[HPFGU-OTChatter] Re: Paolini's "Eldest"

[Laura Ingalls Huntley]

Alla:
> Have anybody finished the Eldest? I am curious to know what others
> think.
>
> If I were to sum up my impressions, I would say that I did enjoy hte
> story - I had  a hard time putting the book down, but I would wish
> for
> more in character development department.
>
> To me, even Eragon does not have truly multifaceted personality.

I finished it a couple of weeks ago.  I did it in one sitting, so I 
certainly argee that it was a hard-to-put-down book.  On the other 
hand, aspects of Paolini's writing remain distinctly immature -- he's 
grown a *lot* since ERAGON, but he's still got a ways to go (especially 
in, as you say, the character development department).

However, the biggest problem *I* have with his writing is how heavily 
he 'borrows' from other fantasies, notably THE LORD OF THE RINGS.  Now, 
don't get me wrong, I'm all for borrowing.  No new stories, &c.  The 
trick is to make it your own to the extent that the reader doesn't 
*notice* any strong similarities.  IMO, Paolini really failed at this 
in ERAGON and, to some extent, in ELDEST too.

I mean, the least he could have done would have been to make his proper 
and place names seem unique.  Farthen Dur?  Gimme a break.  Not to 
mention that "Eragon" is about an "r" away from "Aragorn".  He's just 
*asking* for accusations of unoriginality.

Unfortunately, in ELDEST, he was stuck with a lot of the choices he 
made in ERAGON (place names, characteristics of his races, &c), so 
although he had matured a lot as a writer, there was only so much he 
could do to make his story more original.

It's kinda too bad, IMO, that he started so young.  Maybe if he were 
older, he would have had the confidence and experience to be able to 
write the Inheritance trilogy the way it *could* have been written.  As 
it is, I doubt he'll get another shot at writing an epic fantasy that 
is popular with the masses.

Laura

P.S. His vocabulary makes me giggle like a schoolgirl.