal MacKenzie and Gille Duncan) join the adventures by doing some time travel themselves. Brianna goes back on her own from the 1970's to the 1770's to warn Claire and Jamie about a historical fact she finds out and Roger finds out and follows her.
I didn't give this book 5 stars because I thought the whole Jamie/Roger misunderstanding and the search for him took too long. However, that won't stop me from continuing on to the next in the series, The Fiery Cross.
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LibraryThing member labelleaurore
Drums of Autumn, one of her best, my opinion. A must read in the serie.
LibraryThing member miyurose
Things have calmed down a *little* bit in the Fraser lives, but this was still a very good book. I like how the story is progressing. My only problem is that I find myself skimming things like Indian folktales ... but that's my problem, not a problem with the book. My eyes always glaze over when I
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hit stuff like that. Show Less
LibraryThing member MissTeacher
Another captivating link in the Fraser chain. Drums of Autumn takes the reader deep into the wilderness of North Carolina--an especially gratifying choice of setting considering that I now rest my head there. It was delightful for me to say aloud, "Hey! I know where they are!"; this delight was
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matched only by the instances of furious passion, gut-retching detail, and indelible love. It is difficult for me to say hardly anything of the book without giving all of its secrets away, so I will only say this: read it. Show Less
LibraryThing member fillechaude
The story picks up again a little bit in this book, the fourth in the series. I didn't even realize it had started to drag a bit until I compared the third and fourth books! I'm excited to see where the story goes with book number five.
LibraryThing member love2laf
I still love this book, and did the very first time I read it. Starting fresh in America, and full of adventure, heartbreak, and love, it's such a delightful and compelling read.
LibraryThing member sdbookhound
Another great story about Jamie and Claire. There are some slow parts, but overall I enjoyed the book very much.
LibraryThing member ChaoticEclipse
Jamie and Claire lives now in America They have some lands in the middle of wilderness and they’re ready to settle to “normal” married life. The local Indians are relatively peaceful and Jamie’s nephew Ian becomes good friend with them.
In the 20th century Brianna is trying to find what
Yet another godd book by Gabaldon! I enjoyed it but still thought it to be the weakest book in the serie so far. But that doesn’t mean it was bad! I just found Roger so utterly boring. And there were too many pages from his point of view. He seemed more interesting in the future time.
I liked to see how Brianna and Jamie got to know each other and their relationship grow. AndI liked how well she get along with John Grey. But I didn’t understand how John could be so uninterested about his wife’s death.
The one thing I could have lived without was Brianna getting raped. I just didn’t see the point of it...
In the 20th century Brianna is trying to find what
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happens to his parents. She’s also coming closer to Roger Wakefield, who helped Claire to trace Jamie. When Brianna finds old newspaper article about her parents she decides to go through the stones without telling Roger. When Roger finds out she has left, he’s determined to find her.Yet another godd book by Gabaldon! I enjoyed it but still thought it to be the weakest book in the serie so far. But that doesn’t mean it was bad! I just found Roger so utterly boring. And there were too many pages from his point of view. He seemed more interesting in the future time.
I liked to see how Brianna and Jamie got to know each other and their relationship grow. AndI liked how well she get along with John Grey. But I didn’t understand how John could be so uninterested about his wife’s death.
The one thing I could have lived without was Brianna getting raped. I just didn’t see the point of it...
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LibraryThing member shanahmatt
Epic journey continues for time traveller Claire and her 18th century Scottish Highlander husband Jamie. We find the adventurous couple in America prior to the Revolutionary War. As always, their journey is filled with life altering decisons and a true love that has truly endured the test of time.
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Knowing war is eminent and not being able to change it, what choices can Claire and Jamie make to keep their family and friends safe? This is the fourth installment of the series, and the story never has a dull moment. Higly recommend investing the time to read. Show Less
LibraryThing member klarsenmd
This fourth book in the outlander series finds Claire and Jamie livining in the American colonies. Again, the historical detail and action were both wonderful, but what I really enjoyed was in finding out more about their daughter Brianna and her love interest Roger. Spanning 2 different eras, the
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story was very engaging. As with the previous books, I found it a bit long and bogged down in places, but still an enjoyable read. I will be eager to continue the saga with book 5. Show Less
LibraryThing member jmchshannon
As this is the fourth novel in the series, there will most likely be spoilers for those who have not yet gotten this far in the story. Consider yourself warned.
I do love Jamie and Claire Fraser. They continue to be the couple that gets the entire idea of marriage - the give and take, the intimate
Unfortunately, Drums of Autumn also brings Brianna Fraser to the forefront, and this is its biggest, most distracting flaw. While Jamie and Claire are pragmatic, careful, thoughtful, and intelligent, Brianna is the exact opposite. She's rash, impetuous, stubborn and frankly, childish. One could use her age as an excuse, and yet, she is not all that much younger than Jamie was when readers were first introduced to him. Any time the story revolved around Brianna, the story ground to a halt. The reader gets the distinct impression that even Ms. Gabaldon does not enjoy writing Brianna as much as she does Jamie and Claire, or even Roger and Ian, and the novel does suffer as a result.
This inertia in Brianna's story makes for a very long novel. If I had been reading it, I personally would have skipped over or at least skimmed through those pages where she was the main character. In addition, in this novel more so than in the others, the switch in narrators was jarring and obvious. Too often, it was quite a difference between one sentence; the reader would be seeing the story unfold in the first person through Claire's eyes and in the next sentence would switch to either another character's or an omniscient observer in third person. While this technique may have been employed in the previous novels, I do not remember it resulting in quite as jagged a story as it does in Drums of Autumn.
While there has always been a sense of the fantastic in the Outlander series, I feel that in Drums of Autumn, Ms. Gabaldon truly does stretch the reader's ability to accept the action. While it was one thing for Claire to be able to adjust to life 200 years into the past, Ms. Gabaldon does a sufficient job explaining why Claire is able to do so with relative ease. Yet, the reader is now expected to believe that both Brianna and Roger can also transition to life 200 years earlier without any problems, and this time, Ms. Gabaldon offers no explanations as to how this is possible. As a reader, I personally do not buy into this part of the story and find it a bit too far-fetched to stomach with ease. From Brianna's ability to accept service from slaves to Roger's ability to steal from a pirate back to Brianna's ability to cross Scotland, an entire ocean and most of the Carolinas without harm or assault - it was all just a bit too convenient, too pat and too easy. For the first time, the story stopped being possible and moved into the highly improbable.
Davina Porter, as always, is delightful as the narrator. Her ability to encompass the gruff Scottish temper, the coquettish maid, and the pragmatic doctor continues to impress and improve the story. Unfortunately, the story itself was so weak that no amount of oratory skill was enough to overcome its weaknesses. I truly struggled with listening to the entire novel and even found myself forwarding through scenes with Brianna in them, as I personally did not care what happened to her. She is not the force or the magic behind the stories, and I found I did not miss much when I did skip through those scenes.
In expressing my displeasure at this fourth novel, others assured me that it was their least favorite of the entire series. To this I can say I am not surprised. It truly is a weak storyline with very little in the way of danger and forward progress for Claire and Jamie, and ultimately my love for them is the only reason why I continue with the series. My hope is that the fifth novel moves away from Brianna and back to Claire and Jamie, where the main story deservedly belongs. Otherwise, I am not certain I want to invest more time in slogging through these novels. Even on audio, the novels are too long to continue if the main feeling while reading is a desire to skip to the end. Even with Jamie and Claire, Drums of Autumn left me with that particular desire one too many times for me to be able to say that it was a novel I enjoyed, unfortunately. It also left me in no particular hurry to get to the fifth novel as I do not want to continue to be disappointed.
I do love Jamie and Claire Fraser. They continue to be the couple that gets the entire idea of marriage - the give and take, the intimate
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knowledge of each other, the partnership of the entire relationship. Their banter and genuine support of one another is strikingly authentic and realistic. Any time the action revolves around them, the reader is in for a treat. If Drums of Autumn had been all about Claire and Jamie's struggles to forge a new life in the frontiers of America, I personally would have been okay with that.Unfortunately, Drums of Autumn also brings Brianna Fraser to the forefront, and this is its biggest, most distracting flaw. While Jamie and Claire are pragmatic, careful, thoughtful, and intelligent, Brianna is the exact opposite. She's rash, impetuous, stubborn and frankly, childish. One could use her age as an excuse, and yet, she is not all that much younger than Jamie was when readers were first introduced to him. Any time the story revolved around Brianna, the story ground to a halt. The reader gets the distinct impression that even Ms. Gabaldon does not enjoy writing Brianna as much as she does Jamie and Claire, or even Roger and Ian, and the novel does suffer as a result.
This inertia in Brianna's story makes for a very long novel. If I had been reading it, I personally would have skipped over or at least skimmed through those pages where she was the main character. In addition, in this novel more so than in the others, the switch in narrators was jarring and obvious. Too often, it was quite a difference between one sentence; the reader would be seeing the story unfold in the first person through Claire's eyes and in the next sentence would switch to either another character's or an omniscient observer in third person. While this technique may have been employed in the previous novels, I do not remember it resulting in quite as jagged a story as it does in Drums of Autumn.
While there has always been a sense of the fantastic in the Outlander series, I feel that in Drums of Autumn, Ms. Gabaldon truly does stretch the reader's ability to accept the action. While it was one thing for Claire to be able to adjust to life 200 years into the past, Ms. Gabaldon does a sufficient job explaining why Claire is able to do so with relative ease. Yet, the reader is now expected to believe that both Brianna and Roger can also transition to life 200 years earlier without any problems, and this time, Ms. Gabaldon offers no explanations as to how this is possible. As a reader, I personally do not buy into this part of the story and find it a bit too far-fetched to stomach with ease. From Brianna's ability to accept service from slaves to Roger's ability to steal from a pirate back to Brianna's ability to cross Scotland, an entire ocean and most of the Carolinas without harm or assault - it was all just a bit too convenient, too pat and too easy. For the first time, the story stopped being possible and moved into the highly improbable.
Davina Porter, as always, is delightful as the narrator. Her ability to encompass the gruff Scottish temper, the coquettish maid, and the pragmatic doctor continues to impress and improve the story. Unfortunately, the story itself was so weak that no amount of oratory skill was enough to overcome its weaknesses. I truly struggled with listening to the entire novel and even found myself forwarding through scenes with Brianna in them, as I personally did not care what happened to her. She is not the force or the magic behind the stories, and I found I did not miss much when I did skip through those scenes.
In expressing my displeasure at this fourth novel, others assured me that it was their least favorite of the entire series. To this I can say I am not surprised. It truly is a weak storyline with very little in the way of danger and forward progress for Claire and Jamie, and ultimately my love for them is the only reason why I continue with the series. My hope is that the fifth novel moves away from Brianna and back to Claire and Jamie, where the main story deservedly belongs. Otherwise, I am not certain I want to invest more time in slogging through these novels. Even on audio, the novels are too long to continue if the main feeling while reading is a desire to skip to the end. Even with Jamie and Claire, Drums of Autumn left me with that particular desire one too many times for me to be able to say that it was a novel I enjoyed, unfortunately. It also left me in no particular hurry to get to the fifth novel as I do not want to continue to be disappointed.
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LibraryThing member sdtaylor555
Ouch. This book hurt me to read. I'm not reading any more of these books...I'm stopping right here. Avoid.
LibraryThing member kakadoo202
while the story moves on, it has some detours just to fill the pages and it starts to have a few unbelievable things happening. But still a good read and I am ready for number 5.
LibraryThing member tvordj
Claire and Jamie make their new life on a mountain in North Carolina, Fraser's Ridge. Brianna and Roger both discover a notice that implies Jamie and Claire will die in 1776. Brianna decides to go back in time to find her mother and Roger follows her. Stephen Bonnet, a condemned man escapes the
While this wasn't my favourite of the series, it does set it up for the remainder of the series. We get to know a new couple, Brianna and Roger as well as get to see Jamie become acquainted with his daughter.
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gallows and Jamie does not turn him in. The Frasers will live to regret it. The Frasers have encounters with local Native tribes and villages, both good and bad, sometimes with unexpected results. While this wasn't my favourite of the series, it does set it up for the remainder of the series. We get to know a new couple, Brianna and Roger as well as get to see Jamie become acquainted with his daughter.
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ISBN
0385311400 / 9780385311403