tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post3104722774967470341..comments2024-03-17T00:24:18.754-07:00Comments on Voyages of the Artemis: Romance, ChickLit and Women's FictionDiana Gabaldonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09537964955785653500noreply@blogger.comBlogger112125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-21600725755489324432008-02-20T17:42:00.000-08:002008-02-20T17:42:00.000-08:00Diana:This if off topic, but I have a question to ...Diana:<BR/>This if off topic, but I have a question to ask. I'm reading "INTO THE WILDERNESS" by Sara Donati. I just read the passage where her characters mention Ian Murray, Claire, and James Fraser. This was at the battle of Freeman's Farm in 1777. I know she asked your permission to use their names in her book. What I want to know was how did she know that Jamie & Claire Fraser and Young Ian would still be alive at the time of her writing this into her book? She published this book in 1998. From the excerpts in Echo of the Bone this event will take place in your book. Which is being written in 2008-9. Is this where you write a passage thinking you could use it later if and when you decide to write another book? Am I getting all mixed up here? Do you understand what I'm trying to ask? Did you share with her this passage? See, if I had read her book when it first came out I would have known later that they would not die at the end of A BREATH OF SNOW AND ASHES. Of course I wouldn't have known that you intended to continue the series.sharafhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11833966382925917160noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-87608711072260102902008-02-19T10:53:00.000-08:002008-02-19T10:53:00.000-08:00That picture of Claire on your website is amazing....That picture of Claire on your website is amazing. It fits her perfectly, and it's very beautiful. I really hope a film does get made, although it will have to be fantastic to do the books justice.ButterflyZohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03654245219753154286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-62289824874944840142008-02-15T15:04:00.000-08:002008-02-15T15:04:00.000-08:00For Diana,You mentioned to Lily that there are no ...For Diana,<BR/>You mentioned to Lily that there are no female clan chiefs.....my Clan Chief is female and georgous to boot (so is her 6'9" husband). She became Chief upon her grandmothers death (to make it more interesting, her brother is Chief of another Clan - the plot thickens). Or were you referring to the time period of the 18thC?Sherryehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14875975783989242536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-87501864187107407442008-02-12T09:33:00.000-08:002008-02-12T09:33:00.000-08:00Diana and Charlotte, (and everyone else, but these...Diana and Charlotte, (and everyone else, but these two ladies specifically), I respect both of your comments on trust, values, and morals. JUST out of morbid curiosity, however, I must ask for clarification with one burning question, one that arises often enough in literary discussions in my classes. [deep breath] SHOULD a woman be a virgin on her wedding night? IS it an all-or-nothing proposition? Okay, that was two questions. =) I am a married mother of three, consider myself a moral person, though not particularly a religious one, and I believe the answer to the first question is 'no way.' I am NOT advocating for Sex and the Cityesque relationships by any means, but would think that a little say, experimentation, pre-marriage is perhaps even healthy. Men seem to have no such qualms, labels, or problems with these questions: why are women so often targeted, needing to be pure/unspoiled? etc. Hmmm.Addiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17175908027522745109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-37158208479622152752008-02-11T07:16:00.000-08:002008-02-11T07:16:00.000-08:00DianaI started to ask if you have read books by Fr...Diana<BR/>I started to ask if you have read books by Frank Yerby or Leon Uris, but the voracious reader that you are I think I know the answer. What I would like to know is what genre you would put these author's in today or would they be put into any catagory? These two author's started me on my never ending quest for great books to read. I put you right up there with them. I just remembered that Frank Yerby was an Africian-American author. Amazing what this man accomplished in the era he was born, raised, and lived in. It's been years since I read any of his work. I think I will go back and reread his novels while I am waiting for Echo of the Bone. They are timeless.sharafhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11833966382925917160noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-21765049434398821952008-02-10T13:50:00.000-08:002008-02-10T13:50:00.000-08:00I must be honest...I literally fell in love with t...I must be honest...<BR/>I literally fell in love with this wonderful love story....<BR/>I read the Outlander in 3 days...<BR/>And I think that it will be my fave book for life...<BR/>Thanks Diana for giving the world the wonderful story of Jamie and Claire, thanks for making me dream when I read your books...<BR/>Sorry for my bad english<BR/>Ale from Italyalehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13564071656693591691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-40208211776686879882008-02-10T09:12:00.000-08:002008-02-10T09:12:00.000-08:00Hi Diana—Outlander in the news…Today’s (10 Februar...Hi Diana—<BR/><BR/><I>Outlander</I> in the news…<BR/><BR/>Today’s (10 February) issue of <I>Book World</I> in <I>The Washington Post</I> included a survey of readers’ favorite love stories. Included in the “Historical Novels” category is the following: “The Outlander Series, by Diana Gabaldon. She has a husband in one century and a lover in another.” (Another example of how accuracy can get sacrificed in the name of brevity, or maybe this is just sloppiness. It would have been just as brief to say “a husband in one century and a husband in another”). Anyway, I wasn’t surprised to see your books included in the list; in fact, I would have been surprised if they hadn’t been. <BR/><BR/>But the opening of the article that accompanies this list illustrates how successfully your novels have defied the conventions of the love story. The article, a Michael Dirda review of an anthology of love stories, opens with a quote from the collection’s editor, Jeffrey Eugenides: “’When it comes to love, there are a million theories to explain it. But when it comes to love stories, things are simpler. <I>A love story can never be about full possession. The happy marriage, the requited love, the desire that never dims—these are lucky eventualities buy they aren’t love stories</I>. Love stories depend on disappointment, on unequal births and feuding families, on matrimonial boredom and at least one cold heart. Love stories, nearly without exception, give love a bad name’” (my emphasis). <BR/><BR/>I hope you are one of the exceptions Eugenides had in mind.Jessiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08795423389394630961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-65223747124931865622008-02-09T21:44:00.000-08:002008-02-09T21:44:00.000-08:00Diana, The way you write about sex and love is the...Diana, <BR/><BR/>The way you write about sex and love is the way you write about everything else-believable and true to life. I have to say though, your description of motherhood is amazing and so beautiful. I once wrote you a letter telling you how you touched me deeply by your many writings about pregnancy and what it means to be a mother. I have 4 children and I have read to my young adult children excerpts from your books, because they were so right on and beautiful. <BR/><BR/>In The Fiery Cross, when they find Mrs. Beardsley baby and Jamie asks Claire if she wants to keep her and after much consideration she thinks, that "As a mother, I had the lightness now of effort complete, honor satisfied. Mission accomplished." and for me who is now watching my children begin to leave home one by one, it hit home with me. It is so hard watching them leave, but also so satisfying. <BR/><BR/>When Jenny is describing what it is like to be pregnant....so beautiful<BR/><BR/>Thank you for all of that and so much more.ddwintonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02706176476092197077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-84489252517179521592008-02-09T08:27:00.000-08:002008-02-09T08:27:00.000-08:00My mind is going ninety miles an hour on this subj...My mind is going ninety miles an hour on this subject. Through my many decades, I have read books depicting so called strong men--weak women. Me cave man I will drag you to my cave. To weak(maybe weak is not the right term) men trying to get in touch with their feminine side (what's that all about)--to women who think they have the right to f--- anything in sight. I think each generation of author's are a product of their times. Not always good, not always bad. It's when these generations over lap that the debates get heated up. All I want is for them to keep on writing. I will sort out what I want to read and what I don't.sharafhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11833966382925917160noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-32633020758842371412008-02-09T05:41:00.000-08:002008-02-09T05:41:00.000-08:00I have been thinking over the last few comments. ...I have been thinking over the last few comments. The endless debate on human sexuality. The Outlander novels take you through so many avenues of emotion. You have man/woman, man/man, enduring love, brutal rape, and obessions. There wasn't one scene that didn't have me completely captivated. Diana wrote these scenes with taste, humor and complete believabilty. I did not read one scene that was there just to titiltate. The passage where Claire was raped was especially riveting. Even though rape is the ultimate violation, she gave us an insight to these men's misguided gravings. She gave us different points of<BR/>view on what motivated these men. It was extremely sad (even though extremely wrong) the man who call out his wife's name during the rape. Loneliness, war, an sometimes a pack mentality can make you do things you never would have dreamed you where capable of. As long as there are human's on this earth the sexual debate will be endless. After all, we are all animals, some of us are on a higher level, some us are not. Which is right, which is wrong.sharafhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11833966382925917160noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-5902237296304057172008-02-08T20:41:00.000-08:002008-02-08T20:41:00.000-08:00amen! I think that this type of writing is a refle...amen! I think that this type of writing is a reflection of our culture. I am an artist. I think the old saying of the chicken and egg sort of applies here. Does art reflect the culture? or Does the culture reflect the art? <BR/><BR/>It could be a generational gap, but as you say there has always been sexual deviancy underneath the surface. In this day and time, it just is more publicly accepted. Historically, you see the decline of a culture with the rise of pornographic imagery and sexual deviancy widely accepted in the culture, out in the open. (Rome and Greece) In that light, I wonder where our culture is headed. Also, I wonder about the women's lib. movement. They claim to be so liberated by sexual promiscuity but in reality they are allowing men to use them without any consequences or responsibility for their actions. They have in a sense objectified themselves. I think its very sad, and somewhat masochistic.<BR/><BR/>I am only 28, and I completely agree with your "old fashioned values". Casual sex (as well as things like friends with benefits) is expected in our culture. I think for morals to be present, there has to be a concept of right and wrong. <BR/><BR/> All this to say that I do not think your ideals are old fashioned but biblical, and that I appreciate your writing characters who have honor and a moral compass from a biblical stand point. These books show what means to have a marriage built on trust and respect. To find a book where the sex that takes place is actually in a marriage and where the characters actually work on their marriage is very unique. I've been thinking lately about this issue. Its not that you can't separate the sex and the love, you can. Its that once you do, it creates a barrier between sex and emotion; once in place, that barrier is very difficult to break down. You write these characters where the two are united, the sex and the love. I love in "Dragonfly in Amber" where you have Jamie say something about loving and wanting being the same thing to him. I think this so true. They are supposed to be the same or as he says, damn close. :) I don't think I ever realized that before. Thanks for your wonderful insights. Oh, and I love the insight you gave into motherhood. In Voyager, you were speaking about the love of a mother being one of boundaries and restraint. What an incredible insight!? That only with your husband should you feel safe to love with complete abandon. As a mother of 3 babies under 4 years old, I find myself strongly attached to them and finding such a satisfaction in my job as their mother. It is easy to let that love take you over. anyway, I am rabbling. I just found that response to Addie very interesting. -charlottecharlotte carrollhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04334587537010799806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-65928528208820343372008-02-08T14:57:00.000-08:002008-02-08T14:57:00.000-08:00Diana,I don't think Claire is that delicate. I kn...Diana,<BR/><BR/>I don't think Claire is that delicate. I know she's small to middle size, but not that frail looking. And her mouth is all puckery like that. Good hair though.S Phttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06473302421750053391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-17709610554952216442008-02-08T12:22:00.000-08:002008-02-08T12:22:00.000-08:00Diana, thank you for your response! I was so exci...Diana, thank you for your response! I was so excited you replied. I cannot wait for the sex blog that Merrymags referenced. I think as women we can't have a thorough enough discussion on this topic. I have wanted to teach a class called Sex Thru the Ages, or Sex in the Modern World, or Sex: What's Your Position? [g] for a long time, but I am an English teacher and suppose that a sociologist or anthrpologist would be a better choice for said class. <BR/><BR/>Sex in literature is a HUGE topic, however, and one of the main reasons I initially loved Outlander and got into the series. Favorite scene for me: "You are mine" in Castle Leoch after Jamie and Claire return as newlyweds. (Will this be a part of the graphic novel? I ask wickedly). Also, when Jamie talks about not wanting to "possess" anyone but Claire (in BOSAA), that rings as so TRUE, so right. <BR/><BR/>As far as sex in novels engendering sex in real life, I am going to take a shot in the dark here and guess that the ladies out there going from 'hello' to bed are not the same ones curled up on the sofa with the latest Jennifer Weiner. And hasn't sex always been an obsession with human beings? The only difference today is the ability for information to be so widely available and in our faces, and perhaps it seems like society is more sex-obsessed than ever before, but in my opinion, it has never ceased being rampantly sought after since time began.Addiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17175908027522745109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-29888959656287794972008-02-08T09:07:00.000-08:002008-02-08T09:07:00.000-08:00Diana:I'm just 8 years younger than you, so maybe ...Diana:<BR/><BR/>I'm just 8 years younger than you, so maybe it's a generational thing, but I think your comments are right on about the pervasive, relaxed sexual attitudes in contemporary literature written for women. <BR/><BR/>Is it simply that writing reflects current attitudes? Or, is it an indication that the double standard has been torn asunder? My dear 83 year old mother has said (more times than I can count) that, in her day, there wasn't this obsession with sex as there is today. Yet, if one believes what one sees on the History channel, their program THE HISTORY OF SEX states rather clearly that the pursuit of free, unadulterated, sexual congress is as old as the hills. Institutions, specifically the Church (I'm Catholic, too) first rendered a consciousness to sex, and as a result, such things as courtly love and monogamy arose. <BR/><BR/>We know there was sex happening all over England during Victoria's reign, although it went undercover, and there was a proliferation of special houses that catered to specific tastes. We have the Roaring 20's and that was followed by Hollywood and Hayes (Hays ?) Commission. I could go on, but I won't.<BR/><BR/>So, I guess what it boils down to is: Does the writer reflect current mores or does the writer assist in engendering them? And now would be a good time for you to write your promised sex blog. ; )Merrymagshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03067685823930927536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-49830715288766387512008-02-08T03:30:00.000-08:002008-02-08T03:30:00.000-08:00Dear Addie-- Doubtless sampling error (plus anci...Dear Addie--<BR/><BR/> Doubtless sampling error (plus ancient value system [g]) on my part. I don't, as I said, read widely in women's fiction/chicklit--just books that are particularly recommende to me, or that I come across by accident (that's how I found Marian Keyes, who as I say, is wonderful). So I may well have encountered a disproportionate and nonrepresentative sample.<BR/><BR/> When I say "slut around," I mean specifically that there's a pervasive contemporary attitude displayed in many chicklit books, indicating that casual sex is not only normal, but expected. Not so much that the heroine of such a novel pursues men or is a nymphomaniac (is such a concept even _possible_, these days?)--but that she (speaking very generally here) often has sex with a man she's just met, or has sex with more than one man--or if she is married, has sex with someone else to whom she _isn't- married.<BR/><BR/> I'm sure it's extremely old-fashioned of me to think this habit of going from "hello" to bed is deplorable, but there you are. (And I do realize that contemporary women's fiction is not _causing_ this permissive general attitude, but merely reflecting it.)Diana Gabaldonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09537964955785653500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-81416962803834381852008-02-07T20:22:00.000-08:002008-02-07T20:22:00.000-08:00Jewell! BRILLIANT!!! I just read your comment re...Jewell! BRILLIANT!!! I just read your comment regarding "how to approach fellow Outlander lovers". What a fantastic approach!! I shall be borrowing that idea. I love this blog! I normally do not cruise boards and blogs but ...I'm glad I have here!....I have learned that I am not "abnormal" with my obsession over Jamie and Claire.karenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11583517371731712297noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-71079727488926484462008-02-07T17:17:00.000-08:002008-02-07T17:17:00.000-08:00Diana, How nice to actually get a response fro...Diana,<BR/> How nice to actually get a response from my comment on the recorded books. <BR/> I have listened to the Lord John books and do enjoy the reading by Jeff Woodman, except in one case. In a scene with Jamie in The Private Matter, his voice was so different from what I'd been used to with D. Porter that I was shocked. His reading put a very different tone on the J.Gray/J.Fraser relationship. But I'll be prepared next time.Anitahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01743226195663204937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-80214495521538578062008-02-07T16:39:00.000-08:002008-02-07T16:39:00.000-08:00Dear Lynnm,Normal reaction to reading a novel or s...Dear Lynnm,<BR/><BR/>Normal reaction to reading a novel or series? No. Normal reaction after reading Outlander and Co ... oh yes! The next thing is the relentless witnessing you will feel compelled to do ... bringing the world of Jamie and Claire to the masses.<BR/><BR/>One great tip I learned over at the Ladies of Lallybroch was a way of finding out if someone is a DG follower or not - without coming off as an obsessed crazy. I actually tested this in Montreal in mixed company of new acquaintances. I had a feeling one of the ladies liked celtic things a bit more then usual (...she was wearing a dragonfly pin, too!) so I say: "Do you happen to know Jamie and Claire Fraser?" Now if you are mistaken the person will simply say 'no' and no explanation is needed on your part. In my case it was .... "YES!!! OMG! Have you EVER read anything like Outlander?" I had a new friend in that moment!!!! It was great fun. You should try it sometime!!!Jewellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09133543626217297291noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-11255701236600724602008-02-07T16:24:00.000-08:002008-02-07T16:24:00.000-08:00Diana,Claire's picture is beautiful but i thought ...Diana,<BR/>Claire's picture is beautiful but i thought her hair was darker brown and more curly. I love your outlander books so much. I read all 6 n 7 weeks last summer and again several times since. I wasn't much of a reader until then. Now i read all the time mostly so i won't continue to obsess so much about Jamie and Claire. I miss them like i miss friends. is this normal?Lynnmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02235927068848588931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-79267321926687691822008-02-07T13:18:00.000-08:002008-02-07T13:18:00.000-08:00Diana, I am a devoted fan, practically evangelical...Diana, I am a devoted fan, practically evangelical when it comes to encouraging other people to read your books, and I have never been disappointed by anything you have yet written. BUT, I have to take issue with the "slut around pretty freely/lack of morality/lack of conscience" tag you have stuck upon women in contemporary novels. I teach a contemporary literature course, and we read many novels commonly dubbed "chicklit," a phrase I quite despise, by the way, and I do not share your opinion of the main characters. I'm a teensy bit shocked and fascinated that you express (what reads like anyway) such a harsh opinion of these women! Interesting. Change my mind?<BR/><BR/>AddieAddiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17175908027522745109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-38098223803320957802008-02-07T09:41:00.000-08:002008-02-07T09:41:00.000-08:00Dear Anita-- Yes, Davina is wonderful! As for h...Dear Anita--<BR/><BR/> Yes, Davina is wonderful! As for her Scottish accents, they're impeccable [g]; she's half-Scottish herself, and is married to a Scot.<BR/><BR/> I highly recommend the audio versions of the Lord John books, too--Jeff Woodman, who reads those, is every bit as good. I couldn't be happier with the unabridged audios.Diana Gabaldonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09537964955785653500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-47501964948160999792008-02-07T09:12:00.000-08:002008-02-07T09:12:00.000-08:00sharaf:I agree with you about posting here and dev...sharaf:<BR/><BR/>I agree with you about posting here and developing a sense of confidence. The opportunity to exchange dialogue with someone as skilled as Diana is a gift in itself (for all the obvious reasons). It takes guts for us mere mortals to expose ourselves to everyone's avid, rabid, and voracious interest in all things Gabaldon. What I find especially gratifying is the exercise in recalling and practicing the requirements of writing well. <BR/><BR/>MidgeMerrymagshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03067685823930927536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-6326492025550869662008-02-07T08:32:00.000-08:002008-02-07T08:32:00.000-08:00I wanted to expand on my comments the other day on...I wanted to expand on my comments the other day on critic's and criticism.<BR/>I was remembering my daughters last year in college. She was a design major. She had a Chinese professor that was particularly brutal in his comments and criticism of their work. I asked her how she could stand it. I was told he was trying to weed out the one's who could not take rejection. That no matter how hard you may have worked there will always be someone who doesn't like your work, who wants to change it, or who won't even look at it. I imagine this can also be true for novelists. Of course she was in a field where the client has the last word. I think I would have been the one weeded out first. This blog has given me a little confidence to put my thoughts out there for everyone to see.sharafhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11833966382925917160noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-81789030026883870512008-02-07T07:09:00.000-08:002008-02-07T07:09:00.000-08:00Karen, I have never "read" the books but listen...Karen,<BR/> I have never "read" the books but listened to them (With a 2-hour daily commute, I listen to all books these days). Davina Porter does the reading on the unabridged versions and she is the best I've ever heard. She differentiates male from female voices and character from character. Not being a Scot, I can't verify her Scot accents, but they are certainly fluid. I can't imagine going back to the written word.<BR/><BR/>AnitaAnitahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01743226195663204937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2861575260847050598.post-1708911008449871052008-02-07T05:36:00.000-08:002008-02-07T05:36:00.000-08:00I'm thinking Women's fiction, per diana's descript...I'm thinking Women's fiction, per diana's description, would be something like the movies they show on the Lifetime network. Its nice to find a writer who likes men as much as I do. :) <BR/><BR/>Karen, thanks. Tee hee. one has to try to be clever when writing on a writer's blog. lol.charlotte carrollhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04334587537010799806noreply@blogger.com