Diana Gabaldon

Diana Gabaldon has captivated millions of readers with her critically acclaimed Outlander novels. Now Gabaldon serves up The Outlandish Companion, Volume Two, an all-new guide to Books 5-8 in the series: A Fiery Cross, A Breath of Snow and Ashes, An Echo in the Bone, and Written in My Own Heart's Blood Written with Gabaldon’s signature wit and intelligence, this compendium is bursting with generous commentary and juicy insider details, including: * A complete chronology of the series thus far; * Full synopses of A Fiery Cross, A Breath of Snow and Ashes, An Echo in the Bone, and Written in My Own Heart’s Blood; * Recaps of the Lord John Grey novels: Lord John and the Private Matter, Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade, Lord John and the Hand of Devils, and The Scottish Prisoner; * A who’s who of the cast of Outlander characters, cross-referenced by book; * Detailed maps and floor plans; * A bibliographic guide to research sources; * Essays on subjects as wide ranging as Outlandish controversies regarding sex and violence, the unique responsibilities of a writer of historical fiction, and Gabaldon’s writing process; * A guided tour of the clothes, food, and music of the eighteenth century; * A Scottish glossary and pronunciation guide; * Personal photos from the author taken on the set of the Outlander series. As entertaining, sweeping, and addictive as the series itself, this second volume of The Outlandish Companion is a one (or two)-of-a-kind gift from an incomparable author.

The Outlandish Companion

The creator of the Outlander series gives fans the skinny on her epic saga of time travel, adventure, and love everlasting, offering a complete listing of the characters and their genealogy; a glossary of Gaelic terms; and more. Tour.

In which Much is Revealed Regarding Claire and Jamie Fraser, Their Lives and Times, Antecedents, Adventures, Companions, and Progeny, with Learned Commentary (and Many Footnotes) by Their Humble Creator

The Outlandish Companion is very informative and insightful, full of tidbits relating to the Outlander universe and its characters within.

While I did find myself skimming some portions of this book (the horoscopes, appendixes, excerpts of her "new" books), I enjoyed other sections immensely, including those about characters, her time travel theories and explanations, errors found in the books, and the author addressing various readers' questions, queries and complaints. 

The edition I read is the original hardcover, published sometime in the late 1990s, so much of it is now obsolete, especially the sections dealing with the internet (if I have to read about "CompuServe" one more time...), so that took away some of my enjoyment. Also, I found it humorous because other now-outdated information is included, like the title of the sixth book in the Outlander series: "King, Farewell." Diana Gabaldon writes in the Outlandish Companion that "the title of the sixth book should preferably be one word, to reduce the chances of people mangling it..." As we all know, that title is "A Breath of Snow and Ashes," which is actually a cool title. Again, this was just humorous to me in hindsight.

One thing that took away from my rating is how arrogant Gabaldon seems to be; she comes across as quite full of herself and it's hard to read. However, many of her arguments and justifications do make sense, especially concerning the eighteenth century versus today's/modern standards, etc. I got a lot out of this book that will enhance my enjoyment of the Outlander series from now on, from rereads of the first few books (which the Outlandish Companion covers) to the rest of the series when I get around to reading it. I would not recommend reading this unless you're up to date with reading the first four book of the Outlander series. 

Side note: The errata section makes me feel better about my abilities as an editor because I remember catching a lot of these mistakes when reading (and one more that didn't even make the list). I appreciate that the author can admit to the mistakes and that this book was a means of correcting them. This book is essential for any die hard Outlander fan. 

Another takeaway: I am more intrigued about Master Raymond now, as Gabaldon mentions he is a pre-historic time traveler. We need his story ASAP! It's also funny that a prequel about Jamie's parents has been "in the works" since this book was published and has yet to materialize! 

Amanda

The Outlandish Companion is very informative and insightful, full of tidbits relating to the Outlander universe and its characters within.

While I did find myself skimming some portions of this book (the horoscopes, appendixes, excerpts of her "new" books), I enjoyed other sections immensely, including those about characters, her time travel theories and explanations, errors found in the books, and the author addressing various readers' questions, queries and complaints. 

The edition I read is the original hardcover, published sometime in the late 1990s, so much of it is now obsolete, especially the sections dealing with the internet (if I have to read about "CompuServe" one more time...), so that took away some of my enjoyment. Also, I found it humorous because other now-outdated information is included, like the title of the sixth book in the Outlander series: "King, Farewell." Diana Gabaldon writes in the Outlandish Companion that "the title of the sixth book should preferably be one word, to reduce the chances of people mangling it..." As we all know, that title is "A Breath of Snow and Ashes," which is actually a cool title. Again, this was just humorous to me in hindsight.

One thing that took away from my rating is how arrogant Gabaldon seems to be; she comes across as quite full of herself and it's hard to read. However, many of her arguments and justifications do make sense, especially concerning the eighteenth century versus today's/modern standards, etc. I got a lot out of this book that will enhance my enjoyment of the Outlander series from now on, from rereads of the first few books (which the Outlandish Companion covers) to the rest of the series when I get around to reading it. I would not recommend reading this unless you're up to date with reading the first four book of the Outlander series. 

Side note: The errata section makes me feel better about my abilities as an editor because I remember catching a lot of these mistakes when reading (and one more that didn't even make the list). I appreciate that the author can admit to the mistakes and that this book was a means of correcting them. This book is essential for any die hard Outlander fan. 

Another takeaway: I am more intrigued about Master Raymond now, as Gabaldon mentions he is a pre-historic time traveler. We need his story ASAP! It's also funny that a prequel about Jamie's parents has been "in the works" since this book was published and has yet to materialize! 

Now in a brand-new edition, newly updated throughout, including new material from the author, 16 pages of Showcase television series tie-in photographs, and a gorgeous new cover and timed with the new season of Outlander on Showcase beginning April 2015. The Outlandish Companion is the comprehensive insider's guide to the first four books of Diana Gabaldon's bestselling series. New York Times bestselling author Diana Gabaldon takes readers behind the scenes in The Outlandish Companion, an encyclopedic look at the first four books of the Outlander series. Necessary reading for new fans just starting the series who need to catch up, long-time readers wanting to relive how it all began, and everyone in between, the companion is packed with character guides, plot synopses, an extensive Gaelic glossary, and more.

Alexa Jade

very jam packed with info. a bit too much as is diana’s style. my favorite part was the part where she discusses characters and how she comes to create them. them being nuts, mushrooms or onions. a lot of this info is stuff i’ve heard before from interviews of her. the family trees and natal charts were a nice touch and I loved the mix in of book quotes.

The Outlandish Companion

Reviews