Thoughts on 'Eragon'

A couple of months back I was searching for reading material aimed at the children and young adult market, in an attempt to better understand the market I hope to break into with Zack and The Renegades. When I was at the cinema watching Harry Potter, of all things, I saw a billboard advertising the last book in the Eragon saga, being released later this year. Intrigued, I brought up the book with my friend Shere, who immediately revealed she was a big fan and couldn’t wait to see how it would all end. The books having passed me by when they were first popular, and having heard such a glowing endorsement, I bought the first book in the series, ‘Eragon,’ and hunkered down for a good read.

                                  

   My initial thoughts, and I suppose of a good many others, was that of Tolkien and Middle Earth. The first thing you see is a map, a staple of pretty much all fantasy fiction, but it is the most read page of the book by far as you constantly refer back to it as you are bombarded by place names left and right. The world of Alagaesia is clearly based on the much loved universe created by Tolkien, with Elves and Dwarves in abundance and slotting straight into their traditional roles. You also get the impression, through tales of the lands ancient history, that it is a world that has well passed its golden era, again similar to Middle Earth.

   But comparisons to Lord of the Rings et al are quickly dispelled by a fast paced prologue where we are introduced to the chief antagonist of this book and the series’ orc equivalents, the Urgals. You are instantly thrust into the action in a way that is absent from Tolkien’s introductions, and reels the reader in with mystery from the off. When the book settles down, and protagonist Eragon is introduced, we are drawn into a world that is a far cry from the rosy and quaint location of the Shire. Eragon’s hometown Carvahall, while peaceful and beautiful, is not a jovial slice of old England. Times are hard here, and people are suffering at the hands of Evil Empire no. 234B.

    Eragon is a strange protagonist. He’s very likeable, undoubtedly courageous with the determination to go with it. Just the sort of character a fantasy book like this needs. He’s very hard to find fault with, which is perhaps part of the problem. In many instances he is almost too perfect, lacking any faults that hinder his progress throughout the story. You could say his youthful impatience, and his desire to always risk doing the right thing no matter what the odds, are his Achilles heels, but they never seem to hold him back or truly put him at risk. But perhaps I am doing him a disservice. As I said he’s a very likeable hero, and you want to see him succeed.

    The star of the show undoubtedly is his dragon Saphira. She’s a powerful and independent female that doesn’t take shit from anyone, Eragon, friends and foes alike. Witnessing her transformation from tiny hatchling into a powerhouse capable of fending off entire armies is joyous. As is her relationship with Eragon, where there is real and heartfelt affection between the two characters. Other supporting characters slot into traditional roles, Brom the storyteller come sorcerer come teacher, Roran the family member left behind and Murtagh the young warrior with a mysterious past. They all fit into their roles well, and the author isn’t averse to killing characters off when you least expect it.

                              

    Much has been made of the authors vivid imagination in creating such a compelling universe in which his characters reside. But at the beginning the world seems slightly dulled. Towns and landscapes are passed by with barely a mention, and the lands they travel through are not all that unique when compared to other fantasy books. It’s not until later on in the book, when we come across vast deserts, mountain ranges reaching into the sky and underground cities constructed out of gemstones, that your imagination goes into overdrive.

    Despite the books imposing size for a story aimed at children, you really rifle through the pages. Paolini’s world may not be all that original, or his heroes all that unique, but you care enough for the characters that you want to find out where their adventure will take them next. Moreover it is quite unpredictable, and you aren’t often able to second guess the story, keeping you gripped as you charge from chapter to chapter.

    The authors writing style is far from cohesive, and you are often bombarded with lengthy dialogue and overcomplicated explanations of races, magic and history lessons. Moreover you are often whisked from place to place in a matter of paragraphs, sometimes skewing the books pacing. But his ability to paint vivid images and construct a vibrant fantasy world is exceptional, particularly when you consider how young he was when the book was written. The action scenes are also well done, not overtly complicated and clearly presented, but putting you right in the thick of the action.

     Comparisons to Tolkien are perhaps inevitable when you consider how much Paolini has obviously been influenced by his stories and those of other fantasy writers, and in Eragon there is nothing drastically unique. Yet it is his imaginative take on the old conventions of fantasy fiction that makes Eragon stand apart, and as a method of losing yourself in an old fashioned adventure yarn it’s hard to fault. But perhaps his greatest achievement is remembering that fantasy works best when the child and adult worlds are blurred into one. Too often fantasy books are aimed purely at the adult market, catering to an ever diminishing niche. Paolini has reopened this genre to a fresh generation with tales that are accessible, but disguise a hidden level of complexity underneath a story that is exciting and imaginative. I look very much forward to reading ‘Eldest’ the second book in the series, and seeing where Eragon’s adventures will take him next.