Any Eragon fans on here?

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katy_trail
katy_trail Posts: 1,992 Member
in Chit-Chat
I just finished the last book. Thoughts?

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  • Windy_
    Windy_ Posts: 1,012 Member
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    It was originally supposed to be a trilogy, I think the fourth book was to wrap everything up nicely. To me each book got harder and harder to read and I had lost interest by the fourth. I know a lot of people who didn't even get through the fourth book,

    I was disappointed in the epic (sarcastic) romance between Eragon and Ayra....I mean not even a kiss? They just held hands if I remember correctly.

    We never found out the seven words Brom told Eragon. And what ever happened to the two people that Eragon *blessed*...I use that term loosely...

    It's been a while since I read it, but I was disappointed. Paolini is from my area and the first book held a lot of promise. He had 3 years to write the last book and it sucked.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    I just finished the last book. Thoughts?

    LOVED IT! But, yeah, I was also disappointed that he didn't get together with Arya. But I loved the way Eragon brought down Galbatorix. There are a lot of fans that thought it was "too easy" or whatever, but I thought it was pretty creative.
  • meggwyn
    meggwyn Posts: 226 Member
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    I just read them all this past summer and LOVED them!!! I went through a bit of withdrawal when I finished the last book and wish the author would continue the story. It was so much better than I had thought it was going to be.
  • Jay_Jay_
    Jay_Jay_ Posts: 194 Member
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    I did not write this, but it accurately reflects everything I think about this series.

    --

    Standard fantasy fare, except that while most fantasy authors lift their plots only vaguely from a previous author, Eragon is simply the first Star Wars film with a Lord of the Rings paintjob:

    Princess flees, tries to keep precious item out of 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"

    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.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    I did not write this, but it accurately reflects everything I think about this series.

    --

    Standard fantasy fare, except that while most fantasy authors lift their plots only vaguely from a previous author, Eragon is simply the first Star Wars film with a Lord of the Rings paintjob:

    Princess flees, tries to keep precious item out of 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"

    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.

    ^^^ LOAD OF CRAP; disagree

    People just look for things that aren't even there.


    :flowerforyou:
  • AndyStanford
    AndyStanford Posts: 154 Member
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    I've read the first 3 books, nd thought it was a decent read, but nothing special.

    If the 4th book really finishes things off, I'll be glad to read the conclusion.

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