The Outlander
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`Atmospheric debut...With the breathless pace of an old-fashioned adventure story. This rich novel is packed full of drama' --Daily Mail
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
'A remarkable first novel, full of verve, beautifully written, and with all the panache of a great adventure' Michael Ondaatje 'From the outset, this atmospheric debut has a palpable air of menace ... With the breathless pace of an old-fashioned adventure story, and a supporting cast of mavericks, eccentrics and outcasts, this rich novel is packed full of drama' Daily Mail 'A superb adventure story' Kate Saunders, The Times 'Striking, thoughtful, full of unexpected twists, The Outlander is that rare delight: a novel that is beautifully written yet as gripping as any airport page-turner ... there are echoes of Cormac McCarthy. Hugely enjoyable ... A rattling good yarn' Guardian
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
It was hard to know what I was getting into when I opened this novel and started reading the first page. A tale of the Wild West? A thriller? An action-packed chase? A murder mystery? The Outlander is a book that's hard to pigeonhole: it's all these things and more. Full of deftly lyrical prose, it's a gripping read. It was also unexpectedly funny in places!
The cover makes this book look a bit like a thriller, or a 'boys-own' style book about adventure. I should note that this book isn't a thriller, although it's gripping and there's a lot of suspense. It's not a particularly gendered book, either, but would be interesting to both male and female readers. There is both action, intrigue and psychological exploration, as well as beautifully written and atmospheric descriptions of landscape. I think the cover mis-represents the book slightly, but then it is always a rather tricky marketing exercise - especially with an unusually varied book like this one where I find it hard to imagine who the 'target market' could possibly be.
There's no 'whodunnit' element to this book, despite the fact that its premise is that the main character is fleeing a murder scene. You find out soon enough exactly how the plot stands, although as with all the best books there are some missing details that emerge to fill in the picture as you read. There's also a lot left to guess at and think about. The novel is based around the idea of a journey: the physical journey undertaken by the main character (Mary Boulton, a widow who's on the run after murdering her husband) is mirrored by an equally important psychological journey as she faces up to her past, tackles her tricky present situation with determination and humour, and gains a new view on the world as she travels. The landscape and sense of place is beautifully described, bringing real atmosphere to the book as the main character travels through the Canadian wilderness.
Referred to often as 'the widow', Mary Boulton is a curiously odd character - compelling, endearing and puzzling, she is great to read about and wonder about. Mirroring the author's approach throughout the book, the widow's motivations and desires are hinted at rather than over-analysed. A great read and one that I found surprisingly compelling. I cannot imagine that there are loads of people out there who yearn specifically for a descriptively atmospheric, suspenseful novel that hovers between a thriller, a tale of the wild west and a quirky voyage of self-discovery - but isn't it often the case that you don't know what you want to read until you start it? I found the first few pages slightly hard going, but the plot kept me fascinated and it was an absorbing read once I'd got into it. In fact, a surprisingly good read and I'd recommend it. I would like to have given it 4.5 stars, as it really was an excellent book although it did not quite rate as one of 'the greats' for me.
The cover makes this book look a bit like a thriller, or a 'boys-own' style book about adventure. I should note that this book isn't a thriller, although it's gripping and there's a lot of suspense. It's not a particularly gendered book, either, but would be interesting to both male and female readers. There is both action, intrigue and psychological exploration, as well as beautifully written and atmospheric descriptions of landscape. I think the cover mis-represents the book slightly, but then it is always a rather tricky marketing exercise - especially with an unusually varied book like this one where I find it hard to imagine who the 'target market' could possibly be.
There's no 'whodunnit' element to this book, despite the fact that its premise is that the main character is fleeing a murder scene. You find out soon enough exactly how the plot stands, although as with all the best books there are some missing details that emerge to fill in the picture as you read. There's also a lot left to guess at and think about. The novel is based around the idea of a journey: the physical journey undertaken by the main character (Mary Boulton, a widow who's on the run after murdering her husband) is mirrored by an equally important psychological journey as she faces up to her past, tackles her tricky present situation with determination and humour, and gains a new view on the world as she travels. The landscape and sense of place is beautifully described, bringing real atmosphere to the book as the main character travels through the Canadian wilderness.
Referred to often as 'the widow', Mary Boulton is a curiously odd character - compelling, endearing and puzzling, she is great to read about and wonder about. Mirroring the author's approach throughout the book, the widow's motivations and desires are hinted at rather than over-analysed. A great read and one that I found surprisingly compelling. I cannot imagine that there are loads of people out there who yearn specifically for a descriptively atmospheric, suspenseful novel that hovers between a thriller, a tale of the wild west and a quirky voyage of self-discovery - but isn't it often the case that you don't know what you want to read until you start it? I found the first few pages slightly hard going, but the plot kept me fascinated and it was an absorbing read once I'd got into it. In fact, a surprisingly good read and I'd recommend it. I would like to have given it 4.5 stars, as it really was an excellent book although it did not quite rate as one of 'the greats' for me.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
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This book's main interest is the haunting way in which the main character is held at arm's length which leaves plenty of room for the imagination. The basic storyline is of a young 19 year old girl who is literally running from her past as she is perused relentlessly by the two brothers of the husband she has murdered. She runs blindly into the wilderness and her struggle to survive, her willpower, her sense of helplessness, her acceptance of isolation and her eventual coming to terms with herself form the bulk of the novel.
Along the way in the wilderness she meets a number of unusual and interesting characters who help her come to terms with herself as an individual and not as an appendage of her father or husband Although the author never allows us to glimpse too much of the widow's reasoning, thoughts and inner self - we do however get just enough to keep the interest.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, its well written although it starts off slowly with many descriptions of the Canadian wilderness the pace does pick up. As the brother's get closer the widow starts to build relationships and the author unwinds her personal tale which is subtle and interesting. So this is a book for those who are interested in human relationships and how we all have to cope with their messiness, its set in 1903 so its also a tale of a women asserting herself in a male society. The slow beginning may put some off but they should persevere because as the widow is always out of arm's reach this is a book that you think about when you put it down and it provides a tantalizing glimpse of life outside mainstream society where the wilderness coldly reflects human frailty.
Along the way in the wilderness she meets a number of unusual and interesting characters who help her come to terms with herself as an individual and not as an appendage of her father or husband Although the author never allows us to glimpse too much of the widow's reasoning, thoughts and inner self - we do however get just enough to keep the interest.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, its well written although it starts off slowly with many descriptions of the Canadian wilderness the pace does pick up. As the brother's get closer the widow starts to build relationships and the author unwinds her personal tale which is subtle and interesting. So this is a book for those who are interested in human relationships and how we all have to cope with their messiness, its set in 1903 so its also a tale of a women asserting herself in a male society. The slow beginning may put some off but they should persevere because as the widow is always out of arm's reach this is a book that you think about when you put it down and it provides a tantalizing glimpse of life outside mainstream society where the wilderness coldly reflects human frailty.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I liked this book. Once I'd got into it I found it a real page turner and I wanted to know how things would work out for 'the widow'. But my enjoyment was spoiled by some inconsistencies. The book didn't seem to know what kind of book it wanted to be, a 'literary' novel, a western, a romance? It seemed to veer from one to the other. It was rooted in a very particular time and place, but the literary style seemed to preclude giving us much straightforward historical or geographical detail, which I would have welcomed. And the ending was not totally satisfying. I was not convinced that the 'brothers' would have given up on their pursuit so easily and suddenly, which made the happy ending seem a bit contrived. Lots of loose ends and unanswered questions too. Like why and how did the widow do what she did? I would like to have known more about the one event that set in train all of the others in this book, but about which we never learn much detail. Hope this doesn't all sound a bit nit picking; it really was an enjoyable book, but one which could have been better. Hence only three stars.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
a good yarn
A gripping read, i couldn't put it down. Set in the turn of the previous century in mid-west america. Wonderful descriptions, you can tell the authoress is originally a poet. Read more
Published 1 month ago by H. Pritchard-smith
A journey more interesting than its destination - or, at times, its...
The Outlander is a curiously mixed bag, its striking opening tailing off into an increasingly awkward first few chapters before style and story start to cohere. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Trevor Willsmer
Worth persevering
I found this a little slow moving in the earlier chapters but it became more interesting. The storyline follows a character whom we know has killed her husband: gradually, as we... Read more
Published 13 months ago by E. Potter
Strangely compelling
This was a gripping read. The use of the third person and 'The Widow' rather than her name through most of the book helped give a sense of separateness for her character. Read more
Published 15 months ago by bookie
absolutly fantastic
My neighbour in Sarasota wanted me to read the Outlander series. I am not keen on time travel and thought they would be terrible. Read more
Published 17 months ago by lesley
Gripping read
This is a book that grabs your attention. I felt loath to leave it for any length of time as I felt the central character was so vulnerable to the danger of the wilderness. Read more
Published 20 months ago by M. Payne
A gripping read
I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover but thats what attracted me to this one! You follow the widow as she runs for her life after killing her husband, of course you want... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Mrs. Kimberley J. Barnetson
bookworm
AN INTERESTING STORY DEFINATELY FICTION COULD NOT IMAGINE LIVING THROUGH ALL THE SITUATIONS THAT THE WIDOW FOUND HERSELF IN BUT IT CERTAINLY GAVE YOU A GOOD INSIGHT INTO LIFE IN... Read more
Published 23 months ago by N. H. Mcleay
Poetic prose
There are two things I'll remember about this novel: the beautiful, haunting prose; the vivid (and believable ) characters. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Paul Meakin
Brilliant read
Really great book with an interesting array of characters. I must admit, it took me a while to get into (so, don't give up on it after the first few chapters) but suddenly it got... Read more
Published 23 months ago by Catherine
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