Christopher Paolini and Eragon, anyone?

**ohiopiper** · 5th March 12, 07:09 AM

So I am an unabashed fan of fantasy, science fiction and various and sundry other genres of fiction literature. I consider The Lord Of The Rings to be one of the finest leterary works of the twentieth century, due to the breadth of the plot, characters, cultural development such as complete languages to accompany it, etc.

Anyway, I was given a copy of Paolinis' first book, Eragon, several years ago. I enjoyed and picked up copies of his next two book, Eldest and Brisingr, as they became available in paperback. For Christmas, my wife bought me the final book of the series, Inheritance, in hardcover. Having been a while since reading Brisingr, I began with Eragon again and have just finished Inheritance. While not on the same level as some of the worls it resembles, it is nevertheless a well written and enjoyable series. Pretty impressive work considering he began writing it when he was in his teens and is still in his early twenties.

Anybody else a fan of the book? I've yet to see the movie, as I am usually disappointed.

**McClef** · 5th March 12, 07:53 AM

I have not read the book but I would say that the movie is often disappointing outside of the special effects etc.

**serenitylala** · 5th March 12, 08:02 AM

Just a humble warning.... watching the movie may make you cry because it is so bad in comparison to the book.

First off, a lot of the book is cut out. (That's pretty much a given with any 90 minute or so movie based on a book the size of a lethal weapon.)

Second, they have a heroine that looks at least 20 years older than the hero. And she's homely too.

Third, the acting is so scary that I wanted to crawl the walls to get out of the theater, but alas, I was trapped because I was in the middle row with a date.

Fourth, you watch it to the end, wondering where the fantastic storyline of the book went because it was definitely not in THAT movie.

Now, if you watch the movie expecting a B flick with decent costumes and special effects, and realizing that Paolini himself said in an interview that he really didn't like the movie... you might enjoy it.... might.

**Tony** · 5th March 12, 09:31 AM

As movie adaptations go, it was certainly no LotR.

I haven't even read Eragon and was still disappointed in the movie.

**rlloyd** · 5th March 12, 11:37 AM

I enjoy the books. Critics decry them as derivative but, really, what isn't these days? As has been said, they're no Lord of the Rings but they're fun for fans of the genre nonetheless.
The movie was disappointing, to say the least. If you can watch it and pretend it has nothing to do with the Inheritance Cycle and is just a fun throwaway movie, then by all means do so. But, as others said, don't go in expecting anything even 1% of what the Peter Jackson LotR movies were.

**Sir William** · 5th March 12, 04:35 PM

Originally Posted by serenitylala

Just a humble warning.... watching the movie may make you cry because it is so bad in comparison to the book.

My thoughts as well. I enjoyed the book but the film was a major disappointment, though I enjoyed Robert Carlyle and Jeremy Irons. I watched it a few weeks ago while flying back from Europe (I wanted to confirm that Carlyle's character in "Once Upon a Time" is similar to his role in "Eragon") and my opinion hadn't changed any.

**ohiopiper** · 5th March 12, 11:40 PM

Trust me, I have no intention of seeing the movie. Peter Jackson and company doing such a fine job on LOTR was a once in a lifetime thing, I believe. I don't expect to EVER see a movie adhere to a book so closely again. There were deviations, but so minor as to be written off completely.

**be da veva** · 6th March 12, 08:11 AM

Originally Posted by ohiopiper

Trust me, I have no intention of seeing the movie. Peter Jackson and company doing such a fine job on LOTR was a once in a lifetime thing, I believe. I don't expect to EVER see a movie adhere to a book so closely again. There were deviations, but so minor as to be written off completely.

I am a big fan of LoTR as books, but the movies were okay. Sure, they were great movies and I enjoy seeing them still, but the storyline.... It could've been better. A good movie from a book is the first Harry Potter.... (yes, I know, the size of the book blah blah blah.... but still, we've all seen, mostly, worst and ,rarelly, good adaptations of books on the big screen)

If you liked the LoTR books, try the Malazan Book of the Fallen serie by Steven Erikson. I'm the type of guy that re-reads the whole serie when a book comes out and believe me, everytime I read it, it was better...
It's almost a new kind of fantasy...

**Inchessi** · 6th March 12, 10:09 AM

Eragon was neat, mainly because mama Paolini said Christopher could not go to college since he was only 15 or 16, she told him to write a book. The books are very fast reading, and a serious escape from reading regulations and laws. I really enjoyed the way the last book ended. He looked into repercussions’ that most experienced writers often ignore. I would like to expand on my meaning, but that would spoil it for some. I did see the movie, and the script adhered slightly more to the book than “I Robot.”

While LoTR and this series are in the same genre, can you compare the writings of an experienced older person to that of a first book teenager? It is an asinine comparison.

**Zardoz** · 6th March 12, 11:58 AM

Having read the Nibelungenlied, the Völsunga saga and a lot similar works before Lord of the Rings, I found it a little derivative!

But, And I hate to say, mostly slow and boring. I liked the movies though, they did a great job of condensing the ponderous storylines in the books.

Eragon seems to be influenced by many of the same themes, albeit by way of Star Wars and Lord of the Rings, But you have to concede that the book is quite an achievement a teenage author.