Friday, March 6, 2015

Book Review of Eragon, by Christopher Paolini

I can finally breathe like normal again, and I've left my comfort cave of blankets for the first time in days… It also explains the lack of blogging as of lately, because I haven't been up for it. Not to mention my taste buds have disappeared temporarily after burning my mouth on hot soups and teas for the duration of sick-ville.
I can't blog about food if I can't even taste what I'm making! God knows I would've been dumping heaps of garlic into it for my own well being, but that doesn't mean everyone wants a garlic bulb in every dish! Or you would if you don't mind not talking all day… The garlic breath would be a social killer. (For sure…)

Moving on though, because I've got blog posts to catch up on! (Three days worth!) You should see my nightmare work pile to catch up on! (Eeek!)

One of the best things that Eragon provided me with though, was being there in bed when I was sick all week. It's a book that's entertaining, and quite frankly I like to keep as a security blanket just like Harry Potter. So will this book review be biased? I'm certain it will to an extent, but I'll try to critique it like any other critic. (No promises though!)

Eragon
by
Christopher Paolini

Eragon

By

Christopher Paolini

     Christopher Paolini became an international best seller with this first novel of his. He was an anomaly in terms of what he had achieved with Eragon, after all he wrote the novel at the age of 15. Eragon is a fantasy novel about a boy named Eragon who comes into the possession of a dragon egg. It depicts his journey, and role in the shaping of the Empire as he also grows into a man. Christopher Paolini does an amazing job at developing characters throughout the novel, and he is able to articulate the characters dialogue quintessentially. 
     The most prominent characters are Eragon, Saphira, and Brom. I find it fitting to begin with the namesake of the book first, and I found Eragon to be a well groomed character. He moves through the book, and grows throughout as well. Yet he always has his self-same faults and virtues, and that is something that sticks with me when delving into reading a book. Eragon doesn’t lose the good of himself even after some extenuating circumstances, and even with knowledge he still has faults that aren’t easily fixable. It makes Eragon seem real, and not a two-dimensional character. Saphira is an exquisite creature, as a dragon she is not quite human in her conversations, however due to the closeness to Eragon she is able to relate. I would say that I regret Saphira’s lack of outlandish qualities though, because it almost makes her seem too tame. The last character that held the most importance to me was Brom, he was a story-teller, teacher, and father-figure. He carried many hats, and yet he always seemed to have a spark to him in all scenarios. Granted he never grew much throughout, but he always lent a sense of calm to both Saphira and Eragon in times of need.  
     I loved the way that Christopher Paolini wrote Eragon. It’s a novel that was written with care, and with love put into it. That appreciation really filtered through the whole book because it never felt neglected. Many novels can begin to feel lost once the author loses it’s infatuation with the story, but throughout Eragon you feel like you’re on a continuous journey and growing with the characters. It’s a style of writing that I happen to miss nowadays in the fantasy genre, and I can’t help but praise the prose and language used throughout. I will admit though that at times Eragon seems to be very similar to Lord of the Rings, and I understand that it can’t be helped. Sometimes though it detracts from the novel though, and makes it seem a little unoriginal. If you ignore those similarities, than it’s a novel that is endearing and captivating.  
     I believe that Eragon is a tried and true novel, and it hasn’t been constantly replicated by other authors trying to fit into that niche market for novels. Christopher Paolini clearly employed an amazing amount of time, and heart into Eragon. It’s something that captured my heart when I first read it many years ago, and it’s a novel that still holds my heart today.

My rating: 5 out of 5 Stars.

If ya'll aren't digging the fantasy genre you may want to just come back for the recipes, because I can't not read the rest of the books by Christopher Paolini. After all it is a series!

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