Sassenech

Since Bernhard Schlink’s inspiring “Reader” I’ve had the pleasure of immersing myself in Arthur Golden’s Memoirs of a Geisha as well as Outlander and Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon.  Conveniently I have been keeping a log titled “Books I’ve Read” by Rachelle LaRose, a Christmas gift intended for one such use.  Not only does my tiny journal include books of past, but also books with present intention to read.  Starting this evening, come find me with a cup of coco in one hand and misty Seattle rain outside my third story apartment window while I explore Sara Gruen’s world of Water for Elephants for the first time.  But before I leap into another literary dream I must first share my passionate love for Diana Gabaldon’s “Outlander” series.  Not only have her two first novels of a seven part series left me all kinds of hot and bothered, they have also rekindled my love for Scotland.  I have every intention on sealing a pact with friends to return to The Fridge of the Scottish Highlands.

Beginning in Outlander, an ex-army nurse by the name of Claire Randall takes a vacation with her husband to the Scottish Highlands post World War II in the hopes of rekindling her marriage after the two were separated while fulfilling their individual roles within the war. While exploring their small vacation village Claire finds an ancient stone hedge and upon her discovery she falls through two stones and thus falls through time landing herself in the eighteenth century, a time when Scottish clans inhabit the rolling highlands.  This new Scottish realm in which Claire falls into is one I have fallen madly in love with as well.  Gabaldon’s first novel Outlander is sheer perfection.  I’m obsessed.  With the hope of savoring the story and characters of Outlander how they were originally written, I nearly abstained from reading the next novel in her series.  However, overcome by the temptation to delve deeper into the intricate relationships Gabaldon so beautifully created, I picked up Dragonfly in Amber and carried it all the way to Europe with me.  I couldn’t have asked for greater company than the love between Gabaldon’s characters Claire and Jamie Frasier as I crossed over the big pond to the city of love.  J’taime Paris!

            [Tangent:  It’s funny how the human mind works, how it fosters imagination.  While in Paris I ventured off on my own for a few hours to explore the Musee D’Orsay and the infamous works of Monte, Renoir, Van Gogh, Manet, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Whistler to name a few.  Tucked away in the corner of an exhibition there was a sculpture of a seated man hunching over with long wavy hair and immediately I drew a connection with the character in my book, Jamie Fraser.  Despite the lack of silvery scars lining his back and the missing peach fuss lining the body of a red haired Scott which characterize Jamie’s exterior, the smooth sculpture captured the likeness of a man I have created in my imagination.  Weird, to say the least.]

I finally took the opportunity of my eleven hour flight home to finish Dragonfly in Amber and after catching up on much needed sleep I am excited to leap into Voyager and discover what is in store for my dearly beloved characters.