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Type of bind: Mass Market Paperback
EAN num: 9780440240730
ISBN number: 0440240735
Label: Laurel Leaf
Manufacturer: Laurel Leaf
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 768
Printing Date: June 12, 2007
Publishing house: Laurel Leaf
Age index: Young Adult
Release Date: June 12, 2007
Sale Popularity Level: 3578
Studio: Laurel Leaf
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Product Description:
Fifteen-year-old Eragon believes that he is merely a poor farm boy—until his destiny as a Dragon Rider is revealed. Gifted with only an ancient sword, a loyal dragon, and sage advice from an old storyteller, Eragon is soon swept into a dangerous tapestry of magic, glory, and power. Now his choices could save—or destroy—the Empire.
“An authentic work of great talent.”—The New York Times Book Review
“Christopher Paolini make[s] literary magic with his precocious debut.”—People
“Unusual, powerful, fresh, and fluid.”—Booklist, Starred
“An auspicious beginning to both career and series.”—Publishing houses Weekly
A New York Times Bestseller
A USA Today Bestseller
A Wall Street Journal Bestseller
A Book Sense Bestseller
From the Hardcover edition.
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
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I suppose a little history first. I very first picked up Eragon several years ago in a book store after hearing plenty of buzz about its young writer. After snickering through a couple of badly written chapters, clearly by an amateur, I dropped it right back on the shelf. Fast forward to the movie release, a friend told me that it wasn't THAT bad, and that I should reconsider it. I purchased the book in paperback, but still had the same reaction each time I tried to read it. Finally, I was faced with dwindling book space--to the point that I was going to have to get rid of the book unread, so I sat down and read it this weekend.
First to anyone who says it isn't derivative, you simply have not been exposed to enough fantasy. If Paolini had an original idea in the book, I didn't bump into it. To a degree that's fine, as saturated as the fantasy market has become, it's almost impossible for someone to have a completely original work. That said, Paolini lifted from other authors' works in whole cloth. I would say he should be ashamed, but what young writer hasn't written something completely derivative of a favorite work? Instead, the shame should fall on his publishers, editors, and his fans who keep praising this drivel to the skies like a mature work. This book should have been left in a drawer, where Paolini would discover it years later, flip through it and be embarrassed by his naiveté.
Instead, it's out in the world at large ready to pounce on unsuspecting readers. The book is bad. The dialogue is awkward, the plotting is heavy-handed, and the characters are flat. I'm one of those people that will spout tears over a good character death. Brom's death? I snorted. It was so obvious that the author might as well have written in bold, "I AM GOING TO KILL THIS CHARACTER IN A HUNDRED PAGES." Also it's pretty clear that the kid doesn't have any real experience with death. Never mind the Mary Sues. Know why Angela is original? Check the dedication...he wrote his sister into the book. Good grief.
Besides that? The pacing is okay, and by okay, I mean that I start skimming when I get bored, which was mostly near the last quater of the book. It wasn't entirely unreadable. I'll probably watch the movie to see how they adapted it, but there is no way I'm picking up anything else from this author until someone says he's grown up. Given that he's being praised for his juvenilia, somehow I don't see that happening any time soon.
Rated by buyers 
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As an adult reader I have to say that even I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I have very eclectic tastes in my reading choices, from Eragon, to East of Eden to The Good Earth to Janette Oke novels, and the quality of this story is in league with the others. Although the writing style may betray the young writer's age, the story line does not and will hold your attention with fascination... or at least it did mine. I've read Eldest also and have been eagerly awaiting for the third novel to be completed.
Rated by buyers 
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"Eragon" is set in a fantasy world, which in addition to human beings is populated with elves, dwarves, and other intelligent creatures. At the beginning of the story, the young hero finds a polished blue stone that turns out to be a dragon egg.
After the dragon hatches out, Eragon is cast into a situation that he only dimly understands. Fortunately, guidance is available from various sources, including a storyteller named Brom who turns out to be much more than he appears, and the boy is a fast learner. By the end of the book, he has been through a great deal and overcome some fearsome challenges. The stage is set for further adventures in the volumes to come.
Now why would anyone want to read such a patently unrealistic story? The answer, I suppose, is that it is fun to feel liberated from real life, if only in one's imagination. Forget a world that revolves around the daily news, getting to school or work, and the latest technology; here is a world where ancient symbols, deeds of yore, and magic discovered over the ages exert a powerful influence. Also, forget about moral equivalence; the distinction between good and evil in this world is satisfyingly clear-cut.
Paolini's fantasy world in "Eragon" resembles the one that J. R. Tolkien created, and I would say "The Lord of the Rings" is a considerably more polished and compelling work. This book is also not up to the standard that J. K. Rowling set in the Harry Potter books.
Still, there are some dramatic twists and turns in the story and it is told well enough to hold one's interest. Considering that Paolini started this book at the age of 15, I do not think one should be too critical about its imperfections.
There are parts of the book, moreover, in which the writer shows surprising maturity and perception for someone of his age. When the leader of the human rebels (Ajihad) briefs Eragon on the political stresses between the humans, dwarves and elves in the rebel alliance, for instance, his observations seem quite astute.
My recommendation: read this book if you have already read "The Lord of the Rings" and want to read another series along the same general lines. "Eragon" is suitable for preteen or teenage readers, or for adults who want to know what the younger generation is reading. If nothing else, this book will provide the necessary background to appreciate the highly acclaimed sequel ("Eldest") and later books in the series ("Brisingr" will come out shortly).
Rated by buyers 
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Eragon
(Whistles) Hmm...what is this Eragon; or who, or where? Well, the answer to what Eragon was an endeavor by fairly new fantasy writer, Christopher Poalini; which can be explained even more than that. Where can you find it? Well, either here, at Amazon, or probably at your local library. Who?
Eragon is a human youth that is proceeding into manhood, who lives outside a village called Carvahall, (which is in the close-to-utmost limits of the empire of the evil emperor, Galbatorix) with his farmer uncle, Garrow, and his cousin, Roran. Life as a farm boy is fairly harsh, and to buy meat from the village butcher, Sloan, would not only be expensive, but also unpleasant, since, for some reason, the butcher has had a disliking for Garrow and his family; so Eragon is hunting the meat for his family before the winter season fully sets in. Trekking and tracking for two days along an area called the Spine, he comes upon his query, a deer with a limp, among a bundle of its sleeping fellows in a slightly cleared pine grove. He relaxes for a moment and prepares his arrow for its destination. An explosion happens near by. The deer are startled awake, and the abrupt sound amplifies with jolts of heated air and appearance of fire. The deer quickly came to their feet and scattered, with the fire quickly spreading around them. Eragon, coming out of a surprise dazed moment quickly tries to fix his eyes on the partially maimed deer among all the chaos. He spots it, quickly brings his bow to bear, and fired as the animal quickly sprinted away. The arrow wised past the target by a hair's breath, and the deer were gone. Eragon was infuriated with himself (and punched himself...just kidding) and thought about returning home with nothing to present, and the cold winter ahead for his family. Around him, the surrounding area smoldered and the air reeked with the smoke of the late fall grass and the pine needles of the trees. He wondered to himself what made this event come to pass. Could it be magic? The thought pervaded in his mind. Could it be? This area on the map was deemed a magical place by the villagers, where as he had traveled it several times, always trying to be alert as he walked, and came back in one piece. The sun retired to sunset and soon the night spread its darkness around him.
He walked a short distance from the area, only to come upon a slight pit in the ground with an orb in the middle of its impounded walls. He looked upon it in wonder and apprehension. It looked beautiful, seeming a bluish color, and glared like glass in the moonlight. He stretched an arrow hesitantly toward it, touched it, and quickly drew it back. Nothing happened. Curiosity flooded him and he put his hand forward and picked it up. It was slightly heavy, so he held it in both of his hands as he examined it. It looked to be a stone, but was indeed beautiful to behold! Had this been the thing that caused this to happen, and where did it come from? He thought. Was it magic...?
Was it magic? Hmm...well, I'll let the reader search that out, but allow me to unfold a few of my opinions on this book.
Let's see, how did I come to read this literature? Oh, yes! My sister, who had taken it out of the library, let me read it ahead of her, kind of to test the waters, you might say.
Upon reading it, I will tell you that the beginning is very good. It has a nice pace, and an intriguing atmosphere about it that helps the story come alive. Though, I will warn you, toward the middle and end, it does begin to lose its intrigue and starts to feel more like filler than concrete story. Added to that, you might notice that the story, or at least the characters, bears quite a shadow of classics such as Lord of the Rings, among others (or at least that is the only one I can think of at this moment). That being said, I think it was awesome that he (along with everyone that helped him in various ways) undertook such a behemoth of a book at the age of sixteen; I'm personally glad for him.
The characters in the story range from fairly well developed to not so well; as you read it you'll probably feel that there should have been more to them. Quite a few areas in the book were illustrated with wording very well, to create a picture in your mind, whether it is landscape, cityscape, and the view age of mountains with the stories that are attached to them; it can make for a slightly indulging experience. And then, of course, there are parts that are not so well rounded out. Eragon, himself, as a character, might come across a bit like Anakin in the Star Wars series, in that, he is kind of looked upon as the `chosen one'; the one who so many characters in the story pin their hopes on, and upon the sucess or failure of his endeavor, their fates will be decided. Now, while that might seem alright ... Read More
Rated by buyers -
I have read many of the reviews written about this book and series and have to say that much of the negative response is overly critical. Are there similarities to Star Wars...yes. Other than the use of races such as elves and dwarves, I have a hard time comparing this work to Tolkien.
This is a great story that will grab the readers attention and hold it. If you are a fan of fantasy, I really believe this is a book you should read. It is not going to be for everyone and it is not a flawless work, but definitely worth your time.
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