THE EXILE

I am a long-time fan of Diana Gabaldon and her Outlander novels. I'm very casual fan of graphic novels, having read a few, but not all that many. When I first heard that Outlander was going to be "re-made" and released in graphic novel form, I was skeptical. However, as time passed and we received some sneak peeks at some of the illustrations via the author's blog and heard that there would be new twists to the storyline, I became more and more intrigued. All of that said, I took the plunge and bought The Exile. The illustrations by Hoang Nguyen are beautiful! His use of color and light, the depth and detail in each frame, and the facial expressions and body language of the characters added immensely to the story. In my limited experience with this genre, his attention to detail and his clear collaboration with the author really stood out when comparing The Exile to other graphic novels, which now look incredibly flat and somewhat lifeless. I'm sure that there will be criticisms of the artwork, but I felt that the overall effect was really stunning, and I had no trouble overlooking any inconsistencies from frame to frame. These are, after all, illustrations and are not meant to be photograph-like renderings or frame-captures from a movie. I think he was allowed some artistic license and used it to very good effect! As far as the story itself, the main twist is that this is told from Murtagh's point of view. Murtagh was Jamie's godfather. Essentially, this story related some of what went on behind Claire's back, whereas Outlander had been told entirely from Claire's point of view. I won't reveal any spoilers here, except to say that there are a number of revelations in this graphic novel that weren't in the original. As usual, Diana Gabaldon treated us to her trademark humor and deft storytelling, but did so this time in a format which is very uncharacteristically, and necessarily, brief. It was no less engaging, however, though perhaps not as completely satisfying for her big-book-readers as the depth and detail that come with her traditional releases. I think the reader does need to approach this new book with that in mind. To expect that a graphic novel, even one of this length, to encompass the same amount of detail as one of her regular books is simply unrealistic. Together, the storyline and the illustrations took me right back into the world of Jamie and Claire. As a long-time fan, that's all I ask for. I was thrilled to read some new twists on the tale, and I thought it was fun to experience the story in a different genre and to see it through different eyes. Approach this book with realistic expectations, and it won't disappoint. It's a fabulous addition to the collection!

When I first purchased this book, it was the first graphic novel I had seen. Honestly, I was not impressed and didn’t even read it. At that time, I considered it very juvenile, and simplistic. Now here I am, years later, taking another look at it. I’ve just finished it and will admit to an appreciation of the wit & humor it contains. The years have brought us the Starz series of Outlander and that adaptation of the novels. So, my perspective has changed, and my opinion has as well. While my first love is the series of “Big Books”, I enjoy all of Diana’s writings, this one included. Try it, you might just find that you like it, also!

This review if for the kindle version, which I'm sure doesn't look as nice as the print. It maybe took me 20min to read, but cost me more than what any kindle book in the series cost (including the longest one by page count or even the latest release...#8). I'm not sure why Amazon has the cost still so high. I knew I wouldn't like the graphic novel/comic book format, but I bought because I'm reading the Outlander series and wanted some background info that it was supposed to include. One annoying thing was that every.single.woman was drawn with her breasts hanging out. Come on! While the dresses did tend to be low cut in the 18th century, they were not that ridiculous. Even Mrs. Fitzgibbons was drawn that way. This would be highly impractical for the main housekeeper to have her breasts hanging out so that only the nipple was covered. Also, this book wouldn't make sense to anyone who has not read Outlander first. It's too jumpy and the highlander characters are not distinctive enough to be able to tell them apart (Murtagh, Rupert, Kenneth, Jamie, Dougal...they all sort of look similar. Even close ups of Cullen are hard to distinguish...its only obvious when he's standing). For those who have read Outlander...this covers the first 1/3 of Outlander but does include a character that isn't in there (Kenneth...a time traveler whom Geilis knows). There's a line on the cover of this book that says that its from Jamie's perspective. Well, it is in the sense that you do see what is happening to him a few days before he meets Claire, you do get to read a few of his thoughts while he's with Claire (but not even close to enough in my opinion) and you do get to see what was happening to him while out with the Duke after Claire was arrested. So, this is useful. But, it amounts to probably only 10 pages of additional text to Outlander, if it were in a book. It was hardly worth the cost of the book for that amount of info. Also, since this is a comic book, it can't be in Jamie's 1st person POV (and frankly, by including the Kenneth subplot...we're taken away from Jamie's experience for a good 1/4 or more of the book). I would have much rather have read a novella written completely in Jamie's 1st person POV like we get to see Claire's in Outlander. Finally, I think this book was a strange marketing decision for the printers and DG. My only guess is that they were trying to entice comic book readers (or men) to get interested in the Outlander story. Unfortunately, these are two very different audiences. I have a hard time believing that someone who would love this book would also love to read a 1400 page in-depth novel like some of the other books in the series. Overall, this was bad..and not worth the money...and its only worth buying if you want something to keep in your Outlander collection (but not plan to really read).

The depictions of the characters are ravishing, as is the landscape and the lighting. The main problem is the horses, their riders and their tack (saddles and bridles). The poor beasts are drawn with crooked legs and blunt, rectangular heads, and they're never drawn running correctly (see the photos of Eadweard Muybridge). Horses are beautiful animals, but these horse drawings were not. No one seems to ride with stirrups, bridles are missing reins, bits are depicted as a suggestion if at all (the components of horse tackle, especially of 18th century cavalry were of hand crafted leather and hand-forged metal--as beautiful as any brooch or sword handle!). What really drove me nuts was the strap which goes behind the horse's ears (crown piece) is missing; without it, the whole bridle would fall off. Unfortunately, you cannot disguise a lack of knowledge of horses or 18th century horsemanship with a few brush strokes.

It's really not that great either. Yes, I did pre-order this graphic novel, and yes, I am a fan of the Outlander series. I prompt you, however, not to read the bad reviews (despite the fact that there are many) until you read this review. As someone who has a great appreciation of literature and art as well, I own a vast array of novels and graphic novels. I won't consider myself an expert by any means, but I think I have a decent working knowledge of where the two differ. I agree with most reviewers that this might be blasphemy for hardcore Gabaldon fans. I am not a hardcore fan, and I decided to take Diana's endeavor with a grain of salt. She was certainly trying something new and regardless of what it was, fans were going to buy it (and they still will, more than likely). To be honest, most of what I loved as a reader about Outlander got lost in the translation from novel to graphic novel. Unlike some, however, I feel that this was not because of the artist, but because of Diana Gabaldon's writing style: she writes in first person. It makes it a little difficult to translate that to graphic form, especially when you are taking it from someone that is outside of the relationship that is the core of her series. I felt that this was the main problem. Had the story been told from Jamie's point of view and not Murtagh's...well, I'm not saying that would have made it leaps and bounds better, but it might have helped a little. That being said, I enjoyed the graphic novel a lot. It was light, not too heavy, did have a lot of nudity, which knowing the Gabaldon, should come as no surprise to readers. I thought the art was gorgeous; the illustrator really did a great job. I personally enjoyed the rough edge that the pictures had to them. It was not clean or polished with hard lines. It was light, airy and it went really well with the story. The art was the best part for me personally. Do I think this was a waste of time? No. I spent a good two hours blowing through it on Tuesday night when I could have been writing a paper and I think it was worth it. I enjoyed myself and it was fun. Not earth shattering, but just fun. I think that this will be fun for you as a fan and as a reader if you allow it to be. I suggest you try not to get caught up in what your expectations of Gabaldon are, because she is not going to live up to them with this graphic novel. This is not her new 800-page novel. This is a 200-300 page graphic novel with no sweeping hills or grand descriptions of scenery or anything else. Take it for what it actually is and not what you were wanting it to be. You will be a lot happier with the results if you just let it happen and try to have fun with it. Would I recommend this? Sure! I already have. My mother and my older sister, and probably my aunt will all read it while on vacation in Key West. I told them it would be great to read for the plane or while sitting in the airport. I hope that is review helps you make the decision whether or not to purchase. I think if you are looking for a Gabaldon novel, stay away from this. You will probably be disappointed and displeased with the artist's depictions of Jamie and Claire. If you want a fun, light, easy read that give you some insight to the other characters, then buy it. Like I said, not great, but I am happy that my money went to something I enjoyed and that others will enjoy as well. I hope, I'll repost and let you know if everyone in my family hated it (I doubt they will). UPDATE: I'm surprised to be the top review! My older sister read this, and she, like many of you, weren't fans! She said that she put it down halfway through. I still have the book on my shelf and enjoy it from time to time.

I love this book. It's the first graphic novel I've read. I'm a huge fan of Diana Gabaldon and the Outlander series. I consider this a wonderful addition to the series and it just supplements my experience with the series. I love seeing the artist's interpretations of people and scenes that of course had only previously existed in my own mind's eye. I love the additions/ extensions of the existing stories which give us just more background to the characters and their interaction. I do understand some other reviewer's difficulties with faces changing throughout the book. But I still just consider this the artist's interpretation in conveying the whole scene, rather than making just a photocopy of a previous facial image. The changes do not limit or go against my whole experience of the book. I find myself really dawdling over the pages and enjoying it for the work of art that it is. I find myself reading each chapter at least twice before going on to the next chapter, just to enjoy it all. Thank you Diana and Hoang.

Meh. I wasn't expecting much since I have been seeing the samples and following the discussion for months about the book. I enjoy graphic novels and wanted to know more about Murtagh, my favorite secondary character. I thought that the $13 pre-publication price and free shipping offer was a good deal. Now that I have the book in my hands, I'm underwhelmed. For starters I wasn't expecting a hard cover book of on the small side. All the artwork I had seen and handled was 8-1/2 by 11, so I was expecting a full-size, soft-cover graphic novel similar to most of the other graphic novel I own. The hard cover and full-color pages would explain the $25.00 cover price. Most of my soft-cover graphic novels are priced lower, but they aren't full color. I finally came to accept Claire's breasts falling out all over the place as an attempt to convey a sense of how sluttish she must have appeared to the 18th-century characters. Fair enough, I can live with that. What I couldn't accept was the inconsistency of the drawing of the characters. If you compare the first pages of the book with those at the end, you wonder if you are looking at the same characters or whether they are drawn by the same artist. By the middle of the book, all the characters blur together to the point it is almost impossible to tell one from another. Except Claire, of course. She's the one with the breasts spilling out of her dress. The men look like some kind of elf kin. Now and then a beard or distinctive article of clothing gives a clue, but usually not, and not enough. In spite of the fail, props to Diane for being willing to try something different. Didn't love it, didn't hate it, just meh.

I have to admit when I first read that this book was to be a graphic novel, I had visions of Archie and Jughead lol. Determined to keep an open mind, I pre-ordered and waited anxiously. As I opened this book and flipped through it, I was simply unprepared for the incredible beauty of the artwork. It took me straight to that fateful moonlight night and the wild ride through the Highlands. I felt the moonlight and it was so much more than I ever could have imagined or hoped for. I could not wait to show my Daughter, her major at University is Graphic Art. I love that we have the Outlander books in common, that we both are crazy about the series. She usually leans more to the Vampire books and nothing wrong with that, just not my thing. It is my hope that people order this book with open hearts and minds and get to experience both a twist from the original book and the simply beautiful artwork. I applaud the collabration between the author and artist. They hit a perfect balance and the result is this amazing graphic novel.

Firstly, I would suggest to everyone to ignore the 1 star reviews by people who didn't understand what the word graphic novel means and now feel cheated. If you buy a pair of shoes, you can't complain that you didn't get a handbag - similarly you can't complain about a graphic novel not being a "normal" novel. Maybe reading the description before buying might help. The Exile is a wonderful book based on the first Outlander novel (Cross-stich here in the UK), but with a diverging story-lines. Here you get Jamie and Murtagh's side of the story - and glimpses of what happened during Outlander-events of which Claire stayed blissfully unaware. And the story is presented in pictures - and the hint is in the word GRAPHIC preceding the word NOVEL, graphic as in pretty pictures. The artist, Huang Nguyen, in my opinion, has done an outstanding job, and I enjoyed seeing the characters brought to life by his artwork. This is more then just a comic book, it's is quite artistic, but it's not one of Diana's normal novels - but it doesn't claim to be.

確かジェイミー・フレイザー役のサム・ヒューアンがキャストとして決定したときに、ジェイミー・フレイザーの役作りに参考になったと話していた本です。絵的にはあまり好きな感じではないのが残念！アウトランダーファンとして押さえておきたいと思い、購入しました。

I have read most of Diana Gabaldon books and I love "Exile" it is different to all her books. It it done like a comic book with beautiful illustrations. I really enjoyed reading it.

Contrairement aux romans, essentiellement centrés sur le point de vue de Claire, là nous avons les points de vue de Murtagh et de Jamie. Il faut néanmoins avoir lu le roman pour faire une liaison souple des scènes. Cette bande dessinée étant plutôt conçue comme un complément que comme un œuvre séparée de l'ensemble de la série. Il est bien plus facile de comprendre l'espèce de crush de Jamie sur Claire et aussi sa facilité à entendre la vraie histoire de son arrivée sur le lieu de leur première rencontre.

Recomiendo este libro a todos los fans de Diana Gabaldon, sobre todo, a los fans del primer libro: "Forastera". Es otro punto de vista de la historia.