Most of the time, I make my recommendations with few, if any, reservations. This one comes with a few caveats.

Outlander (book series and television show) has its faults. The series as a whole relies heavily on rape as a source of conflict and character motivation, and I don’t blame anyone for wanting to take a pass on the series for that reason alone. There are also some problematic stereotypes, abuse that is treated as normal and justified, and the later books in the series have started to ramble about a bit and become more episodic than exhibiting a strong plot-thrust and arc. So it’s not a perfect series by any means.

But with that said, Diana Gabaldon’s writing is engrossing and the characters are fantastic. I’m a particular fan of the audiobooks narrated by Davina Porter. She brings what could be meandering and dry prose to full, rich life. She handles the accents with aplomb, only really “whiffing” on the American accents (particularly Brianna/Boston). Her interpretation of Jamie and Claire’s voices is still what I think of first, even though Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe are fantastic. The Starz adaptation is good in general, although they’ve made some adaptive choices that I find questionable. If you really want to read what I think about that, I’ve written quite a bit on the subject over at outlanderspoilers.com.

In general, what I love about the Outlander series is the characters. Gabaldon does an excellent job of getting us deeply into a character’s point of view, and making them achingly vulnerable. Although I fell in love with Jamie and Claire just like everyone else in the first book, my favorite characters now are Roger MacKenzie and Lord John Grey. I highly recommend reading the “side” stories involving Grey’s adventures in the 1750s and 1760s as well as the main series books.

If you aren’t sure, start by watching the first three or four episodes of the Outlander television show (or the whole first season). If you love it, go read the whole book series before you come back to finish watching the show. I recommend the show first in this case because the first book has a very slow start, but the show moves a little faster, so you’ll know when you get to the book that it does get better. I find that both are better enjoyed together—there are aspects of the show that “fix” some of the problems of the book (although not as many as I would like!), and the books allow time for more character development, quiet moments, and details.

Are you already a fan of Outlander? What do you think about it? Let me know in the comments or come visit my blog and strike up a conversation!