The Outlandish Companion (Revised and Updated): Companion to Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager, and Drums of Autumn

She asked for this and she loves it.

I look forward to the second volume of The Outlandish Companion, to be released within a matter of days, covering the second four of eight books published to date from The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. This Companion book is not a novel, but a tome put together to answer a myriad of questions posed by fans and others, about the author, the books, the series' characters, and even some of the history behind the stories. In some ways, this is how I'd have expected a "All you ever wanted to know about Diana Gabaldon and her craft but were afraid or unable to ask...." book to be. It is so much more, because you are drawn into an understanding of how this author crafts her books. You also appreciate that she does what scarcely any other historical novelist has done, that I'm aware, and that is, her companion book contains an entire chapter devoted to all of the errors from the first four books that, to date, either Gabaldon has determined herself or has been made aware of by her readers. All sorts of interesting information and stories related to the content of the first four novels comprising The Outlander Series is found in the Companion, not to mention bibliography, pronunciations, and a listing of other authors and books to turn to during the wait for the next volume (nine). If you have read all eight books as I did between May and September of this year, and are "addicted" then this "methadone list" is a blessing. Most appreciated in this newly revised version are some stunning photographs from the 2014-15 Outlander TV series, season one, produced for STARZ. After having perused this book, I feel as though I have met and enjoyed lively in-person discussions with Diana, and I'm hoping to be equally happy with the second Outlandish Companion, especially because, in my estimation, Gabaldon's novels have become better and better with each subsequent publication. My expections are that the second Companion will be more "outlandish" (ha!) than the first!

What can I say. Every Outlander fan will love this very thorough reference guide. Even if you haven’t read the books this guide explains a lot about the first 5 books of the series! Big thumbs up

I was introduced to the Outlander series by my husband. I had never read this type of fiction before. I must say that I am now hooked and am probably now ruined for any less talented writer's of this genre. I was instantly transported to another time, I could smell and see and hear right along with the main characters. Gabaldon's ability for fine detail is unmatched! As a writer myself, her books have motivated me, impressed and awed me. At 1st I wasn't sure if I wanted to commit myself to the time it would take to read four 800+ page novels, knowing there wasn't an end to them. Now I am happy to have been introduced to Claire and Jamie Fraser and will never forget these 2 characters. I know Gabaldon can't rush her books, which is why I say, she can't write fast enough for me. I eagerly await her continuation of this series.About the actual book: it's fascinatingly full of little known facts about herbs, medical knowledge through time, pretty much most of the author's research is in this companion, anything you ever wanted to know & a few things you didn't know you were missing or wanted to know. For true fans of this series, you'll want this book for the behind the scenes details that the 800+ page books didn't include (her original manuscripts were often 1500 pages & broken up into 2 instead). While you're waiting for the next book to come out, or if you need a refresher on the last title before reading the next, this is a great read either way. The book is an oversized hardcover of sturdy construction, meant to last through many, many thumb through's.

I gave this 4 stars because I love the Outlander books. But...I am new to the Outlander books so I ordered the Outlandish Companion book. I was so excited when I received it in the mail last night – looking forward to reading and looking at the “beautifully illustrated compendium” and “behind the scenes photos from the Outlander TV series set” (per Amazon’s description of the book on their website).But I was very disappointed. Illustrated it is, with stock historical images (which I can understand those being used) and black and white photographs that look like they were taken in the 1930s or 1940s, too dark and hard to see. Several of the photos I had to look at for a while to figure out what I was looking at.As for behind-the-scenes photos from the Outlander TV series – well, the only behind-the-scenes photos are black and white previously published promo images, some which you see in the opening credits to each episode. One in particular is a photo of Colum pouring a glass of Rhenish wine with Claire looking on. And when you look at the same photo (in color) on STARZ’s Outsider site - you see that Dougal was cropped out of the photo! I don’t consider promo photos to be behind-the-scenes photos. If you want to see actual behind-the-scenes photos - search online - there are many to choose from.I know this is just my opinion – and maybe I expect too much - but this has made me think twice about even reading this book.NOTE: Amazon, I would delete “beautifully illustrated compendium” and “behind-the-scenes photos from the Outlander TV series” from your description of the book if I were you. Delacorte Press production department – poor job.

Purchasing this item on Amazon was less expensive and fantastic shipping time compared to other alternatives. My wife loves it.....and says it is a wonderful extra to enjoy the series.

Comecei agora mas estou adorando ler mais sobre o ambiente de Outlander...que amo de pauxão! Tem muitos dados, ate sobre gaélico, que estou aprendendo...e fotos!

Un montón de información adicional sobre la saga Forastera. Para mí lo más interesante es el listado de personajes con breve explicación de quién es quién para que no te pierdas ninguno. La única pega es que no hay versión en castellano (de momento).

Love this idea of collective research all in one place. It shows how much goes on in a writer's mind behind the book/s. I was extremely excited when this arrived, a tome to devour!This book will refresh memory and answer questions on everything mentioned in the earlier books. A fantastic read that also contains synopses of the first four books, including family trees, and much more. It is not something you need to purchase to fully enjoy the book series, but if you're a fan, you'll love all the extra info.

Le livre est beau, genre grimoire, et il est plein d''anecdotes. C'est très agréable quand on est fan de la série. Par contre, il faut parler anglais...Cela donne envie de lire une vraie autobiographie de Diana Gabaldon.