SPOILER ALERT: Dinna read unless you've finished Chapter 88 in The Fiery Cross.
I've been underlining and marking in the Kindle like a mad-woman lately.. and wanted to share some thoughts with you all...
How much did you love it when Roger regained slight contentiousness and Jamie said "You are alive. You are whole. All is well." I about LOST it when he said "You are whole". That is exactly what Roger would have been thinking as they were on the battlefield. He'd have come to - realized he's incapacitated - and thought "Oh god - what's wrong with me?" I found it very profound and moving that Jamie knew exactly what to say to calm him. God bless Jamie Fraser.
Again - loved it when Jamie said to the Governor: "As ye laid hands on my son." My son. MY SON. God that is so powerful after all they went through in Drums. The man beat the snot out of him and sold him to the Mohawks. And now is calling him his "son". Just very moving, in my opinion.
How awesome is Claire? "Very carefully, I laid the limp, heavy little body on Roger's chest. Bree made a small movement, as though to catch the baby and stop him sliding off-but Roger's arm moved up, stiff and slow, and folded across the sleeping child. Tinder, I thought, satisfied." There are no words.
Lovely Jamieisms: "Egg-sucking son of a porcupine!" and "Turd-eating son of a flying tortoise".
Jamie to Bree: "I have been marrit near thiry years, and you less than two. What is it that ye think I dinna understand, lass?" Um...I didn't know how to feel about this. I get his point. And I was moved that he says he's been married to Claire almost thirty years. But really? Really, Jamie? By my count I think it's more like 6 or 7 - and I think you're forgetting a certain someone who makes you send money to Scotland every once in a while. Just sayin'..
Totally verklempt: When Jamie told Bree that he spent 20 years wondering if his wife lived and how she and his child fared - and then touched both her and Claire at the same time while explaining that she'll be OK if Roger dies. Exhale. I just teared up thinking about it.
Claire/Roger: At one point, Diana points out that Claire feels like the dark forest could swallow her whole - and then says the exact same thing about Roger - and I thought "WOW! Total Claire/Roger parallel". And I started thinking about the many parallels between these two people. Both forfeited their lives' work - and everything they knew - to cross the stones and be with the one they loved. Both are always doing for others without asking much in return. Both are willing to accept new challenges and handle obstacles when they could be living a much kushier life in the 20th century. I have a tremendous amount of respect for both of these people and had to point that out.
Vomrific comment from Jamie: "And Brianna, bless her, killed a fine elk, just the other side of the river. A chest shot, but she brought it down - and cut the throat herself, though that's a dicey thing to do, and the beast's still thrashing." Ugh. WhatEVER!!!!!!
Orgasmic: "Jamie's head rose clear, a great maned creature looming over me, back arched in his extremity." Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ.
Carol is mush: "D'ye ken that the only time I am without pain is in your bed, Sassenach? When I take ye, when I lie in your arms - my wounds are healed, then, my scars forgotten."
Carol is worse mush: When Jamie tells Claire that his father took his mother's hair out of her plaits in her coffin... and how he moved her hair so it didn't cover his baby brother - and then moved it back again because the baby would be happier with her hair covering him. Wait - have to tear up a bit... OK I'm back. Let me just say that I have a son - he's 5. And a few times since he was about 2 I have tucked him in bed at night... and he has asked me to take my hair out of my ponytail, because he likes it long and he likes to touch it. My husband has never said that to me... so it's not like he learned it from him. He just has it in his little heart that he likes mommy's hair down. So I don't have to tell you how that scene broke my heart...
Even more mush: When Jamie told Claire he was happy she had grey hair because it means she's aging and didn't die young like his mother. Sigh. Talk amongst yourselves...way too verklempt at this point to continue this line of discussion...
Cool Diana-ism: "The sky overhead curved low and dull as the inside of a pewter bowl." WTF??? WHERE does she come UP with this shit? (Said like Jason Lee) Is that not just a magnificent way to describe the sky? She has such a way with adjectives and description. I am so mortified because I just... don't. Don't believe me? Get this: I once went to a gallery showing of video "costumes" that belonged to John Taylor from Duran Duran. And someone was filming a video for John, himself, to watch afterward. I was so nervous, knowing he'd see it... that when I was asked what I thought of the suit he wore in the "Save a Prayer" video (my favorite, mind you) I moronically replied, "I had no idea it would be so... so... orange!" ORANGE??? That's all I had to say? Really Carol... really. It's just... embarrassing. And thus, why I WORSHIP Diana Gabaldon's talent for description.
Amusing Diana-ism: "There are few things deader than a large, dead pig."
OK - I am totally up to date now. I am off to read, lassies! More later!
I've been underlining and marking in the Kindle like a mad-woman lately.. and wanted to share some thoughts with you all...
How much did you love it when Roger regained slight contentiousness and Jamie said "You are alive. You are whole. All is well." I about LOST it when he said "You are whole". That is exactly what Roger would have been thinking as they were on the battlefield. He'd have come to - realized he's incapacitated - and thought "Oh god - what's wrong with me?" I found it very profound and moving that Jamie knew exactly what to say to calm him. God bless Jamie Fraser.
Again - loved it when Jamie said to the Governor: "As ye laid hands on my son." My son. MY SON. God that is so powerful after all they went through in Drums. The man beat the snot out of him and sold him to the Mohawks. And now is calling him his "son". Just very moving, in my opinion.
How awesome is Claire? "Very carefully, I laid the limp, heavy little body on Roger's chest. Bree made a small movement, as though to catch the baby and stop him sliding off-but Roger's arm moved up, stiff and slow, and folded across the sleeping child. Tinder, I thought, satisfied." There are no words.
Lovely Jamieisms: "Egg-sucking son of a porcupine!" and "Turd-eating son of a flying tortoise".
Jamie to Bree: "I have been marrit near thiry years, and you less than two. What is it that ye think I dinna understand, lass?" Um...I didn't know how to feel about this. I get his point. And I was moved that he says he's been married to Claire almost thirty years. But really? Really, Jamie? By my count I think it's more like 6 or 7 - and I think you're forgetting a certain someone who makes you send money to Scotland every once in a while. Just sayin'..
Totally verklempt: When Jamie told Bree that he spent 20 years wondering if his wife lived and how she and his child fared - and then touched both her and Claire at the same time while explaining that she'll be OK if Roger dies. Exhale. I just teared up thinking about it.
Claire/Roger: At one point, Diana points out that Claire feels like the dark forest could swallow her whole - and then says the exact same thing about Roger - and I thought "WOW! Total Claire/Roger parallel". And I started thinking about the many parallels between these two people. Both forfeited their lives' work - and everything they knew - to cross the stones and be with the one they loved. Both are always doing for others without asking much in return. Both are willing to accept new challenges and handle obstacles when they could be living a much kushier life in the 20th century. I have a tremendous amount of respect for both of these people and had to point that out.
Vomrific comment from Jamie: "And Brianna, bless her, killed a fine elk, just the other side of the river. A chest shot, but she brought it down - and cut the throat herself, though that's a dicey thing to do, and the beast's still thrashing." Ugh. WhatEVER!!!!!!
Orgasmic: "Jamie's head rose clear, a great maned creature looming over me, back arched in his extremity." Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ.
Carol is mush: "D'ye ken that the only time I am without pain is in your bed, Sassenach? When I take ye, when I lie in your arms - my wounds are healed, then, my scars forgotten."
Carol is worse mush: When Jamie tells Claire that his father took his mother's hair out of her plaits in her coffin... and how he moved her hair so it didn't cover his baby brother - and then moved it back again because the baby would be happier with her hair covering him. Wait - have to tear up a bit... OK I'm back. Let me just say that I have a son - he's 5. And a few times since he was about 2 I have tucked him in bed at night... and he has asked me to take my hair out of my ponytail, because he likes it long and he likes to touch it. My husband has never said that to me... so it's not like he learned it from him. He just has it in his little heart that he likes mommy's hair down. So I don't have to tell you how that scene broke my heart...
Even more mush: When Jamie told Claire he was happy she had grey hair because it means she's aging and didn't die young like his mother. Sigh. Talk amongst yourselves...way too verklempt at this point to continue this line of discussion...
Cool Diana-ism: "The sky overhead curved low and dull as the inside of a pewter bowl." WTF??? WHERE does she come UP with this shit? (Said like Jason Lee) Is that not just a magnificent way to describe the sky? She has such a way with adjectives and description. I am so mortified because I just... don't. Don't believe me? Get this: I once went to a gallery showing of video "costumes" that belonged to John Taylor from Duran Duran. And someone was filming a video for John, himself, to watch afterward. I was so nervous, knowing he'd see it... that when I was asked what I thought of the suit he wore in the "Save a Prayer" video (my favorite, mind you) I moronically replied, "I had no idea it would be so... so... orange!" ORANGE??? That's all I had to say? Really Carol... really. It's just... embarrassing. And thus, why I WORSHIP Diana Gabaldon's talent for description.
Amusing Diana-ism: "There are few things deader than a large, dead pig."
OK - I am totally up to date now. I am off to read, lassies! More later!
Now you're beginning to see some of the reasons why FIERY CROSS is one of my favorite books of the series. There are so many wonderful moments in it, and you've mentioned some of my all-time favorite scenes.
ReplyDeleteInteresting observation about the parallels between Claire and Roger, and I think you're right.
Karen
Karen I am enjoying The Fiery Cross so much. I felt that way about Drums, too. (And Fiery Cross is pretty much a continuation of Drums according to Diana, right?) At first I was a little - what is a good word? - dismayed? confused? - that the story (and Claire and Jamie's lives) had slowed down a bit and there weren't as many "oh my GOD!" moments like in the first three. But now that I'm well into TFC, I am enjoying the small moments so much. I can't wait to see what is waiting for me in the next two books! :)
ReplyDeleteCarol-
ReplyDeleteHad to add my 2 fave moments in TFC: both involved Roger. Both times we see Jaimie/Claire through Roger's eyes. Once as Roger is looking out his cabin window while Bree was sleeping (of course) and Roger hears J/C at the big house living their life, winding down for the evening. It was so cute. Another time Roger caught them at twilight walking next to each other, Jaimie with his bent down intently listening to every word Claire is saying and Claire's hands are moving around as she's talking. To me, it just showed how deeply connected J/C are. So connected. Definitely beyond what Wee Roger has with what's her name.
Ooooh Jenn. That's what I love about Diana Gabaldon. She gets her point across so vividly, you truly feel like you are there. I could almost smell the air and feel a slight breeze in that scene where Jamie and Claire are being flirty and winding down for the evening. It's like DG just picked me up and put me there with J/C. Just magical. :)
ReplyDeleteClaire shows Jamie his sperm under a microscope; Jamie treats Claire's menstrual cramps with good booze; Jamie gives Claire a posy and calls her "Sorcha;" everything about the scene between J/C in their bedroom where they return from The Gathering - her bath, his casual undressing, their applying hand cream to each other; C and J talk about birth control; and Adso
ReplyDeleteLorddddddd the hand cream. GREAT memeories, Andrea. Thanks. :)
DeleteCan you tell me what page or chapter the microscope one is?
DeleteChapter 36 - Worlds Unseen (courtesy of the Outlander Book Club's discussion because I was too lazy to get up and find my Kindle! LOL!)
DeleteHome
Posts like this renew my faith in DG. Even though the storyline goes in so many directions (more than 24 hours in one day for the Gathering bit) her writing and descriptions are enthralling. I really enjoy the descriptions of medical procedures - they're not always needed for story development but the detail is fascinating.
ReplyDeleteI'm finishing up Fiery Cross and hoping that at some point Roger stops being so abused and is happy. Wishful thinking I guess
ReplyDeleteI felt the same way. I love Roger's character and I felt dismayed throughout the fiery cross. I remember thinking how much more can the man take? but by the end of the book I was content, satisfied and I wondered... How does Diana do that?
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