4.25

5

May 18, 2018

Check out this book in my very first video review! Anyway, onwards to the review! I could read this one a hundred times and love it just the same.

This was my middle school book series. I read it over and over and over (and, as you may have guessed, over and over...).

It had dragons! And elves and magic and swordplay and not a love triangle in sight.

Even rereading it as an adult, I just...cannot separate all those happy memories So keep in mind, my review might be is more than a bit biased. Check out this book in my very first video review! Anyway, onwards to the review! I could read this one a hundred times and love it just the same.

This was my middle school book series. I read it over and over and over (and, as you may have guessed, over and over...).

It had dragons! And elves and magic and swordplay and not a love triangle in sight.

Even rereading it as an adult, I just...cannot separate all those happy memories So keep in mind, my review might be is more than a bit biased.

Eragon, a farm boy, stumbles upon a suspicious blue stone while hunting in the Spine (an area that few would go to even in the best of times). He loses sight of his prey but brings home the stone anyway figuring that he might sell it.

However, once folks find out it's from the Spine - they refuse to touch it. Begrudgingly, Eragon takes it home only to discover, a few short days later, that the stone is not a stone...it is an egg.

A dragon egg.

And while Saphira (his young dragon) is cute for the first few weeks...Soon, Eragon realizes that keeping a dragon, even a young one, is no easy task.

When a tragedy befalls Eragon's family, he sets off with Brom, a local storyteller, and Saphira on a quest for revenge.

Along the way, he meets both friend and foe. He travels far farther that he ever dreamed possible and experiences losses that will irrevocably change him. Nothing is more dangerous than an enemy with nothing to lose, he thought. Which is what I have become. Rereading this as an adult, there are a few things I picked up this time around - like how Eragon is always just strong enough to vanquish his enemies, how he is always in the right place at the right time, how he's able to pick up swordplay and magic at an unbelievable speed...

And yet...

There is one thing that 11-year-old me and 25-year-old-me would absolutely agree.

One thing that remains steadfast and true.

I will defend this book to my dying day. This book is simply the best. The best of the best.

Audiobook Comments
While the book may be the best of the best...this audiobook (narrated by Gerard Doyle) was not. In particular, Saphira's voice was absolutely, hands-down, the worst voice ever bestowed upon a dragon.

I could understand going for a deeper voice for a dragon, but she's a young, female dragon, not a crotchety 1000-year-old creature with a chip on his shoulder. It was painful to listen to. Over 10 hours of a deep, guttural flem-in-the-back-of-your-throat sort of voice - think yoda on steroids.

YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Snapchat @miranda.reads ...more

1

Jul 26, 2007

I cannot adequately express my complete and utter loathing for this book. I was working at a library during the time that this book was being published and had access to a galley of the novel. I did finish it, but only so I could know (entirely how much) Christopher Paolini (the supposed 16-year-old author-genius) had plagiarized J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of The Rings" trilogy. If you are not familiar with the Inheritance books, allow me to inform you:

Lord of the Rings: Trilogy
Eragon: Trilogy
Lord I cannot adequately express my complete and utter loathing for this book. I was working at a library during the time that this book was being published and had access to a galley of the novel. I did finish it, but only so I could know (entirely how much) Christopher Paolini (the supposed 16-year-old author-genius) had plagiarized J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of The Rings" trilogy. If you are not familiar with the Inheritance books, allow me to inform you:

Lord of the Rings: Trilogy
Eragon: Trilogy
Lord of the Rings: a main character Aragorn
Eragon: main charactor Eragon
Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's love interest is Arwen (the daughter of an elf king)
Eragon: Eragon's love interest is Arya (the daughter of an elf king)
Lord of the Rings: bad flying things are Ringwraiths
Eragon: bad flying things are Ra'zac
Lord of the Rings: there is a big fight in the troll dungeons
Eragon: there is a big fight in the troll dungeons

I could continue...suffice it to say, after reading "Eragon" I classified it as "Lord of the Rings" with a dragon. This is definitely not worth anyone's time, unless you want to amuse yourself by noting how many similarities there are between the trilogies.


Addendum: WOW! Thanks for all the comments. This is, by far, my most popular review. I'm glad to know others share my feelings for this pitiful excuse of an imaginative novel.

Addendum 2: If you, like so many others in the comments, find fault with my apparent ignorance and wish to correct me regarding the fact that this series is not a trilogy, please see comment #53.

Addendum 3: I can't even. I just can't. Do you know how many people have commented on the fact that this isn't a trilogy since I added Addendum 2 SPECIFICALLY addressing that? I don't even know how many because I've lost count. What does this teach us? It teaches us that people don't read. Let that sink in. ...more

1

May 13, 2007

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Standard fantasy fare, except that while most fantasy authors lift their plots only vaguely from a previous author, Eragon is simply the plot of Star Wars with a Lord of the Rings paintjob:

Princess flees, trying to keep precious item out of the evil emperor's hands. Boy finds item. Bad guys burn down his farm and kill his uncle. Old mysterious man helps him, and turns out to be part of a secret order of knights to which boy's (now evil) father belonged. Gives boy father's sword and takes him Standard fantasy fare, except that while most fantasy authors lift their plots only vaguely from a previous author, Eragon is simply the plot of Star Wars with a Lord of the Rings paintjob:

Princess flees, trying to keep precious item out of the evil emperor's hands. Boy finds item. Bad guys burn down his farm and kill his uncle. Old mysterious man helps him, and turns out to be part of a secret order of knights to which boy's (now evil) father belonged. Gives boy father's sword and takes him (eventually) to princess, then dies tragically. Boy learns how to fly X-Wings (er, dragons) and goes to take on his father and the evil emperor, &c., &c.

Paolini also resembles other fantasy authors by denying that he is a fantasy author, instead imagining that he is a great literary talent. In his own words:

"In my writing, I strive for a lyrical beauty somewhere between Tolkien at his best and Seamus Heaney's translation of Beowulf"(1)

Unfortunately, his control of language is more akin to a piece of Harry Potter fanfic. There are some days that I wish my parents ran their own publishing company, too. However, if such a boon would require me to write as obliviously as Paolini, I would have to decline.

Yeah, I know he was eighteen, but so was Byron when he wrote "Hours Of Idleness" and Pope when he wrote his "Essay on Criticism". If Paolini doesn't hesitate to compare himself to (what he sees as) literary greats, I certainly have no problem with letting my criticism fall with equal weight on his little bit of fluff.

I think the reason I keep returning to Pulp writers like Robert E. Howard is that those authors just wanted to write exciting stories instead of the next 'literary event'. Authors who lack pretension often write very good stories, because they aren't forcing themselves to write overblown, overly-complex stories. Many modern fantasy authors do the opposite: they write redundant escapist yarns and then get upset that no one considers them to be literary greats, yet.

There is nothing new or interesting here for anyone who has read fantasy before--it's just a rehash of old cliches. The writing, pacing, and characterization are substandard. I wasn't surprised to find that a teen boy wrote this book--it's exactly what I would expect a teenage fantasy fan to write.

My Fantasy Book Suggestions ...more

1

May 02, 2010

Here is a short list of things I find more enjoyable than reading Eragon:



Why does this book read like it was written by a fantasy-obsessed 15-year-old? Oh, nevermind... Is THAT why is has EVERY single one moth-eaten fantasy cliché???
It's like Paolini actually, in all seriousness, used Diana Wynne Jones' humorous The Tough Guide to Fantasyland as a real technical manual on how to create the Eragon universe. And the proud parents of a budding "new Tolkien", instead of proudly allowing him to read Here is a short list of things I find more enjoyable than reading Eragon:



Why does this book read like it was written by a fantasy-obsessed 15-year-old? Oh, nevermind... Is THAT why is has EVERY single one moth-eaten fantasy cliché???
It's like Paolini actually, in all seriousness, used Diana Wynne Jones' humorous The Tough Guide to Fantasyland as a real technical manual on how to create the Eragon universe. And the proud parents of a budding "new Tolkien", instead of proudly allowing him to read it out loud at family gatherings, decided to publish it and unleash it upon the world.

*
LEFT - the ride that this story promises to take you on. RIGHT - what you actually get.

The only way to actually enjoy Eragon is if you have never encountered a single fantasy-related story in your life (and that includes "Star Wars", by the way). Let's have a roll call for the clichés, shall we? A mysterious talented orphan/poor farm boy? Check. Dragons? Check. Elves and dwarves? Check. Stew? Check. Ancient sword? Check. The weird apostrophe-ridden names (save the protagonists, of course?) Check. A quest? Check. Hot chick Damsel in distress? Check. And it goes on and on and on... Wait, you say, maybe Paolini was deliberately paying homage to the traditions of the fantasy genre. Fine. I suppose that could explain some of it. But still, blindly and straightforwardly rehashing of the old tropes without adding much originality IS NOT OKAY, okay?

I think that the writing is immature and betrays the author's young age and lack of experience. Throughout the novel, Paolini clumsily brings our attention to anything that he considers important to the story with constant reminders and brick-sized hints. Foreshadowing should be subtle, but I don't think he quite grasps that concept. The descriptions are trying too hard to be Tolkien-like, but fail at this miserably. His attempts at creating accents and dialects are pathetic. There were quite a few instances when I had to shake my head muttering, "I don't think this word means what you think it does". The prose is stilted and quite irritating while trying to be overly pretentious.

OH, I SEE...

The characters are flat and devoid of any believable personality, with shallow and simplistic motivations that only exist to move the plot forward. The interactions between them are far-fetched and forced. The protagonist (Paolini's version of Luke Skywalker), absolutely marvelous at so many cool things with minimal training (every child's dream) is there for the reader to self-insert into the story. The deux-ex-machina bits replace so many actual solutions in this story that no amount of eyerolling would suffice. And the plot holes - the story is so full of those there's barely any plot left at all. As for the worldbuilding - well, he stuffs it with every imaginable fantasy trope, as I mentioned before. Ughhhh. And yet at the end nothing is memorable."Wind howled through the night, carrying a scent that would change the world."
The first sentence alone should have stopped me from reading this book. I should have reorganized my sock drawer instead.Why did I read it if I hated it, you ask? Simple answer - I was bored and this was the only book within reach. I would NOT recommend it to those who are familiar with the fantasy genre. Actually, scratch that - I would not recommend it to anyone. 1 star. ...more

1

Aug 12, 2007

Two or three years ago, everywhere I went there was some display attempting to sell me Eragon, by Christopher Paolini. It was obviously a bad book without opening the cover: the back cover carries a quote from the book, and an endorsement by Anne McCaffrey, and I'm pretty sure I could get that woman to supply a blurb for a double mint wrapper to the effect of "I couldn't put it down! An author ... to watch for!" The quote is "Wind howled through the night, carrying a scent that would change the Two or three years ago, everywhere I went there was some display attempting to sell me Eragon, by Christopher Paolini. It was obviously a bad book without opening the cover: the back cover carries a quote from the book, and an endorsement by Anne McCaffrey, and I'm pretty sure I could get that woman to supply a blurb for a double mint wrapper to the effect of "I couldn't put it down! An author ... to watch for!" The quote is "Wind howled through the night, carrying a scent that would change the world." Please note, the author has just claimed that the world is going to be changed by a smell. Which would actually be an interesting book, sadly, not this one. I know this, because that quote is the first sentence of the book, and what the author means is "Wind howled through the night, carrying a scent giving warning of the coming of persons who would set in motion events that would change the world." I know, it lacks a certain something.

Better the eighty percent of the pit of voles, but still, undeserving of being published.

I do not blame Paolini for writing a bad book. People write, and sometimes, they write badly. But I do blame the editor, and his publishing house. This book is crap, and it should have been obvious to anyone who read it. The main character's most interesting bit of characterization and only vestige of personality is that he collects rocks, and this is only mentioned in one paragraph. He's a transparent sue. Everyone acts as if they have just acquired their motivations and history on a 3x5 card before walking on for their scene.

The plot is a clumsy clunker that is foreshadowed on page 22. He has never known his father, and his mother refused to answer questions about him! Do you think this will turn up again later? His name is Eragon. Like dragon, but with an E. An old man pops in to tell what in a better novel would be suspiciously appropriate myths and folktales every time Eragon needs to know what is going on.

Descriptive sections are often incomprehensible, as for example, "His hand was numb, his fingers paralysed. Alarmed, he watched as the middle of his palm shimmered and formed a diffuse white oval." The only reason I know what the author is intending to say there is because I have read enough fantasy to recognize the Mystical Mark.

Our hero makes decisions that make no sense, simply because they are necessary to move the plot forward. Obstacles like hiding a dragon from those living in your house are hand waved away in two paragraphs. Things that oughtn't be obstacles, like buying groceries, are, just to build sympathy with the protagonist by inserting baseless discrimination.

Why publish this!? Were they incapable of finding something more deserving? Was this book even edited? Is he someone's nephew? Publishing this book is an insult to readers and a disservice to writers everywhere, including Mr. Paolini. It's like telling someone they look great when they have spinach in their teeth. Dammit! ...more

5

Sep 04, 2007

I LOVE the Inheritance books. I had never heard of Christopher Paolini before, and was walking through Barnes and Noble when I saw this book on the end display. What caught my eye was the dragon on the front cover (I love dragons, and my "artistic eye" was captivated by the artwork). This is a great fiction/adventure/fantasy novel. Anyone who is a Lord of the Rings would truly have an appreciation for this book. I was hooked from the moment I picked up this book and began reading. The story I LOVE the Inheritance books. I had never heard of Christopher Paolini before, and was walking through Barnes and Noble when I saw this book on the end display. What caught my eye was the dragon on the front cover (I love dragons, and my "artistic eye" was captivated by the artwork). This is a great fiction/adventure/fantasy novel. Anyone who is a Lord of the Rings would truly have an appreciation for this book. I was hooked from the moment I picked up this book and began reading. The story begins with a young farm boy, named Eragon, from a small village. While hunting in the wilderness in search of food for their family, Eragon comes across a rare stone (which is later revealed to be a dragon egg). He takes it home with him and to his suprise the egg hatches and out comes Saphira. The two are instantly connected as a Dragon and Rider making them inseparable. Once Saphira is big enough to fly they set out to seek revenge for the death of Eragon's uncle who was murdered. This is just the begining of their journey throughout the land battling mysterious, evil forces. A very good book to cuddle up with on a cool fall day or during the winter when you need a good adventure to bring you out of being stuck in your house. ...more

5

Feb 21, 2011

Before we get started
-Please,please do not judge a book by its movie.
-I read Eragon for the first time when I was 15 years old.I've re-read it 5 times since (I didn't own many books back then so after I took advantage of my neighbor's and my cousin's library,I kept re-reading my poor collection) and every time I loved it just the same,because it was the book that introduced me to the world of fantasy.


The story
When I got this beauty in my hands,I thought that Eragon was the dragon (laugh all Before we get started
-Please,please do not judge a book by its movie.
-I read Eragon for the first time when I was 15 years old.I've re-read it 5 times since (I didn't own many books back then so after I took advantage of my neighbor's and my cousin's library,I kept re-reading my poor collection) and every time I loved it just the same,because it was the book that introduced me to the world of fantasy.


The story
When I got this beauty in my hands,I thought that Eragon was the dragon (laugh all you want,I deserve it).But it turns out Eragon is the teenage boy who finds the dragon named Saphira and together they are the only ones who can fight the powerful and corrupted tyrant Galbatorix.With an old storyteller as his mentor,Eragon travels in Alagaesia,finds dwarves and elves and rebels and embraces his heritage and his responsibility as the last Dragonrider,the protector of the weak and the only hope of an oppressed people.
“Keep in mind that many people have died for their beliefs; it's actually quite common. The real courage is in living and suffering for what you believe.”
Reaction of 15 years old Katerina


Reaction of 23 years old Katerina


You get the picture.

Thoughts
I know there is a great amount of readers who found this book boring and slow paced and nothing special.Maybe if I read it for the first time as an adult I would agree,maybe I wouldn't.But as things turned out,this is the first book that took me away in uncharted lands,it was my Brom to the fantasy world.I know by heart the ancient language,I still use the dwarven curses (and it is very satisfactory),I still look at it with great affection and love.Eragon could be immature but it is expected from a teenager,and there were so many interesting and vivid characters,like Brom and Murtagh and Arya and Roran and Orik.The world building is fascinating,and there are epic battles and ancient swords and deaths and magic and prophecies.
It is a wonderful journey to embrace one's destiny and purpose.
“Books are my friends, my companions.They make me laugh and cry and find meaning in life.”
And that's exactly what Eragon is.I can't guarantee that you will like this book,but you should give it a chance to bewitch you and make you a Dragonrider!

Sé onr sverdar sitja hvass! ...more

1

May 07, 2007

wow, so i wrote a scathing review of Christopher Paolini's book when i was a very passionate but stupid and embittered seventeen-year-old. i still get notifications on this site from people who either loved or hated this review. i do stand by some of what i said, sure. but more than a decade later, here is what i think i was trying to say, but was so burdened by hatred and jealousy to do so. i'll leave the original in tact for posterity's sake, but it's a super unfocused and awful. you've been wow, so i wrote a scathing review of Christopher Paolini's book when i was a very passionate but stupid and embittered seventeen-year-old. i still get notifications on this site from people who either loved or hated this review. i do stand by some of what i said, sure. but more than a decade later, here is what i think i was trying to say, but was so burdened by hatred and jealousy to do so. i'll leave the original in tact for posterity's sake, but it's a super unfocused and awful. you've been warned!

When I was fourteen, I admired Christopher Paolini out of jealously: publishing a book at the age fifteen, and having it hit the New York Times Bestseller list? Incredible. Basically unheard of. But in retrospect, over a decade later, I have nothing but empathy for the guy. He was a child when he got published, and his clumsy writing reflects that exactly: the work of a somewhat precocious fifteen year old with a thesaurus glued to his palm and a love for fantasy. He got swept up in popularity and an outpouring of love for his first book largely based on the fact that he wrote it at such a young age. But as a result, he never quite had the opportunity to grow organically as a writer beyond that fifteen-year-old boy who struck authorial gold thanks to parents with serious ties to the publishing world, and a ton of luck. This is clear by the way he flounders to find a voice for the rest of his series; his writing becomes less focused, duller, and possibly even more overwrought and overworked. His characters do seem to grow and change over the course of four novels, but that is truly a low bar to set in terms of expectation. Paolini hasn't been able to break away from the world of Alagaesia; like JK Rowling, who too has fallen from many a fan's graces and continues to Tweet her way into obscurity, Paolini doesn't seem to have any stories left to tell. Maybe the world he "created" is a comfort to him, and something he wants to mine for his own personal enjoyment--or maybe because it was a massive cash cow he milked for years and years, and that's all he knows. Regardless, it's sad to see such stagnancy from someone who might have held some talent as a young person, but whose growth was curtailed due to (in my opinion) premature fame. Wish you and your buckets of money all the best, Paolini~


here's the original review, in all it's cringeworthy glory!

Right so. I'll just say it: I hate Paolini's work. To my very core. I don't really think it's so much the "he stole from Tolkien/Lucas/Gandhi/God/my dog..," though whoever may say this has a point. Even though he blatantly took ideas from pioneers in their respective fields, that isn't what bothers me the most.

When I was fourteen, I admired him out of mere jealously. I was absolutely green with envy that he could publish a book at age fifteen and receive any kind of acclaim. But in retrospect (and nearly vomiting as I attempted to get through a chapter of Eldest, which I failed at miserably), I realized that I had no reason to envy Paolini at all. He doesn't know how to write. String together a vague semblance of a story? Possibly. But at the end of the day, the description is purple, the dialogue is stilted, and the character development is next to non-existent.

For starters, has anyone noticed that he is obsessed with stating distances? Something like, "Two feet away stood three troops of fifty, in rows of five, making ten people per row" is a sentence uncannily close to one I read in the actual book itself. This kind of information is superfluous and distracting, taking away from important aspects of a novel such as character development--which, by the way, he integrates next to none of. Who is Eragon? I seem to have forgotten everything about him, other than the fact that he is creepily obsessed with a woman who has no interest in him, he acquires fighting skills incredibly fast (read: Mary Sue red-flag), and only reprehensible villains disagree with him. Basically, he's perfect, and he only gets even more amazing at everything he does. Where is the fun in a character like that?

I do, however, remember Murtagh... a little. Probably because he's the only one who changes at all as a character throughout the book, other than the occasional insight into Eragon's personal airplane--I mean, pet dragon--I mean, companion, Saphira. Even her characterization is sacrificed because she's used as a plot device by Paolini rather than fleshed out as an actual character. None of the characters are memorable and the main character is my least favorite character of them all! How are we supposed to root for the main character when he is nothing but an arrogant snot, constantly reaffirming a holier-than-thou attitude to everyone around him?

The plot is a cliche hero's journey that has been done before, and better, might I add. Where's the appeal in that? Answer: there is none.

What left is there to hold in high regard? His world building skills? False. I don't know why he decided that his world of Alagaesia had to have EVERY single climate condition imaginable, but doing so made his world seem juvenile, fake, and forced. Not to mention boring judging by the awful over-description of said world. With regards to the language he "created"? He mostly ripped from old Norse words. He's admitted to it himself. Look, anyone can string a bunch of letters together and call it a language. But Paolini hasn't a single clue when it comes to linguistics. And hey, I'll admit that I don't either. But I also don't try to create my own languages--that I more or less steal--and claim that I created all by myself. Seriously, Paolini's alleged arrogance (based on interviews I've seen/read) disgusts me.

All in all, sure, it's fantastic that he published a book at such a young age, but are we as a society lowering the bar that much as to celebrate mediocrity? The man is now twenty-eight years old and his successive books Eldest, Brisingr and finally, Inheritance are decidedly much worse than his first book on every front. That he wrote when he was fifteen. This is a huge problem in my eyes. Someone so unwilling to grow or change like any other writer should have their title of "writer" stripped from them. It's insulting. ...more

2

Jan 28, 2018

Age of the readers and how well acquainted they are with the high fantasy genre seriously need to be considered here.

I don’t think I need to say a lot on my review on this, Eragon is a very popular book and it’s been quite mixed received, to say the least. The majority of love and dislike usually depends on when did you read the book for the first time? If you were still a child or teenager, and haven’t read a lot or any high fantasy books yet, you’ll probably love this. Unfortunately, I’m Age of the readers and how well acquainted they are with the high fantasy genre seriously need to be considered here.

I don’t think I need to say a lot on my review on this, Eragon is a very popular book and it’s been quite mixed received, to say the least. The majority of love and dislike usually depends on when did you read the book for the first time? If you were still a child or teenager, and haven’t read a lot or any high fantasy books yet, you’ll probably love this. Unfortunately, I’m reading this for the first time as an adult who’s already well acquainted with the genre.

Anyone who has read or watched Lord of the Rings or Star Wars pretty much has read this book, Eragon almost a straight copy of these franchises with different names and terminologies. And that’s okay, especially considering that the author was 15 years old when he wrote this book. However, as someone who has experienced the high number of tropes in this book out of all medium, it was hard for me to enjoy the book.

Eragon is not a bad book, by all means, it's just a book that in my opinion will appeal more towards children or teenagers; it’s something that I will definitely recommend to younger kids. If I was reading this 15 years ago, it could’ve been one of the books that introduced me to this genre and I know it, in fact, did for a lot of people. This is something I will always praise Paolini for. I don’t care what kind of books or genre you read, if the book sparked your love for reading a genre, that gets a praise from me and Paolini did it for countless readers.

“Books are my friends, my companions. They make me laugh and cry and find meaning in life.”

I wasn’t planning to read Eragon in the first place but I received this book from one of my good friend, Dorina, as a birthday present because she wanted me to have this book that made her become the reader she is today and for that, I thank you very much, I will cherish this book. Although this book didn’t really work out for me, I can totally see why it’s beloved by a lot of readers, especially younger readers. In the future, Eragon could be a book that I’ll consider giving to my kids to spark their love for reading.

You can find this and the rest of my Adult Epic/High Fantasy & Sci-Fi reviews at BookNest ...more

5

Jan 23, 2017

seriously, Ben. Why have you not read this sooner. This beast has been sat on your TBR pile for years. What is wrong with you? Was little Ben intimidated by the size?

I FINALLY READ THIS BOOK
and
breath

I honestly think this is one of the best fantasy YA stories. Such a classic!

ERAGON YOU ARE MIGHTY FINEEEEEEE

1

Oct 29, 2012

appalling.



as if written by an enthusiastic but tragically over-encouraged teenager with insufferably supportive parents who somehow happen to be well-connected in the publishing indus—wait.

...oh.

carry on, then.

1

Aug 20, 2008

A short (and somewhat sarcastic) summary: Main character = Eragon, mysteeeeerious boy-child left with his aunt and uncle by wandering mother, father unknown. Boy finds mysteeeeerious stone. Turns out to be dragon egg. Boy raises dragon and bonds with it strongly. Bad guys come and destroy boy's house and kill his uncle. Boy swears revenge. Boy's secret dragon is discovered by mysteeeerious storyteller who turns out to be master swordsman and random magic user. The hunt for the bad guys begins, A short (and somewhat sarcastic) summary: Main character = Eragon, mysteeeeerious boy-child left with his aunt and uncle by wandering mother, father unknown. Boy finds mysteeeeerious stone. Turns out to be dragon egg. Boy raises dragon and bonds with it strongly. Bad guys come and destroy boy's house and kill his uncle. Boy swears revenge. Boy's secret dragon is discovered by mysteeeerious storyteller who turns out to be master swordsman and random magic user. The hunt for the bad guys begins, and boy searches for his destiny as a legendary Dragon Rider (of course, that must be capitalized). Eragon goes through traditional bouts of training and learning about himself under the stern tutelage of old wise traveling companion. Along the way he gains and loses friends, and rescues a mysteeeerious woman from a horrible dungeon while never straying from his quest to put right all that is wrong in a world oppressively ruled by an evil king.

This book has gotten lots of attention since it first came out, partly because the author is so young. He was fifteen when he started the book, and was nineteen when it was published. Age isn't always correlated with mastery, of course, but when I read this book, I could TELL that the writer was either young or an immature writer. Though it seems people think it "got published" somehow because of its great merit, this book was actually self-published by the author's parents (company was Paolini International), and then it was paraded around on a self-funded signing tour the way most self-published people do. An established author happened to run into the family doing a signing while he was on vacation, thought a kid writing a book was interesting, bought a copy and made his stepson read it, and decided to try to get the book a deal when the kid liked it. The people at Knopf re-edited and repackaged and re-released it under that label. I believe that if this book had meandered its way to publishing houses the usual way, it would have been rejected as unpublishable, for reasons I will discuss in depth here.

Christopher Paolini himself, in his own words, describes his story thus: "Eragon is an archetypal hero story, filled with exciting action, dangerous villains, and fantastic locations. There are dragons and elves, sword fights and unexpected revelations, and of course, a beautiful maiden who's more than capable of taking care of herself."

I would argue that this book is not an "archetypal hero story" so much as an overused and overly traditional Tolkienien "epic," with "epic" in quotes because it lacks exactly that epic nature that made the world of Lord of the Rings so rich. There was absolutely nothing new or "unexpected" in this book (though the author claims there are "revelations"), and if a reader is excited by this book, they are probably reacting to the concepts themselves (e.g., fantasy worlds, dragons, fierce battles) rather than the book's own merit, or perhaps they have never been exposed to the dozens of fantasy and science fiction epics from which this author pulled his influences. My feeling was that this book was nothing special because, if I may be so blunt, "it's been done," and it's been done better.

Overall, I just think that this book was written as though it had a template or blueprint for "traditional fantasy novel" and the details and names were simply filled in. I couldn't help feeling the entire time I was reading it that I had read this story before, nothing was much of a surprise, and things that didn't make sense or got in the way of a conflicting original vision were smoothed over with excuses or deliberate muddling of motives. I think that in order to write something so traditional, a writer needs something special, a unique twist or slant, and this just hasn't got it. (In other words, I'm not saying that writing an "archetypal fantasy epic" is BAD; I'm saying that it needs to not be a rehashing of overused themes that have been done to death by classic writers.) The boy and his powerful companion having an intimate relationship? Done, in everything from Anne McCaffrey to freaking Digimon. The hero quest to punish the baddies and bring the good guys back into power? Done, in Lord of the Rings and Star Wars. Lush descriptions of landscapes and surroundings? Done by Tolkien of course, but more as a background to action rather than in stagnant heaps of detail. Mysterious companions to whom there is more than meets the eye? I don't even want to think about all the books and movies that have done that. I can't pick out a single thing that this book has that has never been done before, the characters didn't interest or capture me, the storytelling was riddled with too many attempts to be grand that I was just entirely turned off by it.

Some specifics about the bad writing style:

Every imaginable permutation of the word "said" is used. If the reader cannot tell how someone is saying something by what they are saying, it is likely that the dialogue has been written sloppily. "'You're not thinking,' admonished Brom." Yes, that is an admonishment without you telling us so. Leave it out. "'Get on with the story,' he said impatiently." Well, if one person is urging another to get on with it, it stands to reason that it's being said impatiently. Running into "'Sorry,' apologized Brom" made me cringe. The fact that Brom said "Sorry" means that he apologized, so use "said." You can deviate from "said" if for some reason HOW the sentence is said is not obvious, such as volume ("he whispered") or intent ("he said sarcastically," if it isn't obvious that that's a sarcastic comment anyway). Leave out the decorations because they're tacky. The speech tags are not the part of the writing that is supposed to be interesting, so don't distract us; believe me when I say that if you do it, nearly any editor will consider it an early warning sign that you are an amateur.

Unnecessary description is inserted with maddening frequency. I am not usually a reader of traditional fantasy, and traditional fantasy does tend to be more flowery than the hard stuff, but either way random descriptions should not just be thrown into the mix. Eragon is waking up and stretching. Suddenly we get a description of the items on his night table, including the random information that he likes to look at one of the objects on it frequently. In the meantime, while we are getting this rush of information, Eragon is putting on his shoes. He then does not proceed to touch, pick up, or look at anything on the night table, and none of it is ever mentioned again. Also, people and places just get sudden paragraphs of description. We're fighting an Urgal and all of a sudden . . . drop some description on us. While he's rushing at Eragon with drooling fangs, no less. By all means, describe the fangs, slipping the adjectives in gracefully. But don't give us a run-down of a typical Urgal when we're a lot more interested in whether those fangs are going into Eragon's head.

And lastly, too many words, phrases, and concepts seem to be entirely lifted from other well-known works. Word choice seemed as though it was the author's attempt to use all his SAT words; it was verbose and flowery as if on purpose, trying to impress with vocabulary that would have been better used sparingly. The similarity of some people's and places' names to those of Tolkien have not gone unnoticed by seasoned fantasy readers; I have heard several people call this book "Aragorn" without even noticing that they weren't saying it right, not to mention things like Ardwen (compared with Arwen), Isenstar (compared with Isengard), and Isidar (compared with Isildur)--and there are a LOT more. A ridiculous number of phrases seem to be something I've heard before, though I'm not sure where; for example, near the beginning someone is touching a wrapped package repeatedly, "as if to reassure herself that it was still there." I mentioned this to a friend and said, "That's FROM something." He replied, "It's FROM everything!" Far too often, ridiculously overused or clichéd similes and metaphors are used, such as tears being described as "liquid diamonds." It is less like this book was written and more like it was sewn together from the torn apart products of others, like some old quilt on which the stitches are showing. (How's that for an original simile?)

There's definitely not enough space in this little box (which has a character limit) for me to go into as much detail as I'd like talking about how bad this book is, so if you really want to read my ranting in all its entirety, you might want to check out my essay about it on my website. ...more

4

Sep 03, 2016

Dragons and elves and dragons!

A lot of people faulted Paolini for trying to copy Tolkien, but the truth is, their styles are nothing alike. Tolkien is much more poetic and his writing more archaic.

Paolini is a much more straightforward fantasy guy. And that is not a bad thing. I really enjoyed this book and the series overall ranks as one of my all time favorites! Why? Because it is so well written! Seriously now, the descriptions and characters and everything! And it is fascinating really... Dragons and elves and dragons!

A lot of people faulted Paolini for trying to copy Tolkien, but the truth is, their styles are nothing alike. Tolkien is much more poetic and his writing more archaic.

Paolini is a much more straightforward fantasy guy. And that is not a bad thing. I really enjoyed this book and the series overall ranks as one of my all time favorites! Why? Because it is so well written! Seriously now, the descriptions and characters and everything! And it is fascinating really... well, except for the Prologue of this book. It is like that is written by another person (or by Paolini while he was 10 years old). But once you go past that, it gets soooo damn good!!!! ...more

5

Jul 22, 2017

A wonderful rec from my GR friend, Anish :) Thank you! :)

Also a super great BR with Sweet Pinky , Lovely Saphy's Trainer and Gentleman Grumpy Cat :)

I saw the movie and loved it, but when I heard about the book recently, I was curious together with a slight feeling of worry as reading the book after watching the movie adaption works quite bad for me. But I wasn't disappointed, this book is wonderful!

RL keeps messing up with me, so, sorry in advance for a short review. This wonderful books is A wonderful rec from my GR friend, Anish :) Thank you! :)

Also a super great BR with Sweet Pinky , Lovely Saphy's Trainer and Gentleman Grumpy Cat :)

I saw the movie and loved it, but when I heard about the book recently, I was curious together with a slight feeling of worry as reading the book after watching the movie adaption works quite bad for me. But I wasn't disappointed, this book is wonderful!

RL keeps messing up with me, so, sorry in advance for a short review. This wonderful books is worth way more praises.

Christopher Paolini's book charmed and drew me in with wonderful world building, interesting adventures in the world of elves, dwarves and other mythical creatures. The amazing thing is that the author started writing this book when he was a teen, 15 years old and his skill shows a lot as he managed to lure me into world of "Aragon" , charming with magic, action, creepy baddies, wonderful goodies, monsters, dragons and way more.

The journey to the magical and mystical world of "Eragon" began, it's full of adventures, toils and wonder, so call your dragon and lets explore this world together :)

...more

4

Feb 19, 2009

Eragon (The Inheritance Cycle #1), Christopher Paolini
Eragon is the first book in the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini. Paolini, born in 1983, wrote the novel while still in his teens. After writing the first draft for a year, Paolini spent a second year rewriting and fleshing out the story and characters. His parents saw the final manuscript and in 2001 decided to self-publish Eragon; Paolini spent a year traveling around the United States promoting the novel. By chance, the book was Eragon (The Inheritance Cycle #1), Christopher Paolini
Eragon is the first book in the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini. Paolini, born in 1983, wrote the novel while still in his teens. After writing the first draft for a year, Paolini spent a second year rewriting and fleshing out the story and characters. His parents saw the final manuscript and in 2001 decided to self-publish Eragon; Paolini spent a year traveling around the United States promoting the novel. By chance, the book was discovered by Carl Hiaasen, who got it re-published by Alfred A. Knopf. The re-published version was released on August 26, 2003.
The book tells the story of a farm boy named Eragon, who finds a mysterious stone in the mountains. Not knowing the stone's origin or worth, he attempts to use it as payment to a butcher. A dragon he later names Saphira hatches from the stone, which was really an egg. When the evil King Galbatorix finds out the general location of the egg he sends the Ra'zac to acquire it. By that time Saphira had been growing for a while and takes Eragon to the Spine after Ra'zac appear in their village Carvahall. Eragon and Saphira are forced to flee from their hometown, with a storyteller called Brom, and decide to search for the Varden, a group of rebels who want the downfall of Galbatorix. ...

عنوانها: اراگون؛ اروگان؛ نویسنده: کریستوفر پائولینی؛ تاریخ نخستین خوانش: فوریه سال 2007 میلادی بار دوم در سال 2008 میلادی

عنوان: اراگون؛ نویسنده: کریستوفر پائولینی؛ مترجم: محمد نوراللهی؛ تهران، بهنام، لیوسا، 1385؛ در 704 ص؛ شابک: 9645668387؛ چاپ دوم 1387؛ چاپ چهارم 1392؛ شابک 9789645668387؛ موضوع: داستانهای نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا - سده 21 م
عنوان: اروگان سه گانه وراثت (میراث)؛ نویسنده: کریستوفر پائولینی ؛ مترجم: پریا آریا؛ تهران، نشر زهره، 1385؛ چاپ دیگر: تهران، ماهی طلایی، 1385؛ در 557 ص؛
عنوان: اراگون؛ نویسنده: کریستوفر پائولینی؛ مترجم: مهگونه قهرمان؛ تهران، عطاعطائی؛ 1386؛ در 752 ص؛

اروگان یا اراگون عنوان نخستین کتاب از رمان فانتزی و چهارگانه «وراثت»، نوشته «کریستوفر پائولینی» است. دوران اژدهاسواران به سرآمده، و جهان به لطف پادشاهی شیطان صفت، در حال نابودی است. تا اینکه روزی یک جوان روستایی، به نام «اراگون»، در جنگل چیزی می‌یابد. آن چیز (که از نظر «اراگون» باید یک سنگ گرانقیمت باشد) یک سنگ نیست. تخم است. تخم اژدها...؛ ا. شربیانی ...more

1

Jul 15, 2007

Probably the most expensive fanfiction I've ever read. I'm not sure what possessed the publishing company to publish this book (although I heard that Christopher Paolini was self-published at first). I also wrote a book when I was 16 (much like Paolini) and the quality was pretty much the same as Eragon, that is to say, awful. Eragon (the character) is a total Mary Sue/Gary Stu: he learns to fight with a sword in just a few weeks, his past is angsty, he's the first dragon rider for centuries, Probably the most expensive fanfiction I've ever read. I'm not sure what possessed the publishing company to publish this book (although I heard that Christopher Paolini was self-published at first). I also wrote a book when I was 16 (much like Paolini) and the quality was pretty much the same as Eragon, that is to say, awful. Eragon (the character) is a total Mary Sue/Gary Stu: he learns to fight with a sword in just a few weeks, his past is angsty, he's the first dragon rider for centuries, etc etc. This becomes even more clear in the next book, Eldest. Everyone loves Eragon, and those who don't are evil or will repent their ways (see the elf-dude that he fights in Eldest. In Eldest he becomes this superhero, half-elf half-human, while of course the other characters mainly remain stock characters: the dwarf with an axe, the beautiful but haughty elf lady. Brom is of course the wise old mentor, like Gandalf, or perhaps more like Obi-Wan Kenobi from Star Wars, which the whole trilogy rips off anyway.

The only interesting character is Murtagh, but he turns out to be evil. I won't be surprised if he dies in the next book, or becomes Eragon's henchman after he realises how "awesome and cool" Eragon really is. ...more

4

May 06, 2015

WrensReads Review:

You know that saying “I’ll wait till the movie comes out?” Don’t.

So I am an aspiring author. Let me shed some light for those who don’t understand this series is a unique series.

“Imitation: a method of writing instruction that bas dropped off the map, fallen through the floor, and disappeared from the face of the earth as far as modern education is concerned. And yet imitation is arguably (according to Aristotle, Cicero, and numerous other authorities) the most effective WrensReads Review:

You know that saying “I’ll wait till the movie comes out?” Don’t.

So I am an aspiring author. Let me shed some light for those who don’t understand this series is a unique series.

“Imitation: a method of writing instruction that bas dropped off the map, fallen through the floor, and disappeared from the face of the earth as far as modern education is concerned. And yet imitation is arguably (according to Aristotle, Cicero, and numerous other authorities) the most effective rhetorical device for learning your licks as a writer.”
- William Cane in Fiction Writing: Master Class

I first want to say that everyone is entitled to what they believe and think about a certain piece of art (yes, books are considered art in my eyes). You can like a certain piece just because of the story line or you can not like a piece because they have a funny name for the main character. You are entitled.

What you are not entitled to is saying that a certain author is a piece or crap and a knock off of a literary masterpiece.

Every story, no matter where it came from or how old, is an imitation of other stories. Christopher Paolini talks about how he looks up to famous author J. R. R. Tolkien and his trilogy “Lord of the Rings.” So obviously the book is going to have some sort of Middle Earth feel to it because that is what he likes. He has similar species (elves and dwarves) but a lot of stories have those. So are we going to say that every story that has a vampire or werewolf is a knock off of Dracula? Because the species is similar to the original? No.

The two series do have similar aspects to them, but they aren’t identical. Have you ever read a book that didn’t sound like another? How about every dystopian/fantasy series out there today for young adults? A young, normal and boring girl is thrown into saving mankind against the somehow twisted and corrupted government. Now tell me you can’t name at least five series that sounds like? The Hunger Games? Divergent? City of Bones? Uglies? Matched? The Summoning? Marked? How about if you changed the young, normal and boring girl into the young, normal and boring boy? The Maze Runner? Harry Potter? Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit? Eragon? Every book is imitating another if you actually sit down and think about it.

The real question is: why on earth would you want to do that? Why would you want to get your panties all tied in a knot? Why not just enjoy the book for what it is? Why not live and breathe the world someone created in their mind after reading hundreds of other worlds? Isn’t it amazing in itself that someone could come up with something so magical? This is art! I would like to see one of you come up with a story that has nothing similar to any other story out there (and it actually be a good story). If you do, I will personally send you an apology and say that I was wrong publically.

There is so much uniqueness and magic in the Inheritance Cycle. I am currently reading it for the third time because I get so inspired by Paolini’s writing. The map inside the cover is enough for me to get lost in the world that he created at such a young age! That should be enough for anyone to be in awe of this work and this man’s mind!

Carvahall is where our hero Eragon starts off in the book. He finds a beautiful blue stone that magically appeared during his hunting trip that turned out to be one of the last dragon eggs out there. He becomes a dragon rider. He has to decide if avenging a family member’s death is more important than saving the corrupt kingdom from a dark rider named Galbatorix.

His dragon Saphira is strong headed but usually his voice of reason. She keeps him thinking straight and his head level. I’m not sure why some people say she doesn’t have feelings because it is clear to me that she does. She is a dragon, so her feelings are not as clear to us as they are to other dragons. Half the things she does she does out of emotion anyway, so I’m pretty sure you are just mistaken.



Brom is a storyteller from Carvahall with a mysterious past that he won’t completely reveal. He has a lot of stories about dragons and knows a lot about the empire. You get pieces of his back story throughout the series and that alone is an interesting one to know.

The cities that are in this story are pretty extraordinary. You have Carvahall, which is a small and dull town where nothing really exciting happens besides when the traders come to town. Then you have Utgard which has a rich history of the riders and past battles. Teirm, one of my personal favorites, which has a history of being attacked by pirates, Urgals and other enemies. They set the whole city up to be ready for war in an amazing way, land or sea. Then there is Dras-Leona, which is a horrible place where people think that the more bone and sinew you give up, the less you’re attached to the mortal world (what in the world?). Not to mention they are heavy in poverty and slavery.

Not to mention the cities where dwarves and elves live. And that deadly desert...

Then you have the different species. Humans are a big part of the story (especially when Roran becomes a big character later in the series). Dragons, obviously, are a big part of the story. Though we only know of two that live in the first book: Saphira and Galbatorix’s second and forced dragon Shruikan. Then we meet a Shade which is kind of just like a magical being but this one is not someone you want to mess with. A Witch who knows and shows up randomly (very curious character). A Were-Cat which are as clever and sneaky as an actual cat but have some magic in their veins. Then we have Elves and Dwarves who are just as you would expect them to be. Then we have Urgals, which in my opinion are like stupid ogres mix with a lot of hate and ugliness. Not to forget the Ra’zac, which in my opinion are like bugs in cloaks and currently give me nightmares.

The witch previously mentioned name is Angela. She read Eragon’s fortune (side note: this made me happy because it proves that Paolini knew exactly where he was going with this story when he started the book) and said it was nigh impossible to see.
1. Infinity or long life
2. Many choices in his future including great battles, power struggles and countless futures
3. A death that will cause him much grief
4. He will leave Alagaësia forever, no matter what he chooses
5. Epic Romance
6. Betrayal from within the family

This is a great set up for the rest of the book. You get to watch all these things come undone and how he reacts to them. Knowing your future can be an awful thing, and this book clearly states that.

There are battles, miracles, high emotions, secrets, and magic in this book (in this series!). I recommend you read this book. First, knock out all that negativity you harness and go into thinking someone made up this world. Someone imitated parts and made up others and fit a magical story into pages for the rest of the world to read. He was fifteen when he started this book. That is amazing to me because I believe this book is thoroughly laid out. I think it is a great story. You don’t? You are entitled to that opinion. Not everyone is going to like a single piece of art. Don’t go and criticize the author though, because it takes guts and imagination and a determined mind to put together what he did and show the world.

WrensReads | Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram
...more

4

Oct 01, 2009

Eragon (The Inheritance Cycle #1), Christopher Paolini
Eragon is the first novel in the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini. After writing the first draft for a year, Paolini spent a second year rewriting and fleshing out the story and characters. His parents saw the final manuscript and in 2001 decided to self-publish Eragon; Paolini spent a year traveling around the United States promoting the novel. By chance, the book was discovered by Carl Hiaasen, who got it re-published by Alfred A. Eragon (The Inheritance Cycle #1), Christopher Paolini
Eragon is the first novel in the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini. After writing the first draft for a year, Paolini spent a second year rewriting and fleshing out the story and characters. His parents saw the final manuscript and in 2001 decided to self-publish Eragon; Paolini spent a year traveling around the United States promoting the novel. By chance, the book was discovered by Carl Hiaasen, who got it re-published by Alfred A. Knopf. The re-published version was released on August 26, 2003. The book tells the story of a farm boy named Eragon, who finds a mysterious stone in the mountains. Not knowing the stone's origin or worth, he attempts to use it as payment to a butcher. A dragon he later names Saphira hatches from the stone, which was really an egg. When the evil King Galbatorix finds out the general location of the egg he sends the Ra'zac to acquire it. By that time Saphira had been growing for a while and takes Eragon to the Spine after Ra'zac appear in their village Carvahall. Eragon and Saphira are forced to flee from their hometown, with a storyteller called Brom, and decide to search for the Varden, a group of rebels who want the downfall of Galbatorix. ...
عنوانها: اراگون؛ اروگان؛ تاریخ نخستین خوانش: فوریه سال 2007 میلادی بار دوم سال 2008 میلادی
عنوان: اراگون؛ نویسنده: کریستوفر پائولینی؛ مترجم: محمد نوراللهی؛ تهران، بهنام، لیوسا، 1385؛ در 704 ص؛ شابک: 9645668387؛ چاپ دوم 1387؛ چاپ چهارم 1392؛ شابک 9789645668387؛
این کتاب با عنوان: اروگان، و با ترجمه پریا آریا؛ و با عنوان: اراگون؛ با ترجمه: مهگونه قهرمان نیز چاپ شده است
سه گانه ی میراث اثر: کریستوفر پائولینی؛ کتاب اول: اراگون (اروگان)؛ کتاب دوم: الدست در دو مجلد، کتاب سوم: بریسینگر در سه مجلد
اروگان یا اراگون عنوان نخستین کتاب از رمان فانتزی و چهارگانه وراثت، نوشته کریستوفر پائولینی است. دوران اژدهاسواران به سرآمده و جهان به لطف پادشاهی شیطان صفت، در حال نابودی است. تا اینکه روزی یک جوان روستایی، به نام اراگون، در جنگل چیزی می‌یابد. آن چیز (که از نظر اراگون باید یک سنگ گرانقیمت باشد) یک سنگ نیست. تخم است. تخم اژدها... ؛ نقل از متن: وسوسه ­گر سیالی در زیر آسمان کبود؛ که گستره ی زرین آن مرا به خود می­خواند؛ بر پهنه ی آن بادبان خواهم کشید؛ به دوردست­ها، جایی که در ذهن هیچ ا ِلفی نمی­گنجد؛ مرا به خود می­خواند؛ قلب مرا با ریسمانی از سوسن­های سفید می­بندد؛ گره ­ای که هرگز گشوده نخواهد شد؛ بندی از دریا، میان درختان و امواج. پایان نقل از متن. ا. شربیانی ...more

3

Apr 02, 2015

“The greatest enemy is one that has nothing to lose.”

It's been a while. Many years have gone by since I read this as a young teenager/old child. The only problem is that I have never read the fourth and last part of this series. At the time of its release, I had already forgotten what had happened in books 1 - 3. Since then I have not been able to find the time and motivation to reread them. I finally decided to start listening to the audiobooks to freshen up my memories.

I believe that the age “The greatest enemy is one that has nothing to lose.”

It's been a while. Many years have gone by since I read this as a young teenager/old child. The only problem is that I have never read the fourth and last part of this series. At the time of its release, I had already forgotten what had happened in books 1 - 3. Since then I have not been able to find the time and motivation to reread them. I finally decided to start listening to the audiobooks to freshen up my memories.

I believe that the age at which you read a book has great influence on how you read it. So does experience. The older you are, the more your viewpoint will shift. The more books you read, the better you can tell a good book from a bad one - of course, it's all a matter of perspective. Anyway, I doubt I would like City of Bones if I would reread it now, nearly 10 years after I read it for the first time. Luckily, this does not apply to Eragon, even though I lowered my rating from four stars to three.

Keep in mind that I "reread" this in audiobook form. I'm not the biggest fan of the narrator. He makes the characters seem overemotional and slightly immature and I don't like how he voiced some of them. I do think that some of this immaturity stems from the way Paolini wrote them, though. The language is generally a tad too pompous and pretentious for my taste. 13-year-old me wouldn't have minded but many years later this is something that bothers me. These characters often behave in a proud and almost regal way, like the typical knight in shining armour. The fantasy world Paolini created invites this language and behaviour. Dwarves, elves and dragons are creatures filled with pride and valour. It was an exaggeration that threatened to become ridiculous. A minor critique is about the chapter titles. I found them to be way too telling.

Overall, I enjoyed revisiting this world a lot. Paolini created something so big and fantastic at such a young age and I'm a bit jealous that I haven't yet managed to do the same. I'm glad I finally found the time for this book and will probably start reading book 2 right away.

Find more of my books on Instagram ...more

3

Apr 01, 2013

September 2015 Updated Review

Although written by a homeschooled teenager (and it definitely shows, especially in the sequels), I was entertained by this novel. I had seen the movie first which makes it look like the world was cobbled together while trying to bridge the gap between Star Wars and Lord of the Rings, and was turned off to reading the novels. After being told by a cousin of mine that the book was next to nothing like the movie, I tried it out and fortunately found the statement to be September 2015 Updated Review

Although written by a homeschooled teenager (and it definitely shows, especially in the sequels), I was entertained by this novel. I had seen the movie first which makes it look like the world was cobbled together while trying to bridge the gap between Star Wars and Lord of the Rings, and was turned off to reading the novels. After being told by a cousin of mine that the book was next to nothing like the movie, I tried it out and fortunately found the statement to be fair.

While not the most original story (seriously, there are too many Star Wars + Lord of the Rings moments to count), I have to give the author credit for plodding onward into his bloated first novel. Other than the fact that the story seems contrived, I was completely taken out of the story when they start talking about molecules and cells in a medieval-ish setting. It just seemed completely incongruous and anachronistic.

I give it 3 stars only because it was written by a 15 year old. If a thirty year old had written this, it would receive 2.
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0

Dec 09, 2012

I've been dying to reread this one for a while, but I was looking at its GR entry and noticed it's listed as YA fantasy. I've always considered it MG, possibly because I first read it when it was released, which was when I was 10 years old or so. Am I remembering wrong, maybe, since it's been so long?

Anyways, I'm putting it to a vote: do you consider Eragon MG or YA? What about the other books in The Inheritance Cycle?

5

Mar 21, 2007

i learned that this book kicks butt i mean common ppl you see this explosion in a forest gather up the guts to go see what it was and its a hue piece of saphire (or is it?) well then eragon goes around trying to sell it because his family is poor but know one wants it because it came out of the spine! (for those that dont know what te spine is its a collection of mountians only the brave go in but only the lucky come out) i seen the movie and i literally wanted to send a P.O. email to him i i learned that this book kicks butt i mean common ppl you see this explosion in a forest gather up the guts to go see what it was and its a hue piece of saphire (or is it?) well then eragon goes around trying to sell it because his family is poor but know one wants it because it came out of the spine! (for those that dont know what te spine is its a collection of mountians only the brave go in but only the lucky come out) i seen the movie and i literally wanted to send a P.O. email to him i swear he didnt get one thing right. first of all its not a burn with a spiraling dragon its a scale on his palm.. seocndly the dragon took moths togrow so instead of making this newborn fly into the sky and then amazingly come down all grown up yeaa what a piece of crap the movie was.. but third thing is about how brom says that rajak is tough and both movie and book and it takes forever for them to kill the rajak in the book but brom and eragon goes and takes them out within 10 minutes after saying that.. totally contradicting thierself.. and the director cut so many places out of it he didnt even introduse the witch .. who was a big character in second book... i mean did the director even read the book i want a god foresaken remake of the move its nothing like the book i hated the movie loved the book... god will thier ever be a smart director or do you consist of bringing idiots to hollywood grrrr.

~Bye!~ ...more

4

Apr 17, 2019

Almost everyone knows how this story goes. Eragon finds a huge egg in the forest but thinks it is just a precious stone — that is until it hatches and a dragon emerges. Dragons and their riders have been iradicated from the empire by the evil king Galbatorix. Eragon thinks he can keep his dragon, Saphira, a secret, but when the King sends the deadly Raz'ac to find and capture him and Saphira he realises that he has put his whole town in danger. Eragon now has to live on the run from the empire Almost everyone knows how this story goes. Eragon finds a huge egg in the forest but thinks it is just a precious stone — that is until it hatches and a dragon emerges. Dragons and their riders have been iradicated from the empire by the evil king Galbatorix. Eragon thinks he can keep his dragon, Saphira, a secret, but when the King sends the deadly Raz'ac to find and capture him and Saphira he realises that he has put his whole town in danger. Eragon now has to live on the run from the empire or join the resistance.


What really surprised me was how angsty Eragon is in this book. I don't remember him being like that in the other books or maybe I just didn't pick up on it. I didn't mind it though. To be honest the protagonists of today's YA books are written so mature and level headed. A lot of the time too much so where it's almost unbelievable. I didn't mind that Eragon didn't always think before he acted, or that he felt that the world and fate was against him. These are the actions of a 15 y/o boy.

Eragon can sometimes be reckless but Saphira is wise even though she basically hatched 6 months before. Saphira is one of my favourite characters. I love that she is so protective of Eragon, their bond is really beautiful.

I had fun with this book. A lot of things that are revealed in the next two books have clues in this one. It was really cool picking up on hints that I probably would not have noticed had I not known what happens next. I'm excited to move on to rereading Eldest and hopefully making my way through this brilliant series. ...more

1

Jan 23, 2008

This book spells 'trite' excellently. Unfortunately, that's the best quality it possesses.

This idea has been overworked many times before, and, if I may borrow a baking metaphor, overworked dough makes for flat product. Not only does he steal from successful greats, but ignores completely that the reason why they were great would be because of their ingenuity with GOING TO THE SOURCE and making it their own from there. The book takes information from mouths others, throws it together into a This book spells 'trite' excellently. Unfortunately, that's the best quality it possesses.

This idea has been overworked many times before, and, if I may borrow a baking metaphor, overworked dough makes for flat product. Not only does he steal from successful greats, but ignores completely that the reason why they were great would be because of their ingenuity with GOING TO THE SOURCE and making it their own from there. The book takes information from mouths others, throws it together into a conglomerate mess, tries to serve it with a different label on an old beverage and expects the reader to eat this previously chewed, bland, ill-matched blob of scraps.

On top of the clearly traceable sources for ideas (almost all of which come from this century), his characterization is static and mary-sue. Eragon, a name in itself that is clearly not an ingenious solution, trots through the story with no growth or believability. Sure, he may outwardly follow a hero's journey, but there is no internalization of the theme. The physical journey is the hero's journey in this tale, despite the fact that the hero's journey is a representation of spiritual changes.

It was a stale story even before it had a sequel.

I could probably write a doctorate thesis on why this is not a prime example of a truly successful novel, but this is neither the time nor place for such a rant.

In conclusion, I will admit that I did learn something from Paolini: it helps to have parents who own a printing press. ...more

2

Feb 02, 2008

I tried writing a novel when I was fifteen, too; but the difference between me and Paolini is I had the decency to chuck it when I realized how terrible it was. I’m not going to list a host of authours he ‘borrowed’ from — many people just have different opinions where exactly he borrowed from so I don’t want to get into it. It’s just… I think he had potential; descriptively, there were some parts of Eragon that were very well-written. But for the rest, he tried too hard and he tried too early. I tried writing a novel when I was fifteen, too; but the difference between me and Paolini is I had the decency to chuck it when I realized how terrible it was. I’m not going to list a host of authours he ‘borrowed’ from — many people just have different opinions where exactly he borrowed from so I don’t want to get into it. It’s just… I think he had potential; descriptively, there were some parts of Eragon that were very well-written. But for the rest, he tried too hard and he tried too early. He should have waited until he developed his own writing voice, instead of rushing into publishing his first work. Now… all that potential just went down the toilet because I listen to and I read his interviews and his arrogance is sickening. He’s not going to get any better because he doesn’t think there’s room for improvement, and why should he? He hasn’t even finished his trilogy when it was made into a movie and to top it off he didn’t go to his publisher, his publisher went to him. How many starving authours out there dream of being found, of not having to submit to one publisher after another, and of not having to read their rejection letters? I do respect him for buckling down and finishing his story — from writing to revising to editing — because I know from first-hand experience how hard it is… but… this shouldn’t have been published. It just shouldn’t have been. ...more