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Customer Review
- Reviewed in Canada on December 28, 2021I have read all the books and watched the series. This ninth book did not keep me hooked till the very end. After reading over 650 pages I felt I needed a breather and have put it aside for a while. I don't know if and when I will finish it.
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On the positive side, I am awed by a writer who can put together a tale of such magnitude. The research alone is staggering. Historical, geographical, medical, legal, culinary, social, linguistic. The book has excerpts of French, old English, Gaelic, Mohawk. Judging by the quality of the French language (and of course, the English) I am sure the other languages must be very accurate. Diana Gabaldon is nothing if not a scholar.
Another aspect of this book which really stands out is the depiction of day to day random violence which plagued every person in those times. It makes one wonder why anyone would freely choose to live in that era.
Unfortunately, I did not find the storyline thrilling. I realize that this period of history is crucial and a turning point for the future of the United States and Britain but it is the fate of the main characters which I find interesting. From that standpoint there is a lot of movement but basically little action.
Also, for my taste, too many characters who don't bring that much to the story. It becomes exhausting to try and remember who's who when all you want to know is what is happening to Jamie and Claire and a few other main characters. This book reads more like a history manual with a cast of thousands.
Finally, did it have to take 900 plus pages for William to realize he needs his father ? (I read the last page!)
One detail I did find amusing as a 30 year employee of Merck, was the way the Merck Manual worked its way into the story ...
Al in all, a monumental work that, for me, sort of missed the mark.
