Well, alrighty, then! Do you want to know whether THE SCOTTISH PRISONER starts with Jamie or John? Random House has posted the beginning of the book as an excerpt on Scribd. Click the link below to see which way the editors (and I) decided to begin the book–and I hope you enjoy it!
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Thank you Diana !
It’s always Jamie !!!
I thank you for the reads between the Outlander series. They are great, however I must admit I felt tortured when you left me hangin on “An Echo in the Bone”. I’ve been prayin for your safety ever since as I trust others are doing as well! LOL
I really get taken away in your writing, it reads like a picture. Everything comes to life!
It WAS by word of mouth that I came onto it at my work place, we have over 30 ladies I work with and all of us have since read every book in the series. 1st Book I borrowed then after that one I bought all of them. So far I have gone through them twice and ready to start on a third time. I catch something different every time.
Love your writing and looking very much forward to see what you have instore for us in the next Outlander book!
Take Care
Just this min. finished Echo–gobsmacked to be left like this—–Hells Bells lass, I´m 60years old and not very well–what ya doing to me ? I DON`T WANT TO RUSH YOU DIANA BUT COME-ON PULL YA FINGER OUT——LUV Michael
Dear Michael–
Hey. Books take what time they take. If you force them, you deserve what you get.
Besides, _I’ll_ be sixty in a couple of weeks here; if I can make it {g}, so can you.
–Diana
OH,I FORGOT: MERRY CHRISTMAS to you all from GERMANY
Merry Christmas to you, too, Michael!
–Diana
You beauty!
I know this will shock most of you, so please forgive me! lol I have read all of the Outlander books repeatedly! I’m tired of waiting for the next book and have started looking for more to read. I’m getting ready to start the Lord John series. Can you tell me where the Scottish Prisoner falls in all of this? It isn’t an Outlander book, correct? I’m going to get it as soon as I can, I am just not sure where it falls in the scheme of things!
Thanks!
T
Take a look elsewhere here:
http://www.dianagabaldon.com/writing/lord-john-gray/
I just came back to this comment list and am appalled at how loaded with excuses for Jamie and against Geneva people are. A woman has a right to refuse at any time. Jamie is a rapist and nothing can justify that. Certainly not all his lamenting and whining about how sorry he is. I really do wish this miserable excuse for a man would finally get the true penance he deserves for all his sins and the punishment for all his crimes. As I’ve said before, I know it will never happen since he’s the great “hero” of the series. I guess if readers find a rapist, multiple murderer, thief, smuggler, liar and adulterer so wonderful along with his self-rightious hypocricy in giving lip service to his belief in morality and honor when in practice he’s highly selective, subjective and self-serving in his decisions, pointing out what a fraud the character of Jamie Fraser is won’t accomplish anything. I just started reading The Scottish Prisoner last night, and only into chapter three, it’s a waste of 507 pages.
I have to wonder why you even “waste” your time reading the books if you are so scandalized about the Jamie/Geneva drama. It’s fiction. If you don’t enjoy it, step away from the books!!!!
I read this book because I was hoping for a decent Lord John Grey story. That he, his brother Hal and Harry Quarry are treated no better than the English scum Saint Jamie and his Highland thugs have always thought of the English, was awful. This book was supposed to be an explanation of why John and Jamie’s relationship changed from enemies to friends. The entire premise of the story failed miserably, making John look like a stereotyped bad English soldier and Jamie being officially canonized by page 507.
Tammy
Those were my thoughts precisely. I believe she has been ignored mostly as we do recognize a “pot stirrer” when we see one and she delights in our reactions. Now we are playing her game and that is what she wants.
And did she not say that she had read the series three times somewhere? Why read anything Outlander after the first if she despised the main character so much? When I read a novel I find fault with in any way or find offensive I avoid a second one by the same author.
One of the attractions for me with the series and the LJG books is the honorable behavior in the most horrible cicumstances by both Jamie and John. I don’t think anyone believes Jamie is flawless and deserves sainthood. In my opinion DG has no intention of writing him that way. That is not to say that she will not write about saints. If she does I will read it.
Donna
Diana,
Any word when the Lord John series will be available in e-book format for the Kindle to Canadians?
Pamela
Dear Pamela–
I’m surprised to hear that it’s not. I thought Canadians were able to get the US ebooks. I’ll ask about it, though.
–Diana
Hi,
Just wondering if anyone has listened to the audiobook yet, and what the opinions are. The Outlander series was superb on audio, but…
I’ve listened to the SP audio, but wondered what others think since this is the first time we “hear” Jamie in his own perspective read by a man.
Hi, I have listened to all the audio books and loved them. Davina Porter is the main narrator and she is great. She does all the accents, and even though she is a woman when she does the male accents I forget she is a woman. There was another narrator for A Breath of Snow and Ashes. I felt her performance was wooden and it was shocking to have such a change, after 5 audiobooks, you get familiar with the narrators voice and therefore all the voices of the characters, to have it change like that felt all wrong. ABOSAA was the shortest of all the Outlander books, so it didn’t last long. And now I am back with Davina. I understand Davina was probably busy and couldn’t do it, but please please Diana don’t let it happen again.
Dear Min–
Um. Do you know what “abridged” means? Does it by any chance _say_ that on the copy of A BREATH OF SNOW AND ASHES that you have? Does that package by chance look _different_ from the others in the series? You have one of the (grossly butchered) abridgements made by Bantam Dell under an early contract, performed by Geraldine James. ABOSA–like ALL the books in the series–was performed in UNabridged form by Davina Porter. I see you’re in Australia, which is probably the problem; owing to license restrictions, Recorded Books (which does the unabridged versions) wasn’t allowed to sell their version in retail outlets until the license for the abridged version expires. However, I _think_ that we’ve now sorted the license arrangements so as to get the UNabridged version made available in places where it wasn’t previously; you might have a look, wherever you’re accustomed to buying your audiobooks. Audible.com certainly has it, though. Good luck!
–Diana
Dear Diana,
Thank you so much for the clarification. For ages ABOSA was not available in Australia, and book 7 was! So when it came through I was so exited I didnt even look whether it was abridged or unabridged. I saw it was only short but downloaded anyway! Now
I see that the unabridged it 57 hours long! Oh what bliss…. I will go back now and re listen.
Thanks again. I am deeply grateful.
Amazon does not have the audio companion for ABOSSA?
Dear Lacy–
I believe they may have had to wait for the license for that book to be renewed; if it’s not available now, it should be soon.
Best,
–Diana
I miss Davina Porter!!! The SP is not the same without her as Jamie
Dear Sheri–
I can’t think why you should expect, let alone miss, Davina in SCOTTISH PRISONER–all the Lord John books are (very reasonably) read by a male actor–the very talented Jeffrey Woodman. Why would a female actress read a book that’s entirely done in a male viewpoint?
–Diana
Hi,
When I here her reading Jamies parts, I sometimes forgot she is a female because she is so good at what she does. I very much agree that Woodman is perfect for Gray, but I think it’s quite normal that I would want to have Davina read for Jamie, I’ve listened to all of the books on audible and grew to love Her/Jamies voice.
Honestly, this was just my personal opinion, and not a complaint. The books are so special to me and they enrich my daily routine
Thank You for them
Sheri
When does this book come into the series???? When are you to read it to follow along? Sorry I am just now starting your books….and loving them! But I dont want to read out of order.
Thank You.
Wahoo! Christmas money = SP for mama!
But alas, my copy of Outlander has gone M.I.A! *sob* Not sure if I should find it before I start reading SP, or if I should put that out of my mind until I’ve finished devouring my new book!
I honestly never looked at Jaime as a saint, and probably never will. There are things he’s done that he’s not proud of, but for one reason or other allowed them to happen. Some were self-preservation; some out of emotion. But all out of being human. And that is why we (and Claire) love him so! Thanks Diana, for filling in the blanks as to what happened while Jaime was in prison!
Well since I’m twenty years late I’ve been breaking my neck to read your novels. I’ve read all of them in short order within the last few months; couldn’t put them down & can’t wait to find out what happens next it wasn’t easy since they run at least 800 (sometimes more) pages & I use to be a slow reader (but not now).
LJG (along with wee Ian/Fergus/Jenny) is among my top favorite characters so I am so very thankful for the subset of Lord Gray. The ‘wee pervert’ is a character that fascinates me and enjoy his mystery series. However, I confess that I wish (sometimes) that he is bisexual. In this book, I was surprise of his liaison w/Stephen.
As for the Outlander series:
There is so much humor esp how Lord Grey (who for once shut the blank up) didn’t have a say when William discovers his paternity confronting him & Jaime,.. storming out Fraser (or is it MacKenzie) style. What a cliffhanger….
BTW: I didn’t interpret Jaime as a rapist; after what Geneva did to him; however he gave her outs & she expresses no at the last minute …. sure he became roused the man hadn’t had sex in over a decade…was it fourteen years? But this brings up an interesting conversation even in these times.
Aye…Will ye hurry Diana? Cuz I’m sixty too & waitin to find out what happens to Willie Ransome & Jem. BTW: I’m not Scottish, English or Irish; I’m African American & enjoy reading from you; I have no complaint …
oh wait! I do….. a movie or two or three… Happy New Year!
Just finished the book today. I really enjoyed it. I have always wished for more Jamie and John interaction in the Outlander series and this book fed that need. Love your work!
Lara
Dear Diana, In this months Canadian Chatelaine there is a page 160 an entire page dedicated to the making of great sex scenes and what all that entails in writing. Hello. can only be you!
Guess who’s writing it focuses on and what two characters , and end with
“Like that”- Diana Gabaldon
First time I’ve ever seen any of your wonderful books acknowledged in a Canadian Magazine. its a bout time.
I mean really who else would they choose as the Go To on this subject!
Congrats
Nell Cross
I think the admin of this web site is really working hard in support of his web site, as here every stuff is quality based information.
Dear Frieda–
That would be _me_. [g] Thank you!
–Diana
What made me sad (amongst other things) about the Jamie/Geneva night was when Jamie started murmuring sweet nothings to Geneva in Gaelic. To me, that’s more like making love, and why it feels like more of a betrayal of Claire. And does Jamie ever actually tell Claire anything more about it than that it happened?
Dear J–
I’m sure he would tell Claire anything she wanted to know. Being a wise woman, she doesn’t ask questions she might not want to hear the answer to. As for Gaelic sweet nothings, he isn’t expressing personal regard or affection for her; he’s just trying to make the occasion less tense for both of them. He doesn’t _like_ her, but he’s old enough (and a good enough man) to perceive and have some sympathy for her situation, even though she _is_ taking advantage of him.
Best,
–Diana