Sunday, December 11, 2011

The Scottish Prisoner: Post Numero Uno

SPOILER ALERT: Dinna read unless ye have read 13% of The Scottish Prisoner.  (I think I'm halfway through Chapter 5 but dinna quote me on that.  eReader Confusion can sometimes mess with the brain.)

First off - please forgive me - and please dinna judge me too harshly - for only having read 5 chapters.  I have not pushed myself in the slightest...because I want to make this book last.  Think about how the blog has been for the past 6 months or so.  It's full of the usual "Monday Chat" posts and commentary about various Scottish coolness.  Or Scots-loving Canadian bands in Disney World!  Now...that's all well and good...but it's not so great, right?

I have decided to make this last so I'll have some decent material while waiting for MOHB (or is it MHOB?  I can never remember).

Either that, or I can always go back to talking about Fergus Lamaze.  Heh heh, Christie.  I can hear you laughing all the way from New Jersey.

OK - so let's get to it:

It would be an understatement to say I was more than a little surprised when Jamie woke up in his bed in the stable and was ready to spank one out.  (Sorry - but there is just no ladylike way to say that.)  When he headed to the other stable to finish the job, I was totally worrit for him, thinking someone would see him.  Well - HELLO?  Did Betty see him?  Did Quinn?  I still dinna know...and I find the not-knowing absolutely delicious.

Speaking of Quinn, is it me or is he a larger-than-life character, right out of the gate?  Even if he doesna have much of a part, he still seems like such a presence.  To the point where I'm already casting him in my head.  (Colin Farrell, much?)

"Kings have their destiny about them- but so do those who serve them.  This is yours."  Love love LOVE that quote.  I've always held a grudge that Jamie was robbed of his birthright in Scotland.  But he has helped/supported/fought for so many people of stature over the years...that his accomplishments dwarf those of a King or a higher member of government.

If you've ever seen the film, "Ever After"...Danielle makes the most amazing speech to Prince Henry, based on quotes she took from "Utopia" by Sir Thomas More:  "A country's character is defined by its "everyday rustics" as you call them.  They are the legs you stand on and that position demands respect."  Again - this is how I feel about Jamie.  If it weren't for him, so many people would be up the proverbial creek in Scotland...England...America...take your pick.  So even though he didna get to be the BMOC for long in Scotland - and had to leave his position as Laird O' the Ridge in America - he has done more in a support role of Kings and Government officials that he might ever have done as Laird.

This is a topic I've pondered in my own life; the question of whether the large amounts of work are worth small amounts of recognition, if big things are happening in the process.  I think we can take a lot away from JAMMF's sometimes-unrecognized but always-heroic actions.  We don't have to be the boss - or be in the spotlight - to get major things accomplished in this life.  Sometimes we're meant to be the man behind the curtain.

OK moving on - Lord John.  Tracey is a bit concerned that I won't be thrilled with the Lord John storyline.  But so far, so good...because he's always with Hal.  And I've already mentioned how I feel about Hal.  I think Hal reminds me of a few people I know in life who make me laugh and get me through my day...and that's why I love his smartass, dry sense of humor so much.  I also LOVE the fact that Minnie was a spy, oh yes I do.  How COOL is that?  Yet another strong woman in Gabaldonland.  I look forward to finding out much more about her.

More quotes I loved:

"Fumbling in the box that held his possessions, he found his rosary..."  That reminds me of the Voyager montage in my head and my vision of Jamie walking with Lord John onto the Helwater estate for the first time.  He's carrying his meager belongings to the sound of "Amazing Grace" which is being sung by Susan Boyle in my mind.  (Don't cringe, y'all.  She's Scottish.  I dig her.)

"nor hell a fury like a woman scorned."  DAMN STRAIGHT.  Cheese alert:  I'm about to mention Duran Duran.  Some of you may want to go get a cold beverage and come back.  I've always loved Simon le Bon's bastardization of that line: "Hell hath no fury like a young girl's ego" from Duran Duran's "Meet El Presidente".  I could do a whole blog post on instances of women being scorned from books, tv, film...but suffice to say I just love that line.

"wonderful pungent scent of the horse's warm hide."  Does it get any better than this in a DG novel?  No, no it does not.  Something tells me Hildy, Cari and Jennifer J  will read that with unflagging joy.  :)

OK I'm getting punchy...so off to read.

Stay tuned...

23 comments:

  1. OMIGOSH!! Miss Carol, you are "takin' your time about it"!! I love it. I am too. We still have a wee wait for MOBY. Might as well take er slow, eh?

    So I read, "ready to spank one out." and then my phone rang! I couldna compose myself!

    Loving Minnie, too. Hal? Too funny! "I gather you did not immediately have her arrested and taken before a magistrate?" "No. I had her on the hearth rug." *snort*

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  2. Oh gosh, I'm giggling.

    I LOVE that quote by Hal. I've always loved Hal. LJ and Hal are pretty great together too. They have terrific dialogue.

    Cari, the LJ Bully, made me read Custom of the Army a few months ago. She was trying to properly prepare me for The Scottish Prisoner. While reading it, I kept saying that I just LOVED the banter between Hal and LJ.

    I was taking my time about it but then I thought I'd best get right down to it and now I'm on Chapter 27. I was trying to read as much as I could before chat!

    I'm glad you're blogging about this Carol! Yay!

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  3. I think I speak for everyone when I say FINALLY!!!

    OK, thoughts in no particular order...

    • I really have to stop reading excerpts. AWESOME as the monkey-spanking was, I ahad already read the scene maybe two or three times before, and it did take a little of the surprise away.

    • LOVE the Colin Farrell casting. I've been looking for somewhere to put him--he's too small for Stephen Bonnet IMO--and Quinn is perfect.

    • I know I've said this a million times, but LJ and Hal ARE Frasier and Niles Crane to me. I watched a marathon of eps on Friday and I just kept giggling to myself, imagining Hal and LJ sqabbling and being all hoitey toitey and whatnot. I so love H/LJ, I don't know what to do with myself!

    • MINNIE IS SO BADASS.

    • I'm excited for Carol to get to know Harry Quarry better.

    • I'm sort of kicking myself that I didn't read Custom of the Army before this, as it deals with (from what I've told) all the Siverly/Charles Carruthers stuff that LJ talks about.

    • OMG!!! Michael Fitzgibbons!! MURTAUGH'S UNCLE!!!!! What are we going to find out about Murtaugh in this book???????

    • One thing that was sort of weird was that in all of Voyager, Jamie never used a "Claire-ism" when he was in the cave/at Ardsmuir/at Helwater, but in Chapter 4 alone, he's throwing them out like T-shirts shot out of a gun at basketball games (can you tell I watched Juno yesterday?).

    Sigh. I really need to start my book club book (The Art of Fielding), but all I want to do is reread SP!!

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  4. OMG Tracey, you're making me laugh!

    Miles and Frasier Crane!! That's hilarious! I've never heard you say that before. That's perfect. Although I don't think they are as nerdy but the hoity-toity thing is perfect!

    I'm so glad that Cari made me read Custom of the Army. At the time, I liked it, but now I'm SO glad that I read it. This book is so much easier to read because of it. I know DG does a good recap but I have a much better understanding of what's going on. It had also been awhile since I'd read any LJ stuff so it was a good refresher. I also love Tom Byrd.

    I was totally thinking about Jamie using the Claire-isms as well (minus the flying t-shirts). I love it though. He just breaks my heart.

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  5. "Spank one out"!!! Oh my, I had to read that one to my husband since he was rolling his eyes at my hysterical laughter. You have made my day.

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  6. he's throwing them out like T-shirts shot out of a gun at basketball games (can you tell I watched Juno yesterday?).

    ROTFL!!!! OMIGOSH!!

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  7. LOL I did notice the line about the "wonderful pungent scent of the horse's warm hide"! DG has a way of reminding me to notice the scents of things - particularly the scents that we usually think of as unpleasant. She describes them so well and with such eloquence that I feel like I must be approaching it all wrong! ;-)

    I was trying to take my time about it, but I dinna want to miss out on another chat! I have about 200 pages left to read before tomorrow night. We'll see what happens....

    Tracey, I agree with you about reading the excerpts. I haven't read a MOBY or The Space Between excerpt since I started reading SP because a few of the things that should have shocked me didn't, since I had already been shocked by them months ago (Jamie's opening scene, Minnie being a spy, and Hal "taking" Minnie on the hearth rug). I've learned my lesson.....remind me that I said that in a year when I'm weak for book 8 excerpts all over again!!

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  8. P.s.
    Hildy is the one who unflags. Right Cari?

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  9. Dearest Carol:

    HA!

    Love,
    Christie - from way down south in the land of cotton...

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  10. "P.s.
    Hildy is the one who unflags. Right Cari?"

    She isna here right now, aye? I suspect a little unflagging joy....

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  11. HEY!! Stop that!

    What happens in chat, STAYS in chat, people!!! ;)

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  12. The blog is back!!! Love it, Carol.
    My favorite word in the first couple of chapters is "fug".
    I won't avoid spoilers, but neither will I seek them out. I liked being surprised about Minnie the spy on the hearth rug.

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  13. Carol - very good point about Jamie and what he's accomplished. I have a friend who says even if the party is going on in the wagon they still need the horses to pull it. Jamie is one of those horses. And I read this in the hospital waiting room as Georgie is having a hysterectomy, almost burst out laughing at "spanked one out", that might have seemed a tad out of place!

    Tracey - I never thought about Frasier and Niles Crane for them, but the dialogue and wit is perfect. I can not, however, see either of them in the army or a duel. Very funny though!

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  14. Clay - please give our best to Georgie! God bless her. You guys are both in our prayers today. :)

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  15. Carol, so wonderful to hear your great observations. So i broke my arm on friday and cannot type well....but had plenty of time to finish the book. oh, what a welcom tonic it was!!! love lf and hal. i think fraser and niles image is so great, nut lj is much more beautiful in my book...imagine a youbgish brad pit, with long blond hair clubbed back. how solid is hal? i definitlt want thoise guys in the foxholewith me when the goin' gets rough. And...i feel liker i'm home again with jaime just taking care of things. getting the job done, and always says judt the perfect thing. i love all of dg's references to the clothes and the food, and the smells...don't know about tobt quinn. i don't think his character is quite developed enough...it seems there is huhe potential, but i don't feel it yet. i do love the brown crls however...

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  16. I noticed the horse quote too. Actually lots of horse stuff in this book, esp as pertains to Jamie. (Note he is riding a gelding at the beginning (-; & there are more horse things to come.)

    Colin Ferrell, Niles, Fraser...yes, yes, yes! I'm waaaaay ahead of you. Can't wait to read more of your impressions.

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  17. LOL @ Tracey, you are cracking me up!

    SQUEE!!! For Duran Duran references and I like the Collin Ferrell casting!

    As for "Spanking one out..."

    When I read chapter 1, and I may have been drinking sooooooo, I tweeted to DG and you guys "@MyOutlanderPurg OMG! Any book that starts out w/ #JAMMF rubbing one out is gonna be fantastic! :) #scottishPrisoner @Writer_DG

    and she tweeted me back w/ a "ROFL." I got a ROFL from Herself! That's like a bucket list entry for me!!
    -Stacey

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  18. Spank one out....*snort*! Wish I would have been the one lurking in the corner when that little bit of activity was going on! And I agree with others here as far as excerpts...I'm swearing off of them. Totally see Colin Ferrell as Quinn. Great observations Carol!
    Kris

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  19. Awww man! I'm a bit farther ahead than you and I'm having a bit of trouble with all the LJ parts. Kind of boring. I'm listening and reading this one... Don't like Jamie's voice but hey at least I can multitask this way.

    As for Jamie spittin' Claire-isms left and right... yeah that was odd and even more odd was the fact that Jamie was so mad at LJ in the book, Voyager(?), Jamie had gotten past the little hand on his hand incident. So I don't know. It is DG's world. We just happen to be looking in even if it isn't all consistent.

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  20. Hello ladies.. answer me this please- Is it ever in the main books the last conversation Jamie and Lord John have?? It has been a loong time since I have read Voyager/ Jamie at Ardsmuir and Hellwater... I cannot for the life of me remember any big incident that would leave the two angry and trying to avoid one another.

    I am a little bit further in the book than you.. but only maybe a half a chapter.. Jamie is in the park watching the Punch and Judy puppet show.

    Does it ever come out in this book? Do I have to dig through my other books? Its brought up so much I feel as though it should be obvious- but its lost on me.

    BTW.. how much do you love a book with Jamie Fraser that starts with an opening line like that!!

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  21. Ashley J--the big blowup between Jamie and LJ happens in an earlier LJ book called Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade. I would say that the stuff that happens in Scottish Prisoner is a LOT clearer if you've read at least the Jamie/LJ scenes in that one.

    IMO, it's also a GREAT idea to read Brotherhood of the Blade before starting Echo, as the character of Percy makes a LOT more sense if you've read that....

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  22. Marsha - I'm so sorry to hear about your arm!!

    Stacey - ROFL from Herself is as good as it gets from one's literary hero! Could it get any better?! I say "no"! That is awesome! :)

    All - if I were any more obnoxious than I already am, I would ask y'all to come up with some other phrases that mean "spank one out". But since I'm a LADY...I will just giggle and think of my own. :)

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  23. Spankin' the monkey.

    My hubby says, "playing pocket pool".

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