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A review by victoria_catherine_shaw
Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Go Tell the Bees that I Am Gone is the ninth and penultimate book in Diana Gabaldon's hugely successful Outlander series. As a longtime fan of the TV adaptation, I have often found the books unwieldy, with their sprawling plotlines and excessive detail, and this installment is no exception.
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Before picking it up, I was aware of mixed reviews from longtime readers, many of whom seemed to have found it slow and inconsistent. Having now read it, I can see why. My usual criticisms of the series apply here, but perhaps even more so, since Go Tell the Bees moves the story forward only incrementally.
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That said, the latter part of the book had me on the edge of my seat. I had a horrible moment of thinking I had figured out where the story was headed, and I may have even shed a tear or two. Say what you will about Gabaldonโs pacing and prose, but it takes undoubtable skill to create characters that readers care about so deeply.
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For all my complaints about the length and meandering nature of these books, Go Tell the Bees made me realise that I'm not ready for the series to end, and want to continue living with the characters a little longer. So I am looking forward to the (as of yet unpublished) 10th instalment and wondering whether, given the number of unresolved storylines, Gabaldon will be able to wrap everything up in just one more book. Who knows? Maybe I will get to stay in the Outlander world a while longer after all.
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๐
Before picking it up, I was aware of mixed reviews from longtime readers, many of whom seemed to have found it slow and inconsistent. Having now read it, I can see why. My usual criticisms of the series apply here, but perhaps even more so, since Go Tell the Bees moves the story forward only incrementally.
๐
That said, the latter part of the book had me on the edge of my seat. I had a horrible moment of thinking I had figured out where the story was headed, and I may have even shed a tear or two. Say what you will about Gabaldonโs pacing and prose, but it takes undoubtable skill to create characters that readers care about so deeply.
๐
For all my complaints about the length and meandering nature of these books, Go Tell the Bees made me realise that I'm not ready for the series to end, and want to continue living with the characters a little longer. So I am looking forward to the (as of yet unpublished) 10th instalment and wondering whether, given the number of unresolved storylines, Gabaldon will be able to wrap everything up in just one more book. Who knows? Maybe I will get to stay in the Outlander world a while longer after all.
๐