Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Sigh.
If you are a fan of fantasy fiction… think Lord of the Rings – not something involving whips and consenting adults. If you are a fan of high fantasy, then you’d be better off skipping Eragon.
The first thing you’ve probably heard on this subject is, Wow, did you know this was written by a 15 year old?! And that, is the precise problem with this book.
It reads like what it is – a book written by a precocious 15 year old who has read one too many fantasy novels. A book with no width of imagination nor depth of character, imitating heavily from the fantasy canon such as LotR, Shannara series, the Earthsea Trilogy, and Dragonriders of Pern thrown in for good measure.
Cliched notions of the graceful qualities of elves, the withdrawn nature of dwarves, the curmudgeonly old mentor who’s actually powerful wizard, orc-like urgalls in the baddie army, and nazgul-like shades. Dragon and rider relationship imitated heavily from Anne MacCaffrey’s dragons.
The movie, however, seems to have quality CG work to redeem it.
I shall be reading through Books II and III, though. That itch to finish stories one has already invested time in. And one never knows – Paolini might have grown along with Eragon.
February 12, 2008 at 2:47 pm
Yes, I thought about it and then decided against reading another tome on imaginary worlds and creatures on what will surely be a fable that can be summarized in three paragraphs.
February 12, 2008 at 5:31 pm
@Parth: Wisdom is your natural state. Allow me to gush about your great pictures from the Desh trip.
February 13, 2008 at 5:12 pm
Permission granted, and thanks for the gushing
September 5, 2008 at 8:04 am
I have read the book, and the second one to and I thought it was brilliant!!
Both books show that Paolini is ahead of his age and is a very promissing writer!!
September 16, 2008 at 4:29 pm
i have read the book and it is graet
October 11, 2008 at 12:19 pm
you are crazy…if that book was so bad then why did it become a bestseller and a movie? Its very good and Christopher Paloni…he’s 15?!He writes like a professinal. I am truly amazed.
January 8, 2009 at 2:48 pm
He was 15 when he started to write the book… And I thinks it is brilliant when you thinks how old he was… Like its not as The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan (And that really (!!!) is brilliant) but still… It is a great beginning. He can’t make a really really really professional book on his first try. And it is a really good start… It is after all a long book.
January 20, 2009 at 5:26 pm
Interesting comments,enjoyed all the books that available and look forward to the final.
February 20, 2009 at 9:45 pm
i have read this book over and over again. 2 me if a book is not good i will not read it again. at the present moment i am reading the 2nd 1 now. and i am doing a book project on it. and 4 a 15 yr old, he is an amazing writer. and it is very hard 2 make professional standards on your 1st try. i will stay w/ him and support his writings until hes done
July 7, 2009 at 4:48 pm
What in the world are you talking about???!!! The book was BRILLIANT! I’d like to see YOU invent an entirely new (!!!) world, complete with several languages! The books are all fantastic, and if you want developed character, you can’t get any more developed than this.
And the movie STUNK! They left EVERY SINGLE LAST THING out of it! And he’s 15!!!!! HE IS A KID!!!
July 20, 2009 at 11:31 am
Your right the movie might as well have been a different story all together they left everything that ws good out!!!!!!
The book is the best thing to go for even if you do not like reading this book will change your propective.
July 20, 2009 at 11:29 am
Eragon is a thrilling adventure as he fights to kill king galbatorix and restor order to his world. He fights to defend those he loves and for those he has lost, he fights for the good of his world no longer will people try to hunt him down. But what was a path has now been cut off by an uncrossible river he has to learn and no-one can teach him he has to cross that river to fullfill his destiny…..
A thrilling read i recomend it to anyone who like adventure.