Wednesday, September 8, 2010

The Wedding Night you WON'T See in Diana Gabaldon's "The Exile"

Alright y'all. I have gotten lots of email, asking if I've seen it. And yes; I've seen it.

LORDDDDDDDDDDDDDD HAVE I SEEN IT!

Thoughts? LET'S HEAR 'EM.

And I'll share a little of my own:  I'm not 100% OK with this picture. I'm glad it's been changed. How's about THAT!!!

39 comments:

  1. Oh My.... Wow..Le Pant Pant... I think I need a drink of water...Pretty much what I thought. Frank really didnt stand a chance , did he? :)

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  2. P.S. what's wrong with her fingers???

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  3. I think I know what you mean, Carol...it's one thing to read and imagine the scene and quite another to see it displayed that way. Oy!
    And Lisa, I think her fingers - clutching like that - *gulp*
    ...OK I need a drink of water...

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  4. I agree with you Carol. I'd rather leave it all to my imagination, which is much more colorful anyway! This picture just makes it look kind of ho-hum and yawn, which it isn't in the novel. I'd like to hear Jamie's side of the story, but in his words--not static pictures.
    --Julie

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  5. Her fingers are wacked because she's an ALIEN! It's nuts. Look at her! Look at her implants! She was from the 40s! WTF??? I keep reminding myself: "It's a graphic novel... it's a graphic novel... it's a graphic novel..." Does anyone remember Jamie being THAT GOOD in his virginal wedding bed? NEITHER DO I!!!

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  6. Whoa--who you calling "not good in his virginal bed"????? Our James Alexander Malcolm Mackenzie Fraser??? Thems fightin' words, lassie!! If I recall correctly, Claire quite enjoyed herself, and even extolled the next day about the virtues of male virginity, aye? ;-)

    Seriously, though, let us not forget that this is an outtake, which meant that it didn't pass muster with whomever it was supposed to pass muster with for whatever reason. But DAMN. That illo definitely put the "graphic" in "graphic novel"!

    Random thoughts:
    • Love the scars. Pretty cool to see what they look like.
    • I have to say that Jamie's hair is a little more red than it is in my imagination.
    • Claire's hand: WTF???
    • Overall, it is probably a bit more explicit than what I expected to see in the GN--which is probably why it was revised to begin with.
    • Amber Waves--oops, I mean Chestie Deluxe--oops, I mean Claire. Hmmm. I'm just reciting my mantra over and over: Trust Diana. Trust Diana. Trust Diana...

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  7. It's hot. I like it. We've all imagined this - and more I'm sure - when reading. This will never detract from what I have in my head.

    IMO, it is all part of the story and if you're gonna tell the whole story, this is part of it. I do see the point of 'covering' some up for the final edition.

    Even if the drawing isn't everything in my head, it is fantastic and fully shows the emotion of the moment.

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  8. All I know is, it is excellent marketing for Exile. This gets me all hot to read this book! We already know DG is a evil genius. She makes us want to have it - maybe multiple times. I have no prob with this pic.

    Where is the speech bubble saying, "I canna be gentle?"

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  9. Seriously, WHAT were y'all expecting? Photos of Pocket Jamie and um... ?! I agree that Claire's hands look a little like SHE'S the one who gave Jamie all those scars!! Hope that was toned down!

    I can't wait to see the whole GN, but I am totally not giving up my own pics in my own head. I'm pretty good at compartmentalizing...

    Oh, and Carol, this shot is - according to DG - NOT the 'original' aka virginal time (remember, he still had his shirt on the 1st time - I should know, I've read the damn thing enough...) I'm thinking this is probably right before Jamie discovers that girls can climax too!!! Ach, such a dear, sweet laddie - so innocent, so "I dinna know you did it face to face..."

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  10. Hi Ladies,

    I think the picture is great, but I'm glad its not in the book. A little too graphic, if you know what I mean (can't leave that book lying around!). By the way, the pic that IS in the GN (according to Diana) is exaclty the same, but with the blanket covering Jamie's A** and Claire's legs. Anyway, I've never really liked Jamie's haircolor in any of the GN pics I've seen so far... its much redder than I expected. We'll have to just get over the chesty Claire stuff, her boobs will be gigantic thru the entire book. The hands are just weird. But the light.. good light (Yeah right, I was looking at the lighting, LOL!)

    P.S. Carol, "That Good".. ahem. No big acrobatics here and Claire did say that she enjoyed it (alot) in the book. DG says this was after she asked him to not pull all his weight on her because he was crushing her.

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  11. I hope that the blanket in the final version covers the alien claws. Other than that, I find it verra hawt! I like the look on her face; it seems she's really quite enjoying the scene. LOL

    Am thinking though, it's not going to be a coffee table book that my kids can look through (not that I ever really thought it would be!)

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  13. First time ever posting. I had to laugh at your Live Traffic Feed. I read it and said to myself, 'oh look someone from London Ontario is on too" DUH!

    Anyhow, I am so on the fence about the picture. I like the mood it sets. I like how important it is to their story. It is sexy but it is a cartoon. I don't like how Claire breats are gonna look like to big implants and her hands are super weird in this picture.

    I had also imagined Jamie's scars in the up and down direction to across his back.

    I still ordered Exile. I am sure I'll like it. Mostly because it is something more to hold me over until the next book. Diana is behind it, so I will be too. I wasnt crazy about the CD at first and now I major love it and have played nothing else since I got it so....I will probably end up loving it too.

    Cheers,

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  14. I like it except for her hands - but all I have to say is, man - I wish I was her. :)

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  15. OK Christie wins the prize because I am hysterical at the comment about Claire's claws making the scars on Jamie's back.

    MichelleKCanada - 1) WELCOME! and 2) RIGHT RIGHT RIGHT I didn't expect the scars to be going that way either!

    Sally - Tracey and I were JUST discussing this on the phone earlier and the fact that this can't be the first time because they have no shirts on. AND - thanks - I didn't know this was after Claire politely suggested (LOL) he not put his weight on her. :)

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  16. I have seen pages from "The Exile" a year ago when Diana passed them around at a book signing event. The weeding night panel, with blanket, really caught my eye. This is way more graphic, though obviously more realistic (who keeps a blanket on?, ha ha). Don't recall alien hands, think they are covered up in final edition.

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  17. Freaky hands but sh*t, do I wish my boobs looked that good laying down!!!

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  18. Diana has addressed the big boobs before over on the compuserve board. It's just the way things are done in graphic novels. I think she said she tried to argue it at first but gave in because of the male readers. It doesn't bother me at all, neither do things like the hair color or her hands in that particular shot. I think it is sort of funny how everyone nitpicks the artwork. Diana even commented how she is expecting fans to do a quick read and then go back to pick apart every frame and start talking about it and she is so right! I remember over on the compuserve board when they first revealed the cover how people kept harping that she didn't have shoes on while on the back of the horse! Really??? I could care less!! LOL

    While the story we are getting IS Diana's - she is NOT the one drawing it. She is only guiding him and while he is trying to do what she wants, his own style and preset graphic novel parameters (like the big boobs) are still going to come through. My DH is an artist and if there is one thing I've learned over the years is that art is very subjective and this is definitely art. I've been taking these frames for what they are and enjoying seeing them come to life. So what if her boobs are bigger then I imagined or Jamie's hair color is a little off. To me it is sort of like watching a movie. You enjoy it but it is never the same as it is in your head but that IS ok!

    Love the pic though! :)

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  19. Brandy:

    I think it's INEVITABLE that people are going to nitpick the art, on every single page. <g> And yes, I'm bracing myself for a HUGE amount of that sort of discussion on Compuserve as soon as the book is released.

    Be honest here, how many of you are going to take a magnifying glass to these pictures when you finally do get your hands on the book? <g>

    I don't have a problem with people nitpicking the art to death -- we can't stop them from doing it anyway -- but speaking only for myself, I am going to try not to let my own impulse to nitpick get in the way of enjoying both the story, AND the artist's depictions.

    You're right, these images of Claire, Jamie, et al, won't be exactly the same as what's in our heads (each reader has a slightly different take on what the characters really look like, after all), but as long as it's reasonably consistent with what we know from the books, I'm fine with that.

    Karen

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  20. Oh, I agree Karen. I don't have a problem with it per se...I guess it is a little hard for me to see people be so critical sometimes. It would be one thing if it was Diana herself drawing it because then it would be 100% truly hers but it isn't so I think we should be more lenient.

    I just love the stories so much I hate to see anything negative about them!

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  21. Well, in defense of the nitpickers for this PARTICULAR pic, it's not like there is any story or text to give it context--the artwork is all there is to it, so that's what people are gonna talk about.

    But think about the preview that was released with the paperback of Echo....

    SPOILER

    I don't know about you, but the thing I wanted to talk about had nothing to do with the art--it was all about the STORY--specifically about Murtaugh seeing Claire come through. To me, the artwork was secondary. I've said it before: the artist could have drawn J/C as stick figures and I wouldn't care--the story is what I'm interested in seeing. I'm sure I'll have comments on the art, but they're secondary.

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  22. I said before that I don't want to see the graphic novel, cuz I know it'll mess with the pictures in my head. (I am not good at compartmentalizing.) I wonder if it's too much to hope for that somewhere out there will be just the dialogue sequence written up, minus the pictures? I know, I ask a lot... Tracey's stick figures would be perfect for me!

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  23. LOL Elizabeth--I was just thinking this morning that I wished I could just get a hold of DG's Word manuscript and art specs!! That's all I really need...

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  24. Is is hot in here or is it just me? she asked, fanning vigorously. I will be one of those examining every frame closely, but I think I'll keep most of my opinions to myself, even though I agree about the alien claws and Jamie's muscular arse.

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  25. I'm wondering what the bubble above that picture will say...especially if its from Jamie's point of view!!!!

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  26. Bretam, SPOILER ALERT: GN:
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    This is what Diana responded directly to me (love that!) on CS when I asked the same question:

    No balloons. There's a small "authorial intrusion" box in the upper left-hand corner, though.

    The last couple of panels on the preceding page have them kissing, Claire, surprised, asking Jamie where he learned to kiss like _that_? and Jamie replying that he said he was a virgin, not a monk, adding, "If I find I need guidance...I'll ask."

    So the box in that panel reads, "Guidance ensues..."

    Enjoy, Sally

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  27. Tracie you are so right, they literally could be stick figures and I'd pre-order the damn thing, look at previews, and drool as I saw the stick figures in bed. It is all about the story for me and a perspective that we did not read in outlander. I have to keep telling myself as well, it's a graphic novel, it's a graphic novel.

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  28. If this book is from Murtaugh's perspective, where was he when this picture was taking place? LOL
    Theresa

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  29. In defense of nitpickers part 2. We are all here because we LOVE Outlander. AND we are all people who have a desire to talk about it. We want to share, discuss, analyze, and nitpick. It is not being critical in a negative way it is just the nature of the obsessed. With such long waits between books it makes for good blog fodder. How many more days?

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  30. aside from the hand,I love it! I may just print it cut it and paste it when I get the book!
    J

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  31. Do you think I could use it for my desk top on my computer at work?

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  32. Omigoodness! I definitely agree- I like it that they toned it down a little! When you think about DG's writing, a lot of the intimate scenes between Claire and Jamie are so explicitly written that if it all were drawn up exactly as she wrote it, there would be a lot of Xs in that rating.
    Is it weird that I almost consider the intimate moments between these fictional characters to be private :-)?
    I guess I do!

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  33. Sirena, I agree that it is a little disconcerting to be creeping on Claire and Jamie's "special moments"

    And I also agree with L--we're here to nitpick and obsess and love doing it!

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  34. Sirena & Elizabeth,

    I don't mind creeping :)

    Sally

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  35. Some things are better left to the imagination and when we do finally see it, it can seem a bit voyeuristic. But I am glad to have gotten a peek. Like when a book is made into a movie. Can be so disappointing. But thats a risk worth taking.

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  36. Off topic question: Anyone listen to Celtic Women? Irish, not Scottish, sorry, but their voices are diiiivine!! And one of their songs is called "Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears" and reminds me a lot of Jamie and and all the others leaving Scotland for America. I know, I know, not an exact match, as they compare Ellis Island to Ireland(/Scotland) in the 1890s, but it's really nostalgic for the homes they'll "never see again." Check them out!! (Be prepared that the first minute 40 seconds is instrumental--but beautiful!!)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDThVsJdnFI

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  37. "Guidance ensues..."

    Haha, I love that!!! Well, he didn't really need that much guidance after all, huh?

    After reading all the comments, I agree with most. Her hand is weird looking, her boobs look huge, Jamie looks great and very powerful, and I love that we finally got to see his scars. I also feel like we are intruding a wee bit on their personal moment, but it sure is nice to be a fly on the wall!

    The 21st. can't come soon enough!

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  38. I guess I'm a pervert, but I have no problem with this picture. Pant....pant. Do you think there will be others like this in the book?

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