Eragon

I just finished reading this book. Actually it was more slogging my way through it. It was a great pre-bedtime book. I'd read for 15 minutes, get tired of it and turn out the light.

I actually did get 3/4 of the way through it before curiosity got the better of me and I read some online reviews. I pretty much agree with most of them. Rip-offs of Tolkien and Lucas is the universal theme. The writing seems a bit clumsy at times, and the 'ancient language' is awkward and unimaginitive.

I'd wanted to read this for the last few years because I'd heard good things about it. And wow, they even made a movie out of it right away. With Jeremy Irons in it. It HAD to be good. Right?

Well...depends. It is really good for the product of a teenage author. It reads like REALLY good fan fiction. But yeah, after you've been raised on Tolkien and Lucas, this is all extremely ho-hum. I just couldn't get all that excited about this world or any of the characters in it. The question that kept growing in my mind was how in the world a teenager got this work published. Well, when your parents own a publishing company, apparently it's no problem. The uncharitable part of my mind can so imagine the conversations. Mommy: 'Of course we'll publish your story, sweetums.' Daddy: 'That's my boy. He's a novelist, know...' One has to wonder how another aspiring novelist would feel after half a lifetime of drafts and rejections upon finding out this boy's work sails right into bookstores everywhere, then gets a major motion picture deal on top of it all (still wondering what kind of back room wheeling and dealing made THAT happen).

The other part of my mind says good for him, for taking on a story of this scale. He does admit in the credit pages that he had a lot of help. What kind of world would it be if all anyone heard was 'Nope, sorry, you'd better not even try that. It's already been done. And done so well, you don't stand a chance.' It seems people never get tired of hearing one more version of how a hero endures tragedy and hardship to grow into his destiny.

I hear from a coworker that the sequel is exponentially better. She says the author has matured, and it is very evident. As soon as I run across a copy of that, it will take up residence on my nightstand.