Early 1970s Croatian artists: Dalibor Brun

Who knows why exactly I turned to this musical archaeological excavations in the first place, but they gave me so much pleasure - I trace the origins of this hobby back to the days when I worked as a DJ on the radio and was fed up with than-current pop hits that I had to play, so I would return home tired of this sounds (whatever was current was supposed to be popular, trendy and accepted but it bored me to tears) and found that digging trough music archives gave me much more thrill - my fingers were all black from the dust, nobody paid any attention to these old recordings anymore except me in those days - armed with the book "Bolja prošlost" by Petar Luković I bravely continued to find out who were all those artists who worked decades before I even became aware about music in the first place. Some of them I would vaguely remember from radio waves in my childhood but majority of them were completely forgotten, swept aside by new fashions or metamorphosed into unrecognisable versions of their younger selves. With everything else I listened trough the years (every now and than I would get completely carried away with enthusiasm for such different genres as classical, blues, country, French chanson or anything that came my way) it seems that at the back of my mind there always was affection for these now-forgotten old recordings of my country and the only important factor in selection is that they have to be old - older, the better in fact - I would approach any cheesy pop festival, obscure folk singers from Macedonia or schlager one-hit-wonder with the same seriousness as anything else I listened and always tried to find out who these people were, what were the circumstances around these recordings and what they meant, how they passed the test of time. Since in the meantime I became a collector and perhaps a bit of aficionado, I recognised the most important artists but still have open mind to accept people from the background who for whatever reasons never made it to the big time. Perhaps I got stuck in the 1960s for little too long, because it took me forever to actually move on to 1970s where finally these past few months I actually discovered some interesting recordings.

"Prolaze godine/Tvoje plave oči, Liza" (1969)

Nowadays Dalibor Brun is just another schlager veteran who (along with dozen of similar performers) swapped his younger incarnation for profitable mainstream waters but what distinguish him from the others is that at certain point he actually was truly interesting potential and genuinely blue-eyed soul artist par excellence. When he was only 19, Brun was already star of bands like "Uragani" and "Korni grupa", while his first solo recordings show strong soul belter with a impressive voice, although from the start there is a curious tendency to slip into radio-friendly schlager territory that seriously clashes with his true talent.

A side is Brun's first big festival debut as a solo artist (from festival of new artists, Omladina '69) where Kornelije Kovač gave him mildly interesting "Prolaze godine" that in retrospective doesn't sound particularly inspired, but its side B with cover of Italian hit "Lisa dagli occhi blu" that shows where his heart truly lies: Brun was obviously fan of Italian canzone and could stand next to any of them. That Mario Tessuto had first choice to record this is just geographical accident - had Dalibor Brun been born in Italy, he would have swept the floor with Tessuto. Although Brun wrote perfectly fine translation, it would later became big hit for Gabi Novak with changed lyrics as "Duga je, duga noć". 

"Djeca ljubavi/Uvek ću ostati tvoj" (1970)

Because it was not part of official LP album from that year's pop festival "Opatija '70" (and it was a very strong one) I was not even aware of this single. On the other hand, recording companies at the time had a habit of launching potential hits as a singles, so this one was obviously selected as a big potential. With exception of "Oluja" by Josipa Lisac, this might have been the only true modern song on that festival, the rest were all mainstream entertainers. "Djeca ljubavi" is majestic tour de force, powerful soulful ballad with Brun belting it for all he was worth, really impressive. That is why B side, with waltz ditty comes as a cold shower - same composer (Vojkan Borisavljević) but its calculated for radio plays and therefore sound as a bad idea for singer of this calibre. Obviously someone thought it might be a safe bet to add something commercial on B side, but this is a flaw that would eventually follow Brun trough all of his early recordings.

"Ovaj život s tobom/Za tebe" (1970)

Composer Vojkan Borisavljević again and song from pop festival "Beogradsko Proleće 1970" where than-young Dalibor Brun unleashed that spectacular soulful voice on unsuspected audience used to gentle crooners. He was such a great singer that I don't even mind dated music and lyrics (sung in Serbian), its perfectly fine pop song for its time and interpretation lifts it above ordinary, however the mammoth grand orchestration places it squarely in its time. As usual, B side is Italian cover (Brun obviously had a soft spot for Italian pop music and he was good enough to stand up to any of them) and again, he sounds excellent when matched with solid material.

"Kidajmo lance ljubavi/Marie" (1971)

Very strong early 1970s pop hit, courtesy of composer Đorđe Novković and lyricist Maja Perfiljeva - Novković was already responsible for some huge commercial radio hits and in my opinion he often crossed the line between great and banal, but this time "Kidajmo lance ljubavi" happened to be simply irresistible, great pop song where Dalibor Brun finally had a chance to shine. It helps that for once he was not hindered with mammoth orchestration but had impeccable band behind him ("Mi" from Šibenik, same band who backed Josipa Lisac on her classic "Život moj"). B side is from festival Zagreb '71 and again singer seems to have been better than the song. 

"Spavaj pored mene/Noći pune tebe" (1971)

With a truly spectacular singer as Dalibor Brun (and probably many of artists of the same generation) there is a curious thing about material - it seems that, lacking really strong original repertoire, they had to work with what they had. It was OK for them to cover international hits as youngsters but once they entered big arena, it was expected they have to work with established composers who often served undercooked, toothless ditties, like this one. "Spavaj pored mene" is very typical of its time but far cry from where Brun started and even though he bulldozes bravely, heroically (and stoically) trough this waltz, it makes you wonder was it worth to leave energetic bands for this kind of solo material. B side "Noći pune tebe" is only slightly better but still, the impression is that he deserved much better. He was really great soul singer in a search for the right composer. 

"Zašto me ostavljaš/Moja, moja" (1972)

Just a few years earlier Dalibor Brun was exciting new singer who could belt international soul hits with feeling and passion but as soon as he went solo, his singles decidedly took different turn, everything became MOR oriented and if at first I blamed uninspired composers who served this talented singer with mediocre material, here the composer of both song is Brun himself so there is nobody else to blame. It probably seemed good idea at the time, to record something catchy and easy listening enough for the radio waves but certain artistic integrity was sacrificed in the process - perhaps it did widened his audience and commercial appeal, no doubt weepy ballads were the thing but honestly it sounds like sellout to me. Its hard - almost impossible - to take him seriously as potential contender for any soul or funk status when the repertoire turned so excessively schmaltzy and this was obviously a conscious choice.

"Suze, suze/Ekstaza " (1972)

Somehow I have always looked at husband & wife team of Ksenija Erker and Hrvoje Hegedušić as a lesser version of Gabi Novak and Arsen Dedić - one of the most famous Croatian music couples - although they walked the same paths and worked in the same circles, in my mind Erker and Hegedušić never reached exactly the same heights but in retrospective I might reconsider Hegedušić as a composer. When he was still married to lyricist (should I say poetess?) Maja Perfiljeva they created long list of early 1970s pop hits that combined uncanny pop sensibility with pure poetry and besides unforgettable songs for band "Indexi" they actually helped singer Dalibor Brun to finally achieve solo success.

Brun was already noticed as potential while singing for bands "Uragani" and "Korni grupa" though real solo success didn't happen until Perfiljeva and Hegedušić finally stepped in and gave him proper songs where his powerful, soulful voice at last had a proper setting. A side was a sizable hit, excellent example of early 1970s pop but its side B that sounds more interesting to me, poetic daydreaming on which he was backed by "Indexi" and on this gentle, rock ballad he reaches artistic heights that might shock and surprise listeners who only know his later music.

"Miruj, miruj, srce/Nema više ljubavi" (1972)

Classic Dalibor Brun from the time when Maja Perfiljeva and Hrvoje Hegedušić were writing hits for him and its excellent example of early 1970s pop - its extremely memorable,danceable and far better than the rest of the songs performed that year on festival Zagreb '73 (hence, it was released as a single). Side B is surprisingly strong as well, seems that Perfiljeva and Hegedušić were on the roll at the time and they perfectly understood what works for Brun who later appeared lost without such great songwriters.

"Otkad si tuđa žena/Što želiš od mene (1973)

Everything Dalibor Brun did since he went solo seems like a conscious attempt to smooth out whatever rough edges he had at the start and to appeal to wider audience - this is unfortunate, because what made him interesting in the first place was exactly that passion and fire that suggested great blue-eyed soul singer. The succession of his solo singles almost without exception present the artist who would like to straddle across two opposite teams, both MOR commercial and younger, hip crowd who preferred his earlier output. This particular single actually managed to appeal to everybody - husband & wife team Maja Perfiljeva and Hrvoje Hegedušić (who were obviously at the very peak of their inspiration at the time, being hit makers of the highest order for almost everybody) presented Brun with a soulful ballad that brilliantly encapsulated his music persona of a hunky heartbroken lover and it turned a smash. It was one of the classic singles of 1970s and the ballad "Otkad si tuđa žena" is probably still the highlight of his career, the one song constantly played on the radio, no matter what else he did afterwards. Every note and every sigh still sounds just perfect and it shows how important was to work with collaborators who intuitively understand what are his strong points.

"Nevjerna je ona bila/Bit ću s tobom" (1973)
Maja Perfiljeva and Hrvoje Hegedušić again and although its lesser variation on smash hit "Otkad si tuđa žena" (with even similar lyrics) its still perfectly fine soulful ballad that captures young Dalibor Brun at that particular point in his life when he was riding the wave of first solo success. Far more interesting is B side with fascinating blues ballad "Bit ću s tobom" that suggest he never truly left music that inspired him initially - it is great, slow burning number where that powerful voice almost overbalances the microphone and it still sounds exciting today, some four decades afterwards. Just when you start wondering did Brun completely sold out to easy listening radio hits, something stunning like this B side proves that he still had it, he just chose to play different cards.

"Voljenoj" (1973)

This album is such an eye-opener: its almost as you climbed to the dusty attic and in some forgotten corner discovered ancient family photo album with pictures of your grandfather as a young bad ass, dressed to kill and full of attitude. Its really a shock because we all know Dalibor Brun in his later incarnation, as a MOR schlager  singer who decidedly courted festival audiences (and occasional misty-eyed, elderly housewife who cherished fantasies about heartbroken hunk of her youth and probably imagined herself as a subject of his greatest hit "Otkad si tuđa žena" that was all about married wife still thinking about old flame) - because his later music has been so consciously tailored for different market, its easy to forget that once upon a time, long time ago, he was actually one of the most promising soul singers around.

Sure, Brun had amazing start in bands like "Uragani" and "Korni grupa" with solid credentials and his obvious love for Italian canzone marked him as surefire contender for the next big thing. If his first few solo singles were somewhat schizophrenic affairs (divided between great and schmaltzy sides), everything finally fell in place when he start to collaborate with husband & wife team of Maja Perfiljeva and Hrvoje Hegedušić who served him with perfectly tailored material that for once straddled both funky and radio friendly corners. They understood that Brun can croon and wail soulful, bluesy ballads like "Raspleti kose zlatne" as well as magnificent, funky "Nema te nema" that bursts with passion and energy that once seemed so promising - to top it all, they had a sense to spice it all up with obvious radio hits like "Suze, suze" or "Ne daj se srce" that were so joyous and danceable that its hard to resist them even four decades later. The rest of the album is no less startling discovery - who could imagine that schlager veteran Stipica Kalogjera was capable of writing such fiery blues like "Bit ću s tobom" or that otherwise painfully commercial-minded Đorđe Novković would come up with such powerful pop anthems like "Krenut ćemo mojom lađom" and "Cvjetna polja ljubavi" , both just perfect slices of early 1970s pop. There is absolutely no wrong note trough the whole album, Brun sounds like a dream and best of all, there is no hint of conscious calculation to create something commercial (unfortunate direction of his later career). It sounds as Brun finally exploded with all the power and talent everybody always believed he had. Its just amazingly great album that showcases 24 years old singer in the best possible light, with no weepy ballads in sight. 

"Ne čekaj me majko/Ne igraj se vatrom" (1974)

This was the almost the end of his collaboration with Maja Perfiljeva and Hrvoje Hegedušić and its a pity because it seems that whatever they cooked up for him turned into great hit. 

A side was performed on festival Split '74 but its side B that in retrospective sounds more interesting, since its delightful slice of early 1970s pop and its macho swagger suggest direction that Zdravko Čolić later explored on his "Produži dalje" hit, kind of seductive come-on from a world-weary lover.

"Živi kako hoćeš/Kuca li srce zbog mene" (1974)

The very last single composed by husband & wife team of Maja Perfiljeva and Hrvoje Hegedušić and its the end of one chapter of Dalibor Brun's music career, since it was with them that he reached true success after several meandering solo years. Brun was always an excellent singer but needed strong material, which in this case was provided by couple, who unfortunately will at this time separated and without them nothing was the same anymore. In the same year he will release second album "Ponovo na poznatom putu" that shows how difficult it was to continue without them. 

"Ponovo na poznatom putu" (1974)

Very curious, completely obscure and now forgotten sequel to his spectacular debut album, this seems the project where singer Dalibor Brun poured his complete heart into. Once he became established as a hit-maker of the first order, now he was ready to take complete control over his career: not only that he produced the whole thing, he also wrote lyrics and the task of composing was completely divided between himself and Andrej Baša. The energy is here, the voice is naturally here but neither of them could ever come close to work previously tailored for him by husband & wife team of Maja Perfiljeva and Hrvoje Hegedušić who knew how to combine poetry with irresistible melodies (I think they got divorced around this time). On their own, Baša and Brun seems to have been listening a lot of James Brown because they tried to explore some serious funk (listen "Svađamo se") but the final result appears curiously undercooked or perhaps they tried too hard - there is absolutely not a single standout track that could be selected as a potential single, lyrics are meandering (except few written by Perflijeva) and Brun himself often overreach himself by trying too hard to be a rock singer. Perhaps only towards the end, gentle ballad "Moj svijet od oblaka i boja" suggest some inspiration and closing "Hvala vam" have some spark but its little too late to save the whole album that feels ill-conceived. 

Not that everything is a complete disaster: Brun is excellent singer and the direction where he wanted to go was commendable (he could easily get himself some lightweight ditties instead of going funk). Personally I have a soft spot for this kind of brave experiments and forgotten albums that nobody knows - sometimes successful projects suffer from over exposure and this album definitely didn't have too much of it. Like Darko Domijan's "Pastir kraj vatre" or Zdenka Kovačiček's "Frka" it has been destined to be cult favorite, these albums actually grows on listener with repeated listenings, even if there was no special hit on them.

"Tiha tugo moja/Željena" (1974)

Lovely, mournful ballad that actually sounds very good even today - Maja Perfiljeva is still around and she provided excellent lyrics while old pal Đorđe Novković came up with unusually (for him) subtle melody, but perhaps the most important here is arranger Rajmond Ruić who was a first-rate collaborator and I have already noticed that whenever Ruić was involved, it usually guaranteed something interesting. Side B is so-so ballad composed by Andrej Baša who will take the role of composer on singer's second album "Ponovo na poznatom putu" but his work always sounded undercooked to me.

"Ruže/Nedaj, nedaj moja ljubavi" (1975)

Excellent pop single from festival Opatija '75 and composed by Aleksandar Korać but for whatever reason the version we all remember much more was the one recorded by Serbian singer, awesome Boba Stefanović - my guess is that at this time festivals still used the practice that same song was performed in two versions. "Ruže" was basically same song, note for note, in both versions, just vocals were different and in both cases singers were strong, its just that I remember Stefanović much better. Side B is equally strong number from the same composer and young Brun was always dependable and impressive vocalist. 

"I Poveo sam je u travu/Voliš li - čekaj me" (1975)

Although he tried (and tried and tried) to write songs himself - most noticeably on his second album "Ponovo na poznatom putu" - singer Dalibor Brun was never really strong songwriter. The most memorable songs for him were composed by husband & wife team of Maja Perfiljeva and Hrvoje Hegedušić who divorced around this time, but curiously both of them are still present on this single, just on different sides of the record. Perfiljeva provided lyrics for A side, elegant and seductive mid-1970s number that was composed by ever-reliable Nenad Vilović who will still go strong much later (he was the one behind "Nismo mi bez cilja" by Josipa Lisac in 1987). Hegedušić is behind side B which is very unremarkable schlager that probably appealed to MOR audiences to whom Brun will soon completely turn to, leaving soul and funk completely behind him. This kind of oompah-pah really bothers me because it suggest awareness about commercial appeal, but its at the same time the artistic death sentence, since it completely kills the image of Brun as a pop singer and embraces disastrous direction.

"Poludjela ptica" (1976)

This might be the great, unknown Croatian pop album of 1970s - one of those discoveries every curious collector always dream about - you know when after years of going trough every nook and cranny of ancient discography and hours of listening schmaltzy records, you suddenly stumble upon something genuinely great. That album like this somehow got lost amongst more commercially visible competition means that rules of the market demanded less sophisticated and simpler music, however if you approach it not as ubiquitous easy listening fodder  but as ambitious pop/rock project, it becomes thrilling surprise.

Dalibor Brun was exceptionally gifted, blue-eyed soul singer with impeccable pedigree and like many other youngsters of his generation, in the beginning he showed great potential and passion, just to got lost in 1970s festivals. The call of Mammon became too strong and as years went on, Brun went further and further from his promising start, until he became one of those MOR entertainers against he competed in the first place. The powerhouse voice was always there but there was always a tendency to flirt with schlager for the sake of sales, until initial fire dwindled and he metamorphosed into unrecognizable version of his younger self. Nowadays he might be remembered only for his later music, beloved by completely wrong audience (or perhaps this is the right audience he courted later), but none of his later fans would know or care for his soul and funk past.

If his second album "Ponovo na poznatom putu" was unfocused, this time on "Poludjela ptica" everything fell right into place - it is a surprisingly strong, mid 1970s pop-rock album with great lyrics, swaggering, macho and good time music, spectacular vocals and even collaborators were inspired (Oliver Dragojević on piano). Initially it seems as there is no outstanding single here, but "Želim da poludiš" might be one of the best songs he ever recorded. The opening song (and the title of the album) "Poludjela Ptica" is unforgettable rocker with lyrics taken from a famous song by poet Dobriša Cesarić and curiously composed by Zdenko Runjić otherwise known for completely different kind of music. The most unusual of all might be Brun's own "Noćas sam je opet sanjao", hypnotic and sinuous dreamy swirl of song that gets better with each listening.

Its excellent album and great discovery - probably it didn't do anything for the market and audiences accustomed to his hit singles, but he dabbled too long with schlager music so this is the price you pay when people expect weepy, sentimental ballads and you follow your heart instead. 

"Deborah" EP by VIS Uragani (1968)

VIS " Uragani" were one of those brilliant, short-lived late 1960s pop bands who lasted relatively brief period of time but left their mark in Croatian rock music, since they brought a breath of fresh air and introduced vocalist who will became big name in the next decade. All of those "Tornadoes", "Golden boys" and "Black pearls" were reaction to somewhat toothless (although immensely popular) pop festivals that ruled the radio and TV waves back in the day - geared strictly towards young audiences, these young bands emulated popular music from the west and even if today majority of these recordings might appear overtly eager, at least they had a heart in the right place. 

Dario Ottaviani was the leader and main composer here but the reason we still listen this recording today is the vocalist Dalibor Brun who started with "Uragani" - caught in the swagger and invincibility  of the first youth, Brun was powerhouse of blue-eyed soul who took than-current pop hit "Deborah"  and fearlessly, without any complex, forever made it his own, at least to my ears. He might have been only 19, but his passion, power and voice were magnificent, no wonder big things were just around the corner. That singers of this calibre eventually succumbed the pressures of business and became part of the very same toothless establishment they initially fought against is a curious phenomenon that needs more space than short review, but its reality and apparently a inevitability. 

Besides title song (itself a cover) the rest of material is surprisingly fine - although they were all very young, band was actually experienced trough summer dances and they were quite fierce compared to competition, curiously giving place not just to Brun but to other two vocalists as well, so we hear Dario Ottaviani and Ira Kraljić. When all three of them joined forces in "Ako kiša obriše suze"  the results are impressive - Brun still stands out amongst them but you can tell that mutual energy and inspiration was awesome. This record might be just a short chapter in our music history but is a very pleasant surprise, kind of discovering that grandfather once was young and cool. At this point Dalibor Brun was invincible. 

"Sweet Judy Blue Eyes: My Life in Music " by Judy Collins

As always, initially I started reading something else - the sequel to Diana Gabaldon's "Voyager"  thinking that I should continue with the story while it's still fresh in my mind, alas, dear reader, I was suddenly overwhelmed with excitement about packing & leaving for vacation (finally) and could simply not focus on Gabaldon who was just going nowhere, same old, same old - I caught myself thinking "this is so silly and trivial and I'm not even enjoying it"  so I did the best possible thing and gently postponed "Drums of Autumn" for some other time when I might be in the right frame of mind to enjoy never-ending lust between Claire and Jaimie (it came to the point that now I just find all these sex scenes simply tedious, the plot is not moving anywhere and these two are still humping each other chapter after chapter). To a certain degree I like Gabaldon and recognise kindred spirit but right now I needed something else to help me with insomnia. So off I went for my old hobby, books about music celebrities. This year I read only one so my celebrity thirst is firmly under control.

I have already read some autobiographical work by Judy Collins. Somewhere in my books collection is her first volume "Trust Your Heart"  and I even might have "Singing Lessons" which didn't stop me from reading this title. Not that it brings anything radically different - her life story is now firmly established as a part of public consciousness, part of our collective memory, perhaps even part of the history (in a sense that every piece of puzzle is of great importance to a complete picture) - but although previously told, the story is always slightly different when looked at from different perspective, at various times colours shimmer in a different light. 

If you are familiar with her music - soothing, comforting, often enchanting - you might be surprised to discover that in 1960s Collins was indeed very far from gentle folkie persona associated with her. Artsy and curious, yes. Making pottery and performing in theatre, check. But she was also an earthy, fun-loving soul on a search of spiritual enlightenment who happened to find her solace and success in music, music that completely changed her life, lifted her up from anonymity and carried her trough decades in cutthroat business. Collins doesn't flinch from some less attractive truths about herself back than - like everybody else, she had her share of nomadic life, bad company and self-destructive tendencies. In her book, she almost gleefully demolishes the gentle folkie image audiences associated with her. There is a unforgettable scene where Janis Joplin tells her "“You know,” she said, “one of us is going to make it. And it’s not going to be me.”  Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell and the whole myriad of rock aristocracy make their entrances and exits trough the pages of the book and still this is not just a name dropping - Collins was there and she is a witness of these times.

There is a very important sentence right at the beginning of this book, in fact its right here before the first chapter: "In all cases, it is my memory of an event that supersedes the memories of other participants who might have been at the same party. There are no accidents in memory, for memory has its own reasons and its own logic. What I remember is what happened to me as I best recall it." This, in my opinion is the key to this book. It is not about Grammy awards, Billboard Hot 100, album sales or even relationships, no matter how much these things mattered at the time. Collins really happened to be the right person at the right time to witness social atmosphere and immense changes of 1960s  and was brave enough to join the gang even when it meant jail, prosecution or (like in her case) being gagged in a court, where she defiantly sang "where have all the flowers gone?"  to outraged judge. This is much, much more than mellow, incense burning, nature loving, whales duetting folkie who eventually outgrows the genre and reinvents herself as artsy pop singer - Collins has a story to tell and at this stage of her life, age and earned wisdom to look back at certain moments with a wistful regret. She remembers idyllic times in mountains of Colorado where she spend some dreamy times as a young woman with her first husband and baby son "I always look, and I always wonder how our lives would have turned out if we had stayed in those glorious mountains where my heart still yearns to be."  But music beckoned and nothing was ever the same, even if those first years might have been frustrating - but joy was always there, a sense of humour, a sense of camaraderie, sometimes booze (Collins explains her alcoholism as genetic tendency to addiction) and sometimes, real love. There is a beautiful black and white picture taken on some airport in 1968, with young and glowing Stephen Stills and Judy Collins looking like happiest couple in the world. It is a really poignant picture, a frozen moment in time. 

After I finished the book, out of curiosity I checked the list of her discography and found (to my surprise) that I actually own more than sixteen of these albums. I treat myself with her music like it is some medicine - when I need some comfort, tenderness or nurturing, I turn to "Someday soon" or "Farewell to Tarwathie"  or "So Early, Early in the Spring" (I could go on forever like this) and to this day I believe that her version of "In My Life"  is the best Beatles cover ever. 

"Voyager" by Diana Gabaldon

A little break from horror genre - as much as I started to enjoy it, it has to be taken in small doses - and welcome return to Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander" saga. I started this year with first two volumes ("Outlander" and "Dragonfly in Amber") and decided that perhaps I should go back to it while I still remember the outline of the story. Initially, I have actually read the trilogy (when it was still just a trilogy) back in the day when these novels were still new and recently published, but later got sidetracked with other things and never continued - I always knew that I would eventually return to Gabaldon, but first had to refresh my memory and start from the beginning.

Gabaldon is a modern-day Scheherazade with glittering imagination, wit, humour and obviously she has great affection for her characters. She is also a spiritual descendant of a certain French writer called Anne Golon who in her time, created literary phenomenon "Angelique"  - I am not sure is Gabaldon actually familiar with Golon, but both of them delight in historical research and describe damsel-in-distress who goes trough every possible adventure from novel to novel, including witch hunt, pirates, Turkish harem, snake pits, you name it. Popularity of such novels immediately branded them as lowbrow entertainment, kind of "bodice rippers" which perhaps correctly describes their mass appeal - say whatever you want, there is a fair amount of body heat peppered amongst heroine's adventures, usually somewhere between her being kidnapped and sold in a slave market (of course, heroine always emerges untouched and even more beautiful than ever). Although different personalities and placed in completely different time frames, both  Angelique and time travelling Claire Randall are simultaneously outsiders (brave, outspoken, passionate about truth, heroic, different than other passive women around them) and conservative - no matter how many times they get kidnapped and lusted after by various men, both are faithful to only one man in their lives, which happens to be their husband. So its only superficially that they are heroines - given different circumstances, its easy to imagine them as perfectly content housewives - alas, for the sake of adventures, both heroines ride here and sail there, living outside of the law and basically enjoying freedom unimaginable for other women of their times.

For the sake of the story - and to explain how Claire's daughter now happens to be grown up woman - twenty years have passed since Claire and Jaimie Fraser separated. One way or the other, after impossibly long introduction and what it feels like a half of a novel, the two eventually meet again (in his time) and continue their tempestuous relationship, while ridiculously complicated twists of the plot have them constantly on the run and saving each others lives. At this point Gabaldon is obviously confident and relaxed enough to allow some breezy humour and tenderness every now and than (with all the incredulity I found myself being occasionally moved to tears) but she seriously stretches her credibility with readers by keeping lovers exactly the same as they were twenty years ago - with this I don't mean physically (apparently everybody is still lusting after both of them) but psychologically they are exactly same old selves, always passionate, always arguing and making up all teary just to discover something unspoken that will lead to another argument, another chapter, another return. It does start to feel like some adolescents idea of what relationship is all about which kind of brings the novel to another level of fluffiness - even though the initial time-travelling start was not exactly serious literature in the first place, but at least it had some historical research that made sense. You would assume that after twenty years apart, both Claire and Jaimie would grow, change and mature into different people because this is what happens in life, we metamorphose into different versions of our younger selves - centre might be similar but edges smooth out and years of experience leave traces - well, not with these two. Its all about passion, sex, breaking up and making up. Seriously, it looks like Claire's daughter might be more balanced than her adventure-loving mother. Most of their arguments is because of the secrets Jaimie kept from her, but than, as they are constantly on the run, there is a hardly a time to stop and relax enough for any confessions - this is where Claire gets a bit shrewish, after all, she had also lived her life all this time and not exactly as a nun. So in the middle of this constant hurricane we have Claire and Jaimie running for their lives across the country and then some, towards the end of the book they are sailing for Jamaica and this is exactly where I am right now - no wonder that at this point I kind of had enough initially - mind you, this is another similarity with Anne Golon, since her Angelique also left the old world and sailed for Canada at certain point. 

Its really very entertaining and a perfect escapism, but for even the second time around I started to feel that this is turning into soap opera.