Outlander Book Club: Lord John and the Custom of the Army Section 1 breakdown

We can’t start a Lord John Grey book without some sort of action. Of course, it involves John in Lord John and the Custom of the Army Section 1.

This first part of the story sees John almost get into a lot of trouble. He is involved in a duel gone wrong, a duel that happens to be illegal. It’s just the start of a story that sees him in another country, dealing with yet another personal situation.

There’s also a character that is connected to the later Outlander books, although you may miss it at first.

Breaking down Lord John and the Custom of the Army Section 1

The section starts with Lord John Grey at a party at Lucinda Joffrey’s house. There is an eel, which John touches in typical John fashion, although he blames others around him and the fact that he is so disorientated at the eel being there. I do love getting to see more of his personality through the Lord John Grey books.

His friend, Caroline Woodford, is there. She is dealing with some unwanted advances from a poet called Nicholls. As John tries to protect his friend, it leads to a duel.

Before the duel can begin, we find out that a doctor called John Hunter is there. Recognize the name? Yes, this is the famous surgeon and anatomist who ends up being the uncle to Denzell and Rachel Hunter. It’s because of Dr. Hunter that Denzell learns everything about surgery, and I believe it’s Hunter who helps Denny realize that a woman can have more knowledge and to treat her with respect.

Back to the party, though. John doesn’t want Dr. Hunter to touch him before the duel. Hunter clearly knows about John’s injury from Crefeld, and I get a sense that there is the worry that there may be fragments still in his chest. I do have to chuckle at the lack of doctor-patient confidentiality at the time. Claire brings that because of her knowledge of the future, but confidentiality is not a thing of the past.

The duel doesn’t go the way that John planned. He wanted to shoot away from Nicholls. However, Nicholls ends up staggering and falling. Considering duelling is illegal, Ensign Richard Tarleton rushes to John to get him away from the situation. It would cause too much of an uproar for the Joffreys and the Greys, even though John did nothing wrong in the moment.

Could this chapter be used in a TV series adaptation?

I’m in two minds about whether this story would be used if there was an adaptation. The only part of the book that is necessary is the bit that involves Malcolm Stubbs and the baby at the end. That could be included in another way, and that is if Outlander even bothers to include it in that narrative. If not, what’s the point in including it?

I could see this whole short story being skipped over. If it is used, I could even see this section being skipped. It’s not all that important in the grand scheme of things. I do enjoy seeing more of John being able to relax, but an adaptation will always come down to the time available, so there’s the question of whether this is really needed.

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