Book Review: Eragon by Christopher Paolini

Book Review: Eragon by Christopher Paolini

Note: So after I finished Eragon, I grabbed a new book, and forgot to write this review. So it may be a little disjointed as my memory isn’t the type that can recall all parts of the story. Especially after a few weeks after the fact.

Eragon is a wonderful book. I first saw the movie and enjoyed it. It was entertaining and fun. Nothing too dramatic of life changing. It had little serious content and was more of the typical lesson of the fight between good vs. evil.

I had heard that Christopher Paolini was a young man, but it wasn’t until after the movie that I actually found out who he was and how this book came about. At age 15, Paolini completed Eragon, the the first book in what has become a trilogy. His parents self-published the book and Christopher went on a promotional tour to over 300 schools. He was home-schooled and graduated from high school at age 15 so he could start this tour.

So after learning how remarkable Paolini was, I decided to read the book, expecting additional details and in-depth descriptions of the world of Alagaesia (where Eragon takes place). What I got was a completely different story. Ok… not completely different, but substantially different.

Sure, all the same characters are there (with some characters have more or less influence in the book compared to the movie), but there are huge sections completely left out or changed to an unrecognizable point.
Putting aside the vast differences of the movie, it’s a good book. At age 15, Paolini had a solid knowledge of human instinct and the human psyche. Although on occasion, you can sense that he is forcing words pulled from a thesaurus, it’s very well written. I can’t imagine creating an expansive story like this, even now in my … uh… “mature” days. But at age 15, it’s just incredible.

In the end, Eragon is geared toward a younger crowd or at least a more light-hearted individual. It’s along the lines of Harry Potter, and is a fun read for whoever you are. But compared to other “youth” books like Ender’s Game, Eragon takes a clear back seat.

Overall Grade: B+

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