SPOILER ALERT (HOLY GOD THIS WOULD BE A BIG FRIGGIN SPOILER ALERT) Dinna read unless you have read chapter 95 in AN ECHO IN THE BONE.
OH!
MY!
GODDDDDDDDDDD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Claire and Lord John Grey, SITTING IN A (holy mother of god on high) TREE!!!!!!!!!!!!
PS: Dear Jamie,
You now have my blessing with the Indian women.
Love,
Carol
I was wondering when you were going to get there.
ReplyDeleteHAH! I love these chapters for all of the drama! Ok, they are reeeeally sad and I did Cry for Clair a ton. But, I really (for some reason)found her and Lord John...together...hilarious! Maybe because I didn't expect it? But it was creepy to think that they were both thinking about Jaime...
ReplyDeleteThis part was totally unrealistic to me - sort of like a "what if" writing exercise for dg. I don't think Claire would have ever distriubuted pamphlets, and therefore would not have had a reason to need LJ's protection. Strange scenario that feels like a contrivance to me.
ReplyDeleteAWESOME point, Pam. The pamphlets. I've been so stuck on the "Would Claire really sleep with Lord John?" question that I never really stopped to think she'd never distribute seditious materials.
ReplyDeleteAmie - I have arrived!
Megs - I know. I thought it was funny, too. Kindof caper-esque. But I've gone through so many emotions over the end of this book... it's exhausting.
Re: pamphlets--I totally bought that Claire would distribute them--her rationale in thinking about it right after she arrived in Philly and noticed how much she was able to blend in and not be noticed made sense to me.
ReplyDeleteWhat DIDN'T make sense to me was the time frame. I believe Richardson told LJ that Claire had been passing pamphlets for three months. Ummm...had she even been in Philly for three months????? I would say it was 6 weeks, TOPS--and a good portion of that was spent on the two surgeries, no? The whole time factor thing was a big problem in the last 50 pages for me...
Cougar Claire!
ReplyDeleteEver since Culloden Claire has been saying that there is nothing she can do to change what will happen even given her knowledge of the future. So given that J&C want America to win independence and that is what she knows will happen why would Claire do anything even slightly risky to help along a cause (like distributing pamphlets)she knows will "win" in the end anyway?
ReplyDeleteI've been dying for you to get to this point too! Seriously, the pace at the end was crazy for me. It all happened sooooo fast. I am just not sure I would entirely buy LJ and C-Dawg. For real? Honestly, I almost feel that William would be more believable, looking as he does like Jamie's doppelganger. I feel like the book happened in a regular time sequence, and then the last few pages (no spoilers, carol, the parts you've read already!) got put into a hot tub time machine! And I'm with you on the squaws.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if it was too terrible and dark for DG to really delve into what it would have been like for Claire to lose jamie, so she wrote it like this...
I have been following your site for some time now and love your reactions to these books. I was so anxious to hear what your reaction to the Lord John Grey/ Claire thing would be, I looked at your page the very first thing this morning.
ReplyDeleteI too was in shock at first read. After a second and even third read, I am much, much less upset and I even kind of get Claire's reaction. I know the whole timing is a little off, but I think she really wanted to protect Germaine, which is why she stepped in to spread the papers. Also, there is a part in Drums of Autumn, where Claire begs Jamie not to die. She says she does not want to live as half a person. (I think it is the chapter The First Law of Thermodynamics)
So in some sense I see her falling apart and acting totally out of character as understandable. Plus, as readers we freak out a little because we know Jamie is alive, but Claire doesn't. Not to mention the whole Claire living 202 years in the past without her daughter and grandkids. I might make some pretty bad decisions myself if I were in her position.
Anyway, I'm like you and didn't know what the hell I would do when I finished Echo. But I must say, reading all the books a second time is even more fun,and you will uncover things you might have missed the first time around. DG is a freakin' genius.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOK y'all - I have to go blog about this. Too much to say. I love all your comments. KEEP 'EM COMING!! This will take me a long time to process. I need all the support I can get! :)
ReplyDeleteTracey- good point on the timeline with Claire. That didn't make sense to me either. And you may think I'm weird, but I could understand Claire and LJ after Jamie's supposed death. That was grief talking! Because we know she still loves and wants Jamie. But I do question how soon it was after they heard the news. I don't know..still processing that one.
ReplyDeleteJennifer - good point about Claire already knowing the outcome, so why spread pamphlets, knowing the volatile political climate?? Seems like she would want to keep a very low profile...anyway...I think if Claire heard that Jamie was dead, would she REALLY believe it? Think of the title of the book "Echo" in the Bone? Wouldn't it be cool for dg to play up the deep in the bone connection between Claire and Jamie and have Claire be convinced that Jamie was still alive because she could FEEL it in her bones? (She could play up the White Witch image, here) Meanwhile, everyone around her was thinking she had gone over the edge in denial. Also, I would love to see Claire buy a storefront and sell herbs/medicines and perform surgeries. I like to read about how she makes do in more primitive settings with her medical knowledge. Maybe that would be something she would do if she thought Jamie was gone for good??
ReplyDeleteI just have to give props to Diana for all of this... because it truly was believable. She answers all the "what if's" immediately. I said to myself "Maybe Claire wouldn't believe it" but then I thought "Well.. he said he bought passage already... and she knows he's not going to waste that money and just pick another ship".. and then I was at a standstill and thought "Oh my gosh there is no way around this! She thinks he's dead!!"
ReplyDeleteCOMMA HOWEVER...
Wow Pam INTERESTING point about "Echo" an the "White Witch" stuff!! I usually spend more time trying to equate the titles to the books but I didna really do it this time. I love it!
First time posting - looks like fun! I was trying to think like an author and have been paying attention to the circular themes Diana constructs - whether on purpose or organically. Jamie married Laoghaire when he thought Claire was gone forever and he had suffered enough according to Jenny. Seems Claire has to marry to save her ass, literally, AGAIN. I see the marriage between Claire and Lord John as a mirror for Jamie. What was supposed to be good for the gander might be good for the goose? He should understand what mourning does to a person. Lord John raised William, is it such a stretch for him to take care of Claire too?
ReplyDeleteOK, I have to ask, does anyone else feel this way...I only enjoy Claire's character when she is doctoring, otherwise she gets on my nerves. I don't find her as developed a character as Jamie and don't mind when their story archs part. Then again I just want Jamie all for myself.
"Squaw" is an offensive, derogatory word. Jamie Fraser would not use it, nor condone it's use.
ReplyDeleteI had answered this with a much longer reply, but on further review, found it easier to just delete the word. Thanks for the heads up.
Delete