Welcome to Week Four of the Outlander Read-Along everybody! I hope you all liked my questions!
The Questions for Week Five are by Logan at Logan E. Turner!
Tweet while you read! Use: #OutlanderRA
WELL. I am not in the business of supporting the beating of women. Or people. Or animals. Or anything. My first reaction was to REACT at the word “punishment” and be appalled and angry for a second…
I hope I don’t ruffle too many feathers when I say that after I took a deep breath, closed my mouth, and kept on reading…I wasn’t appalled anymore. I mean, ladies, we all live in a VERY DIFFERENT time than Jamie. While the beatings and ‘punishments’ like that are punishable by law now, back then I think it was an acceptable practice.
Still, it does not mean I liked it. I cringed plenty while I read it, bit my fingernails, all that stuff. Guys, I kept kind of waiting for Jamie to take Claire into a room and tell her OKAY NOW ACT LIKE I’VE BEATEN YOU TO WITHIN AN INCH OF YOUR LIFE! But he didn’t and that’s that. Did I stop reading? NOPE.
*When Jamie took the vow with Claire’s dagger, I have to admit that he did redeem himself a little bit in my eyes. I mean, he talked in Gaelic. Y’ALL. SERIOUSLY.* (I also feel like this will possibly not be a very popular answer. Please be kind to me in your comments.)
Overall, where I’m guessing some/most of you all won’t like what Jamie did – I do really well to just read stories for what they are sometimes and I found myself really caught up in the story, and I just buzzed on through this part. I didn’t hate on Jamie too much because of the time-setting. I was a little bit upset with him, but I don’t think it too fair of me to hate him for what he did. He never really lost any of his COOL or SEXY in my eyes. I won’t lie. Still, no need for punishing women! No more, Jamie, okay? *winks at Jamie*
Friends, we’ve been over the hygiene issue. We’ve discussed cleanliness. We’ve talked about needing to shower and shampoo our hair, stuff like that. But a BUG was CREEPING across the floor for more than one page: Claire WATCHED it and WATCHED it and WATCHED it before finally getting to the bottom of what it was. Omigosh. No no no no no. And then Jamie was WAY too nonchalant about sleeping with that one!
My mind quickly thought once that it might be a snake and then once it thought it could be a mouse, but I honestly never guessed a bedbug. And I was really horrified reading this part, you guys. Probably more than I should have been. Just, no no no.
I really had to think about this. Like, before I made up this question, I put the book down a second and thought about this. I’m quite sure I’d probably be more like Geilie, even though I would not like leaving a baby out in the wild like that. I’m not overly superstitious by nature, but I feel like if I’d have lived back then, I would be. And those people seemed to really hold true to the belief about the changelings and fae and such. I feel certain that I’d go right along with those beliefs. Would I want to leave my baby out in the wild? Of course not, but I doubt the parents of that baby did either.
Now, writing that out for the world to see goes against everything my pediatric/newborn nursing experience has ever taught me. It’s basically against who I am. Thankfully we typically, as a culture, do not buy into beliefs like that these days and it is against the law to do things such as this in our part of the world (although it does not always stop people, sadly). Still, were I a part of the time period and setting of this book, I feel like I’d be a Geilie and not a Claire probably in terms of this belief.
In my thinking, this realization surprised me so much, I HAD to ask everyone else what they thought about it. And I’m thinking that this may be another case where I am probably in the minority or maybe even alone in my answer. We’ll see!
I had NO CLUE what would happen with Geilie. I was SO shocked. I mean, she was a little weird to me, in truth, and I never really loved her character that much, but I had NO IDEA the turn of events that would come about surrounding her – her husband’s death, her background, and then the fact that Claire knew her secret about time traveling!
I have to admit, though, that where I wasn’t entirely overly impressed with her in the beginning, and then I was BORED with her while Claire was stuck at her house – NOW? I’m completely intrigued with her story and what part she will play from here on out. Since it was suggested that it will be awhile before she is put to death, I hope we can learn a lot about why/where/when she came, etc. PLUS I *love* that she sort of gave herself up for Claire.
This chapter/scene, where Claire was being accused as a witch, was something that I assumed would happen at some point – and I didn’t want it to, y’all, I didn’t – but I have to admit that it was written marvelously and I enjoyed reading it so much. So far, it has been one of my favorite parts of the book. Just, the way it unfolded – and OF COURSE my boyfriend Jamie to the rescue! Loved it. Can’t wait to see what unfolds with Geilie now that she’s revealed herself to be an oddball character. I love those oddballs.
Seriously? DID I SERIOUSLY ASK THIS QUESTION? I did.
“Because I wanted you.”
Girls, I have just about decided that I’m ready to travel back in time MYSELF to be with Jamie. I loved the wedding scene. I’ve loved all the romance and intimacy and friendship and awkwardness and GOOD STUFF. But NOTHING prepared me for this confession. I think deep down, I knew he probably loved Claire, because he treats her like he did/does. But hearing him say it (well, reading him say it) is another thing entirely.
I LOVE THAT JAMIE WAITED SO LONG TO TELL HER THIS FINAL REASON. I do. Because he HAD to know that she wanted him too. When she decided NOT to go back through the rocks, he knew! HE. KNEW. When she came back to him in the cottage instead of going to Frank, I nearly WEPT with joy because I was seriously afraid of which decision she might make! But OH! things only got better with THIS revelation.
I may have passed out when I read that part. Or cried. Or fallen off the bed. Or something. I still might do all of those things…because I CAN’T STOP THINKING ABOUT THIS. And I haven’t let myself read past Chapter 28 yet. So I’m just replaying this conversation over and over and over. I like to pretend I’m Claire. It’s so very lovely.
Diana Gabaldon is very, very good at this.
I fear that I will never be the same after reading this book.
July 16th
Questions for chapters 29-35 answered & questions announced for chapters 36-41 on The Reading Housewives
July 23rd
Questions for chapters 36-41 answered on Gone with the Words.
About Asheley
Asheley is a Southern girl. She loves Carolina blue skies, Ben & Jerry's ice cream, and NC craft beer. She loves all things history but prefers books over everything.
You can find her somewhere in North Carolina, daydreaming about the ocean.
Find Asheley on Litsy @intothehallofbooks!
You touch (again and again) a very good time… This is a VERY different time period than we are used to – and the customs (in regards to punishment, cleanliness and superstitions) are VERY VERY different! I think as a reader you really need to keep that in mind or this series will upset you over and over again.
Stop by and see my answers!
Agreed, Jac. I think that as a reader I tend to be able to do that really well – not sure if I'm gullible or can just suspend really well. But I try to just read through without getting too angry with books. I don't mind having other emotions tied to books, but I don't really like getting TOO angry with characters, because that tends to ruin a story for me. I didn't like what happened, but it DID occur back then. So I just kept reading!
See Asheley this is why we are friends! Jamie didn't lose any points in my book either.
YES. I have Jamie-love, probably forever.
Love your answers. 🙂 I'm not doing the read-along, but I read OUTLANDER around Christmastime, and still get a smile on my face when I think of Jamie. 🙂
Thanks Randi! This is my first time reading it. I've wanted to forever, but because it is so thick (and historical isn't my favorite genre), I knew it would be much more fun for me to read along with other people. I felt like I'd love the book, but I had NO IDEA I've love it this much.
I LOVE your expressive answers! They never fail to make me smile.
I actually didn't think of the changeling thing from the perspective of someone from that time period. I have no idea what I would do in that case. I would hope that I'd want to rescue the baby. But then again, maybe not. As a mother, I think it just upset me so much that I had trouble thinking past my own emotions about it.
The witch trial scenes were fascinating, especially as they're most likely accurate to that time period – upsetting – but very interesting. That hole they stayed in was pretty darn nasty. I'd probably do most anything not to be put in it.
And I TOTALLY agree that it was sooo much better that Jamie waited to tell Claire that he loved her. And the way he did it *sigh*
Oh goodness, I hope it doesn't say too much of me that I didn't think of the changeling thing at all as a mother! *snickers at self* I'm so self-centered when I read, seriously.
I've always been pretty weirded out by witches. I think they always sort of scared me a bit as a child and only recently have I sort of gotten out of that and branched into reading a bit about them. So outside of what I learned in school (which is a horrible time in history, I think) it's all sort of new to me. PLUS it's been so long since school. This part of the book was indeed so fascinating – I was just shocked at how much I enjoyed it. Not in a OOH I LOVE WITCHES way but I just think it added so much to the story and there is probably still so much that will come from it. And AAH GEILIE!
And OH JAMIE. <3
I wasn't appalled either!!! Conflicted? Very. After more thought, I felt like it was justified. I get it. And woman? Keep on winking at Jamie, me like!!
I know that as ME I would want to save the baby but Claire doesn't take time to think about ANYTHING. Ever. If she would have just slowed her roll there for a sec I bet she could have figured out that picking up that baby is NOT in her best interest, know what I'm saying?
When she went back to the cottage and just laid down with Jamie I DIED. DIED, I TELL YOU!! He was just so HAPPY. Oh man…it just gives me tingles and jingles. Then he waited to tell her how he felt EVEN THOUGH HE KNEW IT FROM THE MOMENT HE MET HER!! I am swooning all over the place!!! I love that he told her while also kind of telling her he's a pain in his ass (my boyfriend does this, it's endearing, really) and I love when he says things like "I'm making love to my wife."
MAKE LOVE TO MEEEE JAMIE!!!
JAMIE FOREVER. Seriously. ME WANTS.
Geilie DID try to warn her about that baby but you're right, Claire didn't take the time to think. She is too impulsive and it has gotten her into SO MUCH trouble.
YES YES YES YES YES to all of the stuff about Jamie.
I totally didn't see his declaration coming like others. He just keeps adding to his awesomeness. I mean he had me at hello. Sold. Done. I can't handle any more or I'm finding me a stonehenge somewhere.
He DOES keep adding to his awesomeness. And honestly he doesn't really need to! But every few pages, he just does something else and I nearly pass out with swoon. I can barely handle it.
I thought perhaps he was fond of her but i didn't think he loved her, especially from the beginning, which makes him all the more swoon-worthy. I knew he loved her later, but that confession was a nice surprise. ~dixie
I agree it was a wonderful surprise! I kind of felt like he really did grow to love her, and maybe he loved her from the beginning (nursing him to health had something to do with that, I think) but I wasn't really expecting him to come out and say it at that point in time. Or maybe I was just shocked when I was reading it. At any rate, MAN I loved it. So great, that guy. I'd like him for myself.
Oh I totally love that Geilie gave herself up for Claire in the end too! You're right, she is a VERY intriguing character and I sincerely hope that there is more of her to come. I think she's a pretty despicable person, killing off husbands and sleeping with men to further her cause, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't totally enjoy reading about her. I don't have to like a character to appreciate them in a story, and I definitely want to learn more about Geilie!
So you know from our convo's last week how I felt about the corporal punishment scene. Rationally I get it. Emotionally, I'm still struggling. But, I was able to move on and work through it and it didn't diminish Jamie too terribly much for too terribly long in my eyes:)
I like that there are some controversial subjects in this book. It adds delicious layers to the story and takes it from just another good romance novel to something MORE, you know?
I enjoyed your questions, Asheley:)
The punishment part: I was really surprised about it. I mean, like I said in my answers – it seemed really uncharacteristic of the Jamie we had known up to that point. But from that point on, Jamie does kind of take an upper hand in things a time or two and become a take-charge kind of guy. I suppose that is the way of the times, back then, but I wasn't really expecting it. Still, I read it and aside from a general annoyance by it, it didn't bother me as much as I thought it would bother everyone else. That's why I added it in as a question. Because I felt like I was in the minority about it.
There are definitely controversial things here and there in this book, which has made reading it in a setting like a readalong so great. I probably would have glazed over a good portion of them without thinking twice, because I tend to be a very gullible reader and just get so sucked up in a story that I don't pay too much attention to some of the controversial stuff. Several times in other bloggers' answers I have read things that I didn't even think about while I was reading and face-palmed!
Thanks for liking my questions, Heather. I was nervous!
I think we had very similar reactions to the beating scene. I don't like it, and I was surprised that he actually did it (though I'll say that I think 'to within an inch of her life' was a gross exaggeration as she wasn't laid out for days healing or anything, just uncomfortable and sore), but I do think that the time period and situation warranted it, and I actually wasn't upset with Jamie over it the way most people seemed to be.
I find it so interesting that you address the notion that if you had lived back then, you probably would have been a superstitious person. I'm not overly superstitious either, and don't really believe in any of them, and yet there are superstitions I 100% adhere to 'just because'. I think if I had lived back then, I would have completely believed in ALL OF THAT. One of the things I found most interesting in college was studying witchcraft today. There are places in the world (like some of the Caribbean Islands) where 'witchcraft' is still put down as the cause of death on official death certificates. The fact of the matter is, witchcraft DOES exist-if you believe in it. If you believe in it ardently enough, believing that someone has cursed you so adamantly can cause your body to have physical reactions from intense stress that can kill. The power of belief is AMAZING to me!! I would NOT have touched said babeh.