SPOILER ALERT: Dinna read unless you have finished Part 6 (Chapter 52) in A BREATH OF SNOW AND ASHES.
I couldna understand - for the life of me - what a chapter entitled "M-I-C" was going to be about. My first thought was "M-I-C...K-E-Y...M-O-U-S-E" and I thought "nahhhh". But sure enough - there it is - Bree explaining Disneyland to Jamie. (Meanwhile Disneyworld would have been much closer to their house in Boston - but who am I to question the Mistress Gabaldon?)ADDENDUM: My thanks to TERRY who posted the following comment: Disney World opened in Oct. of 1971. Frank was already dead by then.
Sigh. That was just a lovely little scene of Bree and Jamie, sitting on the stoop, watching the fireflies... listening to the kids playing (and by "kids", I also mean Roger LOL)...and talking about Bree's world. Although I did get a pang of pain when she mentioned Frank and called him "Daddy". That has to be ten times worse for Jamie to hear than for Claire to hear a mention of Laoghaire, dontcha think? Frank raised his daughter as his own. OCH!!! That makes me throw up in my MOUTH a little when I think about it!!
Anyhoo...back to Mickey and Pals...I've always maintained I'd like to see much more of 20th century explanations to Jamie. It's just so comical.
"A giant rat?" he said, sounding slightly stunned. "And they take the weans to play with it?"
SO funny I almost fell off the couch. I canna tell you what I'd give to see Jamie in the 21st century for just one day. And every time I envision it, it becomes a terribly campy 80s movie in my head, a la Caveman or Splash, where the main character who is from another place and/or time learns about his surroundings by watching TV. I can't stop wondering what things would set Jamie off. I mentioned this in our chat last week... and one of my top picks of things I'd like to see Jamie discover is tanning cream. Can't you just HEAR him??? "Ye rub it all over ye and it makes ye turn brown? Now why in the name of a wee de'il would ye want to do that, sassenach?" Oh god I die every time I think about it!!!
So I ask you:
What 21st century product would YOU most like to watch Jamie discover?
PS - I've reached 150 posts. Word.
Disney World opened in Oct. of 1971. Frank was already dead by then.
ReplyDeleteAs for modern gadgets to show Jamie... I was thinking about cell phones, megafarms, satellites. But what I really want him to see are little dogs wearing designer duds and being carried around in big purses. I can imagine his disgust!
I was holding my tongue re: yesterday's discussion of you wanting more small Jamie/Bree moments!!! I knew that this one was coming and it is TOTES one of my favorites. Jamie's reaction to "the giant rat" is HILARIOUS. Love love love that scene.
ReplyDeleteTERRY WINS THE PRIZE!! Thanks! I had no clue! WOW!! And here I thought DisneyWORLD was around first! Excellent! I may have have to post an addendum.
ReplyDeleteTracey I kindof thought you were chomping at the bit. I can always tell, ken.
OK, I must fill the other lasses in on the psychology behind Carol's "Disneyland" forgetfulness... before she was born, our family lived in Fullerton, CA, for about 5 years. Since that's only a few miles from Anaheim, my parents would take me and our sister Jill regularly to Disneyland--I still remember the Snow White ride, the Peter Pan ride, eating pancakes with Frank--I mean my dad--at some pancake restaurant there while Claire--I mean my mom--took Jill to Chicken of the Sea for tuna fish (which I don't like).
ReplyDeleteSo anyway, we moved back to NJ right before Carol was born. But as she grew up, we still talked about living in CA and going to Disneyland--without her. We played the tons of home movies from CA--that didn't include her. Anytime we wanted to annoy her, we'd be like, "Let's talk about living in California!"
So as a result, Carol has what I like to call "Disneyland Syndrome." She doesna like to acknowledge that it exists. Cause for her, it doesn't. Heehee...
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ReplyDeleteTracey ~ taunting a sibling over Disneyland?! Say it isn't so!
ReplyDeleteCarol ~ congratulations on 150 posts!
This Bree/Jamie scene is one of my very favorites. What I do like about Brianna is she isn't afraid to mention Frank for fear Jamie's feelings will be hurt. To her, it seems (imo) that telling Jamie about Frank is honoring Jamie's sacrifice. Remember what Brianna said to Claire just before she goes back through the stones in Voyager? (paraphrased) "If you don't go back, I will, because someone needs to tell Jamie Fraser he did what he set out to do. His sacrifice for me was worth it."
What 20thC product would I like to watch Jamie discover? Fake boobs.
So I'm totally off the subject. But I have ask if you all have ever listened to Outlander on CD? I edit a lot so I would listen to them while I worked. I never have time to read. I would be interested in what you think of the Davina Porter's narrating. She does the accents so good. I had to download all of them off audible.com. I seriously listen to them like baby loves a lullaby. But I wonder if I've missed a lot by not reading. So after I finish Echo in the Bone. I'm going to go back and read, and listen to the recordings. K sorry that was random. I love reading all your comments. I wish I was a better writer. You all express yourself so good. I am just one big one run-on sentence... if you can't already tell!
ReplyDeleteHI Carol-
ReplyDeleteLove your Blog-I've been lurking for awhile, but haven't wanted to comment since I've read the series several times-I don't want to give anything away-ya ken? I do love your "virgin" viewpoint!!
Tagging on to Laura's "fake boobs" comment..
Va-jazzling...
Can you just hear him? "Ye did what and then ye put it where?" Eyebrow raised in amazement, confusion, bafflement (geez, I'm baffled by that one.)
On a more serious note, I think he would LOVE the internet. All of that knowledge at his fingertips.
Oooh! I win a prize? Thank you for not being offended by my pointing out Disney World opening after Bree was grown and Frank and Clair were gone. I know it was fairly new when I went on my honeymoon in 1977. (I'm just a kid at heart! Hubby ((now the Ex)) got sick on Space Mountain, the wimp.) I didna realize there were family "issues".
ReplyDeleteOMG, I'm giggling picturing Jamie on Space Mountain. And I'm laughing right the heck out loud thinking of him on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride--cause you KNOW he'd be green and heaving over the side, right onto the AutoAnimatronic Johnny Depp!!
ReplyDeleteAngela ~ I love the audio books. If you ordered Davina Porter, then you are in luck as they (I think) are only the non-abridged versions. I like Davina Porter; sometimes her voice gets just a tad grating, but she does all of the accents amazingly well.
ReplyDeleteIf and when you read the Lord John novels, I highly recommend the audio. They are laugh-out-loud funny as the actor really is spot-on with Lord John's acerbic wit. (I like the audio with LJ better than reading.)
For a real treat, read and listen at the same time. You catch TONS more than just reading or just listening.
TIP for anyone: do not purchase the abridged versions. I listened to ABOSAA as abridged first (after reading) and several huge story lines were completely edited out. I think I read where the abridged version of Outlander is something like only 1/8 of the book. Karen? Is that right?
Thanks Laura! I got stuck with and abridged one, and had go hunt down the unbridged. They do leave out a lot. I don't even know why they would do abridged versions. I loved the recordings because I think I would have gotten a lot of the pronunciations wrong. Thanks for all the tips! Check out audible. I put all the books on my Ipod, and listen to it everywhere I go:-)
ReplyDeleteAngela ~ I was able to borrow all of the unabridged audios through our inter-state library system. I now have them all safely tucked into my I-tunes for whenever I need. They are great to listen to on long car rides, which is when I discovered the missing chunks of ABOSAA. I was actually driving right through Fraser's Ridge while listening. The abridged version are narrated by a different actress, too, but I can't think of her name. She pronounced Marsali differently than Davina does. MAR-sali v. Mar-SALLY.
ReplyDeleteRe: Disneyland, I loved this storyline too! There's such tenderness in trying to watch Jamie understand a world beyond his world, which everyone he loves most comes from. I think they do a great job of not always yammering about the 20th century in front of Jamie though!
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of Jamie meeting a fake boob! At least we know there were already nipple rings back in his era so that wouldn't be too much of a shock.
Also, love the insight into the Tracey-Carol family dynamic! Sounds like the Disneyland experience was scarring.
Re: audiobooks. I thought I was the only crazy that simultaneously read all the books and got the CDs (unabridged, thank god) from my library and put them on my iPod too! Since I spend most of the day in my car, I can get a little Outlander out on the road between clients. I think you DO pick up a lot more. BUT I've only listened to the audio for books I've finished - there's something I love about reading it in book form (um, in Kindle form for me) for the first time.
Verra sorry about the really long comment :-)
ReplyDeleteLOL Carol was the classic case of the youngest child whose parents had had enough of the film camera by the time she arrived. There are miles of footage of myself and our sister Jill as wee bairns, all cute in our little dresses and bathing suits and whatnot. There are maybe two Carol movies, however, and ONE of those is literally Carol stuck in the arm of a chair and not able to get out, and my dad just filming b/c he thought it was so hilarious. OMG, I really have to find that footage and get it on youtube! :-)
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of film footage, am I the only one who's wondered why Bree hasn't demostrated how movies work to Jamie by making a little flip book or something? I mean, we all know the lack of paper is no problem for her, given that a) she can make her own, and b) she has that damn 1,000-page dreambook always lying around for the wrong person to find...
The dream book is so on my nerves! And that's so true about the flip book. Jamie would trip out!
ReplyDeleteAlso, poor wee Carol :-))!!!! I am the eldest of three girls so i naturally find this hilarious.
Sirena: I'm the oldest of three girls, too! We have been trying to get Jill, our middle sister, on here forever, but unfortunately she's been, like, 50 pages into Outlander for about 6 months now. As she will tell you, "I DON'T READ!" LOL.
ReplyDelete[Sirena] BUT I've only listened to the audio for books I've finished - there's something I love about reading it in book form (um, in Kindle form for me) for the first time.
ReplyDelete[Laura] Completely agree. I want absolutely nothing between me and the story on the first read. :)
RE: 21st century modern gadgets--not sure this counts as a gadget, but I swear that ever since I started reading these books, I think about what Jamie's reaction to Costco would be EVERY time I go there. I canna imagine that Costco wouldna freak him out!
ReplyDeleteWhat's funny is I forgot all about the Disneyland/living in California taunting thing. They also got Dairy Queen and ate it after I went to bed... and I'd find the remnants in the trash the next morning.
ReplyDeleteLaura - good point about Jamie's sacrifice.
Angela - I've never hear Davina Porter but have heard her accents are fantastic. I'll have to see if I can download a sample.
Julie - WELCOME! We love new people to discuss the books with! I think Jamie would be putting his hands through his hair a LOT if he got a few minutes with the internet.
Terry - you must be cracking up at this whole Disneyland thing with Tracey and me. :)
Angela: DITTO on the why they make abridged versions!
Sirena - oh lord - MANY things were scarring. Refer back to my Dairy Queen comment for explanation. ;) PS - no problem on long comments! I love comments of all kinds!
Tracey - I think they are very ginger with what/how much 20th century info they share with Jamie. (I'm thinking you might want to apply the same principle with info about our childhood.) :)
Oh I would love to get Jamie in a big clothes shop. Can you imagine the look of horror on his face at the 20th century fashions?
ReplyDeleteTo help him fit in I'd just have to dress him in jeans and a nice fitted T-Shirt!! Oh lord ... I need to sit down now!
Carol- *Voyager spoiler!*
ReplyDeleteI finished listening to Voyager today, and it struck me that the book opens and closes the same way: The book starts with Jamie (on the field after Culloden) thinking he was dead (and wondering if he was in heaven or purgatory), and the book ends with Claire being certain she was dead (after the shipwreck in Georgia). Yet more evidence that DG is brilliant and knows what she's doing!
Oh Louise! Jamie in jeans?! I need Claire to come and check my pulse!!
ReplyDeleteJo M - verra insightful! I never put those two scenes together like that before!
DG does a "book end" like that in Drums of Autumn, too. The first scenes are of Gavin Hayes's execution; the end of the book is Archie Hayes (Gavin's son) meeting with Jamie at the Gathering: "I'm Archie Hayes. They say ye kent my father." *shiver*
ReplyDeleteOoooh Laura - "shiver" is right. Does Diana not pack the WOW factor into every book??? She's amazing.
ReplyDeletehi carol i would love to see jamie discover motorbikes. i can just imagine him on a lowrider complete with tasseled leather jacket,biker boots and shades, his hair blowing in the breeze from under his bandana and yep i agree on jeans,
ReplyDelete-coming for a ride sassenach?
ooh i need to sit down and have a cold drink lol
:-)
Oh Lesley - listen to you! You are into bad boys, aren't you? I love it!
ReplyDeleteAnd every time I envision it, it becomes a terribly campy 80s movie in my head, a la Caveman or Splash, where the main character who is from another place and/or time learns about his surroundings by watching TV.
ReplyDeleteThis cracked me up! I've been having those exact same kind of "Jamie in the Future" daydreams, and they make me laugh every time. It's impossible to imagine him in modern times without it turning into a cheesy comedy.
I completely love every little tidbit we've gotten with Claire or Bree telling Jamie what it's like in the future. And now that Ian knows, I've enjoyed those scenes as well. They're invariably some of the most amusing moments in the book.