By Kim
Most of my literary crushes are transitory, lasting only as
long as it takes for me to finish a novel or until the hero does or says
something that annoys me, whichever comes first. I don’t remember their names a
month later.
Some, such as Mr. Rochester in Jane Eyre, Claude Monet in
Claude and Camille, and Tom Cole in The Day the Falls Stood Still, remain with
me, luring me back to their pages later so I can experience that heady rush
again. These infatuations feel more like lingering memories of full-blown love
affairs. The daydream dissipates soon enough, though, because I've already lived those
stories. I know what he’ll do, what he’ll say, and I know how it will all end.
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| Outlander series, book 8 |
I've only ever had one literary husband.
I met him back in 1992, when I was 17 and he was 21. We've
shared eight epic adventures spanning 22 years and over 7500 pages, with the promise
of more to come. We've aged together, though
he has done so at an accelerated pace – he’s 58 at the end of the most recent
book – and he continues to exhilarate, exasperate and surprise me.
I
refer, as many of you have likely guessed, to Diana Gabaldon’s 18th century Highlander, Jamie Fraser. I
admit it, I pre-order each of the Outlander books the moment I can. When one
arrives, I drop anything I might be reading or doing, and dive in. Yes, the
books are “door-stoppers.” Yes, they meander. Yes, at times the object of my
affection doesn't show himself for a frustratingly long time. When he does
reappear, depending on the circumstances, I mentally embrace him or smack him over his stubborn Scottish head. Either way I ask, “What took you so long?”
I may leaf ahead to find out how long I must wait, but I
always read every word in between.
And now, after years of wishing someone would do the obvious
thing and make a TV series, it has happened. Even better, Diana Gabaldon
herself has quite vocally approved of the casting choices of Sam Heughan for Jamie and Caitriona Balfe for Claire. The previews look
amazing. The show officially premiers on Starz August 9th
but fans can watch the first episode online on the 2nd.
I've already cleared my calendar.
Have you read the Outlander books? What are your thoughts on
the upcoming series?
