If Eragon Was SO Bad, Why So Successful? | The Inheritance Cycle By Christopher Paolini
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- Опубликовано: 6 июл 2021
- Podcast: www.buzzsprout.com/939238
Blog: alexcortright.wordpress.com/
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In this video, I broke down my thoughts on the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini, addressing criticisms of the debut novel, Eragon, and the series as a whole.
#Eragon #Writing #ChristopherPaolini #Reading #Books #InheritanceCycle
Alex Cortright is a writer with a love for learning and discussing story, especially sci-fi and fantasy!
Eragon was the book that got me into fantasy, and reading in general, as a child so I still love it despite its flaws.
My dad got it for me for us to read together when I was like 13 so it’s definitely got a bit of that “special vibe” for me too 😂
Despite it's flaws it is still a good book with good characters.
The inheritance series is definitely my favorite series. But Brian Jacques is the reason I started reading fantasy. The Redwall series puts rodents and other animals in fantasy stories that if you love eragon you'll love these books. There's over twenty books in the series. So if you haven't read them it will give you a lot fun reading the adventures of redwall.
Very much the same. I saw the movie first though. I was truly surprised how different they were, I got a little confused listening to the audiobook at some points
ditto
For me, the thing that separated this series from other classic hero arcs like star wars or lotr, was the magic system. Based on language like Tolkien, yes, but with strict rules that result in death if broken, and with unique properties, such as not being able to lie while speaking it. Paolini chose the hero arc because its the most straightforward way to tell the story of a medieval fantasy hero. And IMO, he did a fantastic job by the end of the series in making Alagaesia his own world and not just a "copy" of other stories. And I must add, the Hero Arc is probably the most commonly used plot lines there is out there. So the fact that he got so much shit for using it(as a 16yr old btw) is kind of ridiculous. If working in the service industry has taught me anything though, it's that people love to complain about pretty much anything.
Tolkien's magic isn't really language based. It's really based in art--particularly music. In the letter included as the intro to the Silmarillion, Tolkien says that the magic of the Elves is not magic, but Art. For Tolkien, Magic is the tool of the Enemy, the tool that one uses to achieve one's own ends. It is devoid of beauty and the creative spirit, and its purpose is to be God of something--whether it is others, the world, or one's own creation.
Yeah, the magic system is still the best magic system that I know
It's a direct steal from the language-based magic system from Ursula Le Guin's Earthsea books.
@meursault7030 I have never heard of that series, but I looked it up. I assume by direct steal, you mean "Old Speech", which according to the wiki is the ancient name of all things, obviously very similar to how the Ancient Language works. I also read that this system is based on Taoist philosophy. I was not able to find evidence of the other properties present in Alagaesia though (unable to lie, and using one's own life energy to fuel spells). And if those properties are indeed present, the scale to how quickly life energy is used is vastly different, as there are apparently mages in Earthsea that can control and manipulate the weather, something that is high on impossible in Alagaesia. So while it may be similar in how spells are cast in language form (which is not unique to these two series alone, Harry Potter had a language-based magic system too) I would conclude that "direct steal" is a bit of a strong accusation.
I mean magic in tolkeins stuff is pretry vagur and tou never rly see much of it or know the rules of it also sure its got big impact on history of the world and everything but you dont rly see much of it directly in action
Something I’ve noticed as I’ve begun to read more and more is that the “book community” is one of the most genuinely toxic, pretensions, head so far up their own ass that they’re still looking you in the eyes communities out there. Everything is based on something now, nobody has original ideas, and there’s no such thing as coincidence. I came up with a story idea a few years ago and when I told it to a friend of mine they went off about how it was “so clear that I just read jojo’s bizarre adventure” when at the time I’d never even heard of it. I’ve since watched it and yes some of the ideas I had were present in this manga series, but it had no influence on me as a person.
Convergent ideas are weird, especially within the same genre, in the novel I'm writing I made a country named Averland, oddly enough, in the world of Warhammer Fantasy there's an imperial province named exactly the same
@@Overlord99762 Something similar happened to me. When growing up, my brother sister and I created our own fantasy world. I named the capitol of one of the "bad guy" countries, Murdoria, Murdo. I found out a few years later that there was a town in my home state of South Dakota named Murdo. I made the name up. I never heard of Murdo, SD.
I really enjoyed listening to the "Inheritance Cycle," "The Fork, The Witch, and the Worm," and now "Murtagh." While they are not my favorite fantasy world, I do rank it highly. I personally like Narnia, Lord of the Rings, and Pilgrim's Progress better, but I think Eragon is right after them.
I imagined by myself magic dragons guess how pissed I was when we had to sing puff the magic drown in school@@charlessapp1835
I was told when I was 19 that the book I was writing was a combination of Hunger Games and V for Vendetta. I’ve still never seen V for Vendetta out of sheer spite lol
It happens to me constantly that I come up with something and learn someone else came up with it too. It's so spooky but also annoying. My latest example: I have been writing a fantasy series for years now and one of the kye charakters is named "Roter Graf" (Red Count in english) and right now I am reading a fantasy book series that was written within the last two years and there is a charakter with the same nickname only there funktion is different. In that book series he is a robber mine is the right hand of a tyrant. I also made up several things Tolkien invented before me. Minas Tirith in the movies looks like a castle I invented (but long before I read Lord of the Rings and long before the movies came out. The funny thing is even while reading the bookd I imagined Minas Tirith differently).
After you get past book 1, the series diverges well away from any resemblance to other stories. Eldest onwards was a very unique plot if you look at the books on a chapter by chapter basis and book to book. Yes, the world itself is still typical of other fantasy worlds but the plot is quite unique. Tolkien doesn't actually own the whole magic, elves, dwarves, goblins, humans, swords and shields fantasy genre nor is he its creator. He utilized it better than any other but he wasn't first out of the gate either. There were other stories before his and many others that came after obviously.
Christopher is definitely the most successful when it comes to dragons. He dove deep into their history, lore and relationships with other species in his world. Most authors make dragons these evil monsters that must be vanquished or unreachable god-like beings that nobody can even come close to relating with. Christopher made them much more tangible for his world. He eliminated a lot of the mystery without doing away with their majesty. Saphira was right there with Eragon throughout most of the series. We got tons of dialogue between him and her. He detailed just about every facet of dragon lore for his world. I find it hard to think of any other fantasy series doing anything similar in scale and scope while being as successful as the Inheritance cycle. Several chapters came from Saphira's perspective. We got to learn about her personality, what she's capable of, her weaknesses, that she's not entirely perfect and things as banal as where her mind wanders when she's cruising through the sky. I think all of that is at the least a very original first.
Your saying the Inheritance Cycle tells stories about dragons better than Game of Thrones ??
@@AaronAlert77 Absolutely
@@AaronAlert77 yes, game of thrones barely has any dargons 💀
@@AaronAlert77 As a huge fan of both I would say they're equal.
You didn’t read Dragons of Pern saga did you? The idea of connection between rider and dragon is completely stolen from it
I was very pleased with how Paolini resolved the final conflict. Many writers set up a foe that is impossible to beat and then the story glosses over a somewhat simple way they get defeated, but Eragon resolved in a way that was unexpected, original, and satisfying.
"Be not"
Waise neit
I was failing English class and my English teacher took me to one side and told me to take home any book from the class room library. That book was Eragon. I went from failing English to getting good grades within one term and it was the beginning of my reading obsession ☺️
I’m currently rereading them for the first time in years and loving it!
honestly, I think so much of the criticism of the Inheritance Cycle is so unfounded. they were fantasy books written for kids and teenagers, by a teenager (he started writing Eragon at 15 and it was published when he was 18), and despite how young he was, he created a really creative and well-fleshed out universe. while there are definitely flaws in the books and it can feel a little too-tolkieny, but in so many ways, he deviated from fantasy trends of the time and created fantastic characters, a beautiful setting, and a really interesting magic system. I loved those books so much as a kid and I honestly still view them as some of my favorite books of all time
Edit: YALL ARE ALLOWED TO DISLIKE THIS SERIES!!! that's fine, we all have different preferences! but can everyone please stop saying 'it's bad writing, it sucks, I can't believe you like that, X book is so much better'. are these the most perfect, incredible books ever? fucking obviously not, but this series is super nostalgic to me and a lot of other people and it's really frustrating just saying 'hey I like it' and having my notifications filled with people telling me how wrong I am. yall are grown adults, you can have your own opinion without shitting on mine.
It’s bad writing, zero fresh ideas and a lot of stolen ones. Try Ann Maccafrey if you want good fantasy with dragons. This one is the worst fantasy book I’ve read and I’ve read a lot
@@highbrowife I feel like you went into reading the book expecting it to be bad, it has it's flaws but in no way is it as bad as you suggest
@@ZephiumRQM no, I was bored and it was the only book I had in the rented apartment. So I wanted so much it to be entertaining but alas
@@highbrowife I wouldn't say zero fresh ideas. Yeah, a lot of it is derivative and probably you'll be disappointed if you already know all the inspirations but imo they were still decently executed.
@@antonioscendrategattico2302 it’s also badly written.
I've recently reread the series after not having picked it up for about 7ish years
A lot of the criticisms of the books copying themes and settings kind of amuse me. Because while I see them and can critically compare it to other, more mature and complex works, I actually find myself drawn to the world more because of it. It feels familiar, it follows the expectations of the genre, then it twists and turns itself into its own unique version of it. I love the characters despite their flaws and how unlikeable they are at times. I wish there was more space for interpersonal development between many of the characters, I often found myself surprised with how quickly characters would be strongly bonded without much being said or shared between them. But kid me felt it without needing it expressed more intricately, so I guess he did the job adequately, and I still delight in the interactions between Eragon and Saphira.
I feel like Paolini had a lot to say about his views on personal growth, facing adversity, and choosing to do what's right while owning up to your mistakes. The way he explored that felt very different to the more righteous sentiments in lotr. Plus Alagaesia feels much more alive and magical than the dying world of Middle Earth, despite the parallels.
All in all I think there's room in the fantasy genre for some cliches and tropes to be repeated and played with. They're comforting and rewarding, and there's plenty of ways to put your own stamp on them without feeling unoriginal. For me this series hugs that line in a way that makes it a memorable read and leaves room for you to imagine and ponder the world long after
Thank you for this. They need to sit the hell down and keep the negativity to themselves. Most of them can't even write a decent paragraph😂😂😂 disturbing asf
@@nickeshawelsh5745 I love this statement!!!!!!
@@nickeshawelsh5745 I first found Eragon in my Middle School library and I enjoyed it so much my dad took me out to Borders when it was still around and bought the book for me. This Novel jump started my fantasy journey and to this day I still go back to this series might have to get a new hardcover copy of Eragon given how beat up it is lol.
I read it at the age of 27 (Last year), after having published my first fantasy novel, and I liked it a lot. People have a tendency to focus on the negatives, and forget to enjoy the experience. The book has a nice worldbuilding and charismatic characters with interesting plots. That's a good story!
I listened to it this year and enjoyed the experience. (age 28-29). I just finished the new book Murtagh and I really liked it.
hell when I was a teen reading it I made my dad read it and he love it he was in is late 40
I was around the same age when I read it first time and was amazed how much I liked it. (I condessed I only started reading because I saw the movie and was amazed by Saphira. When I read the book I understood how bad the movie is.).
I’ve recently picked this series up again and even though it could be better, it’s actually really good in my opinion. I do think the first book lacks, but the second (can’t remember the third much, or the forth and I’m currently on the second) was pretty good and still has me really wrapped in the world.
It’s not perfect, but there’s not a single perfect book for everyone. Yeah, it could offer more personality, but in all it’s a good read for people who enjoy dragon adventure fantasy kinda books. Maybe I’m biased, or haven’t read the best books, but the books still keep me reading for hours a day.
Agreed!
imo the third is the worst bc it's kinda filler (the planned trilogy ender was split in two and the third is like the beginning) but i personally love the fourth
someone explain to me how everything is 'copied' please - sure there are the elves, dwarves, humans and dragons
but in the prologue we have a female elf running around with the last dragon egg as a courier between nations looking for a rider to bond a dragon, a twisted shade and magic to transport the egg - what book is that idea from?
all of that is set up having the last rider before it in the same village, following the fall of the riders at the hands of Galbatorix and his cursed riders - maybe it is LIKE lord of the rings trope but it is very far removed from it in execution, especially later on as Galbatorix is fleshed out far more than Sauron, the downfall of the Nazgul/corrupted riders described in far more detail and a bigger part of the story not some abstract beings..the razak are similar to the Nazgûl too I presume? it's far fetched to call of it a blind copy...it's much more intricately described - inspired, sure but not copied
saving aria and the focus on their partnership/romance is from which book, the relation to morzan, the eldunari, his brother Rohan's arc, all that?
I just never saw much of a connection myself outside the core groups present
@@thefruitman3200Nah the Oromis parts are excellent
@@johnkirk1772 Copied to critics means they look similar when you zoom really far out. As you pointed out when to actually zoom in there are plenty of unique elements.
One thing I gave to bring up is that Paolini's races are not Tolkien classic. The Elves, Dwarves, and Urgals might look similar to Tolkien on the surface, but they break the mold in a lot of ways. Admittedly, my impressions are informed by all the books, but the Urgals are much more complex than orcs, the Dwarves are probably the closest to their inspiration, but they have a lot of unique points. Elves are especially different in Paolini's work though. Tolkien elves are ethereal and inhuman, but not incomprehensible, they live, love, hope and fear just like humans do. They don't quite seek death, but they're very weary of life, they're often wise and experienced beyond measure, but to me, reading all the books and having skimmed through the Silmsrillion, it always struck me just how human they felt, reading those years after I'd read the Inheritance Cycle. Paolini's elves are inhuman, ethereal, and wild, nearly incomprehensible for the most part. They do not feel like humans, they feel extremely alien, in a way that nothing Tolkien ever wrote felt. Paolini's elves disbelieve in the existence of gods and an afterlife, they live in harmony with nature not for philosophical reasons but because they immerse themselves in the minds of every living thing around them. They change their bodies as they please to meet their own standards of beauty, rather than being generically beautiful (though they are also that to an extent). They are ancient and powerful, but they're not just feared because of their power, but their mentality, when they go to war, they feel like eldritch horrors unleashed on the world, rather than unnaturally skilled and strong humans. Spending too much time in their presence can cause humans and Dwarves to lose sense of reality, and even hearing their music unprotected can drive you mad. The way that Paolini presents the elves is the most unique portrayal of them I've ever seen, and I'm including the Eldar from Warhammer 40k.
Another, smaller point of difference is that Paolini's Elves are vegetarians. Due specifically to their telepathic habits.
@@matthewbreytenbach4483 Yup. I was kinda including that in the in harmony with nature bit, but it's still good to point out. Another thing I kinda glossed over is that the atheism of Paolini's elves is in stark contrast ti the very religious Tolkien elves.
@@Great_Olaf5
I see. I only pointed it out because most people actually seem to think it's true of Tolkien's Elves as well. To the point where the Dwarves actually comment on the lack of meat in the first Hobbit movie.
It is pretty neat to see the differences in worldview between the two kinds.
His elves definitely gave me heavy Vulcans from Star Trek vibes. Weirdly though, while I enjoy Vulcans, I can’t stand Eregon’s elves. They come across as way too arrogant and more than a bit dull. I hated the “love story” that went no where and never saw any chemistry between Arya and Eregon.
@@manicpixiefangirl4189Eragon was a love sick farm boy who had far more important things to do and Arya was an Elven Princess all to aware of Eragons duties, there was no way for them to work out in the end.
Hello! Eldest is my favourite fantasy book, period. No one else has done a whole book of just lore and training sequences, that's what I live for
Another criticism I've been hearing lately is that Eragon (and the Inheritance Cycle as a whole) is aimed for little kids and teenagers, and can only be enjoyed by such, while adults should look upon it with disdain. It's like saying only kids are allowed to enjoy Harry Potter, which *clearly* isn't the case. While I understand some of the criticisms, others I feel are overly harsh, and come from people who clearly never read the books, and are just riding on the hate bandwagon. I grew up reading the Cycle, and even with its flaws (most of which are in Eragon and Brisingr), I still love it as an adult.
Yeah, I still am a child at myself, but know many who are adults and still love it. I also got to my dad read it (or actually he's still reading Inheritance...), and he seems to like it... I haven't been able to talk much about it with him, tho, because I don't want to spoil anything and he's pretty sure that I would do so at some point lol
In my opinion you've chosen the single worst example as an argument. Harry Potter is just a way to hastily published child's book writen by a second rate author with little to no talent in creating an actual Fantasy world. While the sole focus on a magical school with little to no plot or character development may be intriguing to a 12 year old it just cannot messure up to the standards of the avarage grown up fantasy reader. Those that are placing Rowlings work in the adult fantasy genre and claim its craft to be equal to the likes of Martin, Sanderson or Rothfuss are straight up delusional and propably somewhat affected by the movies that turned out way better than the actual books were.
Paolini on the other hand wrote a pretty good series of books that were way better crafted than Rowlings were. Sadly they got ruined by a desastrous movie that turned the whole Franchise in a joke that's been memed upon ever since.
@@kevinstrife7854 Have you even read the HP books? They are definitely better than the films and are just as well crafted if not better crafted than the Inheritance cycle
You're right I mean it's not like Harry Potter is one of the best selling book series of all time and hasn't won numerous awards and made eight successful movies it's horrible you're so smart
It sounds like people who don't even like fantasy 🙄 adults can like fantasy! I love the books! Age and interests shouldn't matter. My 60 year old Aunti has been playing world of War craft since it came out, still to this day. She's got a badass tattoo with a castle wizard and knight.
Dragons are cool. Eragon had a pretty blue dragon on the cover. I never expected it to spark an undying love for reading fantasy and seeking out the wonder of new worlds like Alagaesia. While it doesn't still sit in my top 10 books/series, it holds a special place in my heart and always will. I'm *extremely* excited for the newly announced Murtagh
Murtagh comes out just a few days before my birthday and this excites me greatly.
I just finish listening to Murtagh and loved it. Now I have to wait for the next book. It is just as bad as waiting two years for each new movie in "Girls und Panzer Das Finale."
Just finished listening to the 1st book. Yeah it drew from LOTR world and a farmer turn hero plot from Star Wars but it never bothered me. I enjoyed it.
I thought it redid star wars and made it good
read the whole series and I dont really see the similarities with star wars
@@wicowanas a comment said after the first it diverges from the influences it had in eragon, ( still has a bit but not nearly as much.)
@@wicowan IMO the broad strokes plot is very Star Wars-like: you have the farmboy who discovers they're the heir of a magical warrior tradition that upheld justice and used this very mystical form of magic together with swordfighting at a very artistic degree and has his life destroyed by the evil empire guided by a renegade member of said tradition.
It even ends the first book with the rebel stronghold being found and a huge battle between the forces of the Empire and those of the Rebellion where the protagonist makes the difference, and then the book right after he goes to a mystical forest retreat where an old master teaches him the ways of the Force - ahem, magic, and there's a very philosophical focus on the nature of said magic.
But I'll be honest: most of this stuff, it actually does BETTER than Star Wars, and the things that AREN'T cribbed off of Star Wars are actually still GOOD. Dwarven culture doesn't break *too* much from the Tolkien mold, but it's actually explored and built up in a way that isn't JUST "yeah, like Tolkien", and some of the secondary protagonists like Roran and Nasuada are well written and interesting, and their challenges have nothing to do with the classic Star Wars hero journey but arise entirely from the setting itself and their position in it, and they're possibly the best parts of the books!
@@antonioscendrategattico2302 thank you very much, was worth reading. really too me back..
I’m re-reading Eragon right now and it holds up remarkably well. The writing is engaging, the characters are incredibly likable, and most importantly it’s fun to read. I remember the next three books being substantially better but I was surprised how well the original holds up given how harsh book nerds are towards it.
He wrote a hard magic system,while Star Wars and Lord of the Rings have soft magic:"The Force or The Valar willed it."
But he failded horribly in the end. The story of the word of the ancient language made the whole story fall apart. It was such a horrible horrible choice. His entire system totally collapses with that discovery, and how he deals with it at the end is just... It just sucks. It is 0/10.
@@u.v.s.5583 Agreed. I remember how it was established that you need to get the words and the graamar right so the spells work as intended, but then Paolini has a note in one of the books' appendix that we must forgive Eragon for his atrocious grammar while all his spells work except the blessing spell. It's horrible. The mental gymnastics you gotta do to make sense of what Paolini says things mean in his appendices when it's clearly not how it is in the story got me cry-laughing.
I hated Eragon with a fury when I first read it, and though I've softened my stance on it and Paolini as a writer over the years, I still won't call it good, nor give it a pass because Paolini was basically a kid when he wrote it (I admire him for the effort though for sure). The series has good elements, sure, but in a lot of ways it also represents the worst of writing and storytelling.
That said, I will pick up Murtagh when it comes out because I'm curious to see how much Paolini improved. I'm genuinely excited to find out.
@@u.v.s.5583 No e didn't.. the books are wildly successful? I really enjoyed the hard magic system.
@@belleretiredaccount The dude seriously put a "please ignore the huge plot hole I created but don't care enough about to fix" message in an appendix?
Yeah, I'm never touching any of his work if that's the level of arrogance and stupidity he displays.
The Inheritance Series is my favorite series of books, bar none. Harry Potter was a fantastic series as well, I think that I much preferred the in depth nature that Paolini writes and the vision he creates. Even as a teen, his writing style was easy to understand, and fun to read. His writing was very descriptive and expository, and, again, easy to read for young men and women across the US. I will always love this series, and if he continues to write, I will continue to love his work. I have had no bad experience with the subject matter he writes about. I still go back and will 100% choose Eragon over The Hobbit or literally any Stephen King novel.
I lost you at better than Lord of the Rings and Stephen King 🥵🤯🤢😤
The Inheritance Cycle is so special to me. My older cousin handed me Eragon one day to pass the time (since I wasn’t allowed to watch Game of Thrones with her) and from page one I was hooked! I loved book one, and seeing how Eragon matured, and I definitely agree that each book is better than the last. I loved how dark things got. I adored scenes like Eragon discovering his “true name”, how defeated Galbatorix, and the ending. Gah! The ending! I was literally bawling out loud when he left Arya behind! 😭😭😭 Damn, I need to read those books again.
I was sad when the romance never actually materialized but in retrospect I'm actually glad it didn't. It was a teenage crush, and Eragon understanding it and realizing it would've never worked in the end was actually a smart message for Paolini to include.
Considering the amount of fanfics turned novels that flood the market nowadays, I think those authors could learn a thing or two from Paolini on how to take the understandable desire to do your own version of a thing you loved and do it in a way that is at least good to read. Eragon might not be genius, but it tries and succeeds in doing what it's trying to do.
Eragon the protagonist isn't always right, but he always DOES have good intentions, the narrative doesn't bend the rules to make him get whatever he wants, he's got good morals and some human flaws.
Honestly, if you want an adventure story with a protagonist that isnt' too complicated and you can relate to, and there is definitely space for this kind of entertainment reads in the market, the Inheritance Cycle is a good example of how to do it right. It's definitely better than some of the shit I've seen coming from escapist media recently, which isn't just unoriginal, but it's also stupid and where the narration has a lot of questionable goals and assumptions and spoiled protagonists that get everything they want and are never happy.
One of the series that got me into fantasy. And yet the only dragon books I like. I found other dragon books disappointing. The fact that he started writing these so young is amazing. All authors copy honestly. Or are "inspired by other works" many fantasy novels have holes too. It's hard to create a whole world of its own and I don't care if it was "copied" besides Paolini grew up on a homestead/farm in Montana... so I doubt he copied that from starwars. I fell in love with the name Roran (the cusin) when I first read the books at the age of 12. Held onto that and named my son Roran. It has scottish/Irish origins, and my husband is Scottish and it fit well.
I love the story and characters. The audiobook, read by Gerard Doyle is so well narrated. It's a book for teens and has innocent yet somewhat complex story themes. So what if I love lord of the rings too lol. I don't even care how much alike they are. Who doesn't read Tolkien and want more. If we didn't have Tolkien hundreds of other books would have never been written he inspired so many authors.
I was aged out of the target audience when these books were released, and knew next to nothing about them. I remember working in a movie theater in grad school when the movie came out. That’s about the extent of what I knew before I began reading them a couple of months ago as an adult. I had no idea Paolini was a kid when he started the series. That does shed some light on a few things.
Yes, it’s filled with fantasy tropes. The prose/dialogue could use work. But overall, it’s an engaging enough read, and it’s high fantasy. Name a single high fantasy novel since Tolkien that isn’t in some way derivative. I’m about halfway through Inheritance now.
If anyone managed to compose half as well as Mozart, their talent would be universally appreciated, even if it was derivative. Paolini did a great job with this series!
Love that statment! It's great!
Yeah. Hell, most shows these days are just knock-offs of other stuff. Rooster Teeth's RWBY is just Harry Potter meets X-Men and Avatar. Most new anime released are just derivatives of Dragon Ball.
It's nothing new.
While it wasn't ever my favorite or the best written, I did enjoy it through the end.
People think mozart was some great talent. He was just the pop music of his era. Justin timberlake of the 1750's
@karlkoskie2891 That's an uneducated take if I've ever read one. Mozart was classically trained and earned his way up to being a master composer through dedication, hard work, and merit. He composed and conducted for huge symphony orchestras using music he came up with himself. He had a deep understanding of music beyond most of any era.
Timberlake is just a pretty face who uses auto tune and has all his stuff written for him.
@@karlkoskie2891wow, that was properly unexpectedly stupid. Sorry to be rude, but goddamn
This series is what sparked my interest in reading in the first place.
I have ADHD and i couldnt sit still and read literally anything when i was young. Was so bad that my parents had me going to one of those Sylvan learning centres.
Idr exactly when it was anymore, either late elementary or early middle school. Around that timeframe one of my mothers last ditch efforts was Eragon. A book that was well above my reading level both in recommended age, and general reading skill.
Dunno what happened, but something IMMEDIATELY clicked for me in this book. Suddenly i stopped reading each word individually and words started flowing much eaiser for me. I DEVOURED this book. Suddenly i LOVED reading.
These books will always hold a place in my heart for the joys it opened my eyes to.
I started listing to Eragon this year at the age of 23 I love it age doesn't determine what you can enjoy if you like something you like it's not a crime
Eragon got me into the fantasy genre, the series will always have a special place in my heart, they’re not perfect, but alagasia is a really fun world and I really love the magic system
0:20 oh come on, when it comes to fiction (especially anime and manga) training arcs are always my favorite. Most of Eldest is basically a big training arc where Eragon and the reader both get to learn a lot about magic. I thought it was sick, and to keep it from getting too boring we get plenty of action from Roran's perspective.
I absolutely love this series and have read all 4 books at least 6-7 times all the way through over the years since I first heard of it in 2008. Admittedly, I tend to re-read books over and over (couldn’t say how many times I read through Harry Potter before finding Eragon) but I find the story imminently engaging and the detailed world (and complex magic system and languages) is really intriguing and keeps me hooked, even when I already know what happens. My all-time favorite series is A Song of Ice and Fire (of course) and when I come back to Eragon I am always refreshed by the blatant differences between it and GRM’s works. Martin very open;y stated that he never wanted to give magic “rules” in his story because he wanted to preserve the mystery and wonder of it all. Paolini eschews that notion on every level and has rigid and quite complex rules for magic (almost as if it’s a new kind of science). I love both strategies for writing in a fantasy series and their entirely different styles make them fun to come back to back-to-back. The Inheritance Cycle has been and remains a wonderful read for me, even all these years later.
If you think that Eragon's magic is a science, you should read The Stormlight Archives.
As a big fan of the books, and being very active in the fandom, I can tell you that it definetly has a lot fo flaws, and we discuss it at length within the fandom. I know everyone loves to hate in these books (Cough cough anti-shurtugal) but it has literally saved my life, and I still really enjoy reading it. I even have a (unfinished) collection of all the different versions of the books!
It indeed is an amazing series, I think, and has a lovely fandom too! I also like how Paolini often is in contact to his fans and has all kind of cool stuff etc.
The only thing I do not like is the movie...
what other versions ?
@@AaronAlert77 I know there are versions where there are Shots from the movie
Ive been trying to get my daughter (12) into fantasy for a few years. Hoping to get her to a place where she could appreciate other works that are slightly above her head, rn. No book has ignited that in her until Eragon. I like the fact thats its Tolkien-esque. Its creating a passion in her for this genre. Call it blatantly plagiarized, she doesn't know that (even though I've hinted at it, she can't understand until she understands) Its the perfect introductory book, IMO.
I never liked reading until Eragon, I am Number Four series, the Percy Jackson series and Hunger Games got me hooked.
@@franko2053I am number four series is a sci-fi treat I agree so much with that.
As a fan of this series I want to say you made a great video and while it did borrow a lot it also has its own ideas and all while I’m only 14 this book has still made an amazing impact on who I am today even with garrows words and through out the entire series it really holds your attention all the way through and whilst I understand the barriers between the romance of eragon and Arya I still think that the romance has a lot of potential
The elves are Tolkienian? They're literally all atheists in Eragon, but the LOTR is a very Christian work. All the elves in LOTR have an unspoken faith in Ilúvatar, whose name means "Father Above All." When Tolkien created his world, he started with Ilúvatar and creation.
i've never read lord of the rings or star wars but i love the Eragon books. Im currently re reading it with my little nephew who absolutely loves them. :)
I hate when I read fantasy books and they are filled with Dragons, Elves, Dwarves and magic. All jokes aside, I read the books in my late 20s and loved them. You read the books for the adventure, not to examine its sentence structure. The people that say they aren’t good are the same people that pretend they don’t like Nickleback or Creed. Eragon was a massive success for a reason. How bout we just let people enjoy it without being book snobs?
I love Eragon !! It is one of the very few books and serie I finished and even read multiple time.
I first read the Inheritance Cycle as a teen. The first two books were a gift from a friend who was impressed by the film (she hadn't read them herself), so I guess it's part of the reason why I'm fond of them, but only the tiny part.
Since then I reread them once, and currently I'm reading again for the third time. I don't do deep analysis of the quality of writing when I read, so just the fact that I feel the urge to reread, fully aware of how long it'll take, is enough to call it good, for me personally. Actually, I think I enjoy it more now that I understand more and am more curious than I used to be. Despite it, the flaws still don't stand out to me.
I've got to admit I've hardly read any other fantasy books, so it was my introduction to the genre and no wonder I didn't notice the clichés and borrowings. I watched Star Wars much after, and I'm going to read LOTR sometime soon, so I'll have a chance to compare. Not that it's going to put me off Eragon, as long as it doesn't feel like reading an absolutely same story, which I'm sure it won't.
When I first heard the plagiarism complaint, it seemed ridiculous, because nothing is 100% original these days, and if you try hard, you'll find many similarities in other stories, too, especially in the same genre. Besides, even if you borrow ideas, you still have to fill in the gaps, that's a lot of work.
And of course creating something like that at such a young age is admirable. I can't look at my old drafts without cringing, although, I don't think I got much better since then...
Also not a fan of dragons but don't mind them, so that's definitely not the primary cause of my interest. It's hard to explain exactly what I like about the world and characters, I just know I do.
This is awesome to watch the quality to your videos is amazing!
Just found my first free copy of the first book. Pretty excited to get started with it
I love these books. Read Eragon in 6th grade and just became obsessed.
The books aren't perfect but I enjoy them so much.
I've read the series probably like 30 times by now lol
The subplot is literally just the heroes journey. I don't get why people get so wrapped up in this. It's only plagiarism if you're copying direct work. Guess what? LOTR and Star wars also heavily borrowed ideas from other pre-existing works. I still enjoy the series regardless of the critics and hope we see an honest faithful adaption at some point.
Don't compare Lord of the Rings to outright plagiarism. Lord of the Rings was inspired by Norse mythology and predated all modern fantasy, different from this plagiarism that even copied names and the plot of Lord of the Rings.
@@aten5102 The hero's journey existed in stories before LOTR. Every hero's journey series has the exact same plot structure when you break it down. That's the point. Eragon is fun. LOTR is also fun. The two settings are massively different however. Not even remotely close to plagiarism. Unless you're literally just saying that anything that uses fantasy elves and dwarves is a LOTR rip off.
Eragon is literally Aragon copy pasted haha
But you are right to a degree, Tolkien borrowed from old English legends & Beowulf
@@stevejeffrey11 Aragorn was a teenage dragon rider?
@@aten5102 But Tolkien copied names as well and some of the names Paolini uses are just common norse names Tolkien didn't invented. And just because the lost is similar dosn't make it lagiarisam as the Plot od Lord of the rings is not very comlicated itselve either. Defeding some evil king is something that was surely invented even before Lord of the Rings.
Tangential to the video since this isn't just about Eragon; But I feel like some things causing post-Tolkien fantasy to feel "samey", are authors who feel obligated to create TOO MUCH. World maps of gigantic proportions with too many places to explore, full of too many creatures to ever face, and numerous fantasy races. Why not throw in magic and all the complexities therein. Don't forget the background lore of the world, of which some authors could write an entire spin-off series with how much they have. Oh and also the fact that so many fantasy plots revolve around the fate of the world itself, and nothing less.
It creates a mold that some authors of the fantasy genre end up falling into. That's not to say that I dislike such stories, however I'm always impressed to see someone who can break away from that. Telling a fantasy story that deviates from those commonalities while still being familiar enough that readers can feel comfortable with it, can be a challenge. It's always refreshing to see though.
I loved this series as a teenager. And listening to your video filled my mind and heart with the fond memories I made getting to know the characters and being invested in the world.
Critics can say what they want but I agree with your conclusions - for CP to make this at such a young age is incredible.
I adore the Inheritance Cycle! I think I read Eragon over 20+ times over the years. I Eldest is actually my favorite in the series. And my fondest memory will always be finding Inheritance a week before official release in a hole in the wall book store.
Not wrong. I agree 100%! I love the series so much because it was my gateway into reading that I now have my 11 and 9 year olds reading through them… and they’re loving it!!!
I will defend Eragon/ Inheritance whenever I hear it brought up. There appears to be complaints about originality, but does that really matter? Themes, and story beats may be similar, but it was its own thing, and more importantly it was super fun to read!
Critics dislike the book? Interesting, it’s almost like the book was written by a teenager for teenagers. When I was 12/13 these books were crack. I even asked for the special hardcover extra chapter book of inheritance as my main birthday present the year it came out as I had to know more. Sure, I have since read eathsea and tolkein and other fantasy novels, but that doesn’t diminish that these books were great for me at that time.
When I was a teenager I had an internship for a little while in a Fantasy focused book store. This was 2012, so after all 4 books where published, and I talked to several staff member who had never read any of them, but who were still critical of Paolini because that was the thing you were supposed to be if you were in the business, mostly it seemed because he started as self pub and self pub held very little value back then and was (according to them) basically just a way to say "I'm not actually good enough to write books, but I have enough money to do so anyway". Don't know where that mentality is at today.
I first came in contact with Eragon when I was 9, when my dad took me to the movie, before I knew there was a book. Read the book a couple of months later and loved it. Still like it even as an adult, read it several times as a teen and in my 20's as well, it's a fun easy to digest fantasy adventure. I think the other books don't quite hold up though, maybe they are better from a writing stand point, but I've never actually managed to read Eldest or Brisingr all the way through on paper, only on Audiobook, and it took me something like 2 months to get through Inheritance. All of them have great parts, but also a lot of parts that doesn't seem relevant enough or interesting enough (in my personal opinion) and I think they would work a lot better if they were edited to be a bit shorter. You could still have a lot of the scenes I don't really like, but don't linger on them. I've been through the audiobooks 3 or 4 times since the 4th one released and while I'm usually mad at movies for cutting stuff, when I listen to this series I often think "I won't be mad if they cut this from the movie/series/whatever is or isn't happening over at Disney". And sadly I'm feeling much of the same with Murtagh. Liked the beginning well enough, then it had some ups and downs, but I got through the first 300 pages or so in a week. Then it took me the next 3 weeks to get though the next 200 pages. One month in and I'm still not done and I'm not terribly interested at the moment in what's happening. I'll read a chapter or 2 on my commute, but then when I'm home or over the weekend I'm not motivated to pick the book up and read any.
I obsessed over Eragon until I was old enough to read a book that thick on my own, the cover enchanted me and although I don't remember most of it, some events are ingrained into my memory and I STILL hope it gets a grandiose visual adaptation some day (although judging how some works get adapted by people who have zero respect for the source material *cough* Witcher *cough* it might be better if it doesn't). Sometimes it FEELs like a fever dream or something I made up playing too much videogames, but I'm pretty sure I got these scenes from the books x)
Honestly, I have read the Inheritance Cycle after reading Tolkien, and I was still surprised at all the plagiarism accusations.
- Paolini's Elves felt very different from Tolkien's Elves. Where Tolkien's elves were eternal, spiritual, ethereal, wholly good (Eöl, Maeglin and Feanor notwithstanding) and more an angelic race than anything, Paolini's elves were materialistic, rational, capable of cruelty and quite alien in way of thinking and moral compass. In this, they were closer to the original celtic Sídhe than to Tolkien's Elves. I thought them an excellent version of the concept.
- Paolini's Dwarves felt more similar to Tolkien's but while reading Tolkien's world, I never really felt their culture fleshed out well. Do you ever even meet dwarven female during the entirety of Silmarillion, Hobbit and LotR? Do you know more about their way of life beyond "they live in the mountains, are greedy, traitorous and dig deep"? Seeing Paolini expand on that familiar concept did not bother me.
- Paolini's Orcs were very different from Tolkien's. Tolkien's orcs (although originally corrupted from elves - Tolkien himself was not sure on the Orcs' origin, since if they came from elves, they had Eru's immortal souls which clashed with Tolkien's vision of evil) were entirely chaotic evil race marked for annihilation. Ending of LotR goes through a genocide of the Orcs without batting an eye. Paolini's Urgals were simply a tribal race with a warrior raider culture like many historical cultures on Earth. Hard to get along with and prone to aggression and cruelty, but capable of diplomacy, possessing culture, music, customs and certainly not wholly evil nor deserving of indiscriminate eradication.
- Dragons. I have not read Dragonriders of Pern but there was a similar concept in the Valheru from Raymond Feist's Riftwar series and since Feist drew from DnD, I am sure you could find similar concept there. The Dragons I knew were either evil cruel creatures only capable of destruction and hoarding of treasure or noble beings born of magic that humans could never hope to touch. Just because the concept of psychically linked dragonriders exists in other novels does not mean the concept ought to be banned from being used in writing ever again.
- Story. Yes, the story is similar to StarWars. It is also similar to Pug's journey from Riftwar Cycle. It is also similar to almost all stories that use the Hero's Journey plot device. It is a trope that predates Star Wars by centuries and goes practically to the Stone Age. To use this to bash Paolini seems weird to me. The magic system is functional and far better fleshed out than in most fantasy stories I have read. In fact, it reminds me of the Mistborn series. In Tolkien, it is this vague spiritual thing that is barely there. In Belgariad or the Riftwar Cycle, it is almost a "solve problems quick" card with barely defined rules. Same goes for Harry Potter. The Force in StarWars has many rules, but they get bent more often than not.
-Writing. At the time, I found nothing in particular wrong with it. Sure, now, having read many excellent series, I can see that the first book in particular was flawed. But there are far worse novels out there that do not get nowhere near the level of vitriol this series gets.
It is not a masterpiece. It is not trash either. It is decent and worth reading. (Edited for typos)
Also the King Arthur-Myth with the sword in the stone is a little similar to Star Wars and Eragon.
it's almost like a fantasy novel following the heroes journey is gonna hit a lot of the same beats as other fantasy novels/stories following the heroes journey... and those critics seem to be forgetting that Christopher paolini started writing eragon _when he was 15_ then self published it at 19. eragon was his debut as an author, nobody is their best when they're just starting out.
So looking through these comments, I've come to realize that paolini has written a new book apparently centered around who was arguably my favorite character in the series, murtagh. I kinda fell away from reading novels in my early adult life, something that has persisted up till now, which is perhaps why I hold the inheritance cycle in such high regard, but this video and the realization that murtagh has gotten his own spin-off story has inspired me to go back to this series to find out if its really just nostalgia binding me to these books, or if I'll love them as much as I once did.
I remember as a teen, having to start the book two or three times because it was so long, but I’m glad I did read all four books. I have my complaints about it looking back and at the time, but I don’t regret reading it and I still think ideas like “The Spine” or the major dwarf city or even the more elven magic you use, the more elven features you take on.
For me, Eragon and the sequels were extremly important books. Being written in a simpler language than other fantasy books was vital.
I was in 8th grade, bookish and had barely passed English (as a seccond language) the previous year. I was trying to learn by reading books that engaged me, but I just couldn't. The grammar and the vocabulary was too advanced.
Then my mother came across Eragon. She presented it as pretty dragon cover, the author is actually a teen. Like Lotr, but simpler. I began reading, with a dictionary on the side and someone aviable to help with dificult sentences. Eventually I got hooked, and began reading when there werent anyone to help. Once I got to eldest, I could read on my own. I was then able to takle more challenging books, like the last Harry Potter book, tho admittedly I did not comprehend everything on the first read through.
At the end of 10th grade I got an A on my English exam. So in three years I went from a barely passed to top grade, mostly due to Eragon breaking the reading barrier.
It was succesful because dragons are f'in cool and Paolini understood that perfectly and leaned into it.
On a more serious note there's 2 big things that, for me, established a baseline level that the problems of the series couldn't make me dislike it 1) Eragon and Saphira were very likeable as protagonists so following their long journey in-depth was always enjoyable 2) the world was fleshed-out and interesting enough that I could really loose myself in it.
Bonus 3rd reason is that I read it in my teens and didn't have many things to compare it to. Every joke is fresh for a new-born, but still, dragons are rad and the series uses dragons really well. Not to mention the note the series ends, to this day tickles my mind in a "ooh I wonder what could've happened to the characters" and then I start writing fanfiction in my head.
This series reignited my love of fantasy and my enjoyment of reading as well. It’s part of my inspiration to write and draw again. Whatever flaws it may have, it’s still special to me
There is so much more in this story than simply a LotR or Star Wars Clone, yes it borrows a lot on the surface from it but as soon as the second book begins to get into motion it is so much more detailed with different characters, motivations, background stories, religion, politics and romance.
The magic system is one of a kind that has strict rules but still allowed for awesome and unbelievable stuff.
I got into eragon with 16 and am still re-reading it at least once a year.
Yes I do love Harry Potter, LotR and Star Wars but that does not diminish the quality of this Story and world.
I also cannot wait to return to the world with the new book focused on Murtagh, it will be so great to return with new stories.
I remember getting the forst book after the movie came out, was in 4th/5th grade around then, but didn't actually read it until a year or two later in kiddle school wien it was required for us to read books. I honeslty enhoyed it and knew a few others who enjoyed it as well. Ot was one of ghe series thst got me into reading so it's surprising to learn that people actually criticized it. But watching this makes me wanna go back and read them, thanks dude.
I read these as a teen and just returned to them in the past year as an adult in my mid thirties. It held up and I enjoyed it every bit as much as I did in the past. Perhaps more so. I can’t wait for Murtagh this year!
There's a new one coming out?
@@matthewbreytenbach4483 Yes! It’s called Murtagh. It comes out this November I believe.
@@KHmixerX
Epic! Something to look forward to in November then.
Thanks.
I absolutely loved the books as a child, I devoured the words on those pages with excitement and would rush to sit and read more whenever possible. I read hundreds of books a year as a child and stopped around 13 years old but read those repeatedly at least once a year until then.
I picked it up in a library just because I was waiting for some paperwork to be done (not a teenager anymore) and the name sounded familiar. Wow, I got hooked with the first chapter! I came back to rent it and I devoured the first 2 books in like a week (I'm a very slow reader so this was something). I must admit I never finished the last one, it's been waiting on my kindle for 9 years now.
Sure it is similar to LOTR in some aspects, but is different enough to feel like a brand new story. I think is the second one, the one that really goes all in in world building and I loved it. It was also the first series that I read in English that I hadn't already read in my language (I did that with HP and LOTR). This series will always have a special place in my heart.
I just listened to all of the books and I liked it. The characters had actually character. And they develop throughout the series. I love Saphira, Nasuada and Angela, Roran is great and the Werecats are fun.
I was impressed, that such a jung person was able to let me believe, that somebody is hundred of years old. And the advice these wise people give Eragon is actually (mostly) good advice. Impften thought that my teenage daughter should read the books and listen to the advice given to Eragon.
Eragon was so entertaining to 10 year old me and I still look upon it fondly despite not remembering the story properly. I hope to get back to it after I finish a few books I'm currently reading.
I’ve met Paolini he lives in paradise valley near Livingston where I live-grew up. He taught a writing workshop at the public library witch my brother and I attended when we were in middle school. He was really helpful and encouraging and genuinely verry sweet. You can really see the inspiration he took for a lot of the world and landscapes of Eragon are heavily inspired by paradise valley witch made it Verry fun for me to read.
I love the Inheritance Cycle and its nothing like anything else cause I watched and read lots of stuff, star wars Lord of the rings even the books that according to paolini inspired Eragon, the Riftwar Saga. And its nothing like anything else. Yes it has some inspirations from other works but it's a stand alone story with a diverse world that follows its own rules. Don't confuse it.
Well said.
Eldest is actually my favorite and brisingr my least. The way it expanded the land and cultures, and the exodus of roran was perfect.
Actually, I feel like Paolini owned to the fact that he took heavy inspiration from Tolkien by trying to use his “inheritance” theme. Eragon, both the character AND the series, is the successor to these epic tales from before. The story is about how you go about succeeding the past.
saw the Eragon cover at a book fair one year and ive been hooked on reading ever since.
i owe a lot to that dope ass blue dragon cover
Havent paid attention to the last few books he wrote, didnt even know he was writing murtuag so i went back an ordered the two other books on amazon this weekend, Ive got a lot of reading to do, even bought the small hard cover book with the short stories, good times , He was so young, he has to be at least close to 30 now an hes matured an older. Im sure his writing has improvedl
I never realized Eragon got so much hate. I fell in love with the series growing up. I loved the fact that a 15 year old wrote this work and it gave me hope and aspirations as well as made me fall in love with reading and narrating. I can definitely see some inspirations from other stories, but at the end of the day all good stories have the same plot line from what I’ve noticed, it doesn’t matter genre or author.
My favorite character in the series was Roran. Paolini did such an excellent job writing that character. A regular guy with a regular job in an irregular circumstance trying everything he can to help his family, knowing how easily it could kill him, and how brutal he had to be to succeed.
Writing a novel is indeed hard. The publishing part is a little muddy for him though. He was homeschooled , his parents had a publishing company and could afford to take him to hundreds of schools all over the country. So definitely a privileged journey.
I really enjoyed reading it being a 14yo. I came back to it at the age of 21 and I must admit, it did feel like a young adult wrote it. It was a bit simplistic in both plot and language, but I think that's why I adored it so much when I wa younger. I was just able to understand it easily. So when I reread it, I enjoyed the nostalgia, if not the profound craftmanship of the author. So yeah, it has it's flaws, but noone has to be a pretencious d*ck about it.
Just re bought the books after not having read them for 15 years and enjoying them still. Had no idea there was this much controversy and disdain for this series. I find the argument against them to be poor. All great fantasy stories are the heroes journey in some form of the other. None more prevalent than Star Wars. It's an old writing trope going back to the Greek myths of heroes so I have no idea why people don't accept it here. All these sort of fantasy stories are basically the same; good vs evil. The world built around them is the difference and I think the world of Eragon is excellent.
when i read it the first time I was like 12 or so I believe. i absolutely loved it. i read it about three more times and it became more and more obvious how similar it was to other books.
Eragon war mein erstes Fantasy Buch, ich habe jede Seite geliebt und habe nun eine Sammlung von ca. 480 Fantasy Romanen und das nur weil Eragon alles ins Rollen gebracht hat, dafür werde ich die Reihe immer lieben und es als eines der besten und größten Werke achten, gerade da ich denke, dass kein anderes Buch damals mein Zwölf jähriges ich dazu gebracht hätte mit den lesen anzufangen
I've read all the books and I'm listening to them for a 3rd time now. As far as fantasy I love it. The fact that this was written by someone so young is amazing.
I read the series at the end of elementary years up to the beginning of middle school and probably finished in 7th grade maybe. I’m now a college student and 23 years old and rereading the series and I actually enjoyed it more my second time reading it.
I loved the series. Eragon was the first trilogy-type book I've ever read, and was pleasantly immersed. I only chose it because of the cover page, but since it took me to wait in line in my local bookstore to get ahold of the upcoming books - Inheritance I believe it was.
My son loved these books and I am grateful to them for developing his love of reading. I read then and thought: Star Wars, Wizard of Earthsea, Belgarion, Dragon Riders of Pern....
My mind was blown when I was told that Eragon was just Dragon with a E instead of a D
Just been reading the series again so many years later. I’ve enjoyed it again, I had a few gripes mainly around every book basically re explaining through exposition for the first few chapters where they are and what they’re doing or the significance of a thing. It really pulled me out of the immersion of the story and bugged me whenever it came around.
Otherwise, wholly interesting. I found the third book the hardest to get through with so many chapters just filled with isolated travelling. I mean it was interesting but almost felt like he was just finding ways to fill a word count quota.
Eragon is the book that inspired me to write my own novel. I'd been "writing" for years, but Eragon was when I decided to take it seriously.
I read this before i watched star wars. When i finally got around to watching it i realised that the first book is just a new hope.
Is there a version of this video without the loud background music?
The series shaped my growth a lot as a teen. I caught on pretty quick that it was basically Star Wars lol but Paolini was a role model for me, knowing he wrote it at only 17, it was inspirational. And it made me try to be vegan for a little while. It expanded my miiiiind man. And the magick system based on names and words was fascinating to me. It inspired my obsession with language.
Whatever you do, never have a story about a simple character living a simple life before they get caught up in a conflict they arent prepared for.
Harry Potter and Predator are the same story. A bunch of friends in a dark forest fighting an evil humanoid monster with weird/cool weapons. So they are clearly the same.
I loved the series. I read through 4 times and still have them. Makes me want to read them again.
the whole reason it caught my attention in middle school was that it was written by a 15 year old
It’s fun to read I feel like people focus on more if a story is interesting or not
It’s an amazing series. Rereading it now after finding out Murtagh was a book now. The maturity of the new book makes the original cycle even better. For me, it’s my de facto favorite fantasy series still to this day. Eat your heart out, book nerds!
Eldest is my favorite by a wide margin specifically because it takes so much time out to develop the world, magic system, and characters.
I hadn't heard about the critical reception of the series, so finding out that it's widely hated surprised me! I enjoyed the books as a kid and the scene I remember the most is the one where Eragon tries out weapons while training. There are others I have hazy recollections of, but that one scene is still so vivid in my memories. The writing can't be that bad if I still have such a strong impression of something I read over a decade ago.
I don't even mind its similarity to other properties. I've always been in the "it has its faults" camp, but I'll admit I find quite a bit more fault with it now that I'm an adult and reading it to my kids, though we're still enjoying it. We're halfway into the first book and find myself shaking my head more often than I expected. This book is soggy with dialogue-only exposition dumps for one thing.
But my favorite eye roll was when Eragon was given his sword at the beginning. It's one of those moments where you can tell Paolini's teen-ness overpowered any good narrative sense. "The blade was completely red because the elves would always make riders rad custom swords the color of their dragons," Paolini wrote gazing longingly at his college-rule notebook full of doodles of badass swords. "Oh! And it was FIVE FEET long!" Like I know that there are five foot swords in real life, but they'd look pretty silly being wielded swiftly and delicately in the hands of an underfed peasant farmboy, often with one hand.
10:33, I, for one, am glad you’re defending it
I read this book for the first time in my mid twenties
Tho i never considered it tolkien level or whatnot
I def enjoyed it for what it was . Unfortunately i only got as far as mid brisingr. But am pumping myself up to start from the beginning
I didn’t love it, but didn’t read Eregon till I was in my 20’s. I am looking forward to reading his newer sci fi stuff.
All successful fantasy books follow almost the same 5 criteria. You can compare any books of same genre and find similarities. It comes down to how well the world is built and how well the story is written. Even after book 4 was released and before knowing of book 5 there was still soo many unanswered questions
i red eragon as an adult and i loved it.
the 3rd book is alot about eragons brother and honestly roans story was my favorite
I wonder how much Patrick Roth this used from Aragon when it came to the naming system of magic. Reading the inheritance novels made understanding the system of naming in the king killer Chronicles a lot easier.
You know, once I stopped letting people tell me what I should or shouldn’t like reading, I started enjoying books again. I also realized I too had to stop talking bad about books I didn’t like. Some things have an audience and if you aren’t in it, that is okay.
I figure that not ever book will resonate with me and that’s okay. At the same time, some books that I love will not be loved or liked by others.
Changing my perspective has made a huge difference and I have found that overall I have been enjoying more things.
Maybe I’m a tad of a masochist. I love reading and rereading this series. When I was a teen in my Highschool library these were the chunkiest books they had available and I was an avid reader. Sure the language and vocabulary are difficult and I had to look up some words, (reason I started carrying a pocket dictionary, yes cellphones were a thing but my family was too poor to own one at the time.) I enjoyed the reading difficulty and thought that it’s difficulty set me apart from my peers when I dumbfounded them with words they had never heard of before. I owe those memories to this series.
I don't really remember it as anything special, but it's admittedly been years since I read it. It wasn't bad by any means though. I never would have read it at all, except nobody would publish it so the guy was personally advertising it at the local Hastings bookstore. He was charismatic enough to convince me to give it a try, so I did. I do remember I wasn't convinced enough by it to read the sequels though.