ERAGON by CHRISTOPHER PAOLINI

AUTHOR- Christopher Paolini

PUBLISHED- 2003

ISBN – 0-552-55320-4

GENRE- Fantasy

SYNOPSIS- When Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy; perhaps it will buy his family meat for the winter. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon soon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the empire itself.

       Overnight his simple life is shattered, and he is thrust into a perilous new world of destiny, magic, and power. Can Eragon take up the mantle of the legendary Dragon Riders? The fate of the Empire may rest in his hands…..

EXCERPT- Wind howled through the night, carrying a scent that would change the world. A tall Shade lifted his head and sniffed the air. He looked human except for his crimson hair and maroon eyes.

He blinked in surprise. The message had been correct; they were here. Or was it a trap? He weighed the odds, then said icily, "Spread out; hide behind trees and bushes. Stop whoever is coming . . . or die."
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.
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      Eragon slowly crept closer, keeping the bow ready. All his work of the past three days had led to this moment. He took a last steadying breath and—an explosion shattered the night.
The herd bolted. Eragon lunged forward, racing through the grass as a fiery wind surged past his cheek. He slid to a stop and loosed an arrow at the bounding doe.

                    

K'QUETZALCOATL' says- And thus the new saga begins, or rather has begun years before.

       Eragon is the first book of the Inheritance cycle, which was originally planned to be a trilogy. And it has definitely got its inspirations from many a fantasy novel, not the least from J.R.R Tolkein’s famed trilogy (I’m pretty sure you all know what I mean), created a fan following of its own, and even turned few heads as a competitor with Harry Potter. So for these very basic reasons I would suggest one to read the adventures of Eragon in the land of Alagaesia.

       It is the story of the rise of a farm boy from humble origins to resurface and hold the mantle of the famed ‘Dragon Riders’. Yes nothing new in the plot or even the actions to give one a bombardment of adrenaline rushes (maybe because one cannot relate to Eragon in this first part). But what Paolini masters in Eragon, and continues in the other books too, is the portrayal of the complexity of the characters; and even more so the twists in the tale is provided by the complexity of relations (and I don’t mean only the love angle). The final battle is wonderfully crafted though, which the movie hardly captures, and it is there that the full action reveals itself.

       Yes maybe it is quite late for me to write this review, the book been reviewed millions of times already, but why I do it now because only now that I have read it via a literary critical angle (damn that angle), and get to realize that Eragon also has much more than a typical movie flavor. It is a description of battle between the reining dictatorship and the struggle of freedom and democracy, with some elements from the American and Irish struggle clearly in mind. Also unlike Tolkein’s middle earth folks where the entire community or kingdom was important, Paolini presents a modern narrative via Alagaesia where family and relations often supercede the old English (and thus middle earth) notion of honor and duty.

     Also for the scrutinizing eyes the inheritance series gives much thought into the role of a modern woman. The Elf warrior Arya, the rebel princess Nasuada, and the great Dragon Saphira are an example of the modern woman as a warrior, diplomat and equal companion of the male. 

    But these maybe are all forced interpretations from my mind. For the FANTASY LOVERS, Eragon and its sequels also, are a one stop for all your fantasy dreams. Be it the journey, the magic learning or the battles and skirmishes all provide ample reading and some light comic relief too. So go ahead and read it if you haven’t done it yet.

       So keep reading Boys and Girls!!

P.S. - Yes it does get stretched up between the pages sometimes, but you have to bear with it for the real fun.
 

My Rating – 4 / 5 stars

PRICE – Rs. 266 (Flipkart Price)

4 comments:

  1. I liked the series. but this first book , I LOVED !!
    And of course you said right , it has a lot more to offer than just what people consider as inspired fantasy tale :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Finally!
    I always thought Eragon was a little too stretchy and I'm not alone in the club then...I usually am quick to identify with the protagonists and shed tears over them but Eragon seemed a little too cold and I willingly gave up halfway through the book when another funner prospective came up but I'm sure I'll pick it up soon!:)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Saphira is one of my favorite fantasy fiction characters, and shall always remain. Honestly, I got tired of the Inheritance Series after reading Eldest, and vowed never to pick it up again, but may be, just may be I will give my opinion a second thought.


    Great review!

    ReplyDelete
  4. You have to read the last book even if you skip the 3rd !
    For Saphira atleast :)

    ReplyDelete

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