The Outlandish Companion (Revised and Updated) (The Outlandish Companions, #1) (Outlander)

by Diana Gabaldon

Now in a brand-new edition, newly updated throughout, including new material from the author, 16 pages of Showcase television series tie-in photographs, and a gorgeous new cover and timed with the new season of Outlander on Showcase beginning April 2015. The Outlandish Companion is the comprehensive insider's guide to the first four books of Diana Gabaldon's bestselling series.
     New York Times bestselling author Diana Gabaldon takes readers behind the scenes in The Outlandish Companion, an encyclopedic look at the first four books of the Outlander series. Necessary reading for new fans just starting the series who need to catch up, long-time readers wanting to relive how it all began, and everyone in between, the companion is packed with character guides, plot synopses, an extensive Gaelic glossary, and more.

• ISBN10: 0385685246
• ISBN13: 9780385685245
• Publish Date: 31 March 2015 (first published 29 June 1999)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: CA
• Imprint: Doubleday Canada
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 608
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/isbn/9780385685245

Reviews

[littleread1]

This is not a book you really sit and read all at once. At least not for me. I've read a good chunk so I am going to go ahead and mark it as finished.

[Kait ✨]

Really enjoyed this - perhaps more than Outlander. I loved hearing about Diana's writing process - that, as a subject, is something I find very interesting - and it satisfied many burning questions. I am looking forward to starting book two even more now!

Some sections I didn't love: the synopses (especially as I've only read Outlander),

However, I really enjoyed the rest. The section on characters (how she created them, horoscope readings, etc.) was really interesting. The family trees and genealogical information was useful and something I can see myself referencing in the future, as was the guide to Gaelic grammar and the glossary of foreign terms. I personally - particularly as a wannabe writer - enjoyed the bits about web sites, methods of research, titling, time travel, etc.

I particularly love the bibliographies and appendices. She includes annotated bibliographies on the Eighteenth Century, Scotland, Medicine & Herbals, African Cultures, Ghosts and Ghost Stories, Literature, Language Resources, Magic, Natural History Guides, North Carolina, Food and Cookery, Native American Cultures, Odd Books, and Miscellany. Her appendices include Gaelic resources, poems and quotations, a primer on geneaologic research (want to implement this myself!), a discography of Celtic music, and her Methadone List.

All in all - a lovely wealth of information!

[Linda]

I'm not sure why I thought it was a good idea to get the companion... I guess I just needed a little Outlander fix - and I did get that - but I don't think companion books are for me.
I am sure lots of people will appreciate it, though, but I'm just going to have to try to be patient until the next actual Outlander book comes out.