The Outlandish Companion (1999)

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. ( )

Diana Gabaldon is never short on words and she got to use her footnotes in this book! :) [or maybe I should write instead]

Obviously if you are reading this book, you have read at least the first four books of the series. Overall, it was an intriguing read.

Some parts I could have lived without in the book (even though they were interesting). For instance, the genealogy went way past what I thought would be included in the book, and the horoscopes could have been posted on her website instead. [I could almost imagine certain parts of this book being broken down and sold separately.]

I enjoyed the personal letters/discussions, Q&A, and the "errors" found in the books discussed the best. For those of you who have not read beyond the first four books might like the sneak previews of the upcoming book (whose title has changed since this edition was printed). [Not to mention the fact that there will not be 9 books to the series instead of the proposed 6.]

This book was also good for those thinking about writing (more so, for those interested in writing about historical fiction). When considering the advice and references, remember that this book was copyright in 1999.

There was also good references to characters, words/phrases, and additional resources that the reader can go back to later.

PS. If I learned nothing else from DG, I learned not to fear the size of a book! ( )

Super brief - this is a handy reference to have around regardless of how often one has read this series. It helps keep things in chronological order, keep the relationships in a manageable format (including showing any changes). Certainly not to be considered light reading, this is much closer to research material than to a fictional novel (series). And then there is the fact that this only goes so far into the series, having been written well before serval of the latter portion of the series. But nonetheless it is useful, not to mention full of fascinating information. ( )

Wow, this book is stuffed with information. If I had read it earlier in the series, I would have been giddy over the insights. Most of the insights, however, are revealed in the latter books.
Still, Gabaldon is remarkable and this book is no exception. ( )

This is a must read for all fans of the "Outlander" series. This book is an encyclopedia of the first few books, answering many questions that arise.
I learned more about Jamie and Claire and the entire series thanks to this book. ( )