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Diana Gabaldon: Dragonfly In Amber

MonkeyCatcher

New Member
Anyone else read this book? I have just finished it, and am obssessed with the Diana Gabaldon once again. I posted my thoughts about it on the "Just Finished" thread, so I'll post them here as well:

Loved, loved, loved it! I thought it to be an entirely appropriate follow-up to the fabulous Cross Stitch (Outlander). With other sequels, you sometimes get the feeling that the book was written a bit too quickly and with not as much care as the first (probably because of the knowledge of the impending fortune of sales), but I didn't get this feeling at all with DIA. It was just a beautifully written, enthralling novel, one which I couldn't put down for the life of me.

It was a rather lengthy book, being 963 pages long, but I finished it in about 5 days. It was extremely captivating and I could hardly bear to tear myself away from it. With some novels of this length the plot seems a bit stretched, and fillers are obvious every now and then, but I did not find this at all with this book. Granted, the novel began pretty slowly, but after about 50 or so pages the book really took off, and I never got bored once from then until the end of this magnificant piece of work.

It's been awhile since I read Cross Stitch, but I still remember the passion I had for the book afterwards. It had faded before I picked up Dragonfly in Amber, but now it has been rekindled with a vengance. It's now that I remember all the things that made me love the first - the enlivening descriptions, the great characterisation, the compelling, adventurous plot, and, of course, the beautiful writing.

There is, of course, one more major attraction to the novels - Jamie. My crush for him has been rekindled anew, let me tell you. Claire's a lucky gal, that's for sure ;) :D

Has anyone here read Voyager ? I've recently purchased it and have never looked forward to something this much in my life. Is it as good as the previous two?
 
MonkeyCatcher, I posted a reply to your message in 'Recently Finished Reading', on this same topic. Just FYI.
 
Appolonia said:
MonkeyCatcher, I posted a reply to your message in 'Recently Finished Reading', on this same topic. Just FYI.
Yeah, I noticed that just then.

So what are your thoughts on Dragonfly in Amber?

Oh, and as a general reminder to all posters:

PLEASE USE SPOILER TAGS

:)
 
Hi MonkeyCatcher

I have read all the Cross Stitch (Outlander) books and I am about to start on the latest A Breath of Snow and Ashes. It is a long time since I read the first book and although I enjoyed it and the subsequent books immensely I feel that I need to remind myself about them before starting this latest book, which incidentally is 979 pages long. So I have just reread and enjoyed Cross Stitch and I am about to start rereading Dragonfly in Amber. I come from Scotland and having a little knowledge of the history of the time felt that they were inevitably heading towards the tragic battlefield at Culloden where so many Scottish Highlanders perished. It is in the end a love story and I agree with you Jamie is a major attraction. Surely he is the man every woman would want.

I can’t remember much of Voyager except that it is also good and that it continues the story of Clair and Jamie. I am sure you will enjoy it also. Then there is another three in the series.

Eva:)
 
Balmy Westwind said:
Hi MonkeyCatcher

I have read all the Cross Stitch (Outlander) books and I am about to start on the latest A Breath of Snow and Ashes. It is a long time since I read the first book and although I enjoyed it and the subsequent books immensely I feel that I need to remind myself about them before starting this latest book, which incidentally is 979 pages long. So I have just reread and enjoyed Cross Stitch and I am about to start rereading Dragonfly in Amber. I come from Scotland and having a little knowledge of the history of the time felt that they were inevitably heading towards the tragic battlefield at Culloden where so many Scottish Highlanders perished. It is in the end a love story and I agree with you Jamie is a major attraction. Surely he is the man every woman would want.

I can’t remember much of Voyager except that it is also good and that it continues the story of Clair and Jamie. I am sure you will enjoy it also. Then there is another three in the series.

Eva:)
Thanks for the input, Eva :)

So from a partially knowledgable point of view, how accurate is the portrayal of that area in time? I had never heard of Jacobites before reading this, to be honest, so I don't know much about the whole thing.
 
I'm looking forward to reading Breathe of Snow and Ashes. This whole series is great fun. I love the author's attention to historic detail and the way her characters feel like extended family..even some of the unsavory ones:rolleyes:
 
I had read Outlander when it was first published, so was very happy to find out a sequel was being released (little did I know! ;)) I remember opening Dragonfly In Amber to read it for the first time, and receiving a great shock! Claire was now older, back in her own time, with a grown daughter?! What had happened to Jamie? Quite a hook into reading the rest of the book, I have to say. Anyway, the details are a bit fuzzy but I remember enjoying most of the book. To be honest, I remember far more details about Voyager and Drums of Autumn, which are my two favorites. I’ll have to give the whole series a good reread one of these days, before reading the latest.

Please post what you think of Voyager, once you’ve finished. I'll be eager to hear.
 
MonkeyCatcher said:
Thanks for the input, Eva :)

So from a partially knowledgable point of view, how accurate is the portrayal of that area in time? I had never heard of Jacobites before reading this, to be honest, so I don't know much about the whole thing.

Well I’ve been around for a while you know but even I was not there in 1745.:D :D :D

Seriously I am not sure. I think it is very possible that the area was pretty much as DG describes it. Scotland has a very “bloody” past. At the time of DG’s books the Jacobites had been hoping to restore the Stuart King or one of his descendants to the throne (England and Scotland) for nearly sixty years.

Hope that you enjoy the rest of the series after Dragonfly in Amber.

Eva:)
 
I have read all the books up through The Fiery Cross and I am in love with the writing, and also with Jamie :)
I can't wait to read A Breath of Snow and Ashes. I'm just waiting for the book to come into my library.
I loved Dragonfly in Amber, but there was a part toward the end where I couldn't stop crying. I sure get emotionally attached to these characters!!
My favorite by far was Voyager. You're gonna love it!
 
Outlander is the first in the series, so I definitely recommend getting her that one as well. There are six altogether. Outlander, Dragonfly In Amber, Voyager, Drums of Autumn, The Fiery Cross, and A Breath of Snow and Ashes. She could read Dragonfly in Amber without reading the others, but she would enjoy it a lot better if she were already acquainted with the characters and the history of what has happened already.
 
Well, this is too funny. I just went and checked, and the book I bought is The Amber Spyglass. There are dragonflies on the cover. I'm in the wrong conversation!

Or am I? She's fourteen.

:rolleyes:
 
Astoryfan said:
I have read all the books up through The Fiery Cross and I am in love with the writing, and also with Jamie :)
I heard that The Fiery Cross was a bit of a let down. Did you feel this way too?

My favorite by far was Voyager. You're gonna love it
Oh, I can't wait! I've only got 30 pages of Lolita left!! (It's taken me just about 2 weeks to finish.. stupid exams.. *grumble.*)

Well, this is too funny. I just went and checked, and the book I bought is The Amber Spyglass. There are dragonflies on the cover. I'm in the wrong conversation!
Haha :D Poor, senile Still! :p Don't worry, that's a great book too! But if you do end up buying a Diana Gabaldon book for her, I do recommend that you buy Outlander as well. Some parts of the second story won't make a whole lot of sense if the first book hasn't been read, especially as it starts off basically where the last one finished without much explination of what has happened so far.
 
As far as The Fiery Cross goes...
I had heard it was a bit of a letdown, too, and I was almost happy to stop at The Drums of Autumn, because I didn't want to ruin a good thing. But, I couldn't leave the series unread, so I went ahead and read it. I will admit that the story is a little slower, but I still found it all very captivating. The focus of the book shifts a little from Claire and Jamie, and the spotlight gets shared with other characters (who I won't mention, in case of spoiling for others). I think that may be why some people aren't as into The Fiery Cross. I still enjoyed it a lot though.
 
Haha Poor, senile Still! Don't worry, that's a great book too! But if you do end up buying a Diana Gabaldon book for her, I do recommend that you buy Outlander as well. Some parts of the second story won't make a whole lot of sense if the first book hasn't been read, especially as it starts off basically where the last one finished without much explination of what has happened so far.

And here I thought all this reading would keep my brain from deteriorating. Well, I'll just get her a copy of Outlander too. :eek:
 
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