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Diana Gabaldon

OUTLANDER vs. CROSS STITCH (Spoilers)

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#1 of 246

     Posted Sep-15 5:29 PM   
shay
 
From  shay  Posts 63  Last Oct-24
To  Diana Gabaldon      [Msg # 65560.1 ]    

Dear Diana,

Well, since you offered . . . .

I read 'Cross-Sticht' first, but now I own "Outlander", and it seemed when I read them, there were some slight differences. There seemed to be more references to Frank  in Cross-Stitch, and the some of the sex seemed a little less . . . I don't know, just different! Is there any difference, or was it just what mood I was in when I read them?

Shay,

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#2 of 246

     Posted Sep-15 5:55 PM   
Diana Gabaldon
 
From  Diana Gabaldon  Posts 15788  Last 5:16 AM
To  shay      [Msg # 65560.2 Message 65560.2 replying to 65560.1 65560.1 ]    
Dear Shay--

   No, there really are differences. <g>   All the _other_ books are identical, between the US and UK editions, but for CROSS STITCH, the editor expressed concern that readers would think Claire was "cold-hearted," if she didn't worry about Frank more--so there are six small insertions (of a sentence or two) in which Claire worries explicitly about Frank. <g>   The same editor also asked me to remove the sex scene that ends the "Raiders in the Rocks" chapter, fearing that it might be too graphic for her readership, and asked me to alter another so (and I quote) "it looks as though they're having _normal_ sex." <ahem>  After this request, she added deprecatingly, "Of course we all _do_ that, but we don't like to admit that we do."  
--Diana
www.dianagabaldon.com
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#3 of 246

     Posted Sep-15 6:10 PM   
Margaret Campbell/Sysop
 
From  Margaret Campbell/Sysop  Posts 629  Last 8:39 PM
To  Diana Gabaldon      [Msg # 65560.3 Message 65560.3 replying to 65560.2 65560.2 ]    
This is all just a scam to make me buy a copy of Outlander, isn't it?

I mean, I was perfectly happy with Cross Stitch, but if I get Outlander, there's more sex?  Darn, darn, darn!
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#4 of 246

     Posted Sep-15 6:12 PM   
Diana Gabaldon
 
From  Diana Gabaldon  Posts 15788  Last 5:16 AM
To  Margaret Campbell/Sysop      [Msg # 65560.4 Message 65560.4 replying to 65560.3 65560.3 ]    
Dear Margaret--

   You never knew that?  <g>
--Diana
www.dianagabaldon.com
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#5 of 246

     Posted Sep-15 6:36 PM   
Cristina H
 
From  Cristina H  Posts 109  Last Nov-19
To  Margaret Campbell/Sysop      [Msg # 65560.5 Message 65560.5 replying to 65560.3 65560.3 ]    

Margaret:

In my humble opinion, it is worth getting because "Raiders in the Rocks" is my favourite sex scene. Heck, I may go read it now!

Cristina H

 

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#6 of 246

     Posted Sep-15 6:39 PM   
Margaret Campbell/Sysop
 
From  Margaret Campbell/Sysop  Posts 629  Last 8:39 PM
To  Diana Gabaldon      [Msg # 65560.6 Message 65560.6 replying to 65560.4 65560.4 ]    
No, I was too busy being proud of having the English edition.
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#7 of 246

     Posted Sep-15 8:36 PM   
shay
 
From  shay  Posts 63  Last Oct-24
To  Diana Gabaldon      [Msg # 65560.7 Message 65560.7 replying to 65560.2 65560.2 ]    

Dear Diana,

Thanks! I thought so! Well, there's no accounting for taste, but who'd really prefer to read about "normal" sex????

Shay,   


Edited Sep-15   by  shay
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#8 of 246

     Posted Oct-16 7:23 AM   
Karen Henry
 
From  Karen Henry  Posts 4681  Last 6:53 AM
To  Diana Gabaldon      [Msg # 65560.8 Message 65560.8 replying to 65560.2 65560.2 ]    
Diana:

I got a present from Scotland in the mail yesterday.  <g>  Judy Lowstuter, who runs the Celtic Journeys tours, had emailed me a couple of weeks ago, we got to chatting, and she said, "I'm in Scotland with a tour group right now, what can I bring you back?"  So I asked for a copy of CROSS STITCH, because I've always wanted to see the differences for myself. <g>

I only got through the first chapter last night, but I'm fascinated by the differences in spelling, punctuation, and some of the word choices, between the UK and U.S. versions of the book.  Interesting to see a story I know so well, just...a bit...different in this format. <g>

Except for "Raiders in the Rocks", I have no idea where the other changes in the text are that you mentioned.  (Don't tell me. <g>  I want to see if I can find them for myself.) 

Karen

P.S.  Judy said to tell you she's sorry she missed you at Bailey's Crossroads this time, btw, but she had a Really Good Excuse, being actually in Scotland at the time. <g>


Visit my blog here.


Edited Oct-16   by  Karen Henry
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#9 of 246

     Posted Oct-18 11:10 AM   
Karen Henry
 
From  Karen Henry  Posts 4681  Last 6:53 AM
To  All      [Msg # 65560.9 Message 65560.9 replying to 65560.8 65560.8 ]    
I am still not too far into the reading of CROSS STITCH, but one thing keeps jumping out at me and I thought I'd ask, in case Diana or anyone else can shed some light on this.

In the U.S. version of OUTLANDER, Claire and Jamie and Dougal and the rest are riding horses when they travel to Castle Leoch the first time.  In CROSS STITCH, the "horses" have become "ponies". (As though someone did a search-and-replace on the word, throughout the whole chapter.)  Why is that?  Did the UK editor think it was historically inaccurate to have horses in the Highlands in 1743?  Is there some distinction between ponies and horses that's escaping me (because I know nothing much about either, having lived all my life in the suburbs <g>)?

I can understand changing the obvious terms to their British equivalents ("vacation" becomes "holiday", and so on), but this wholesale replacing of "horse" with "pony", I don't get at all.

Karen



Visit my blog here.

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#10 of 246

     Posted Oct-18 11:44 AM   
Shona
 
From  Shona  Posts 62  Last Nov-3
To  Karen Henry      [Msg # 65560.10 Message 65560.10 replying to 65560.9 65560.9 ]    

I'm not sure about the differences about the horses and ponys bit, that is a strange one

Not sure if you picked up on this when Claire goes to the stones herself, they day she goes through the stones, instead of borrowing a car, Claire takes a  bike, I only know this because I read it somewhere.

 

A man must have a dream or what is heaven for.......
Dont judge me until you have walked in my shoes........
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#11 of 246

     Posted Oct-18 12:07 PM   
Karen Henry
 
From  Karen Henry  Posts 4681  Last 6:53 AM
To  Shona      [Msg # 65560.11 Message 65560.11 replying to 65560.10 65560.10 ]    
Shona:

Yes, I did notice the bike.  That was a little odd. <g>

I'm enjoying all the little differences in this version:  "Alick" instead of "Alec".  "Callum" instead of "Colum".  A sentence added to clarify that Jamie had told Claire his name was "James MacTavish" (which is implied but not actually stated anywhere in the U.S. version of the book),  And so on.  As I said, it's interesting to see all the subtle changes.

Karen


Visit my blog here.

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#12 of 246

     Posted Oct-18 2:01 PM   
Jari Backman
 
From  Jari Backman  Posts 670  Last Nov-20
To  Shona      [Msg # 65560.12 Message 65560.12 replying to 65560.10 65560.10 ]    
Dear Shona,

That was really off, but maybe the copyeditor didn't know that Craigh na Dun was 40 miles from Inverness. The distance was told in later books.

Jari,
Outlander on sinijari.fi
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#13 of 246

     Posted Oct-18 3:01 PM   
Shona
 
From  Shona  Posts 62  Last Nov-3
To  Karen Henry      [Msg # 65560.13 Message 65560.13 replying to 65560.11 65560.11 ]    

Im sure when I read about that difference DG or someone else commented that the UK Publisher had thought it would be more likely that cars wouldnt be so widely in use esp after the war and she would have most likely borrowed a bike

Oh i forgot the one other difference is the date... I'm sure in the US version Claire and Frank visited the highlands in the 45' but in the UK version they visited in 46' as they felt this was just to quick after the war. I dont have cross stitich on me atm to check

A man must have a dream or what is heaven for.......
Dont judge me until you have walked in my shoes........
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#14 of 246

     Posted Oct-18 3:04 PM   
metpatpetet
 
From  metpatpetet  Posts 1566  Last 10:39 AM
To  Karen Henry      [Msg # 65560.14 Message 65560.14 replying to 65560.11 65560.11 ]    

Yes, I did notice the bike.  That was a little odd. <g>

In 1945 in the UK, "borrowing" a car would be more than a little odd, because there was still rigorous gasoline rationing.  Claire would most likely hitchhike if the distance was more than about 10-15 miles.  If less, she'd bike.

Metpatpetet

"He who blows at the foam on his beer, isn't thirsty"

~~~Talmud~~~

 

Blogging at Antigonos' Annals

 

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#15 of 246

     Posted Oct-18 4:00 PM   
Barbara Schnell
 
From  Barbara Schnell  Posts 6285  Last 1:28 AM
To  Shona      [Msg # 65560.15 Message 65560.15 replying to 65560.13 65560.13 ]    
Ahem.

May 1, 1945 was still _during_ the War. The European leg ended on May 8, 1945, the day the Germans capitulated; the War itself ended after Hiroshima and Nagasaki, in August of the same year.

So the copyeditor was absolutely right in that case; the book should have begun in 1946.


Barbara Schnell
www.bschnell.de
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#16 of 246

     Posted Oct-18 4:04 PM   
Barbara Schnell
 
From  Barbara Schnell  Posts 6285  Last 1:28 AM
To  Karen Henry      [Msg # 65560.16 Message 65560.16 replying to 65560.9 65560.9 ]    
The editor was a Scot, and a historical novelist herself. A pony is any horse under ... something in the vicinity of fifteen hands. They have a breed in Scotland called "Highland ponies", which are very well suited for moving on rough terrain, so maybe it was a matter of national pride for her to replace those horses by the "homemade" version.


Barbara Schnell
www.bschnell.de
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#17 of 246

     Posted Oct-18 4:08 PM   
Shona
 
From  Shona  Posts 62  Last Nov-3
To  Barbara Schnell      [Msg # 65560.17 Message 65560.17 replying to 65560.15 65560.15 ]    
sorry Barbara my history is rather poor................
A man must have a dream or what is heaven for.......
Dont judge me until you have walked in my shoes........
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#18 of 246

     Posted Oct-18 4:09 PM   
Karen Henry
 
From  Karen Henry  Posts 4681  Last 6:53 AM
To  Barbara Schnell      [Msg # 65560.18 Message 65560.18 replying to 65560.15 65560.15 ]    
Barbara:

> the book should have begun in 1946 <

I agree.  And knowing what we now know in ECHO....

(spoiler space)











Wouldn't it be great if all copies of OUTLANDER in existence everywhere, could be instantly (and retroactively) updated to say 1946 to match what CROSS STITCH says?  Just like the book with the newspaper clipping in it? <g>

Karen


Visit my blog here.


Edited Oct-18   by  Karen Henry
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#19 of 246

     Posted Oct-18 4:13 PM   
Karen Henry
 
From  Karen Henry  Posts 4681  Last 6:53 AM
To  Barbara Schnell      [Msg # 65560.19 Message 65560.19 replying to 65560.16 65560.16 ]    
Barbara:

Thanks, I was sort of hoping you'd comment on this particular question.  <g>  That explanation makes sense to me.  It just took me by surprise when I saw it in the book.

Karen


Visit my blog here.

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#20 of 246

     Posted Oct-18 4:47 PM   
Margaret Campbell/Sysop
 
From  Margaret Campbell/Sysop  Posts 629  Last 8:39 PM
To  Barbara Schnell      [Msg # 65560.20 Message 65560.20 replying to 65560.16 65560.16 ]    
Unless they define it differently in the UK, ponies are under 14.2 hands--that's 14 hands (a hand being 4 inches) and two fingers

FWIW.

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Diana Gabaldon

OUTLANDER vs. CROSS STITCH (Spoilers)

  
 
     

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