Eragon

Wow, when I was a passionate yet stupid and embittered seventeen-year-old, I wrote a scathing review of Christopher Paolini's book. Even now, I still receive notifications on this site from people who either loved or hated that review. I do stand by some of what I said, of course. But more than a decade later, here's what I think I was trying to convey back then, but was so burdened by hatred and jealousy that I couldn't do it effectively. I'll leave the original intact for posterity's sake, but it's extremely unfocused and awful. You've been warned!

When I was fourteen, I admired Christopher Paolini out of jealousy. Publishing a book at 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 precisely. It's the work of a somewhat precocious fifteen-year-old with a thesaurus glued to his hand and a love for fantasy. He got swept up in popularity and an outpouring of love for his first book largely because he wrote it at such a young age. But as a result, he never really 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 evident in the way he struggles to find a voice for the rest of his series. His writing becomes less focused, duller, and perhaps even more overwrought and overworked. His characters do seem to grow and change over the course of four novels, but that's 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 has also 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 had some talent as a young person but whose growth was stunted 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 its 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 jealousy. 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's 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.

I have a theory that everyone has that one series. It could be the one they adored when they were younger and still cherish despite its flaws, or perhaps the one they inexplicably enjoy while those around them loathe it. For example, I have a friend who is generally highly critical of books, and I usually concur with their opinions. However, this friend is a staunch defender of Twilight. Whether it's a guilty pleasure or simply those books that you never saw in the same light as everyone else, we all have at least one. The Inheritance Cycle is one of mine, and it holds the most significant place.

I didn't anticipate that after rereading this book, I would still enjoy it. Certainly, I never expected to come out of it actually admiring Paolini. The truth is that although this is clearly a first novel, with all the pacing and creativity issues that often accompany debut works; even though I am familiar with all the twists and can no longer be surprised by something new; even though I have read countless criticisms and deconstructions of it... I still think it's rather good.

What astonishes me the most is the writing. It's not because I found it bad, but because numerous people I've spoken to claimed it was so糟糕 that they couldn't get into the book itself. Consequently, I expected to encounter flowery, overwrought, and juvenile prose that I had only managed to endure previously due to being younger and less discerning. But... I didn't find that. There are a few instances where Paolini uses a word in an inappropriate context, but no more so than most first-time authors. In fact, the writing is largely simplistic, which I believe is actually one of the book's strengths. Despite its length, it's easy to breeze through several hundred pages in a few hours.

The plot and worldbuilding are nothing extraordinary, and I think they are indeed the story's major shortcomings. It took Paolini two books to truly master how to create a fantastical setting. In Brisingr, Alagaesia has a completely different atmosphere compared to here, where it's a rather ordinary fantasy landscape. As for the plot - the common farm boy discovers a magical object, embarks on a journey with a wise mentor, saves the damsel, and becomes great - this has been done before and has been overdone. Again, these problems diminish as the series progresses and begins to expand and become more complex. However, in this first book, they are typical enough to be quite off-putting. At the end of the day, though, it's told solidly despite its lack of creativity.

In both cases, I feel that the series would have benefited immensely if Paolini had waited several years to publish them. Had he read more widely and spent more time working to distinguish Alagaesia and Eragon's story from every other fantasy novel, the final product would be much improved. (As mentioned, by Brisingr, he has made progress in most of these areas.) The other aspect that a few years of waiting and polishing could have addressed is the occasional bits that just feel far too 'teenage boy'-ish. Exhibit A: Arya and basically everything related to her. It was awkward when I first read it in middle school, and it's painful now.

There are a couple of other things that bothered me. Paolini, like an unfortunate majority of fantasy writers, doesn't bother to deviate from stereotypical medieval-esque gender roles. His only gesture towards it is Arya, and even in her case, her decision to fight causes concern for Eragon, despite the fact that she is many times stronger and more capable than he is. The most significant logical flaw resulting from this lack of creativity is that it turns out that none of the women of the Varden can fight. These people spend their entire lives in hiding and have dedicated themselves to defeating an impossibly powerful sorcerer-king, and yet no one bothered to teach the women how to use a quarterstaff or a knife? Even if they are still sent away before battles, at least they would be able to defend themselves against unexpected threats when on their own - but no, they are helpless. It makes the Varden's leaders seem rather foolish; they are wasting half of their potential fighting force.

Additionally, the description of the Battle of Farthen Dur is rather absurd. Everyone is performing these amazing feats on such an implausible scale that the whole thing becomes ridiculous. Eragon and Saphira are killing Kull left and right with incredible success; Hrothgar kills every Urgal he encounters; the entire battle is filled with these superhuman characters, and it's actually rather dull. The battle is also where Paolini's pacing really stumbles. Although we are told it lasts for hours, it doesn't feel that long at all.

Everything within the Beor Mountains suffers from a phenomenon similar to the battle - it's described as being so absurdly huge that it's unimaginable and, as a result, crosses over into the category of things that actually disrupt my immersion in the story. I mean, seriously - Farthen Dur is supposed to be ten miles in diameter on the inside. That's completely unfathomable.

At the end of the day, though, my verdict is basically: it could have been so much better if he'd waited to develop more as a writer, but this is still a satisfactory story. It's also a relatively quick read, which is definitely in its favor.

Full review:

The world of the legendary dragon riders is one filled with mystery and adventure. They are the protectors of the land, and when a dragon egg enters the company of elves or humans, it remains dormant until a suitable rider arrives. Once the egg hatches and the rider touches the hatchling, a silver mark appears on their palm, bonding them telepathically. However, one rider, consumed by the rage of his dragon's death and the refusal to give him a new one, obliterated the other riders, gained followers, and crowned himself king, becoming the only dragon rider.

Apparently, this book was written when the author was only 15, and in a way, I respect him for that. I couldn't have written a novel at that age or even now, as my ideas always get jumbled up, not to mention the philosophical barriers with all my story ideas. However, putting that aside, I was really disappointed with this book. The plot and writing style were just so bland and bare. There was hardly any depth given to the characters, and despite their secrets, they were never truly intriguing. The writing failed to grab my interest, and most of the plot involved the characters traveling. I felt that the scenery during the traveling parts could have been described more vividly, and the actual traveling could have been edited down a bit. I was just so bored for the vast majority of the book. There was too much description of everyday things and not enough on the actual legends and the characters' personalities.

On the positive side, the identity reveals and the different species the author created were good. I also liked the concept of an ancient language of power that depicts the true meaning of everything, which was also seen in The Gift by Alison Croggon. I would recommend this book for people who are looking for an unoriginal dragon tale and those who don't mind mediocre writing styles and books where not much exciting happens. Once again, I'll admit that this was a good effort from the author considering his age, but it just wasn't to my liking. For really good, well-described high fantasies, I would recommend the TLOTR series, The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, and The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima.

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Holy guacamole!

This is truly a great read that you simply must check out.

From the very first sentence, it grabs your attention and takes you on an exciting journey.

The story is engaging, the characters are well-developed, and the writing is top-notch.

It's one of those books that you can't put down once you start.

Whether you're a fan of fiction or non-fiction, this book has something for everyone.

So, what are you waiting for? Definitely give it a try. :)

We're getting an Eragon Disney+ series!

This is truly exciting news for fans of the popular book series.

The Eragon series has captivated readers with its epic fantasy world, filled with dragons, magic, and adventure.

Now, with a Disney+ series in the works, we can expect to see this amazing story brought to life on the small screen.

Disney+ has a reputation for producing high-quality content, and we can't wait to see how they will handle the adaptation of Eragon.

The series will likely follow the adventures of Eragon, a young farm boy who discovers a mysterious stone that turns out to be a dragon egg.

As Eragon grows and trains with his dragon, Saphira, he becomes embroiled in a battle to save his world from evil forces.

With its rich characters, thrilling plot, and stunning visuals, the Eragon Disney+ series is sure to be a hit with fans of all ages.

We can't wait to see what the future holds for this exciting new series!

The book that I would probably have liked more during my teen years.

Now, despite its well-written plot and world-building based on a classic fantasy, all its flaws are too hard to ignore. And when I found out how old the author was when he wrote this book, it became obvious where those flaws were coming from.

I mean, it's good, but it's mainly good for teenage boys, who are evidently its target audience. The story is black-and-white: a chosen hero vs an evil king and his henchmen, a mentor with a dark past, and a love interest written in the best traditions of "women written by men". The characters are quite clichéd and superficial, and the dialogues are very pompous and unrealistic.

So, the story is quite naive, a bit predictable, and not good enough to make me continue the series. It lacks the depth and complexity that I now look for in a book. While it may have been appealing to my younger self, as I've grown older, my literary tastes have changed. I now prefer books that challenge me, make me think, and offer a more nuanced view of the world.

Rispetto alle mie consuete recensioni, questa volta mi asterrò dall'esporre il mio pensiero perché troppo di parte. Nonostante una critica abbastanza spietata, a tratti comprensibile, già molti anni fa mi innamorai dell'omonimo film e di quella meravigliosa dragonessa blu zaffiro. Sommato al mio amore sproporzionato per i draghi in generale, sento di non essere troppo obiettivo.

PERÒ, ci tengo a precisare e a consigliare soprattutto questo libro agli amanti del genere e non. La scrittura è lineare, semplice, ma allo stesso tempo ben costruita. Le ambientazioni sono suggestive, permettendo al lettore di immergersi facilmente nel mondo creato dall'autore. I personaggi hanno tutti delle storie così particolari da entrarci subito in empatia. Il mondo magico creato nell'insieme è stupendo, pieno di misteri e di possibilità.

Detto ciò, io non vedo l'ora di continuare la lettura e seguire le vicende di Eragon e Saphira con "Eldest", secondo capitolo della serie. Sono ansioso di scoprire cosa accadrà dopo e di vedere come i personaggi svilupperanno nel corso della storia.

I have a profound affection for Eragon.

Now, I'm taking a bit of a risk here, and it might be a rather precarious one at that. But I have to do it because I can really only draw a comparison to another high fantasy series that I've been listening to on audiobook. So, here goes...

Eragon presents the kind of storytelling in the first book of a fantasy series that I had hoped Throne of Glass would have, but unfortunately, it really wasn't.

In my modest opinion, high fantasy truly appeals to me when it's immersive, enabling you to vividly envision and experience the world it's set in, and making you long to inhabit that world. Eragon accomplishes this. The title character may not be objectively as amazing, and certainly Eragon doesn't attempt to persuade me or, worse yet, tell me, and \n  TELL ME AGAIN\n, and \n  \n    TELL ME JUST ONE MORE TIME TO MAKE SURE IT SINKS IN\n  \n that he's incredibly awesome. In fact, in some places, he comes across as a bit of a complainer. But all of that is fine. It makes sense within the context of this story. He's just an ordinary guy thrust into extraordinary circumstances. It's also okay because Paolini creates wonderful images that I can both see and feel. I felt a connection to and an investment in Eragon's journey. He reacted in the way I would have anticipated him to act. I cheered for him, unlike in the other aforementioned series. I adored Saphira's sarcasm and the fact that she's not afraid to tell Eragon when he's being a fool.

Admittedly, Eragon also makes use of a lot of fantasy tropes. The chosen one. Prophecies. The young kid who gets picked and trained by a mysterious and wise master. I could identify plot devices and ideas that were comparable to the Star Wars movies and Tolkein-esque creatures. The whole concept where Eragon has a secret name—even if he himself doesn't know it—and if he were to give it to another wizard, that wizard would have power over him struck me as a bit similar to the Earthsea Cycle. But still, that's okay. It had sufficient creativity and nuance to keep me engaged.

The audio production was of good quality. It was dynamic. There were a couple of instances of background music that enhanced the mood. However, the voice chosen for the dragon, Saphira, seemed like an odd and grating choice, I must admit. And I would be remiss if I didn't mention that this one too has an excessive amount of "hiss"ing. Seriously? Why? Enough already! I understand. That word was overused. But hopefully, there won't be as much in the next one.

Overall, I truly loved this. There were just a few minor things that prevented it from receiving 5 stars. This is yet another one of those times when I wish I could award half a star. Oh well, right?

Anyway, I wish I had read it in book format a long time ago. But better late than never. I'm looking forward to the next volume.