Amazon.com.au:Customer reviews: The Fiery Cross: International Edition: Outlander, Book 5

Top positive review

Arguably the best book I have ever read.

Reviewed in Australia on 28 February 2020

Naturally this is a very personal perspective but until Gabaldon came along my favourite of all time was Tolstoy's 'War and Peace'. I'm sure this must horrify those who cannot imagine comparing two such disparate pieces of literature. But quite simply I cannot put 'Outlander' down. Time and time again I find my mind wandering and wondering about what it was like in the early days of settlement in America. The subtle and sometimes not so subtle dichotmy between the 18th century and the late 1960s is fascinating, especially how Claire in her role as a healer deals with it. The honesty of admitting privately that in the 18th century these is absolutely nothing she can do to save a person's life and yet know that ca. 200 years on and it would be a no-brainer.

Unfamiliar as I am with the Celtic language I find some of the conversations and especially the witicisms pass me by - but we are getting there. It's pleasing to be challenged and treated as an intelligent reader. Gabaldon's understanding of the human condition, her empathy for her characters and her readers is sublime. The author is very skilled at conveying a sense of the excitement and fascination of what it was like to inhabit those woods at such a time as she portrays along with fine details of daily life. This takes time hence the multiple volumes but it reads anything but turgidly. In fact it is Gabaldon's ability to immerse the reader in the joy of the detail and yet become a 'page-turner' that is so unusual. I for one hope that 'Outlander' continues for my lifetime.

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Jade Cruz

Disappointed with quality of materials used for the book!!!!

Reviewed in Australia on 30 September 2020

Quite happy at first because the books are bigger than what I expected but then became very disappointed as the book is made from such low quality materials. The cover is really, really thin cardboard and also the pages are cheap paper, super thin. It's like school textbooks from when I was young, books to be thrown at the end of the year. What a shame as I wanted these books to last a lifetime. Amazon, what the heck?????
Storywise - I'm sure it is amazing as I love the Outlander series.

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Ellie M

The author keeps the pace moving and holds your interest ...

Reviewed in Australia on 4 May 2017

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The author keeps the pace moving and holds your interest, however, although passing through standing stones to another age is fanciful, I find the medical discoveries quite hard to accept.

One person found this helpful

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Marlene

Enjoyed but not quite like the previous novels

Reviewed in Australia on 30 December 2016

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Enjoyed but not quite like the previous novels. Settling into the mundane everyday life happenings is a contrast to previous reads. It's possibly setting the stage for the next novel that kept me reading.
Never the less its very well written.

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Zo Mair

I am suffering from a severe overdose of "Outlanders" Not ...

Reviewed in Australia on 15 April 2015

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I am suffering from a severe overdose of "Outlanders" Not too much longer to go. Well written but rather repetitive!

2 people found this helpful

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Pam Farrelly

Three Stars

Reviewed in Australia on 16 March 2015

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Getting a bit bogged down with long descriptions but will persevere

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Karen

Don't like Brianna (hoping for a stray arrow to take her ...

Reviewed in Australia on 24 December 2014

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Finding this a hard slog to get through as there seems to be no story except the day by day drudgery of life in colonial America. Don't like Brianna (hoping for a stray arrow to take her out) and find the location of the story unappealing, Miss the focus being on Claire and Jamie and Scotland.

6 people found this helpful

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From other countries

fionasuisse

Homesick for Scotland

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 June 2016

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I've read the first five books back to back in two months and it feels like this one took me the same time to get through as the first four together, it didn't half go on and on and on (half a 1400 page book about milk filled breasts and wet patches on bodices, Jamie's hair glinting in the sun) and had none of the page turning excitement of the previous installments. Did Gabaldon get bored of her own characters? What has she done to Claire and her spirit? I got bored but as my sister has assured me this book is a blip in the series then I stuck with it. Don't get me wrong it has its moments but it could do with one of those readers digest condensed book makeovers and be half the size but keep the story. I'm hanging in there with the rest of the books in the hope we get some essence back of what the Outlander series was about, a burning love story and the history of the highlanders and Scotland. I miss Scotland and the books are losing something without it.

56 people found this helpful

Gma6

Ok, but a bit boring and not as good as the earlier books

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 September 2017

Verified Purchase

As others have said, this is a very long novel, and it really does get a bit tedious in places. I like her descriptions of daily life, and as a writer she can be amusing, but in this book I felt there was an awful lot of repetition and unnecessary waffle. I didn't enjoy her obsession with breast feeding either, she went on and on about it..... I did enjoy the book overall, but for me it wasn't as good as the earlier books. I found I skimmed over quite a lot, just to try and relocate the plot.

17 people found this helpful

Corks83

This loyal fan is so disappointed

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 November 2019

Verified Purchase

I am such a loyal fan and was so looking forward to my holiday with book 5 for company but... it’s a huge disappointment. I am halfway through and nothing of any note has happened. It’s mainly just bumbling through their domestic life. I’m glad they’re happy but I need some action! Brianna’s breastfeeding and clean nappy chat starts to grate when it’s mentioned for the 453rd time. It’s so unlike the earlier four page turners. I am plodding on because I don’t want to think that my time with Outlander is over but if book six is like this too then...
On a practical note as others have said - the book falls apart!! Open it too widely and pages pop out!!

3 people found this helpful

Amazon Customer

Like almost every other review I have read concerning this ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 February 2017

Verified Purchase

Like almost every other review I have read concerning this volume, I found it very slow going and skimmed through pages and pages of the day-to-day activities of Claire and her housewifely duties. Of course, it was warming to see the comfortable, and yet still passionate, relationship between Claire and Jamie develop. It was also interesting how DG has put a whole different perspective on the relationship between Brianna and Roger and how she portrays his often confused feelings toward Jemmy. Quite a few more peripheral characters are introduced who I considered, almost without exception, to be a bit boring. However, I still could not put it down and I look forward to coming home from work and taking some time before I cook dinner to sit down with a cup of tea and my book! I have the next one on my bookshelf and will let you know.

5 people found this helpful

alison mackenzie

Room for improvement!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 March 2016

Verified Purchase

Very slow. Only starts to improve half way through the book when something of consequence actually happens. Prior to this it was one false alarm after another, details of domestic drudgery and inconsequential events. Claire and Jamie are becoming decidedly middle aged and Bree and Rodger are not as engaging a couple. Disappointing as the first few books in this series are excellent. Will continue to read as it is reasonably well written and I'm hopeful that subsequent books will hold some of the adventure and excitement of the first books. Will have to wait and see if this is true...

10 people found this helpful

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