Few books have impacted me the way Diana Gabaldon's Outlander and Dragonfly in Amber did. I actually went to Scotland to find standing stones that don't exist, to visit a country that was described as inhospitable (climate-wise) at best. And I had the adventure of a lifetime.
I have friends who talk about "Mr. Darcy" as the most romantic hero ever. For me, it's Jamie Fraser. Ms Gabaldon describes him in breathtaking detail, down to the hairs on the back of his fingers. Those first two novels are her Crown Jewels.
Starz is currently producing a series about these books. How do you bring to life a hero who is larger than life? The actor they have chosen looks to be an excellent option. I read these books more than 15 years ago, during a very tempestuous phase of my life. I connected with Claire, the heroine. I wanted to find a Jamie.
I'm 15 years older. I didn't connect with the ongoing saga, with the older versions of the characters, but there's something about this series that pokes at me. Outlander took over my life when everything else was falling apart. If ever I separated from reality, it was when I read those books. Looking forward to this series (anxiously), I wonder if it will impact me the same way to take these characters out of a book, out of imagination, and plunk them onto the small screen. The teasers look awesome.
Am I too old to relive the obsession? Maybe, but I'm REALLY looking forward to this series.
It will be interesting to see if you do feel the same way about the series of books she's working on. I do think I'll go check out Outlander tho - it looks like something I might be interested in. I love books that take place in other countries because I know I'll never get to them, and it puts a little more romance into the country (so to speak).
ReplyDeleteI highly recommend Outlander and Dragonfly in Amber. They are time travel sagas, more than romance. She draws excellent character sketches. She started to lose me with Voyager, and I'm sorry to say that with each subsequent book I continued to lose interest, but those first two . . . brilliant.
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