Outlander Book Club: Book 2, Chapter 46 breakdown

Foreshadowing in the Outlander chapter

There’s little in the way of foreshadowing this chapter, except that it’s clear Culloden couldn’t be won. The two would have needed to kill Charles for that to happen, and they were unwilling to do that. It was all lost.

This point in the book caught us up to the story Claire had to tell Brianna and Roger at the beginning of the book. It was all about getting us to this point; Claire heading back through the stones and to Frank. It wouldn’t be until Voyager that we’d get the story of the 20-year separation.

However, we later know that Jamie made it through Culloden. Frank had a headstone made for him, but we know that Jamie is saved thanks to that moment with William Grey. I do think the Redcoats surrounding him is a hint that he’s going to make it out alive again. He’s a cat with nine lives.

Adapting the Dragonfly in Amber chapter

There was no way the chapter couldn’t have been used for the TV series. It was just far too important. However, there were some changes.

Instead of Willie, Rupert was the one to see Jamie and Claire kill Dougal. Plus, Dougal’s death was at the hand of both Frasers. I think the latter was important, showing that both Jamie and Claire were in this together. As for switching Willie to Rupert, that would have been linked to actors available at the time and the characters we’d become the most connected to on the TV show.

Old Alec wasn’t included in the show. He was barely used in the first season, so it’s not all too surprising that this part of the book didn’t make it to the show. Remember the Outlander Season 2 finale needed to include Claire going back through the stones and everything involving Brianna and Roger. Things had to be cut.

The biggest change was at the stones. There was no cabin. This was the same in Outlander Season 1. Jamie slept under the stars waiting for Claire to go through the stones then. Opting for no cabin would have been partially a cost thing because it meant one less set to build.

I prefer the goodbye we got in the Outlander Season 2 finale. It kept the focus on the goodbye, on Jamie wanting Claire to go through the stones to be with Frank for their child’s sake. Having the Redcoat storyline would have been too much for the show. I was always surprised Claire didn’t go back through the stones to find out if Jamie had survived the Redcoats in the book.

I know the carving of the initials is something that many book fans missed in the show, something that still hasn’t made it. However, I’ll admit that it wasn’t something that I felt suited the characters we’d come to know on the TV show. Adaptions mean some of the personalities change slightly, and this was one of those things that I didn’t mind being missed out.

What did you spot while reading Outlander Book 2, Chapter 46? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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