Has been flying out of the shop here, and now released in adult book jacket, obviously hoping for the Harry Potter cross-over thang to happen. I read about half a chapter and I am so incredibly bored. Anyone else have views?

Hi

I read the whole of Eragon. I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. The author, Christopher Paolini, was only fifteen when he wrote it, and as I read, while neither astonished nor suprised by either the originality or quality of writing, I thought that an achievement in itself.

No, Eragon is nothing special. It's every high fantasy novel written in the past fifty years, complete with map. Yet my admiration for this young author remained...

...until I discovered that Paolini's parents were the head of a major US publishing company. Then my admiration shrivelled up and died.

Apparently the movie sucks too.

JB

Haven't read the book, but thought the movie was ok for a Saturday night no-brainer. Nothing special but an ok cheese-fest. Until someone pointed out to me that it was basically A New Hope rewritten. And when I thought about it, I couldn't help but laugh that I hadn't seen it myself. Apparently the book isn't quite as obvious about it as the film is though.

Yes indeed. They did not publicise the fact that he came from that background, when going on about how young he was when he wrote it. I actually think it borders on immoral not to make that clear - mis-selling anyway.
I mean, I read on, and it gets a bit more interesting, but so many laboured passages, and so plodding.

I read the book and thought it was ok - it really starts to drag about 2/3 in.

The film is terrible. I went to see it because it took such a pasting because it wasn't LOTR and I thought - can't be that bad - and guess what?

That said, my ten year old adored both

I guess if you've read LOTR and seen 'A New Hope' then it's a yawn - but if you're young and/or impressionable then it strikes a chord.

I actually bought it because when I picked it up in the book aisle this middle aged guy accosted me and said he and the wife were entranced by it - it was the best thing he'd ever read - couldn't put it down - I was so beguiled by his enthusiasm I didn't have the heart to put it back on the shelf!

And there are passionate online debates about the characters...

So Paolini obviously reaches the parts other authors etc!

Sarah

One man's meat etc...

Yes, I can see how kids would love this book. Anyone read the sequel? I didn't get a feeling for it myself.

JB

When Eragon came out amid all the publisher's fanfair I made a special trip to the local bookshop to get it for my son, read the first couple of pages and put it straight back on the shelf. - Instead I got him Vampirates, by Justin Somper, and The Edge Chronicles, by Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell, and he loves them.

Admittedly, Paolini does thank his parents and everyone who helped him, in the acknowledgments, so it is obvious he had a lot of help. And I heard it was initially self-published, or is that just publisher puff?

No I didn't make it to the sequel - I think we have it - somewhere

sarah

I've just finished Eragon now, and I'm not feeling so harsh about it anymore. It's definitely not a work of great literature, but I can see some things to admire and emulate in there. I am actually fascinated by it, in a weird way! It's sort of like Tolkein for the Final Fantasy generation - i.e. high fantasy denuded of all depth and meaning but keeping the readability ... I am not making much sense, I'm sure, but anyway. It's an interesting phenomenon!

You have to give the fellow some plaudits for achieveing (regardless of how much/how little help he got) what he has achieved. However all the reports I have read suggest it is what you would expect a 15 year old to write. If I want to read fantasy written by a 15 year old, I'll go and find my long buried exercise books full of poor Robert E Howard or Tolkien inspired stories.

I think Paolini is now about 23 or 24 so I guess the 3rd book could be more mature and better edited (and he is probably aware of the criticism levelled at him and would want to show more originality)

David

I found it almost unreadble. And my eight-year-old (who loved the film, long afterwards) hated it too!

I think it helps to be 12 to read it.

JB

Maybe, but I think it is classed at 8-12 fiction?

I actually rather enjoyed it - it is what it is and I didn't think it a had any pretentions to be anything better.

I've read the sequel, Eldest, too. Again OK. Standard dragon-fantasy type stuff. And I'll probably read the third just to find out what happens.

The fact that his parents were in publishing irritated me, too, but I guess if you've got the contacts why not flaunt them? I would if I did!

Liked the artwork on the cover of my edition, too
x
tc

I didn't hate it, but it is a little 'done'.

Yes, the cover attracted me in the first place. I have a thing about dragons. I have a dragon on my arm and am thinking about getting another.

JB