Outlander Book Club: Book 1, Chapter 5 breakdown

Connecting to the Outlander TV show

This is a chapter that the show had to transform. However, there are elements from the show that aren’t in the book.

For example, in the show, Claire wants to organize passage to Inverness (but we know she wants to get back to the stones). She also mentions King George, after taking a guess on which George sits on the throne. These bits don’t come up in the books, saving them for a later use.

Instead, the focus is on Claire figuring out the time period and figuring out her story. She needs to quickly get one straight, trying to stick to the truth as much as possible. The story itself is one that is used word-for-word on the TV series. There was no need to change this.

Mixed with the previous chapter, it’s easy to see why this section of the book didn’t take too long to cover during the second episode of the show. With the two chapters coming in at less than an hour together, they could easily be transformed for a short introduction into Castle Leoch and Himself.

What stood out for you during Outlander Book 1, Chapter 5? What were your first impressions of Himself? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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