Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Author Biography:
Christopher Paolini was born on November 17, 1983 in Southern California. He has lived most of his life in Paradise Valley, Montana with his parents and younger sister, Angela. As a child, he often wrote short stories and poems, made frequent trips to the library, and read widely. The idea of Eragon began as the daydreams of a teen. The project began as a hobby, a personal challenge; he never intended it to be published. Christopher was fifteen when he wrote the first draft of Eragon. He took a second year to revise the book and then gave it to his parents to read. The family decided to self-publish the book and spent a third year preparing the manuscript for publication: copy editing proofreading, designing a cover, typesetting the manuscript, and creating marketing materials. The manuscript was sent to press and the first books arrived in November 2001. Information retrieved from Amazon.com
Published by: Alfred A. Knopf
ISBN: 0375826688
Genre: Fantasy
Reading Level: Ages 12 and Up
Reader’s Annotation:
Eragon is a farm boy of little importance until one day he fines a blue stone. As he cares for the stone it hatches into a blue dragon – setting off a chain of events that will forever change his life and the world.
Plot Summary:
Life is simple for Eragon. He wakes up, works on the farm, spends time with a few of his friends, and then returns to bed to repeat the process. Eragon’s quiet life is shattered when he finds a blue stone and takes it home. The stone is actually a dragon egg from which Saphira emerges – growing and maturing at a frighteningly quick rate. Before long the two are able to speak with each other and develop an unusual bond that varies between friendship, partnership, and Saphira acting as Eragon’s doting parent.
King Galbatorix learns of Saphira’s hatching, however, and sends his men to take her – by force if necessary. The pair manage to escape the king’s clutches, but Eragon’s uncle is killed during the escape. Eragon swears to make the king and his men pay for their attack, escaping to parts of the world he had only ever heard stories of. During his journey Eragon becomes a legendary dragon rider with Saphira, meets a race of elves, and engages in a full scale war with creatures under the king’s command.
Critical Evaluation:
Many people who have heard or read Eragon often compare it to the works of Tolkien for its sprawling narrative and epic storyline. While it is a decent comparison, Eragon lacks Tolkien’s exhaustive attention to detail, much to Eragon’s benefit. While there are several fairly detailed portions of the book, Paolini manages to keep these descriptions from interrupting the flow of the book for the most part. What is of particular importance is the interaction between Eragon and Saphira. While many fantasy books cast dragons as fearsome or aloof creatures, Eragon and Saphira often joke life friends, bicker like a married couple, and genuinely care for each other like parents. Their character development, along with how the world unfurls before them and becomes increasing fraught with danger and action, make this a book worth reading for fans of fantasy.
Curriculum Ties:
Challenge Issues:
None
Defensive Maneuvers:
n/a
Book Talk Idea:
Have you ever wished your life was more exciting than it was? That you were a hero of some importance that would go on to do great things? This is exactly what happens to Eragon, but at a horrible price.
Why This Book?
Christopher Paolini seems poised to become the next great fantasy author among young adults. Eragon is an excellent first entry in his four book series, and contains all the action, world building, character development, and lore young fantasy-lovers crave.
Christopher Paolini was born on November 17, 1983 in Southern California. He has lived most of his life in Paradise Valley, Montana with his parents and younger sister, Angela. As a child, he often wrote short stories and poems, made frequent trips to the library, and read widely. The idea of Eragon began as the daydreams of a teen. The project began as a hobby, a personal challenge; he never intended it to be published. Christopher was fifteen when he wrote the first draft of Eragon. He took a second year to revise the book and then gave it to his parents to read. The family decided to self-publish the book and spent a third year preparing the manuscript for publication: copy editing proofreading, designing a cover, typesetting the manuscript, and creating marketing materials. The manuscript was sent to press and the first books arrived in November 2001. Information retrieved from Amazon.com
Published by: Alfred A. Knopf
ISBN: 0375826688
Genre: Fantasy
Reading Level: Ages 12 and Up
Reader’s Annotation:
Eragon is a farm boy of little importance until one day he fines a blue stone. As he cares for the stone it hatches into a blue dragon – setting off a chain of events that will forever change his life and the world.
Plot Summary:
Life is simple for Eragon. He wakes up, works on the farm, spends time with a few of his friends, and then returns to bed to repeat the process. Eragon’s quiet life is shattered when he finds a blue stone and takes it home. The stone is actually a dragon egg from which Saphira emerges – growing and maturing at a frighteningly quick rate. Before long the two are able to speak with each other and develop an unusual bond that varies between friendship, partnership, and Saphira acting as Eragon’s doting parent.
King Galbatorix learns of Saphira’s hatching, however, and sends his men to take her – by force if necessary. The pair manage to escape the king’s clutches, but Eragon’s uncle is killed during the escape. Eragon swears to make the king and his men pay for their attack, escaping to parts of the world he had only ever heard stories of. During his journey Eragon becomes a legendary dragon rider with Saphira, meets a race of elves, and engages in a full scale war with creatures under the king’s command.
Critical Evaluation:
Many people who have heard or read Eragon often compare it to the works of Tolkien for its sprawling narrative and epic storyline. While it is a decent comparison, Eragon lacks Tolkien’s exhaustive attention to detail, much to Eragon’s benefit. While there are several fairly detailed portions of the book, Paolini manages to keep these descriptions from interrupting the flow of the book for the most part. What is of particular importance is the interaction between Eragon and Saphira. While many fantasy books cast dragons as fearsome or aloof creatures, Eragon and Saphira often joke life friends, bicker like a married couple, and genuinely care for each other like parents. Their character development, along with how the world unfurls before them and becomes increasing fraught with danger and action, make this a book worth reading for fans of fantasy.
Curriculum Ties:
- Rebellion in the face of a corrupt government
Challenge Issues:
None
Defensive Maneuvers:
n/a
Book Talk Idea:
Have you ever wished your life was more exciting than it was? That you were a hero of some importance that would go on to do great things? This is exactly what happens to Eragon, but at a horrible price.
Why This Book?
Christopher Paolini seems poised to become the next great fantasy author among young adults. Eragon is an excellent first entry in his four book series, and contains all the action, world building, character development, and lore young fantasy-lovers crave.