Breath of Snow and Ashes, by Diana Gabaldon

Retrieved from: SYLY
0385324162, 2005
Suggested by: I read all the Jamie & Claire books
My Ratings: 8 Merit, 8 Interest, 10 Fun

992 pages. Is that longer than Moby Dick? And I get a strong sense that this trilogy (now up to book #6) isn't over yet.

Which is fine, actually, because the characters are fascinating. They really are the meat of these books, and Gabaldon is so good at developing them and making them people we can recognize in our lives. I especially still love Ian and Fergus and Brianna. Claire and Jamie are beginning to verge on unbelievable--by this point in the story they must be in their mid- to late- 50s and yet there is no overt acknowledgement of age, certainly not in a time when 60 was "old age."

The problem with this book is its length. The first several chapters especially seemed to be writing exercises rather than plot-driven or character-driven information. I'm aware that Gabaldon doesn't write her books in precise chronological order; that is, she may polish Chapters 30-34 before doing more than outlining Chapter 14. Unfortunately, some of these seams are badly merged and it makes for very frustrating reading.

Still, I will be reading the next book. I hope it won't take 4 years or more to see it, though.