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!

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.

I am a recent but ardent Outlander fan, having discovered the series only 5 months ago, and now having completed all the books. I LOVE this series, and already miss the characters, the great story-telling, the historical perspective, even the botanical and poetic descriptions of landscape. So I HAD to find something to continue the story, before going on to Lord John. The Exile graphic novel seemed a great way to fill in a few unexpected blanks, but it didn't really, and it wasn't very interesting. I agree with other reviewers who found it difficult to know which character was which because there were so many similarities in their appearance. I do not want to criticize Gabaldon, because her skill as a story-teller rivals some of the greats. But I did not enjoy this book at all, and wish I could send it back because it felt like a huge waste of money. I applaud Gabaldon's desire to spread her literary wings back into the world of 'animation', which she says has been a long-lived love. But this work just doesn't hold up against the reach of the Outlander novels, not even as an adjunct bit of fluff. The integrity and intensity of relationship and character of Jamie, Clare, and all the other players is invisible in this graphic novel. I gave my first books in the series to my sister to read. I think I will just buy the first books all over again so I can savor Gabaldon's tales. I wish I had done that to begin with, and spent my money on that, because this book feels like an utter waste of dollars and time. I loaned it to the friend who turned me on to Outlander. She brought it back to me half-read, with a very disappointed look on her face and did not want to even pass it on, as I had suggested. So this Exile cannot even find a home. I'm sorry, Diana. I have NEVER yearned for more in a book series the way I do with your Outlander series. But I pushed myself through The Exile and was relieved when it was done so I could put it aside. I'm glad I just received a copy of Lord John and the Hand of Devils. On I go in the fabulously fertile world of Gabaldon's narrative genius.

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.

É uma excelente visão resumida da história. Os desenhos são lindos e eu adorei ter uma visão de como a autora vê as personagens.

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.