Eragon

[HLGStrider]

Now I can list the pros and cons of this book and they exist. It is a fantasy novel by a young, first time author (19 in age), and I think that is why I like it so much. If he can do it, I can too. I'm nearly as good as him!


Anyway, has anyone read it? What did they think?

I liked a lot of the elements. . .and I am awaiting the sequel if only to prove my theory right about certain family trees that I have been speculating on.

I predict that Eragon has a half brother he doesn't know about, for instance, but who we have already met in the story.

[Lief Erikson]

I've only read half of it, so I won't be looking at this thread for a very long time, I expect. The author was a good writer, in my opinion. I didn't encounter any new ideas in the book, so I ended up losing interest. He is good at writing, though.

EDIT: And this will be the only part of our conversation that Valandil reads .

[HLGStrider]

MU HA HA HA The evil exclusiveness of it all. Only I, Lief, and Christoph the Beta Fish know!

Where was I?

I could see where Paolini could use a little work on his style. For one thing he gave the villianous shade Maroon eyes. Maroon? What serious fantasy writer allows the color Maroon into his work! If you are a serious fantasy writer and have the word maroon in your work, go delete it immediately. No one uses the word herb in a rock song. No one uses maroon in a fantasy book.

He also will occasionally throw in a big word where a small one would fit and I know what that is. He was homeschooled and is showing off his vocabulary. I know because I was homeschooled and used to do the same thing. Homeschoolers love to show off vocabulary. It's our main fault.

However, I did like certain plot elements, especially the dragon herself and the WareCat. I just like cats, however. The character Angelica was too contrived and the females don't feel real, but he's new to this.

[rael]

I think that he gave him maroon eyes because his eyes were brown in real life it might make sence that brown goes maroon and blue goes black do i make sense

[Valandil]

Originally Posted by Lief Erikson

EDIT: And this will be the only part of our conversation that Valandil reads .

But I haven't even read the book! Is the title (and is it a character name) a bit of a play with the word 'dragon'? The first time I saw it I did a double-take, wondering if the 'E' was supposed to be a fancy 'D' - and if the title was 'Dragon'! Silly me!

[ethuiliel]

But it was supposed to look like Dragon, CP purposely spelled it almost like Dragon.

I think it's a great book, by the way!!

[Iboen]

I've read this book through ands through, and still haven't bought it yet =\ Hehe, I found it really well written and rather inspiring, but I think most of Paolini's ideas were stolen obviously, hehe.

Iboen

[Cantaloupe]

I agree with Iboen, much of Eragon is stolen. I found it slightly annoying how similar is was to Tolkien *sage nod*

[luvEyowen]

Books! Anybody read Eragon?

[Earniel]

Moved to proper forum and merged with older, already existing thread on the same topic.

It took me a while to get into Eragon, and when I was just getting into the story, the book ended. But then I suppose I'm rather spoilt when it comes to stories.

Still, Eragon was an okay read, if not somewhat unimaginative at times. But hey, it's a lot better than anything I could have written at the age of 19, let alone get published.

And this is the first book that managed to trick me. Usually I never read a book of which the sequels haven't been published yet. I dislike reading one book and then waiting another two years to read the next one, when I probably don't remember by then just what was in the first book. Eragon fiendishly hit the fact it had a sequel until the last page. How I cursed. But I still think I will buy Eldest too, when it comes out in paperback and translation.

[ElvenLover]

I am the same way. I hate reading a book if I know that I have to wait for the next one. The Stress of it all kills!
I personally agree with a few of the others. CP wrote a good book and he was not much older than myself,, but he did make himself seem slightly pompous with his choice of vocab. and the length of the book. (What teenager has the time to write something that long? I barely have the time to do my reports, much less write a book! )
But, I still enjoyed it and and waiting for it all to come to a close.

[Nurvingiel]

I heard he self-published the book, and then his parents promoted it at a number of different libraries, then a publisher picked it up.

I don't know if that's true or not.

However I did skim some of the book and I don't think I can read such... prose. It's as though every high fantasy cliche was distilled, and its putrid essence was used to soak every page of the book. Throw in a little ripping off of Tolkien and you have yourself a book.

That's the impression I got from the two pages I read before I had to bleach my eyeballs anyway.

[RaistlinMagere]

I personally loved the book, but what everyone has said is true....he did kind of copy many great books, but his twist on their story lines is what made the book great...
I most appreciate the fact that Eragon didnt start out skilled at anything but the peasant/naive lifestyle and became something great...thats not very much copied from Tolkien or any other fantasy series i've read...magic was renewed in his world, it wasnt always there like in Frodo's...

[me9996]

Another thing that's bugging me that oughta be put in spoiler tags, so I will.

First of all, Eragon and his Cuzan (I CAN'T SPELL) Rohan keep saying 'aye'. 'aye' this 'aye' that! It just bugs me up the wall! The best way to discribe how much this bugs me would be a missused quote from the same book... Just take any part when Angelica insults Eragon and goes on about what a blockhead he is and imagen she's talking about his constant use of the word 'aye'. Second, the elves realy bug me. I'd like to get a few words in with Orumus (I think that's his name) but of course he doesn't exist. Third, once Eragon lays hands on the raz'ac he's going to rip them apart with magic, no two-ways about it no matter what the elves say! (And I'd like to read that part)

So that's it. One thing I'm shure is going to happen in the third one is Eragon

bringing someone back to life!

[ayra]

So, how (the last spoiler) is that going to happen? They, (elfs and Brom, general teachers of Eragon) say it cannot happen.

[me9996]

That's just why! They're setting it up so when he does it it'll be realy big as a plot point! (And they made shuch a point of it that if it doesn't come into play at all during the story...)

[rael]

I read it and loved it the second was even better

[ayra]

I cannot be Eragon's half-sister. The book plainly says who belongs to whom. And who is whose parents.

[me9996]

I was talking about the book Arya, not you.

But you know the strange systems the elves have insted of marrage and they never say that Morzan is human (At least I don't think so)

And I don't beleave they say who the book Aryas father is...

The difficulty with discussing Eragon with someone with the username "Arya"

[The last sane person]

No, the book does state it who is whose daughter and son. And yes, it says morzan is human. Er...wait, no the second book goes into who is the father/mother/brother/sister. Meh.