Eldest

Eragon/Eldest/Paolini=Bad.

That is all.

I love these books. i have read htem each at least 10 times. My eragon copy is currently held together with rubberbands*stupid paperback obsessed parents*
I anjoyed the books tremndously, and cannot wait till the next comes out sometime iun september.

Ok. I've read both books, and I thought they were okay. As in, not absolutely mind blowing.

Why?

Too many clichés. Dragonriders, dwarves in mountains, mysterious elves, a farmer boy suddenly changing the fate of the world, Orcs- I mean Urgals... Etc. Plus miss mystery Sue, aka Arya, annoys me.

BUT.

Basically every fantasy novel uses some clichés. It's nearly unavoidable - If you don't use them, chances are it feels unfamiliar to your average fantasy enthusiast. The trick is making it good. And Paolini manages to make that mix work. I liked the magic system, for once something that seems to take an effort and make sense, not just fireballs after bolts of energy after waves of destruction. Plus the Roran sideline was an excellent move. Still don't like Arya though. Oh well.

I actually liked these books. Though the story did seem to drag on half-way through in Eragon's point of view with his elf training. That plot-line was boring. When I was reading that part of the book, I couldn't wait to see what happened the Roran. His plot-line was much more interesting in the second book.

I finished Eldest the day it came out and absoulutely loved it. I thought it was going to be like LOTR but it was nothing like it and i couldnt put it down. I just wish he would write the final book and publish it already so i could be done with the series. Too much waiting don't ya think? (FYI, the movie sooooooo isnt as good as the book.)

Wow, I wonder where I got my name from? (Ebrithil = Master)

Someone who has read Eldest 7 times +
Someone who loves fantasy +
Someone who is 12 =
Joy (Bookebrithil)

Eldest=The best book ever.

(yeah, spoilers again)

Well ... ok. Still didn't like that book so much as the first one. It wasn't just those few points that turned me off it. It just ... wasn't as entertaining.

I guess there still could be changes in the plot involving Murtagh. But it still annoys me that he is apparently working for the bad guy, whether he turns out to be 100% evil or not.

But you won't get me to change my mind on the elves thing. I have a thing about elves. I don't think Ergon ought to have become even partly elf. And I would have been just as annoyed with it if he had become part dwarf. So it's not just that I have a thing about elves. I mean ... it was kind of like the point of it was that he was human, to me. He was learning, and he was getting things wrong, and basically he was just a moody human teenager (with a dragon). You have these great elves that can beat him oh so easily in fighting and magic, and I thought that was pretty good. But instead of that being a problem, it's just a swish of the magic wand and he's got the powers too.

(Note: more possible spoilers)

Well, since you've already let out some spoilers (which people can skip over thanks to your warning), I think I'll comeent on them. For those of you who have not yet read the book, skip over this post as well.

Well, technically, Eragon isn't actually an elf. At least not completely. He's kind of a mix between a human and an elf. Half and half, more or less. And it was elves who started the dragon riders, so it makes sense they get the best part of the deal. The Elves still don't view him as an elf, he is simply a dragon rider, and still technically a human dragon rider, just with a few elven characteristics.

As to Murtagh, hold on just a moment. You remember the dialogue between the two don't you? If that's one of the parts you skipped over, you missed a lot. I mean, if he were evil, would he have let Eragon go and not taken him to the king as technically ordered? I think not. Go back over that part. The only obvious part for me there was the fact that the two were brothers.

Man, for being such highly praised and well doing books, they don't seem to have a lot of fans here on YWS. Ah well, everyone's entitled to their own opinion, and there are always going to be those who don't like something. At least people aren't afraid to voice those opinions. That's what I like about this site.

(note: There will be spoilers)

I quite liked Ergon. I wouldn't say it was my favourite book ever, but I did quite enjoy it. Some of the characters annoyed me a bit. And I'm not a big fan of huge descriptions. But otherwise.

Eldest ... was not as entertaining. Actually I skipped a huge chunk near the end just so I could finish it sooner.

It was just ... ELVES??? NOOOOOOOO!!!! So Ergon isn't even human any more? Well, that sucks. So the humans don't techincally have a dragon rider? Jeez. The elves just get everything their way. Stupid elves. Think they're so special. *mutters about stupid elves*

And Murtagh!!! I liked him! In Ergon everyone suspected he was evil ... and then ... he was! I mean, it was predictable, but it was just ... why did everyone suspect his evilness if he was going to actually turn out to be evil? That was such a let down. It's like when the murderer in a Who Dun It mystery turns out to be the person the police suspected after all.

Yeah, well. I did still like Ergon. It's just Eldest that disappointed me.

HUGE FAN OF ELDEST. HAVE YOU READ ELDEST LIMITED EDITION? IT HAS A PREVIEW OF THE THIRD BOOK! hIS WRITING HAS IMPROVED

I honestly gave Eragon a chance, but after the first few pages, I literally fell asleep. The book wasn't really that bad, it was just.....flat. Really boring in my opinion and a little cliched.

I found the first book, Eragon, to be at least an entertaining read. Sure, it was stereotypical, but I think he actually said somewhere that it was meant to be the typical fantasy adventure peice. He purposfully didn't do anything drastically original. But it was still an original story. The only serious gripe I had about it was one of the plot twist setups for book two was so painfully obvious I thought it was rediculous.

As to Eldest, I believe it was far better than Eragon. The story itself I felt was more original, the characters seemed more or less believable (if not excedingly memorable), and the locations were interesting. Heck, I even like the descriptions. Sure, it slowed down maybe one too many times, but give it some credit. It wasn't the best book I've ever read, but it was still a very enjoyable read that I had a hard time putting down. I'd actually like to read how it all ends, even though the first book kinda gives a little of that away.

They're even making a movie of the first book, with Chris supposedly being involved in produciton. I sure hope they don't scew it up like they have so many other adaptations.

I didn't really like Eldest. I loved Eragon, but I didn't like Eldest really. Especially when Eragon went through his "transformation," I wish he had stayed human, and I found the parts where they flashed back to his brother were extremely boring.

I felt the characters were quite stiff. But then, that's my opinion.

Eldest was not the greatest book I have ever read. I got bored several times and had to stop and read something else. The main cause for this is probably because the book is so long. Eragon was the same and it is quite clichèd.
The start of the story was very long and drawn out and having read Eragon so long ago it made it hard to get back into the plot and story.
Although one good point is Paolini is very good at doveloping his characters.

the middle child of a family...doesn't receive the attention it deserves.

He did a book signing in my nieberhood so I got ma' copy signed!

I gotta say, I was disappointed with Eldest. Eragon blew me away, and I expected Eldest to have the same substance as its predecessor. It fell short. It's still a great book, but it has the misfortune of being the middle book in a trilogy, and just like the middle child of a family, it doesn't receive the attention it deserves. It can't begin or conclude anything collosal in the story, so it's stuck advancing details of the plot. This doesn't make it bad, but I was never exactly on the edge of my seat. I was also personally bothered by Eragon. He's not getting any smarter with age, and now he's turned pretty. If he's not careful, I fear that's all we'll be able to say of our hero.

You can thank St. Lawrence College for that. The program I'm in is for what one of my profs calls a "professional helper", and we're learning to develop all kinds of skills that aid in communication and being a part of a group. But that is off topic. Please return to discussing the book.

And it's true. I may not have enjoyed the book, and would never have gotten through it had I actually read it rather than listening to the audiobook, but that doesn't matter. Books were written to be read, and I would die if I found out a teacher was using one of my books in a classroom in any way other than to enhance studying a social issue I address in my books.

Reichieru wrote:Notice how I shared my opinion of the novel without purposely contradicting anyone or saying that they were wrong. In a group like this, even in the debate forum, we must respect everyone's point of view and opinion or else every topic will get reduced to flame wars.

Gotta say that I'm on yourside with this one. It's unfair to critisize something as subjective as whether or not a book is good. With art and literature, people are always going to have differing opinions and different standards for what is good and not good, and some people are not as descriminating as others and either don't notice the weak points of the novel, or would rather ignore them and just enjoy the adventure.

Notice how I shared my opinion of the novel without purposely contradicting anyone or saying that they were wrong. In a group like this, even in the debate forum, we must respect everyone's point of view and opinion or else every topic will get reduced to flame wars.

My god, Silverstar...

Sorry, but I think that you proved your point in saying you hated the book. I respect your first comments, and even the three afterward, but you just seem to be calling everyone who liked this book stupid and [basically] naive. Just because you might not like it doesn't mean someone else does.

If you're really fired up for an argument, you can go to the Debates board.

I've naught more to say to that. Although, I might add that Paolini has decided not to go on with post-secondary education, and decided to continue with what he's doing. This is akward, because how much insight went into that decision? In his case, the fame and money are talking.

*thunderous applause*

Reichieru, that was very aptly put, exactly how I feel.

However, it is an insult to geniuses when this book is compared with the greatest works of fanatsy fiction. It was written by a boy who has a lot of talent and potential for great things once he's developed his skills, has matured, and has gained a much wider range of experiences and knowledge.

I found the book to be very poorly written. The story is essentially Star Wars without the depth and maturity, and with a little LOTR mixed in. That's not a big probelm for me, since I am a fan of retellings. Howeverm you should be able to disguise it or make it understood that is what you're doing, and Paolini does neither. It also drags on. They spend so much time trying to figure out what to do instead of just doing in. You could see the author trying to figure out the next step along with the characters. The characters were annoying and entirely unbelievable. The main character is a rather weak attempt at the hero archetype, and the dragon behaves in a way that is charming and witty when done by skilled writers, but is just irritating in this book. The pace was awkward, and the narrative style was just fine for a talented teen. However, it is an insult to geniuses when this book is compared with the greatest works of fanatsy fiction. It was written by a boy who has a lot of talent and potential for great things once he's developed his skills, has matured, and has gained a much wider range of experiences and knowledge.

The fact that he reached the bestseller list is the same reason a bad movie can be in the top five on opening weekend: It was well promoted, and not enough people are exposing themselves to higher-quality works. The boy's age was used as a marketing gimmick which he will suffer from for likely his entire career. I had the opportunity to meet an author who wrote his first published book at the age of fifteen. He's now in his mid-thirties, and that is still written in the About-the-Author page, and is mentioned in reviews and interviews, and articles about him. He can't get away from it, and when I asked him, it was easy to see that he didn't like the fact that this is what he is famous for. While the money teens earn through sales, if their book sells well, will help pay for their post-secondary education, it's likely that they would look back and regret starting their career so soon.

The author I met, whose name is Kenneth Oppel, also felt the same way I do about Eregon.

The point is, he made money, thats telling you something writers. You can write a simple thing like this, and your set for life! So really, write your heart and mind out! I agree with Ms. Haux, and yes yoo hoo for Narnia!

Read Eragon a while ago, reread it recently (my friend is an Inheritance trilogy paychofan and inspired me to reread it in prep for Eldest), still liked it. Although I agree with everyone who said it was a lot like LOTR. But it made me fall asleep a lot less. Props for Eragon. Still have to read Eldest. I'll probably ask for it for Christmas.

Interesting note: The day I reread Eragon, I had read a writing article that said to aviod adverbs at all costs and also don't replace said a lot. Both of those things are in the book a lot. But it didn't really bug me. The legnthy description did. But I'm a description-hater overall.

See. Amatuerish writing, really amatuerish plotting. He shouldn't have been published. He should have had more time to develop his writing, not publishing the first finish piece of writing he did and caling it good on general principle. And let's face it, the only reason it sold is becasue of publicity... It sold enough, so Random House thought it was a good bet and published it and then PUBLICIZED it.

NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

::hulks over in the street and cries in the rain::

I CAN'T BELIEVE HE DECIEVED ME!

Well, I still think what he did in the beginning is bullcrap, but thank you Miss Haux, you've lightened my day.

*reads Anair's post* You obviously haven't read all of it... :-#

I think part of the reason I was disappointed in Eldest was because I had forseen much of it. Also, it lacked depth of thought AND an absorbing plot...but maybe that was just me. The way Eragon's character changes in an hour--literally--was irritating for me. Then he crams the majority of conflict into about forty pages, maybe less, at the end of the book. Anything that could have made an impact was brushed over quickly. *rant* Sorry, guys. I liked Eragon. I was just so disappointed with Eldest.

Anyway...

But then again.. THREE CHEERS FOR THE UPCOMING MOVIES THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA AND EREGON!!! WOOOOOOOOO!!!

*************
SPOILER ALERT (for those who haven't started reading the book yet)
*************

Okay, I don't think anyone has commented on this yet, but I really didn't like the beginning of Eldest. Apparently, a lot of you love the book, but I still don't think it was wise to kill off important characters in the first chapter. I absolutely loved Eregon, but this crap with Ajihad, the Twins, and Murtagh dying in the very first chapter of the book is a bit ridiculous. And i'm not entirely positive if they are found to actually be alive later (i've only read up to Chapter 3).

Either way, if they are all dead and stay dead, or if they somehow escaped death, it's a bad move. You don't just kill off important characters in the beginning of a sequel. If anything, you do the opposite; having the character pass away at the end of the previous book. Like for instance what they did with the death of Boromir in the LOTR movies (glorious ending). Boromir actually dies in the beginning of The Two Towers, but they switched it up so he dies at the end of Fellowship of the Ring. Now that, would be a smart move. That would set the foundation not only for revenge and a quest for rescue, but an entire sequel, which the reader will usually anticipate.

I know there was obviously a reason behind Paolini making this bold move in the first chapter...
Maybe he wasn't positive there would even be a sequel (not knowing of course how popular he would become), maybe it's something HE thought would be good... etc.

I do plan to read the rest of the book, but for some reason I was just incredibly disappointed by that beginning.


But then again.. THREE CHEERS FOR THE UPCOMING MOVIES THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA AND EREGON!!! WOOOOOOOOO!!!

I'm reading it just now and im really enjoying it. I found it easy to get into, as i did with Eragon. Yes, the setting is very similar to LOTR, but it's still a very enjoyable read! I think if you only read the first few pages, give it another go. Yay.

Good job Silverstar, once again! Saphira... I mean was like an annoying brat bugging Eragon all the time, crappers man! Your a damned dragon thats grown to the size of a friggin elaphant in 6 months! (and already she's mastered, yes, mastered speech? This Dragon is very magical...)

The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien is not a book written for children or young adult. Its original audience was intended for adults, unlike the Hobbit.

It was also first published in the 1950's.

I'll let that sink in.

That was 50 years ago. You can't expect it to be conformed to modern day culture.

Tolkien was also British, not American. Making sense yet?

Yes, Paolini started young. Too young. His writing showed immaturity, which I'd hoped people on a reviewing forum could catch...

Of course dragons are cool. That's one of the reasons I was so disappointed. His book did not do them justice.

</rant>

And as a note, I do not mean to offend anyone. I'm just having too much fun!

eldest is one best books in fantasy genre i've read recently
there's absolutely no point in comparing it with the TLOTR series though
inheritance makes a much frienldier read than TLOTR and the thrill is encaptivating
i personally feel a little more homour would help
paolini has certainly improved since eragon.
his language is more mature and yet not as formal as TLOTR which gives him an edge among younger readers

anyway paolini does seem to be influenced by JRRT's ideas of Middle Earth and its dwellers esp the elves and dwarves

the plot of eldest was laid out extremely well and the final deception was awesome.

may your swords stay sharp!!

-Sohini's Brother

i like the book, and the fact that he started young
the real reason i even read it was because of the dragons
dragons are cool
he said he wrote something he wanted to read....interesting
does anyone else do that other then him?
i write cause i have to otherwise my head will pop

Silverstar is my idle! Has Paolini really caught you all in his web? Unbelievable what this generation, my generation has sucumb to! The best they can literaturically(yes I made that one up!) comprehend, is the Inheritance trilogy? Is it because he's young and everyone has something to look down on? Because thats the best reason why the series came out for me.

*twitches*

I'm going to retire to my cave with classic literature now. If you need me, ring the bell marked 'Large Stompy Things.'

WHat is the world coming to?

Yes. My cave.

*cries*

(One word; CAFFIENE!)

ELDEST rocks!! i love it.write later.

It took me about a day to read it too, i am mainly interested in it because it has dragons i have a first addition of them both
they are definatly in my top 10 favorate books and concidering how much i read that is reeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaalllllllllllyy good! I like it that christifer washisname started writing younge but he is not fantastic yet in his writing style in a few years of writing he might move up to number 2 in my list of books nothing can ever replace the [u]abarat[/u] books-[b]read them[/b]!! if you like eldest you will like them! i am looking foward to the next book!

Which is sad. A book should be written to be a book, not a movie. An insult to the genre, I say! *waves fist*

Not to be rude, or anything, but what was wrong or far stretched? Give me an example. Please.

Yeah. I know.

It is going to be a film. Eragon is being worked on right now.

*shrug* I liked Eragon. But I do think he tried too hard sometimes, and I agreed with some things she said. Some. Like, the words he used after dialogue. I found it distracting, personally. Not as much in Eragon: more so in Eldest.

She said he would write things as if he was going for a cool visual image: he was. He originally intended this for film.

For one, most of the comparisons were either just wrong or far stretched.

*raises eyebrows* Really? As in... what? I saw nothign immediately wrong with it.

Wow Silverstar. So much stuff in that review is pure bogus.

Looky what I found! On accident! Linky!

Heehee.

I just recently started Eragon and am really enjoying it for the most part. I wasn't extremely impressed with his writing quality (which really disappointed me because, being a bestseller, I had higher expectations), but I didn't think it was terrible; I've seen worse. Haven't really gotten much into the plot yet, but I have to admit it seems maybe a little cliche, but not too terrible. Overall, I'm enjoying it, but it is definitely not ranking up with my favorite books.

I have to admit I am looking forward to reading Eldest once I finish Eragon.

I know! I'm excited for the Narnia movies too and I as well will be mad if they ruin it

That movie looks like it may just be bad, but with WETA working on it, it might pull through. They should of done The Voyage of the Dawn Treader or the Last Battle.

Y'know, if we judge the quality of writing by how many people like it, we're in trouble. I really couldn't care how many people liked it, all the people who's opinions I respect don't care for it. So, majority does not rule. In something, yes, but not in deciding what good writing is. Obviously.

And the Narnia move is coming out in December.. I'm so happy. If they ruined the story I will slap them with a fish!! (ooh, threatening)

I tried reading Eragon and got bored after ten minutes, I didn't bother finishing it.

They're making a movie adaptation of Eragon, too. I hope it's good.

Who wants to bet that Empire will have a black dragon on the front?

Did anyone else think that Thorn was a disappointing name for a dragon? And why was the big surprise thrown on in the last fifteen pages like an afterthought? I'm sorry, but I didn't really care for the second one very much. I still liked it, I guess. I liked the first one. But--even the plot twist at the end I had predicted in the first book right away. Most people didn't, though. I guess that's why I didn't enjoy it as much. There were several things I didn't like, including the fact that Eragon's character changed in the course of an hour. Almost literally.

Do you know what's interesting? Paolini didn't approach Eragon as a writer would a novel. He wanted to make a story, but not as a book, at first. I think he was thinking of making a movie, actually. He also self-published, I believe.

Anyway...

I just read Fahrenheit 451 and loved it. I also laughed at myself because I cried sometimes. "They burned...books!" *bawl* No, that's not always why I was crying, but I still felt silly.

I need to learn a concept called "delayed gratification". I need to get WORK done.

*snicker* You don't know my library... They NEVER get new books.

You must not know many people, because the writing quality is quite well. There are few mistakes and he has a distinct form of writing.

Actually, I have yet to find someone who thought it was well-written. You'd be about the first. (I take that back, second. there was that other guy... yeah) I cannot see how in the world the writing is good. (Not meant to cause offense, just my opinion) I have yet to find a very popular book I liked very much.

o.O Um, you don't have to buy a book to read it. Personally, I just go to the library...

I'm reading Eldest now. I like the books. Not the sort that keep me glued to the pages, but I still enjoy them.

lol, course I've formed this little nonexistant relationship between Paolini and myself because we're so similar. lol, homeschooled, graduated early (I think he did...), from Montana... ^_^

Why waste money on something I do not like?

The writing quality was very good actually. Its made the New York Times bestseller, which isn't say much, but still. Now if you just don't like the plot then thats fine but you cannot argue that it is well written.

...

I read the first one. Have no desire to read the second one, cause as far as I can see, writing quality aside, the plot ain't much. There are tons of better books I could be reading. So...

Why waste money on something I do not like? And it's not that different from many I've read. So, this is my opinion adn reasons for never wanting to pick up a book with Christopher Paolini's name on the cover.

Who knows, it might get better. But I doubt it very seriously.

Really you have to read more than a page in the store. Immerse youself in the story and you will find it is different from Tolkien and others.

Not to start any fights or such like, but that was totally uncalled for. I do not go around insulting people who do not like the Sillmarillion.

I rarely do such things as this but... Silverstar, you have no sense when it comes to literature.

*coughcoughahem*

I really, shouldn't, but I will. Against my better judgement.

My Two Bits

I was not impressed at all by the first one. The plot was seriously cliched, and the writing was enough to make me choke and run for my red pen. Still, it wasn't anything that couldn't be fixed. It probably would have been okay, if Paolini had forgotten about trying to get it published and simply rewritten it.

Frankly, I despise it, but that's just me.

And then the second book came out. I picked it up at the store and looked at it, hoping that he'd have had the decency to improve his writing.

He hadn't.

Of course, I didn't read it all. Just the first couple pages. But it was so boring... so caught up in the last book. And a synopsis? If he's going to do that why write the other book? Why should I read this bok when I know I can wait for the next one and read the synopsis!!!! He didn't have a good start at all.

I did flip it open to the middle and begin reading to see if it got any better as it progressed, but all I found was a bunch of boring dialogue and filler.

Yeah. I think Paolini could have been a good writer with time, if he actually worked at his writing. But when your already famous, why should you care about quality as long as it sells?

Feh.

</rant>

Ok.

*Yawns*
Well I didn't read the book, fantasy confused me. I was just using what I heard off my Elementary Librarian. She read it. LOL, but I won't wanna make a political or whatever debate about this or whatever....

Eldest was over 600 pages long... And you must read them in order to make any sense. Really Rose, its not a total rip off of anything. Sure any fantasy can be compared to Lord of the Rings, because it came first. But in truth, Eragon and Eldest are great original pieces of work. Paolini was 15 when he first began Eragon. It wasn't finished until he was older though.

Wasn't Christopher like that 14 or 16 year old boy who wrote that book?
I'm pretty sure he was that old when he wrote Eragon.
I'm pretty sure he WROTE Eragon.....

It is interesting, but I have a book to read.
And Eragon was pretty much a total rip off of Star Wars (From the princess being kidnapped in the beginning)
And the entire setting of the Lord of The Rings.

So... I know a lot of things are ripped off many things but.... I don't really like Star Wars or the LOTR....
I'll consider reading it on my death bed

(Sorry if I sound rude, this little moron is reading over my shoulder. FINE GO AHEAD AND TELL THE TEACHER!)

Eh...perhaps I will. But I've been getting lazy these days. How many pages is it and do you have to read them in order?