Christopher Paollini's Eragon. (merged)

Re: eragon... lotr tryhard?

I think my description will be a bit better...I've read Eldest.

In Eragon, it starts in a small town that hardly anyone goes to. The land is being ruled by an Dragon Rider, called Galbatorix, who turned against the old Dragon Riders (sort of like Anakin in Ep. 3). Eragon, the main character, finds a stone, and takes it home. He hides it, telling no-one of its existence.
One day, he is out, and he returns home to find it burned to the ground. He decides he cannot risk the dragon being found, and leaves, never to return...

Or something like that.

Re: eragon... lotr tryhard?

Noldor_returned said:

I think my description will be a bit better...I've read Eldest.

In Eragon, it starts in a small town that hardly anyone goes to. The land is being ruled by an Dragon Rider, called Galbatorix, who turned against the old Dragon Riders (sort of like Anakin in Ep. 3). Eragon, the main character, finds a stone, and takes it home. He hides it, telling no-one of its existence.
One day, he is out, and he returns home to find it burned to the ground. He decides he cannot risk the dragon being found, and leaves, never to return...

Or something like that.

Click to expand...

Your description was the same as theirs...

Re: eragon... lotr tryhard?

No! I am more crazy!

Sorry, wrong people...Ah well, I wanted to try. I liked them both, and will read Inheritance. Yet, the plagiarism was annoying. However, unlike some people it seems, I do not give up on a book when some things start to become a bit similar to others.

Re: eragon... lotr tryhard?

However, unlike some people it seems, I do not give up on a book when some things start to become a bit similar to others.

Click to expand...

Wow, that was subtle...
As I've said, it wasn't the too-close-to-plagarism that made me 'give up'. I just didn't like his writing style.

Re: eragon... lotr tryhard?

I don't think Eregon deserved to be published. Yes, it's impressive that a sixteen year old completed a very very long novel. That's very good for him, and it's fantastic that his parents were encouraging enough to help him self-publish before he was picked up by a publishing company. It is hard work to write a novel, and it is even harder work to get published.

But Eregon, which I did not finish, because my desire to rip it up with a red pen made attempting to read it too frustrating, still didn't deserve to be published. It's extremely amateurish, the writing is poor and uninteresting (particularly the descriptions, which are all 'tell' and no 'show', and dialogue), the setting and plot are extremely derivative, and while I understand that the publishing company edited out some 500 words worth of material from the original self-published book, they didn't edit nearly enough. The beginning, as far as I read, was slow, dull, and clumsy. No publishing house of any quality would have even considered a manuscript of similar quality written by an adult, which leads me to believe that Mr. Paolini was only picked up by the publishing house because someone thought 'hey, this is a really long book by a teenager. Let's publish it as a novelty item and get lots of press, which will help us sell books.'

If you wouldn't publish it by an adult, don't publish it by a child. Or a teenager. Or a talking monkey.

I'm prepared to believe that Eldest is a much better book--the third one will probably improve even more. Writing, like any other skill, takes practice. Writing well also takes experience. I have no reason to think that, in another five years, Mr. Paolini won't be a very fine writer. But he has a lot of work to do before he gets there.

Re: eragon... lotr tryhard?

Rhiannon said:

If you wouldn't publish it by an adult, don't publish it by a child. Or a teenager. Or a talking monkey.

Click to expand...

Why not? If the monkey is clever enough to talk, I would...although I guess that says a lot about me...

Re: eragon... lotr tryhard?

I didn't give up. I've read Eldest. I actually went so far as to buy it even though I agree with Rhi that the writing in Eragorn needs serious work. Why? Because I like the idea. I actually like picking apart the book with "AH HA! You took that straight from Tolkien/McCafferty/Jordan/Whatever." It's fun.

And I am fully expecting the kid to improve and like I said, I'd publish something mediocre if it meant funding my dreams, which Paolini is probably full into the swing of carrying out. The only danger is that the sucess he's achieved at this level won't cause him to be complacent about improving.

Re: eragon... lotr tryhard?

I just finished reading eldest last night (NR copy) and I thought I'd share this with you
Its alot better thatn eEragon and i think some people who didnt think to much of Eragon (like myself) should read it

P.S. Have a good Australia Day today all you Aussies and barack for us in the cricket (we need to win)

Re: eragon... lotr tryhard?

I know I am going against popular opinion here, but I actually like the Inheritance triology so far. It took me awhile to get into Paolini's style, and I would agree that his writing could definately be improved, but I thought the books were an entertaining read, even though they were a bit cliche. Also, I think that the second book, Eldest, was much better than the first. I plan on reading the third book once it comes out.

As for the "mild plagiarism," the influence of other fantasy writers, especially Tolkien, is obvious in his story. Off the top of my head, besides the "I'll keep two eyes on her if I can spare them" part Majimaune already mentioned, there is one part where the queen of the elves said, "I am diminished," which reminded me of Galadriel. Also, one of the main characters is named Arya (I'm thinking of George R. R. Martin).

Of course Paolini's books aren't among the best I've read, but overall, I did enjoy them. Just my two cents.

Re: eragon... lotr tryhard?

I agree with Niirrewen. I liked them. And for Majimaune:

GO AUSSIE!!!

AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE!!!
OI OI OI!!!

Re: eragon... lotr tryhard?

To Majimaune and Noldor_returned, do me a favour and go to the Cricket thread in Stuff and Bother. It's been inactive for ages, and we need some Cricket discussion at TTF.

Re: eragon... lotr tryhard?

As long as we're talking about bad writing can somebody pretty please explain to me what the attempt at a sentence "eragon... lotr tryhard?" is supposed to mean?

Re: eragon... lotr tryhard?

I think it means did the writer attempt to immitate Lord of the Rings or not . . . maybe?

Re: eragon... lotr tryhard?

It means is eragon too much like LOTR I want to know what other people think
You happy Wonko the Sane or is it Insane

Re: eragon... lotr tryhard?

Majimaune said:

It means is eragon too much like LOTR I want to know what other people think
You happy Wonko the Sane or is it Insane

Click to expand...

Yes, but "eragon...lotr tryhard?" doesn't make any sense. Why couldn't you have written "Eragon: Is it too much like LotR?" or something more...coherent?

And yes, I am happy, thank you. And I'm not insane, you're insane!

Re: eragon... lotr tryhard?

No, I'm insane! Mwahahahaha! Insanity is awesome!

Re: eragon... lotr tryhard?

Wonko thats to long for me to write. I'm an Aussie and I'm lazy so I couldn't be bothered to write it.

Yes NR you are insane

You know what's pathetic? My cousins made me read the two Eragon books because they said they were better than lotr! I am far from thinking them better than lotr.

I did enjoy the stories, but think that his writing style could be improved as well as his origionality. I agree that it is a "lotr tryhard". I think I could do better. I am starting my own fantacy book but am trying hard not to immitate Tolkien, or anyone else for that matter.

Yeah I know what you mean by its hard to copy Tolkien for I myself am writing a book (I think I already meantioned that in this thread to see more go into one of the inns and find a thread titled Auther).

Hey I dont remember giving this thread the title of Christopher Paollini's Eragon. I remember giving it 'Eragon... LOTR Tryhard' or something like that. And its not only Eragon but Eldest as well so Christopher Paollini's Eragon is a bit of a bad title seeing as its both books of the trillagy.

Well, I too, like many others, am writing a book whilst trying hardly to keep it original. But as I said, I will make a list of "copied themes" in Eragon.

Can I just say though, at 15, it is extremely difficult to be influenced by something and not try to make your own thing which is worthy of the same recognition.