Eragon

gaius

Eragon by Christopher Paolini. Has anyone read it? What did you think?
The movie is coming out December 15th.

I personnally can't wait. Just finished rereading the book and am now starting book number 2.

The author has real talent especially for someone so young.

mcgovern

Heard there was absolutely nothing original in it and was just copy & paste from other big fantasy novels?
Game coming out soon too I think on the X360.

rogue-entity

Eragon borrows quiet heavilly from Anne McCaffreys Dragonriders of Pern series, thats just what I know from the description. I have been told it also borrows on some elements of Star Wars and Lord of the Rings.

This doesnt make Paulini a bad author, nor does it make Eragon a bad book. He has just started out, and he hasnt yet found his footing so to speak.

zod

just read books one and two .. and couldn't stop comparing to star wars and lotr. not a BAD read though

Baggly

have to agree ^^^

not a bad thing to read if you have nothing from one of your favourite authors handy. got a bit depressed when my 12 yr old cousin started discussing the characters with me tho...

Overheal

I seemed to be able to enjoy it without conciously getting pulled to those the whole time...but yes, especially at the end of the second book, it screamed lord of the rings and star wars out of its ears.

Still gotta hand it to the kid (Paolini) he knows what sells: retelling whats already been done in such a way that you arent going to be sued

humanji

Plus having rich parents who have friends in publishing companies doesn't hurt

frenchtaxi

not the best... certainly not original, easily forgetable!!!

fair play to him though!!!

I read the first book and was very unimpressed. Read like a best of modern fantasy compilation, rewritten by a barely literate 6 year old suffering from ADD.

darthculain

Have to say I enjoyed both books and I'm eagerly awaiting the third. Complain about the lack of originality you want, but have you read Harry Potter? Or watched any comicbook movies recently? Enjoyed the spate of remakes the past few years. Nothing is original anymore, Paolini puts it together very well though.

That said, the movie blew chunks. It was woeful. Less faithful than even the Da Vinci c*ck-up. Only LOTR was more of a joke.

Revolution9

Anyone still interested in this?
I love the books. 4th one should be seeing the light of the day soon I imagine

_Godot_

I've read the 3 books currently out and I thought they were tolerable, but really were a rip-off of LOTR and Star Wars. The only characters I remember liking were Saphira, Angela and Maude. I'll read the 4th once it finally gets released.

Revolution9

_Godot_ wrote: »

I've read the 3 books currently out and I thought they were tolerable, but really were a rip-off of LOTR and Star Wars. The only characters I remember liking were Saphira, Angela and Maude. I'll read the 4th once it finally gets released.

Paoulini gave an interview to a fan website, saying he can see the light at the end of the tunnel regarding the completion of the 4th book.
A chapter involving plenty about werecats that will be in the new book has been released online as a teaser, if your interested.

Gearheart

I found the eregon books to be a decent read but the older I got the less I liked them, they seemed to get more childish, maybe that's just my sense of perspective and my view of the world changing i'm not sure. I have read all three books so far and would buy the fourth if I seen it just to finish the series. Nothing I hate more than leaving a series unfinished. :P

darthculain

darthculain wrote: »

That said, the movie blew chunks. It was woeful. Less faithful than even the Da Vinci c*ck-up. Only LOTR was more of a joke.

I was put off the books by the movie considering how shallow and cliche it was, with no character development or anything. Sounded like it was written by a 10 year old.

Kid is from small village, upset about his mother; suddenly, a dragon! not another word about the mother. village burnt down. Mysterious old man with a secret. Dragon can't breathe fire yet (but can compress rock to diamond, and this isn't valuable in any way in a fight?) until the crucial life-threatening moment. Dragons die if riders do but not vice versa (wtf)

Are the books genuinely any better?

Sleepy

I have to say I enjoy them. Absolute bubble-gum of course but you can't eat fillet mignon every day and sometimes we all have a hunger for some McDonalds

Oh, and bluewolf, it was written by a kid. Think Paolini was about 14 when Eragon was released?

giftgrub

I would class them as more aimed for a younger reader.
A bit mickey mouse, nothing original

Gearheart

giftgrub wrote: »

I would class them as more aimed for a younger reader.
A bit mickey mouse, nothing original

Indeed, seemed very childish at times although it did get a bit more gritty towards the later novels. Overall though I disliked them.

Sleepy

Sleepy wrote: »

I have to say I enjoy them. Absolute bubble-gum of course but you can't eat fillet mignon every day and sometimes we all have a hunger for some McDonalds

Oh, and bluewolf, it was written by a kid. Think Paolini was about 14 when Eragon was released?

17
old enough to know better :pac:

Sleepy

Ah, 15 when he wrote it, 17 when it got a proper release.

Temptamperu

They aint amazing books but they are enjoyable i suppose.

The movie was muck though.

Mickeroo

I read the first book, thought it was pretty much what you'd expect from a teenager, how it got published I'll never know. It literally follows the first Star Wars film beat for beat, I'm not kidding, swap Jedi for dragon riders, I'm surprised they were never sued. All that was missing was a wookie.

EKClarke

The last book is out on November 8th.