This is a good time for a computer to be broken, or rather the last 4 days were I borrowed and read Eragon and Eldest for the duration, I am now done, I would like my computer back....
If you are interested in dragons, fantasy, elves and strange creatures, epic struggles, and well failed missions. It is a good read.
If you are looking for a book with nice neat tied up ends..these are not the books. I finished with more irritation than love for the next book. Dude still hasn't avenged his dad from book one, and this book just added more to his tasks!
Though honestly it isn't a half bad book...and while I think it could use some editing help, far to often in Eldest the wonderful descriptions cover 5 minutes of fantasy time in 5 minutes of reading, leaving the rest of a 3 week journy with no page space to describe!
I think the 2 books would have been better served as at least 3, if not 4 to get to this point, or else Paolini should have ditched half his world.
Trying to cram the history of elves, man, ra'zac (insectlike monsters), riders, dvergar (dwarves) dragons, and urgal (large man like horned monsters) into such a short space along with three different romances (the hero, his cousin, and his dragon), plus the epic battles, betrayals, and miscelaneous comments regarding life, faith, and community, is a bit much for two (albeit thick) books.
But, they are good books, and cool battles, thoguh not half as good as David Webber writes, He can make a space battle interesting, and write wonderful sword play (Honor Harrington novels and Oath of Swords)
In short, I am nitpociking, because the author is a homeschooled kid..well 20 something so not quite a kid, but still. He was homeschooled, I should love his work, instead, it is just...good enough.
And that is yet another reason why I should keep my comments to myself, too picky, always wanting more...I don't complain about J R R Tolkien, why would I complain about Paolini?
Same reason I complain about my kids, they I can change. Tolkien is long past changing Middle Earth.....Of course I have a right and obligation to work on my kids,(Speaking of complaining about my kids, my youngest still has an 'accident' (potty training) a day sometimes two, my middle girl can't keep a 6 from a 9, and my oldest, well he is still my behavioral handful...sigh)anyway a 20 something bestselling author..he can do what he wants and I have no right to complain, besides his editor prolly told him no one would stick around to read 6 books of one riders journey (humph, Drizzt won fans over like a dozen? books, I think readers can handle 6)
Now see what happens when I can't balance a checkbook or update payoff charts? I babble on about books! I need my hardrive back!
PS did you know you could read Webbers books online?
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April 4th, 2007 at 08:07 pm 1175717229
April 4th, 2007 at 09:21 pm 1175721693
April 4th, 2007 at 09:55 pm 1175723752
April 5th, 2007 at 01:44 am 1175737489
April 5th, 2007 at 04:32 pm 1175790747
I have no idea about a non reading 15 year old, they are thick books..not really starter books. try the xanth, or myth series..early books, or mid, not late (too, umm political for both.)
The second is good, but worse on the cram it all in.
I have heard several complaints the movie wasn't any good, so I guess we will skip it.