SPOILER ALERT: Dinna read unless you have read chapter 36 in A Breath of Snow and Ashes.
So my sister and Outlander mentor, Tracey wants to know why I'm not going into more detail about Ian's story to Marsali about Emily and what happened to his bairn. Would you like to know, too? OK. What I think about Ian's life with the Mohawk:
Frankly, my dear... I don't give a damn.
NOT that I don't care about Ian or "his pain" as Tracey says. I do. I love Ian. Like a son. My own SON'S name is Ian for god's sake. But I canna take it, lassies. I canna take anything that has to do with those two heartbreaking years when Ian was with the Mohawk. I am dealing with his time with the Mohawk like he deals with it; I dinna want to talk about it. I dinna want to THINK about it. It KILLED me when they TATTOOED HIS FACE for the love of god!!! I canna - and wilna - THINK about what life was like for him while he was gone from the Ridge. Don't ask - don't tell. DON'T WANNA KNOW!!!
I understand where you are coming from with regard to not wanting to know what happened to Ian while way from The Ridge. I would put it to you that those years have left an indelible mark on Ian. They shaped him in significant ways. He left as boy and returned as man. I love Young Ian and am still curious about some of the experiences that he had while away from home.
ReplyDeleteTheresa
Verra insightful Tdot. I look forward to hearing more of the story about Ian - I do. I am just mortified that he's going to leave again - for good. I feel like Jamie when he didna want to tell Claire he was married to Laoghaire for fear she'd take off again. I guess I feel like - if I don't have to hear about it - it didna happen - and he'll never leave again. I'm afraid we're going to find out he misses it terribly or something. Sigh...
ReplyDeleteI feel like Ian has been lost for so long! He was always bucking against everything about Lallybroch and struggling to find his place in his own world, where his brother was born to be Laird, and the others had a vocation planned. He was even lost in the Americas, where he went through SO MUCH in Jamaica and Haiti and Jamie and Claire tried to ship him back, and couldna, and then he tried to marry himself off to Brianna. I can't wait til we learn more about his time with the mohawk but I also feel so bittersweet at thinking of him becoming a man the hard-fought way. The face tattoos kind of kill me :-(!
ReplyDeleteOh the face tattoos did me in. I called Tracey and just kept repeating "They tattooed his face.... they tattooed his FACE!!!" through my tears. Sigh...
ReplyDeleteI just discovered your blog and as an Outlander fan who has read the series many times I thoroughly enjoy reading your sometimes hilarious comments. As for Ian--i think DG should write a series with him as the main character. Wouldn't it be interesting to read his thoughts as a young boy at Lallybroch witnessing his parents' reactions to Jamie and Claire? I would love to read his thoughts about Jamie when he lived in the cave and I think everyone would like to know what it was like when he lived with the Indians. I hope the series never ends but if it does DG could begin another about Ian.
ReplyDeleteAwww thanks, Anonymous! And that is a fantastic idea. Who doesn't love Wee Ian, right? I know DG has talked about possible prequels or off-shoot novel ideas (one was about Jamie's parents). You can probably find that info on her website. I'll ask at chat tomorrow night.
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