Customer Reviews

An Echo in the Bone

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I'll start by saying I LOVE the Outlander series of novels. Claire and Jaime, Roger and Bree, Ian, Jenny... they're all wonderful characters who have been given depth and complexity over the course of the first 6 novels. Then we hit this one. It's my least favorite of the 7.

For the first time ever, I had trouble "getting into" the novel. I felt like too much time was being spent on new characters - John Grey (not a new character by any means, but a minor one in the past novels) was given chapter after chapter of story line, most of which referred back to his own spinoff book which I didn't read because I don't really care about him that much. Characters were mentioned that I couldn't possibly make the connections between, having only read the Outlander series. The result of this was much re-reading, trying to spin the web of connections and make out the proper relationships from the past. Like the French spy who comes looking for Fergus for what reason? Fergus is the illegitimate son of who now??

The Jaime and Claire story took a backseat for the first time. The plot was more about John and his son William (Jamie's son actually, but you know what I mean) and their past. I feel like Gabaldon spent more time developing a way to introduce some famous players into the book than she did developing the original storyline. The story of Roger and Bree in the future was nicely worked in, but was constantly interrupted by descriptions of war and random appearances by Ben Franklin and Benedict Arnold. I realize that she was trying to be accurate in her plot lines, but honestly, I'm not reading it for the accurate historical value. I don't need that many details.

The last few chapters of the book were shockingly different in pace. Some MAJOR life changes and lapses in time were written in under 2 pages, when earlier in the novel, a single battle or trouble at sea would be described in 15+ pages. I was so baffled, I had to read the last part of the book twice. I just didn't get it. Everyone was acting crazy and then the book just stopped. No final thoughts, no ending to speak of, just a conversation between Ian and his Quaker girlfriend (who also became a main character by the way) and then nothing. I flipped through the Author's Notes at the end of the book, desperate for more novel but was disappointed to discover there wasn't any.

I'm not a great one for being patient, so I wish I had not read this book at this time. I should have waited to read this until the next book was written, so I could read them back to back. Too bad I didn't know that until after it was too late. If I didn't think it was an important "connector" book, I would have skipped it altogether.

It's a sad day for me - I truly love the series and have gotten a number of friends and relatives hooked on the books as well. I feel let down. Hopefully the next book will bring everything back to where it should be, with the main characters still being the main characters, and acting like themselves.

Echo picks up where A Breath of Snow and Ashes left off as Claire and Jamie Fraser and Jamie's nephew Ian leave life at Fraser's Ridge behind them, head for Scotland to pick up Jamie's printing press and return to America. Of course this _is_ Jamie and Claire we're talking about so there is no smooth sailing and the *road* to Scotland is mired with many side-trips and detours as well. Roger and Bree have returned to the present and settled into life at Lallybroch, although they're also in for a few twists and turns and bumps in the night as well. William is now an adult and an officer in the British army and we see quite a bit more of him - will he and Jamie ever meet face to face? Who is the mysterious man searching for Fergus and what secrets might he reveal about his birth parents?

You'll find new friends among the old from the previous books (and a couple of very surprising returns), although IMHO there are waaaaay too many new friends as well as waaaay too much of Lord John and characters from his books. I'm not that fond of Lord John as a major character and that's why I didn't read the books to begin with and consider it dirty pool to muck up Jamie and Claire's story with Lord John's, particularly that little plot twist at the end. Eww ewww ewww ewww ewww. Diana, how could you?

In the end, I'm wondering if I've changed as a reader, or has Gabaldon changed and/or got a bit sloppy? I've heard many complain about her going on in too much detail in the other books but I was so enraptured with them I wouldn't have wanted to have seen one word edited out. Not so here, the story just rambles on and on with needless plot twists and characters that go nowhere (for shame what she did with Benjamin Franklin), and as for the overly verbose details - I did not need to know every minute detail of every medical procedure performed by Claire and most especially not the removal of Jamie's finger.

Worst of all, was the constantly switching point of views (I believe there are seven) leading to a very uneven, choppy flow and I was always able to put this down and walk away from it - frankly half way through I started another book and finished that before coming back to Echo. Cut a good chunk of the first 2/3 of the book out and flesh out the last and keep it moving a bit more instead of ending it as she did with those maddening cliff-hangers this would be a solid five star read. As it is and I can't believe I'm saying it but - three stars.

I have to say first that I love this series, but frankly thought that it should have ended after the fourth book. The being said, I've read them all and, for the most part, enjoyed them. This book is definitely a departure from the others, notably for the chapters written from the viewpoint of different characters, à la George R.R. Martin (although, in my opinion, far less skillfully done), and for its focus on characters other than Claire and Jamie.

The ongoing story of Claire and Jamie is interesting enough, with the American Revolution as a backdrop, but the story around the "new" characters, John, William, Ian, Rachel, Bree and Roger, largely felt like a set up for a future book.

My main complaint about this book though, is that the minute details of things that don't seem immediately relevant to the main plot lines filled much of its 800-plus pages; at least a hundred pages or more of filler could have been cut without sacrificing the story lines. And while these books obviously require some suspension of disbelief, just how many times could Ian and William, Rachel and William and/or Ian, and William and Jamie and Claire accidentally be within spitting distance of each other??

It's better than The Fiery Cross, which I did not like at all, but it's the second-weakest book in the series. I had sincerely hoped this book would be the last, and I'm sad that DG has let this series run on much longer than it should have.

I have lived vicariously through the characters in the Outlander series. I have read and re read the series too many times to count. I was one of those who pre ordered the last installment, anxiously awaiting it since I first closed the cover of A Breath Of Snow And Ashes. I have read the Lord John series, and am not as enthusiastic with them as I am with the stories regarding Claire and Jamie. The problem with An Echo In The Bone, is its ability to go on and on and on about minor characters in the previous books, when we are all expecting and hoping for more about Claire and Jamie. I realize we need to more about Lord John if William is to become a major character, but I believe DG went too far into his life mentioning things that had to do with the Lord John series and if you haven't read them they will be a trifle confusing. The topic of war and the technical side of it was a bit boring as well. The last part of the book, was too confusing, it felt like DG was rushed, or had to wrap it up in too few pages. I am dissapointed in Claires behaviour and what happened to Jem?? Did Roger make it back? Must we wait three years for DG to complete what she could not this time??I am very dissapointed, maybe also dissapointed in myself for expecting too much.

I am a great admirer of DG but I think that with this book she did her characters and her readers a huge disservice. The first five hundred pages have people wandering all over various places -- mostly people like William, Lord Ellesmere; Lord John Grey; a number of new characters with similar names to previous characters and possible relations, and the reader feels the same way. One is hard pressed to even see a connection between many of the storylines. In the last third of the book she settles down to five or six storylines and leaves every single one hanging. The writing is excellent of course, but for the first time in a DG book I found a number of typos.

It just doesn't read like a book about Jamie and Claire as much as it does a lot of new or minor characters. I personally am not as enamored of John Grey as DG is; and I must say that I found the last few chapters completely out of character for everyone involved.

After this one, she owes her readers another book!

I have read the previous reviews, and have been amazed that some are quite negative! But I disagree with them...I thought this was a great book. I am one of those readers that embraces ALL the characters in these books (Lord John, William, Ian, Roger, Bree, etc)are all favorites so I'm thrilled that the author gives us so much insight into their lives and how they intermingle with Claire and Jamie's. I think this is a love story on many levels, between Jamie and Claire of course, but also their friends and family. I didn't mind the cliff hangers either as it makes me anxious to get my hands on the next novel (though I could do without the 3 year waiting period between books! lol!) I have been so moved by the extroaordinary friendship between Lord John and Jamie that I'm always happy when they are in each other's company again. And the relationship between Jamie and his nephew Ian is wonderfully done. Now I want to see Jamie have a relationship with his biological son, even though it cannot necessarily be a father/son one due to the fact that Lord John is William's adopted father. That the author can add all sorts of historical and military details to these character's lives that flesh it all out, just makes me more interested in the story. Thanks Diana Gabaldon, for another brilliant read!

I have read all of Diana Gabaldon's books 5 or 6 times. It's almost a joke in my family that I keep reading her books over and over again and still enjoy them. So, it was exciting to read of the launch of her newest book last September and I received a hard copy for Christmas. In the midst of family holiday celebrations I started reading it and thought that the wandering plots, the disconnected characters and the lack of interest I seemed to have was due to the distractions of having my entire family around. Imagine my disappointment when I started the book again and found that this was really the case. All of the comments I've read about the book are what I've thought. Too many irrelevant characters (I had to re-read the ocean battle scene a few times to get the people straight and I still don't understand the relevance.) The last few pages were possibly the most interesting although there were so many disjointed threads it was as if Diana realized that she was running out of time and jammed in as many bits as possible. But I hated the way she left us hanging - very dissimilar to her other books. I felt there was too much about Lord John and William, not enough about Claire and Jamie and while I understand that Diana is an American and that the war of Independence is very important to her, one of the things I loved most about her other books was the international aspect to them. The war of independence is an important piece of history but the minutia about the so called military manoeuvers left me cold.

All in all, I am very disappointed and feel let down at the quality of this book. There are also typos such as the description of Jem and the chickens and Mrs. Bug where she is called Mrs. Baird. Not a big deal but annoying when reading.

For the first time with respect to a Gabaldon book, I would say that it was not worth the money to buy it nor worth the time it took to read (and re-read) it. I feel terrible in saying this.

In an ideal world, a book of over 800 pages, written by an experienced author, would not have a single wasted word. The readers would gobble up each sentence as it streams by and close the book with a satisfied - ahhhh.

This last instalment of the Outlander series falls deadly short of that that mark. The story itself is a fumbled mishmash of different times/characters and places, almost as though Diana Gabaldon thought up scenes as she went, then tried to screw them together to fit. There were times when I thought she had simply put in long battle passages/ medical procedures, then sat down on the floor and jammed the characters names and some dialogue into the scenes.

Gone is the larger than life story of Jamie and Claire. Gone are the sweeping plotlines that drag you in until you finish the book panting for more. Gone is the sense that you are reading something truly great. Perhaps most sad of all, gone is the spark that made you come back, time and again, to read these novels.

What you will get is a lot of Lord John Grey (if he is your cup of tea, then this is the book for you.) Ms. Gabaldon, I totally get that you want your readers to love Lord John as much as you do, but I can't. If I did, I would read his series. For most of the book, I felt like a three-year-old force-fed brussel sprouts. No! Please - no more! I don't like him!

In the end you are left with loose ends so big they could take down an elephant. There will obviously have to be another book.

So come on Ms. Gabaldon! No more meandering sub-plots, no more characters we have to feign interest in, if you need to end it, then end it. We would totally get it.

Most of all lets go back to Jamie and Claire, you may be sick of them, but we aren't.
That is what we started with, that is what we come for, that is what we want.

I have devoured every book in this series and was sad to see it end after "A Breath of Snow and Ashes". I was so excited to learn that Diana Gabaldon was coming out with another book in this series. I absolutely loved the relationship and stories of Jamie and Claire. I so so so wish I had never read this book. It was such a huge disappointment. I honestly skipped most of the book, bored by the lengthy descriptions of the war and the needless drivel about Lord John Grey. The entire book dragged and dragged, then finally at the end, sped through some pretty important storylines. It was not even a cliffhanger ending, more like DG just decided she didn't want to write anymore and just left the reader in the middle of whatever was going on. I am just so very disappointed in this book. I really wish she hadn't writted this book and moreso, I wish I hadn't read it.

This book was a huge disappointment. Several hundred pages of ramblings that went no-where and a rushed ending that did a huge disservice to the Outlander series. I had a very difficult time getting through the previous book, A Breath of Snow and Ashes, but this one was beyond frustrating at times. Sub-plots that went in all directions, historial drama drawn out for pages and then major character events were rushed through with few sentences to say the least. The Jamie/Claire storyline was very minor (and disappointing) and the ridiculous travelling back and forth from Americal to Scotland to America was very unrealistic and repetetive. The "wedding" at the end was far-fetched and hardly believable. Many times I had to re-read sections just to get a grasp on the storyline(s). It's my opinion that D.G. should have wrapped the series with The Fiery Cross. The last two books are not up to par with the previous five of the series. If I could give this book a negative "star" rating, I would.