Why OUTLANDER is like a teenager

I just stumbled across this blog post by Jeannine at Chasing Chapters and I can't resist sharing it with the rest of you.

The Outlander Series: Why it's like the unpredictable teenager on my bookshelf

Yet, much like an unpredictable teenager, the road isn't always smooth.  There have certainly been hiccups along the way.  Moments when I wondered where the author was taking me, or why.  Moments when things have dragged on forever and I almost gave up (the Gathering at Mount Helicon in Fiery Cross, anyone?), or times when I was annoyed or disappointed by the path the characters or story had taken.

Kind of like living with a teenager, don't you think?  ;)

I can relate to this.  I'll never forget my reaction on the first reading of FIERY CROSS ("A hundred and fifty pages, and they're still on the first day?!?  Isn't there going to be a plot in here somewhere??")  I've since found that FIERY CROSS improves on re-reading, like a fine wine <g>, and it's become one of my favorite books in the whole series.  But that Very Long Endless Day does take some getting used to!

And strange as it may be, with both a book series and a teenager, one really good moment often has the power to help you forget all the bad. Or at least allow you to put the not-so-great stuff aside long enough to appreciate that nice moment.

I certainly agree that this is true of Diana Gabaldon's books.  For example:  The first time I read ECHO, I was extremely upset (understatement!) at the Claire/Lord John subplot (mentally yelling, "No no no no no, this is just WRONG!!"), and that incident did indeed have a negative impact on my opinion of the whole book, temporarily.  Then I got to the line where Claire says "fuirich agus chi thu" (chapter 98, "Mischianza", p. 794 in the hardcover).  For those of you who don't know, that's "wait and see" in Gaelic, one of Diana's favorite phrases, and an inside joke among those of us who hang out in Diana's section on Compuserve. I laughed out loud when I saw this in the book, because I was so pleased and surprised to see it in print.  And then, quite suddenly, I found myself enjoying ECHO again.

It can be challenging, and has it's share of head-scratching and cringe-worthy moments, but I just can't seem to turn away.  Somehow, I just know it will be worth it in the end.

Indeed. <g> I think that's very well put.