Find The Fiery Cross boring? You may just be too young for it

By Alexandria Ingham | May 30, 2019

Outlander -- Courtesy of STARZ -- Acquired via STARZ Media Center /

If you find The Fiery Cross too boring, you’re not alone. Many fans complain about the first 200 pages or so. However, Diana Gabaldon thinks you may be too young.

One thing I adore about Diana Gabaldon is that she talks to her fans on social media. This is where she had a chance to share why she thinks many fans find the first 200 or so pages of “The Fiery Cross” boring. It’s not that they’re badly written or drawn out but that fans may be too young for the details.

Outlander Book 5 is the novel that the fifth season is going to be based on. Well, mostly. There are still parts of Book 4, “Drums of Autumn,” that need to be covered. The fifth book features 200 pages about just one single day. It’s a special day but many fans who first read it find the pacing slow.

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However, it’s packed with detail. There are plenty of rush through the pages only to find on a subsequent read they get the details they missed the first time – details that foreshadow events or link into future moments.

But don’t worry if you’re among the fans who find the novel boring. Diana Gabaldon understands and shares that it’s likely your age. While talking to fans on her Facebook page, she shared that our experiences naturally change with age. Something that spoke to us in the past won’t speak to us now but something we glossed over and was bored with in the past will entertain us now.

It’s true. I’ve seen it with various shows and movies. Something that I found boring when I was a teenager now has hidden meanings and speaks volumes to me. Yet, there are shows I used to adore that I cringe my way through now, wondering how I could ever like them.

“The Fiery Cross” is one of those novels that focuses more on family life. It’s about families coming together as one, people finding their way in the world, and the growing tensions of a war to come. As Gabaldon shares, give it five years or so and return to the book. You may find what you disliked at first you now love.

Next. All the Outlander books in chronological order for the timeline. dark

What did you think of “The Fiery Cross” when you first read it? Which is your favorite book in the series so far? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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