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Posted By : Edward Knight - 5/22/2006 11:13 AM

I'm almost finished reading Eragon.

I chose to read it because it seems very popular with the kids at school. It's not a horrible book, but it isn't really good either. Without getting into the writer's style, my biggest problem with the book is a lack of originality. If I took parts from LOtR, Dragon Riders of Pern, Wheel of Time, and even a few bits from StarWars, then I would have a duplicate of Eragon. Almost every bit of it I feel I've read before in one place or another. I have yet to find an element within the story that is original. I'm all in favor of the use of old themes with new twists, but this book lacks any twists.

Edward Knight
Editor
Journey Books Publishing
Amazing Journeys Magazine

http://www.journeybookspublishing.com
http://www.journeybooksonline.com

Posted By : Frank - 5/22/2006 12:29 PM

I bought a copy of that book several months ago based on my usual criteria: if the first page reads well or is interesting in some way to me then I may want to read it someday, so I buy it (if the price is good--I never buy any book at the original cover price). I have not yet read beyond the first chapter. It seemed cute but not a masterpiece by any means, despite its popularity. I'll come back to this thread after I've read more of it.

Posted By : darkbow - 5/22/2006 4:21 PM

Wasn't a bad book, but it wasn't great. At least it didn't bore me to tears.

Posted By : Edward Knight - 5/22/2006 8:14 PM

I'll agree with that. I don't dislike the book. I just wish there was a bit more originality. On top of that characters keep doing things that make me say "Why?" If a chracters does something, there should be a reason behind the action. Sometimes Eragon (and others) do things that defy logic or that seem to have no purpose except to create a problem that didn't have to exist.

I didn't find a reason to stop reading the book, but it sure has made me shake my head a lot in regard to why things happen as they do. It bothers me when things happen for no reason.

Edward Knight
Editor
Journey Books Publishing
Amazing Journeys Magazine

http://www.journeybookspublishing.com
http://www.journeybooksonline.com

Posted By : Frank - 5/24/2006 5:19 PM

Isn't the author really young? Like high school age when he wrote it? Or am I mistaking this book for another?

Posted By : PaulMc - 5/24/2006 5:22 PM

Frank said...
Isn't the author really young? Like high school age when he wrote it? Or am I mistaking this book for another?

I think he was 17 when it was self-published. Picked up by a bigger publisher later. He is now 21, if I correctly recall the article I read a few months ago.

And, I think the movie rights have already been sold!

-- Paul McNamee

My Writings
The Tales of Doran Coyle
Associate Editor, Sword and Sorcery.org

Posted By : Kuroboshii - 6/4/2006 9:03 PM

Movie rights haven't just been sold. It comes out this December.

Sean T. M. Stiennon (AKA Suuran Songforge)

Check out my author page at www.sfreader.com/authors/seanstiennon!

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