<p>Thanks so much Nrdsb4. Having forgotten that detail, it’s obviously time for another reading.</p>
<p>This passage is illustrates precisely why I loved these books in spite of some of their irritating shortcomings. It shows so well Claire’s spirit:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>An interesting interview with executive producer Ron Moore and actor Tobias Menzies (Frank and Black Jack) about the finale:</p>
<p><a href=“'Outlander' Episode 8 Midseason Finale: 'Both Sides Now' Postmortem - Variety”>Variety;
<p>Remember how I said that the actor Lawrence Fox would be well cast as Jamie? I hunted down a picture of Diana with her husband, whom she has said is the model for Jamie, and guess who he looks like? Lawrence Fox!</p>
<p><a href=“Ladies of Lallybroch - People Magazine”>http://www.lallybroch.com/LOL/peoplemag.html</a></p>
<p><a href=“http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/celebritytravel/10628079/Laurence-Foxs-New-York-My-Kind-of-Town.html”>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/celebritytravel/10628079/Laurence-Foxs-New-York-My-Kind-of-Town.html</a></p>
<p>^^^^Hard to tell as DG’s husband is seen from the side. But yeah, maybe a little…</p>
<p>I agree with you on that passage Nrdsb4, that is a good illustration of the personality of Claire. The part calls for an actress who can bring that little bit of comedy, and we haven’t seen that yet - at all IMO - from the Starz version of Claire. Time will tell!</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I think being too attached to a story can make any adaptation unacceptable. I felt that way about the Harry Potter movies–the first HP book came out just as my oldest was starting to read chapter books, and over the years I read all of the HP books with all of my 3 kids. And we have listened to the audiotapes of all of the books on long drives. I positively hated the first 2 HP movies and have not seen any of the others. I just couldn’t take even the minor straying from the books. </p>
<p>I have no idea what I will think about Outlander because I am still unable to figure out how to watch it. Willing to buy from iTunes or on DVD, just not willing to sign up for cable . . . </p>
<p>I try to separate books from tv/movie adaptations because of that disappointment factor. I try to accept that they are different mediums.</p>
<p>Well, I was a bit disappointed in the mid season finale. So may things I did like…even the deviations (loved Frank and Claire at the stones at the same time). But all the things I liked were overwhelmed by a MAJOR plot absence from the book…and that is the emotional and physical attachment between J&C after the wedding until she tries to leave him. Where is all the dialogue and physical intimacy that we see so much of as we watch and feel them fall in love. There was no doubt in my mind when Claire was leaving that she was torn and in love with Jamie. Didn’t she cry thinking about how he would feel? You have to have this backstory and visceral knowledge of their connection to believe what happens afterwards (don’t want spoilers). We got NO dialogue, except what…a minute of gazing into each other’s lines and fondling each other hands talking about the wanting. I loved that in the books, but I actually wanted to go “ewwe” listening to it. They just jumped into that, but we have no reference to how they got to that point. Bad, BAd, BAD! I was routing for her to get back to FRANK, for crying out loud.</p>
<p>I understand the need to pull Frank into the story more, but they are overdoing it. They only needed about half of that in this episode, and that half given to more J&C dialogue…we need to hear them fall in love and that can only be accomplished that way. She’s spoken more to all the other characters than Jamie.</p>
<p>and Raiders on the rock! OMG…they left out the scene where he is insistent afterwards with her. I cannot believe they left that out!!! I was sort of shocked.</p>
<p>Well, there were great things…loved Hugh Monroe and that scene. I just think they’ve done a disservice right HERE in the story…forget about the ring and necklace, those are just tidbits. We need to understand the J&C conneciton, it is their story after all. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Well, in fairness to CF, they didn’t give her that line and haven’t given her the opportunity to show that side of Claire.</p>
<p>In response to the above post, it kind of illustrates how on the one hand people are complaining that the story is taking too long while others bemoan many of the things they have left out. I think they’ve done a fair job of showing Claire and Jamie becoming closer, but they didn’t give us a glimpse into her thoughts revealing her ambivalence about leaving Jamie. However, in the book, when Claire realizes how close she is to the stones, she doesn’t hesitate a bit to attempt to get to them. That was done differently in the adaptation where she runs at the stones calling out Frank’s name, but she was no less determined by that time to get there in the book.</p>
<p>I think Claire was still in an emotional state from her attack and the killing of her attacker. She doesn’t feel safe. One of Jamie’s promises was that he would always protect her. He didn’t. When she saw the stones and heard Frank calling, she reacted with impulse and relief. I found it very believable. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Not that they are dead ringers, but they are the same type.</p>
<p>Just read DG on her compuserve forum say that all will be rectified with more of Jamie in the spring. The show will have 2 voice overs: Claire and JAMIE! Wow…unique deviation with this book and very much needed with the poor Jamie development so far. Now I’m getting excited again…</p>
<p>^^^^That will be interesting. </p>
<p>I read on the interview with the exec producer linked above that they recently wrapped filming on the finale of Season 1. I’m amazed that post production will take 6 months.</p>
<p>As I said earlier I started watching the show and didn’t know the books. I must have been living under a rock for 20 years, because they are right up my literary alley.</p>
<p>I got the first one from the library this week and began to read it as soon as I watched episode 8. And I read it Saturday night until morning, literally, it was well light out when I reluctantly went to sleep. I did some things for my kids and household Sunday, then went back to it in the afternoon and finished it last night.</p>
<p>…and ordered the next two from the library. Having seen the show first, as I read it is this Claire and this Jamie that I see. So, no conflict for me, and I think this Jamie is perfect. I did Game of Thrones in much the same way - watched a season or two then read all the books in a row and am now ahead of the series. I am really glad to have begun the books now,I imagine I’ll be done with them well before April.</p>
<p>I agree that in some ways the show is moving very slowly. Half the season done and only 1/4 of the book at most? That suggests they will have to rush the next 8 episodes to get through the entire book. I’d almost prefer they keep this pace and make this first book last two seasons, and Game of Thrones is finally doing, I believe.</p>
<p>Though I finished the book, I haven’t returned it to the library…and won’t until the next comes, because there’s some re-reading (and some rewatching now that I’ve read!) that has to be done. Oh, I also ordered (our library has the online thing where you can get a book from any library in the state and they deliver it to the local one, so I say “ordered”), the graphic novel she did for Outlander, from Jamie’s perspective. Maybe this is where some of the “from Jamie’s perspective” stuff for the series will come from?</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.amazon.com/The-Exile-Diana-Gabaldon-ebook/dp/B00CD4RPWM/ref=dp_kinw_strp_1”>http://www.amazon.com/The-Exile-Diana-Gabaldon-ebook/dp/B00CD4RPWM/ref=dp_kinw_strp_1</a></p>
<p>OHMom - curious what else you have read and would recommend. </p>
<p>OHMomof2, enjoy the books! One thing nice about coming to the books late is you don’t have to wait between books. You will also want to read some of the shorter stories. In particular, A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows and The Space Between. Both give good background information on characters you want to know more about. It’s too soon to read them now, but do read them eventually.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I sure hope that’s right. Ron Moore clearly wants to showcase Tobias for some reason. He already has his Emmy reel with the Garrison Commander episode, so why the need for all the extra Frank stuff in the last episode? I know a film adaptation has to leave a lot of book stuff out–I get that–but what I don’t get is sacrificing book canon that Jamie and the Claire/Jamie relationsip for made up stuff about Frank.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>@mathildamae - In this general genre…I’ve loved all the Game of Thrones books. Recently read the first two of the James Follett “Century” trilogy (waiting on third). Also Follett, Pillars of the Earth. The White Queen and the Red Queen by Phillippa Gregory (also coincidentally a Starz series and I found the books the same way) - and there are more of her books I’ll get to eventually.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>@caraid - when would they best be read? I’m on a roll here and it’s nice to be able to read them in the order folks suggest. I was planning to go in DG’s suggested order: </p>
<p>Outlander
Dragonfly In Amber
Voyager
Drums of Autumn
The Fiery Cross
A Breath of Snow and Ashes
An Echo In The Bone
Written In My Own Heart’s Blood</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Your estimation is really off. According to my Kindle, the scene where Jamie says to BJR “I’ll thank ye to take your hands off my wife” and BJR reacts occurs exactly 45% into the book. They really aren’t all that far off to being half way through the book.</p>