Not So Famous…

I felt that Eragon left a lot to be desired in many ways. I liked the story, and I called it a grand first attempt. I still feel that Eragon lacked in some areas. However, I feel Eldest easily makes up for most of Eragon’s lacks! I’ll review the book here like I reviewed Eragon, so that you can easily see where I feel the book surpasses its prequel.

Characters: Given the fact that Eldest is book 2 of the Inheritance Trilogy, I feel that Paolini pretty much nailed it again. The characters deepen quite a bit, and you learn quite a bit more about many of the characters…especially our main protagonist! Even characters who you thought you knew most everything about get a little bit of the “AHA!” treatment here.

Writing: I said about Eragon that I felt that Paolini was trying to impress me with his vocabulary…trying to prove he knows more words than anyone else putting pen to paper these days. I no longer feel this way. While I think it’s possible I’ve just gotten used to his style of writing, I think it’s very possible that he’s come into his own. After seeing how well Eragon has done, I think Paolini has determined that he no longer needs to weave such a complex tapestry of language that he loses many of his readers. He still has an excellent vocabulary, and I found myself greeting some obscure words as old friends, exclaiming about how long it’s been since I’ve seen them and asking what they’ve been up to. But I don’t see these words as focal points…and I don’t see the story they represent as sort of a contrived method to using as many oft-neglected words as possible. I hoped that Paolini would come into his own in this area, and I feel he has. It’s a great accomplishment when the writing no longer detracts from the story. My old band director used to tell us that only after we’d technically learned the notes and the instrument could we then progress to making real music. Only then could we really REHEARSE! Until then, it’s all just practice. Paolini has done a stellar job at allowing his story to shine.

Plot: This is where I felt Paolini suffered the most in Eragon, and this is where I feel he’s made the greatest strides in his skills!

When Paolini began Eragon, he was 15, and I think that really showed through in his writing. I felt the story lacked a certain amount of depth. Eldest does not lack that depth. Christopher Paolini wove a story that sucked me in until I hit the last page. When I finished Eragon, I didn’t sigh with regret, as I do with so many of my favorite books. When I finish Harry Potter books, and I know I have to wait more than a year until the next installment, there is a feeling of sadness. Almost a going-away sort of feeling. You know you’ll see your familiar friends in the story again, but you know it’s going to be a long time. I definitely was sad to see Eldest come to an end.

Part of this was much like Rowling in that she knows how to give some closure with each of her novels while still leaving you wanting more! In Eragon, Paolini closed things up, and sure, I wanted more. But with Eldest, I desperately want more. My wife said, “A great deal happens right at the end of Eldest”, and she was right. There’s a virtual roller-coaster of events that lead up to the last page of the book, and you don’t want it to end.

Another aspect of the story that I found compelling was his ability to give me a sense of foreboding. I knew something was coming. I knew that everything was about to change. This sense was so strong that I made predictions about what was going to happen. I made some guesses, and I was close enough to what actually happened to make me proud, but not close enough to surprise the heck out of me. Some stories are fairly predictable, and while I knew something would happen, and I knew a bit of the nature of what would happen, the actual unfolding of events left me saying, “What the heck???” Nice job, Mr. Paolini.
He inserts a little letter to his readers at the end in the form of Acknowledgements. In this section, he lets you know that he’s now 21. I had no idea it had been so long since Eragon was started, but after reading the book, I can see the emotional maturity. He’s still writing infatuation as opposed to love, but I think it’ll deepen for the characters, as they come into their own. In Eldest, the flaws in the characters in their love, or in their views of the world seem more intentional than they did in Eragon. In Eragon, I got the impression that Eragon was emotionally shallow because Paolini lacked the ability to write with depth. Whether or not that is true, it doesn’t seem to me an impression you want to give your readers. Eldest is worlds better in this area. He says in the acknowledgements that the story of Eragon is really his own story, and I can see his maturation in emotional depth as well as in his writing.

On a final note, I think his ability to jump between converging plotlines is an excellent skill for him to possess. Roran’s story is one that could have gone either way, and I very much anticipated how Roran’s evolving emotions, and changing role in life would play out. With some authors, I am annoyed when the author takes me back to some other plotline when I wasn’t done with the initial! Not so with Paolini! When I switched from Eragon’s training as a Rider to Roran’s fights with the Ra’zac and his subsequent flight from Carvahall, I looked forward to knowing what would happen on each thread…and for far different reasons. With Roran, I wanted to see what aspects of his personality Paolini would develop now. Would he kill again and again until he came to like and enjoy it? Would revulsion at what he was becoming drive him to madness? Would he actually join the Varden, or would he change his mind due to his accusations of Eragon in Garrow’s death? So much could have gone either way. While I won’t reveal what all happened, I will say that I am very satisfied on a great many levels as to how things turned out.

With Eragon’s storyline, I anticipated what new skills he would learn with the elves. Would he ever approach the female of his dreams about his feelings for her? Would he screw up badly enough so that his back injury would actually kill him? Would the elves be able to heal him? How would Eragon continue to mature under his master? I looked forward to it for far different reasons, and yet, no less of an anticipation. Very well done, indeed.

Unacknowledged Sources: Aside from some placenames, and some standard fantasy story elements, I still don’t feel that Paolini draws too heavily on other sources, though I’ve not read Anne McCaffrey. It must be noted that she gives praise of Paolini’s works rather than criticism. That should tell us something, should it not?

Conclusion: This work was infinitely better than Eragon, I feel. He’s really hooked me on his epic, and I think that I’ll definitely feel some sadness when this work comes to a close. He has said that he wants to write more, and I look forward to see what else this excellent author will churn out. I said in my Eragon review that I think he’ll come into his own and mature as a writer, but to be honest, I didn’t think that it would happen while he was writing this novel. Even at 21, I feel that Paolini possesses great skill where I would have expected his writing to still only be tolerable. The gems in Eragon are found in spades in Eldest, and I am very much looking forward to the conclusion of this excellent series.

Overall Recommendation:

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