I wasn't sure I was going to like outlander. I'm not a big fan of historical fiction, but I watched the first episode and was suckered in by Jamie so I gave it a shot (plus it was on sale). I absolutely enjoyed Outlander. Despite it's length I didn't feel bored and I found it interesting to learn all about 18th century Scotland. I liked Claire and her thoughts about "should I or shouldn't I" change things (even though just by being there she inevitably changed things. 
 There were parts of Outlander that were difficult to read. One of the reasons I shy away from historical fiction is that it can be pretty brutal, and there were definitely some harsh moments in Outlander. Some made me cringe, one almost brought me to tears. John Randall was especially frightening.