2018/46: The Scottish Prisoner -- Diana Gabaldon
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tamaranth2018/46: The Scottish Prisoner -- Diana Gabaldon
Following the discovery of a poem written in Erse, Lord John's brother Hal recruits Jamie Fraser (the eponymous Scottish prisoner) to accompany Lord John on a mission to Ireland, where they hope to uncover a treasonous plot -- and possibly the seeds of another Jacobite uprising. Accompanied by the disreputable, and likely murderous, Irishman Tobias Quinn, Lord John and Jamie Fraser discover more about the situation -- and one another -- than they might reasonably have expected. Even on their return to London, the consequences multiply.
There's a bittersweet note to this novel, even for those who haven't read Voyager (the timespan of which encompasses The Scottish Prisoner -- indeed, this whole novel occurs during section V, chapter 16). While I very much enjoyed the growing respect and friendship between John and Jamie, I already knew that nothing about their respective positions would have changed at the end of the novel. (Actually, that feels improbable: their friendship does deepen, with each making sacrifices and taking risks for the other: how can this have so little impact on later interactions in Voyager?)
An enjoyable tale with its own resolution, and with some intriguing revelations about both protagonists. I especially enjoyed the London scenes towards the end of The Scottish Prisoner: Lord John being thoroughly competent, even when it becomes clear that a mistake has been made. But I still feel that the events of this novel should have had more visible impact on the 'main' (e.g. Jamie-centric) canon.
And now I have run out of Lord John novels to read. Boo.
Jamie had the obscure feeling that cliché on top of treasonous insanity was more than anyone should be obliged to put up with. [p. 313]
Following the discovery of a poem written in Erse, Lord John's brother Hal recruits Jamie Fraser (the eponymous Scottish prisoner) to accompany Lord John on a mission to Ireland, where they hope to uncover a treasonous plot -- and possibly the seeds of another Jacobite uprising. Accompanied by the disreputable, and likely murderous, Irishman Tobias Quinn, Lord John and Jamie Fraser discover more about the situation -- and one another -- than they might reasonably have expected. Even on their return to London, the consequences multiply.
There's a bittersweet note to this novel, even for those who haven't read Voyager (the timespan of which encompasses The Scottish Prisoner -- indeed, this whole novel occurs during section V, chapter 16). While I very much enjoyed the growing respect and friendship between John and Jamie, I already knew that nothing about their respective positions would have changed at the end of the novel. (Actually, that feels improbable: their friendship does deepen, with each making sacrifices and taking risks for the other: how can this have so little impact on later interactions in Voyager?)
An enjoyable tale with its own resolution, and with some intriguing revelations about both protagonists. I especially enjoyed the London scenes towards the end of The Scottish Prisoner: Lord John being thoroughly competent, even when it becomes clear that a mistake has been made. But I still feel that the events of this novel should have had more visible impact on the 'main' (e.g. Jamie-centric) canon.
And now I have run out of Lord John novels to read. Boo.
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Date: Sunday, December 9th, 2018 11:14 pm (UTC)I too read the Lord John series earlier this year (and then tried and failed to read Outlander more generally--you're a more dedicated soul than I to make it all the way through Voyager) and loved them. I was not expecting to particularly enjoy Scottish Prisoner, as I tend to find Jamie tedious and the John/Jamie (such as it is) storyline similarly so, but I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. I felt like John and Jamie's relationship evolved in a complex but satisfying way, and it made me understand why John would adopt William at the end of Voyager in a way that the actual events of Voyager did not. (Though I heartily agree that the relationship we see in Scottish Prisoner and the relationship we see in Voyager are jarringly and infuriatingly mismatched.) I'll also confess that I loved the duel near the end--Lord John grappling with his sense of honor and being very much a man of his times in regards to it are my weaknesses.
I'll also note, at the end of this already too-long comment, that while I had little luck with the earlier Outlander books, I did actually read the last two in (mostly) their entirety; though they are not Lord John books per se, he's a central POV character in both, and I found myself enjoying them somewhat despite myself.
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Date: Monday, December 10th, 2018 12:30 pm (UTC)Hello, Tumblr refugee! I am absolutely fine with your commenting on old posts :) that's one thing that I never really managed to do on Tumblr, and in general I've found Dreamwidth a better place for reviews and write-ups. (Though who knows, maybe I will adopt Pillowfort too, once they get properly going.)
I'll take your recommendation of the two most recent Gabaldon books: I do so like Lord John, he appeals to my competence kink (especially in situations such as that duel, with his lightning-quick analysis and his bloody-minded determination) and I adore his relationships with his mother and brother. And he is much more interesting than Jamie Bloody Fraser :)