The Custom of the Army

Three words (or two, depending on how you look at hyphens): BRIGADIER LETHBRIDGE–STEWART

That is all.

No it's not.

Diana Gabaldon could – should – teach classes in how to tell a damn story. You don't have to blurt out everything all at once. You can stick with a tight single character point of view and tell a tale without resorting to all the bad old devices (infodump and "as you know, Jim" and so on). You can start in the midst of things and inform the reader about what happened to lead to this moment while continuing to move the story forward without confusing the reader. You can do all of this – if you pay attention and take a lesson from Diana Gabaldon. I've been a fan of hers since before half of the members of Goodreads show more were born, and I've fallen into a sort of complacent familiarity–breeding–contempt attitude to her writing after all these years. It took this and a few other Lord John stories to remind me of why I love her.

I also love Jeff Woodman. He's wonderful. I can see myself listening to books I would otherwise have no interest in just because he's narrating. He's a dangerous man, and is going to cost me money – Kindle editions are cheaper. show less

Where I got the book: purchased on Kindle.

Lord John gets electrocuted, is threatened with marriage and meets a gay Indian. Altogether a rather forgettable plot, but I'll probably read this story again one day as I have a soft spot for Lord John. I enjoy how he maneuvers his private life and family connections around his military career, and Gabaldon's voice in the Lord John stories is surprisingly true to both the character and the times in which he lives. In the Outlander novels we see a man's world through a woman's eyes, but with Lord John Gabaldon can enter further into that world of men and war, a world that often contains no women (or only at the periphery) without losing me as a female reader.

One of the aspects I really show more appreciated about this ebook is the chronological list of Outlander and Lord John stories showing how they fit in with one another. The ebook medium is a great place for a popular novelist to fill in gaps in the narrative and deal with those side stories that, as a writer, you're always finding for your characters but can't necessarily turn into a full novel.

Very much worth the $1.99 I paid for it to get more of Gabaldon's fine handling of dialogue and action. Recommended. show less

The situations that Lord Grey finds himself in are simply extraordinary. An honorable man. Well written, totally captivating, and suspenseful story with well developed characters.

I enjoyed this, but the writing doesn't do John Grey's character justice.

The Custom of the Army – Gabaldon

4 stars

How long must a short story be before it is called a novella? At 82 pages, this is a quick visit with one of Diana Gabaldon’s most popular characters, Lord John Gray. Chronologically, this book takes place just before the events in The Scottish Prisoner. It’s a good story that takes Lord John to the colonies and the French and Indian War. John Gray finds himself in the company of General James Wolfe and his Highland Regiment at the Battle of Quebec, but as the first sentence tells us, it all begins with an electric eel. Full of her usual humor and action packed adventure, this story feels like a chapter from one of Gabaldon’s big, fat books.
As I understand it, The Custom of the Army has show more only been released as an e-book. I enjoyed the introduction, author’s notes and the chronology of all the Outlander novels that came with the story. show less

This is a short novella about Lord John Grey which takes place before her novel The Scottish Prisoner, also about LJG and Jamie Fraser. Lord John starts off the story getting embroiled in a duel and ends up going to Canada to testify at a court martial hearing for an old friend. While there, he gets tangled up in the attack by General Wolfe on Quebec at the Plains of Abraham.

I always enjoy Diana Gabaldon's writing and while this isn't a Jamie and Claire story, I do like Lord John Grey as well and this was a nice little slice of his life.

This installment started out so wild with the eel. That was interesting. Then, actual history and battle are included and quirks like the man with 3 hands. Tom has become a great perk for me. I love how he's so fussy over John and affronted on his behalf. And of course, the more I read about John, the more that I like him. My favorite quote—

"You don't stand for that. If there is any order in the world, any peace—it's because of you, John, and those very few like you."

3.75 stars





toni


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