Posted on November 03, 2011 10:08 AM
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!
The Scottish Prisoner by Diana Gabaldon (Excerpt)
Tagged as: Diana Gabaldon, SCOTTISH PRISONER Excerpt, Scribd
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Thanks for the dose of Jamie!!
I hope there is more in the coming year!! Nov 2012 is quite a way off LOL
Just finished reading the Scottish Prisoner (??????) really??? why write this?
it took time away from finishing WRITTEN IN MY OWN HEARTS BLOOD.
I really saw no point in this book.
Dear Stacey–
Well, you’re entitled to your opinion. I’m entitled to mine. As it is…I write the books.
–Diana
I am loving SP, so nice to be connected withe the “family” again. I enjoyed the LJ books so much too! When I hear the names as I read all of the Series comes back to me. I will read slowley and wait patiently for Written in…….! I love how you write your love into the books, and following the Dailies of FB helps too. I am confused with #DailyLines #TheSpaceBetween #FinishingUP #NoPubDatebutprobably2012 #TheressupposedtobeacaretovertheOinHopital #NotMisspelledJustFrench…tho???
Thanks, Jeanne
Mrs. Gabaldon- No disrespect intended-just extreme disappointment. I wont
bore you with the details- except to say that day was a “day” not to be forgotten
(when SP came out) only to get home, get a cup of tea waiting to find out if Jem gets out of the tunnel or did he go back ? I’m a fan of your books – and waiting
Patiently for book eight! but please please please …..hurry in the nicest way I
can ask!
Dear Stacey–
I’m sorry you should feel disappointed–and I hope that you won’t be, once you’ve read the book.
–Diana
Hi Diana!
I am really looking forward to reading the book, I put an order on it as soon as it went. Also, wait with bated breath for the continuation of the book 8.
I am from Sweden and use Google translation, for writing this, hope it does not get too crazy …
I always wanted to write a book, but it was not until I started reading your books, I was inspired to begin. They probably will not ever be published, but is mostly for my own sake. I have previously looked for my ancestors and found a lot of exciting people, these have now become characters in a lot of chapters, from 1540 to the present, probebly enough for my own series of books.
But you have made me to be picky, I want to be as careful with the historical details, as you are but what a job searching, it is. It’s very fun and educational.
I’ve seen discussions of, who you want to see play Jamie, in a possible movie. I do not know if I want to see the movie, because I have an imagination about how everyone looks. I’m afraid it will ruin the books for me. They are so alive.
Here in Sweden recently began a drama series, a Swedish on, called Anno 1790, for the first time I saw an actor who little bit lookes how Jamie, look in my brain …
http://www.agentfirman.com/client_images.php?id=89
do you see the similarity?
Thanks for all the wonderful moments that you give through your books!
Have a great time, and don´t work your self to hard!
Marina, from the small mountain Kinnekulle by the big lake Vänern in Sweden
I thinks this is the first actor that comes close to my imaginary Jamie! Thanks Marina
OMG, please tell us you’ll be writing Hal and Minnie’s story someday!
I love it!!!
BTW, in the third paragraph (at the very beginning), Ardsmuir is spelled Ardsmiur. You should hire me to be a proof-reader. I’d do it for free, just to read your works!
I can’t wait to read it! And I’m glad you started with Jamie. Thank you!
Your writing style is such an inspiration. I get lost in it after about 30 seconds. Thank you Diana.
I totally agree!!
loved all of the highlander( being one, ‘mclean’ of te isles) series. cnt wait for another book. i am an old ‘codger’ 76 but can still learn, great work diana.george
Is there any idea when Scottish Prisoner will be available as an e-book?
Dear Janet–
Random House tells me the ebook will be available simultaneously with the print version!
—Diana
Thank you Random House!!
I decided I would buy this one as an ebook and promised myself I would buy all the other Lord John books in ebook format at the same time, even though I already have physical copies.
Counting down the days!
Hello Diana,
Is there any help for your Australian devotees who wish to purchase an electronic version of ‘The Scottish Prisoner’?
I have spent the last couple of hours trying to find a way to trick Australian I Tunes, U.S Barnes & Noble, and even Amazon.com.UK and Amazon.com into selling me an electronic version of The Scottish Prisoner all to no avail……
I have already pre-ordered my paper copies from ‘The Poisoned Pen’ but would love to have an electronic copy to accompany my extensive Gabaldon e-library on my IPad2 Kindle app.
Might there be a way to persuade ‘The Poisoned Pen’ into selling your e-books worldwide?
Books without boarders!
With thanks for your consideration of my inquiry
Janet
Janet are you wanting to buy the Kindle version of the book?
I believe that if you change your country of origin details on Amazon to USA you can do this.
Hello Debs,
You are fantastic!
Thank you very much for your advice! I will try that now.
Ahhh! That was a satisfying bite. Enough to tide me over ’til the 29th. I also like the countdown until release date. Not that I’ll forget mind you, just a reminder…I had one on my work computer for the last year before I retired. When office politics got to me, I would flick that on. *G* Right up there with “how many sleeps”…until a big event that we used to do as kids and used with our kids. Still do once in a while. *G*
I love the last paragraph of the 2nd chapter. It certainly sets the stage for what is to follow.
Party Hardy on the 29th, hope they supply you with something nice to sip upon.
VickiB
Ah … a nice bite of the apple. I’m anxiously awaiting the main course.
What Geneva did to him? Oh, please! When is someone going to acknowledge the truth that Jamie raped her.
Well, Jamie certainly isn’t perfect, and I know you don’t have very fond feelings about him. But, I have to say that Jamie wanted _nothing_ to do with this woman, but she threaten to expose his family, which would likely have resulted in the crown “investigating” his family (most likely, by throwing the men in jail and actually raping the women, if not outright killing some of them). She then sends him word to come to her room on a certain night, disrobes, gets into bed with him, lets him enter her, and then gets scared (or realizes it’s a bit uncomfortable the first few times), and _then_ says no. I think once the unwilling man is actually inside her up-to-that-point willing self, she’s pretty much forfeited the right to say no (if he isn’t actually hurting her on purpose, being cruel, etc.) Now, this is a hot topic, and I wouldn’t presume to make any judgments in real life situations, but in this fictitious case, I don’t really think Jamie is at fault. _And_ she certainly seemed to enjoy his attentions from that point on, since they had sex at least once more that night. I think you could actually make the case that _she_ forced _him_.
Probably should have called that a sensitive topic. That seems like a better choice of words.
Now Claire was raped and so was Brianna…Actually because of Geneva’s blackmail and threats Jamie was raped, I don’t see it any other way…Rape does not have to be a violent (Brianna’s wasn’t) as it was with Randall. And…oh I must control myself and be nice…and…and…there is a thing called abuse and it can be done by women to men…even big burly 6’4″ Scotsmen!
I’ve always believed that “rape” was forced on a person — perhaps it was Geneva who actually raped Jamie — by way of the bribery to get his sister’s letter.
He already had the letter and could have easily taken the way out that Geneva gave him by asking him repeatedly to stop. A thirty-six year old experienced man who was so adament about the morality and honor of the situation would have gotten out of her bed, and while hurriedly dressing with the letter stuffed in his pocket, begged her forgiveness for hurting her and stated that he couldn’t continue doing so then gotten out of her room the same way he got in. As an 18 year old girl, I doubt Geneva would have had the courage or ability to force him to do anything further. That he has continued to make excuses for over twenty years and claim he had no choice was a gross lie. That he even lied to Claire about what really happened that night, breaking the vow of honesty they made to each other on their wedding night, proves what an immoral, dishonorable excuse for a man he is. Since “The Scottish Prisoner” has now elevated Jamie Fraser to sainthood, there’s no way the truth is ever going to be acknowledged.
yes… and if these were real people and actual events, perhaps your concerns would carry a bit more weight. as it stands, they are fictitious characters, doing fictitious things, and at any given time more fictitious details may come to light to tip the balance of the judgement scales to either side… “dishonorable excuse for a man”? my goodness. “…no way the truth is ever going to be acknowledged”? marianne, close the book and step back into real life.
I thought the whole idea of fiction was to involve readers with the characters. My opinion of this particular fictional character stands. The Scottish Prisoner is a grossly contrived, boring story with far too many ridiculous coincidences for too many of the characters. Jamie Fraser is a rapist (Geneva and his own wife), multiple murderer, adulterer, liar, thief, and hypocrit many times over since the very first book. As far as I’m concerned, TSP is rubbish and none of the events ever happened. If some of this drival gets transferred over to the next book, book eight is going to be even more of a mess than I have been suspecting it’s going to be from the excerpts. The more I’ve read about Jamie Fraser, the more I see a very carefully concealed Highland version of Black Jack Randall. That Claire was so totally beguiled by him that she betrayed and abandoned her true husband Frank doesn’t say very much for her either – a nieve, gullable romantic fool who has allowed him to dominate and subjugate her just so she’d be safe and have a sexy bedmate. Jamie may be intended as the great saintly hero, but he doesn’t come across that way to me.
Marianne,
The reason these books are so great is because the characters are humans who make mistakes. What Jamie did was maybe not right, but he didn’t mean her any harm. I personally had a very hard time with Jamie beating Claire in the first book. You have to remember that it is a different time, Jamie grew up with a different sense of what is right and wrong. The fact that Diana managed to inflict her readers with these kind of emotions is amazing! I love the books.
‘there before the grace of God go I’
I believe Diana has captured a moment of extreme complexity, which she often does. It is easy to judge Jamie. But I am much more interested in trying to understand what might have been going on for him in that moment. Jamie couldn’t stop at that point. To be honest I think we have all experienced the ambiguity that exists around choice and inability. I am not excusing him, I felt uncomfortable when he didn’t pull out at that point, but I understand : couldn’t . Some speculation about it goes like this: Jamie is a trauma victim himself, he has been through a heel of alot and the way he holds it all together is remarkable, but there’s a lot pent up in there. He is in a terrible situation, as others have commented, Geneva is holding his life in her hands and playing with him. She may be 18 but she has real power there. So he gets to this point and he can’t stop……I’m going for empathy here rather than indictment. I don’t want to scapegoat Jamie into having to take responsibility for all the rapists in the world over this.
Marianne
If you dont like Jamie like you have stated why are you still reading the books and thinking about it?? Move on, go find some character that fits your saintly standards and quit picking on our hero!
Oh, dear me XD
On this year I’ll have x-mas early! On next week I’ll have a movie night with Scottish theme (‘Rob Roy’ & ‘Braveheart’) and then I’ll have wait little more for my own copy of the ‘Scottish Prisoner’. And also in November I’ll get the first 3 books (out of 9) of complete works of Don Rosa (you may know him and his work with the Disney’s ducks though he is not quite famous in US than he is in Europe and in Finland). Don Rosa is next to god (who is Carl Barks) among the people who loves the duck stories. Donald Duck has had a weekly published comic magazine in Finland for 60 years now. Then I’ll start to wait for translated version (thank god to our schooling system which forces pupils to learn English) of ‘SP’. It’s a bit funny that I understand the story better when I read it in English because I’m forced to slow down and I don’t jump over words which I often do when I read texts on my mother tongue. On the first time when I read the ‘Outlander’ I was a bit confused because I jumped over so many words and even once a whole page! And I my brains didn’t notice that at all I guess I’ll have a minor reading disorder or something. Anyway, not long a go I bought that 20th edition of ‘Outlander’ and I finally read all the words and pages and solved many questions I had.
I have planned to purchase the rest of your books in English and read them slowly so that when I’m done the book 8 is published. In my opinion it sounds like a very good plan
Now to my comment on starting the book with Jamie!
You did good!!!!
Thank you for starting with Jamie!!!!
Read the “snack” from the Facebook hint — thanks so much, Diana, for the bits and pieces!
What a beginning — to whet the appetite!!!
Several thoughts: Crusoe & Hanks : Must be new hires at Helwater? Jamie had been alone in the loft I thought. And this obviously takes place between Geneva’s death and Lord John’s marriage to her sister — just getting things straight here — and anticipating more — so much more — slightly impatiently until I receive my book.
Oh well, may as well go back and start reading Voyager again!!
And thinking of the Highlander looking in the Inverness window — Jamie dreamed VERY vivid dreams of Claire and just wondering which dream brought him to 1945. Something more to think about…..
As I recall (and I admit my memory has largish gaps!) The original coachman and anyone who had accompanied them to Geneva’s birthing of William, was “pensioned off”. So that would explain the new names in the stables. As for the maid…well, authors license and we have to have some way for the story to move forward!
Just a little over three weeks ’til LJatSP! Yay!
VickiB
Yay for Jamie! Glad you started with him.
As for Geneva – I agree with the folks above that Jamie was the victim that night, which doesn’t mean that he was entirely blameless that night…just…less blameworthy.
You did it! The opening words brought a smile to my face and then the reality of the situation tugged at my heart. The action commences immediately and now I WANT MORE!!!
Can’t wait for the 29th
Lovely way to start my day, was not surprised you went with your first impulse. You couldn’t really go wrong, no matter which gentleman went first. Anxious to read more!
Geneva was really way past the pont of changing her mind, she really did get herself into that situation. You can get into a barrel and launch yourself over Niagra Falls, and at a certain point you can not change your mind, you will go over.
I think that Geneva didn’t quite know what really happens when one goes to bed with a man. Like in the ‘Dragonfly in Amber’ when Claire talks with Mary Hawkins about making love. Now, Mary doesn’t know anything about that and I think that Geneva knew may be little bit more than poor Mary. Anyway, at first Geneva didn’t like it because she wanted Jamie to stop but later on she kept him awake almost whole night “working”. Jamie didn’t obey Geneva when she wanted him to stop but later on he did what she wanted. And he was very confused with her bacause he is waiting for somekind of a signal from her that she is ready and he isn’t getting that at all. Something similar was happening with Laoghaire when they were married. They didn’t speak same language. With Claire Jamie surely didn’t have those kind of troubles at all. Geneva and Laoghaire both were lassies not women. And Claire is a woman. In ‘Outlander’ the master of the stables says to Claire (before she marries Jamie) that Jamie needs a woman not a lassie and Laoghaire is goin to be a lassie in her fifties.
Can’t get enough of Jamie although I prefer him with Claire I’ve read all the books countless times keep on writing
Diana-
Thanks for posting! I am looking forward to the 29th. I have SP pre-ordered to my Kindle.
Michelle