Eragon & Eldest. Book and Movie Discussion (Minor Spoil

[Wildwood]

Avoid it! Do yourself a favor....avoid it! :D:D:D:D As you may be aware, I am a total purist. But I tend to be less militant with regard to stories that are not necessarily dear to my heart. I enjoyed Eragon...I am part way through Eldest, but cant' seem to commit to it...but I am not nuts about either of them. They're ok. Good popcorn reading, especially in light of the fact that a kid wrote 'em. But I am not prone to get up in arms about any adaptations of them. :D:D:D:D:D

THAT BEING SAID.....that move really bit the dust for me! It's not *that* hard a story to follow, for starters but they just totally took it to pieces. I tried not be offended on that level for the above stated reason but for cryin' out loud! The dragon grows up in one second??? What is that? One nice flight and boom! She's a big giant dragon? And they moved things around in ways that were not at all necessary.

What was the most offensive to me, though, was that it failed a movie altogether, irrespective of the success of teh adaptation. There was that one scene where they started across the bridge in what looked like daylight, and it was dark by the time they got across it. It was so choppy and erratic, and way overacted in some places, and underacted in others.

If I had never read the book, I would still have despised this movie. I had my son with me, and he was into it, so I stayed in the theater, but I was ready to leave 15 minutes in.

One of the single worst movie going experiences of my life; the bad adaptation just makes it that much worse! :D:D:D:D:D:D

Mind you -I am the type of viewer who normally does not notice editing and what not. I am content to go along for the ride, and just let them tell their stories (or not take the ride at all, when there is a certain book involved!! :D:D:D:D:D) So that should be a gage for just how much I disliked this film.

Ick! As much as I disagree with lots of choices that PJ and company made, at least he made good quality movies that people could sit through and enjoy! :D:D:D:D:D:D:D

[Pearly Di]

Ick! As much as I disagree with lots of choices that PJ and company made, at least he made good quality movies that people could sit through and enjoy! :D:D:D:D:D:D:D

Abso-frikkin-lutely.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

[Frelga]

DS brought it home so I read it. It's not as tame as the stuff he usually reads, but he seems fine with it. I checked with him about some SAD MOMENTS, he didn't seem much affected. Which tells you something about the book.

Honestly, I think the most remarkable thing about this book is that such a young kid had the perseverance to write, publish and promote a long story like this. But the author's youth shows. There is not a thought or an idea that has not been borrowed from some other book. I am not very deeply read in fantasy, but I could see tracks of many illustrious feet on those pages. Oh, look, Star Wars! How do you do, Professor. Ms. LeGuinn, lovely to see you. Hi, David Eddings.

Don't get me wrong, I had fun with the book, even though the awkward writing detracted from enjoyment (having a fantasy character say "Okay" should be a felony). The buildings blocks have all been borrowed, but Paolini puts together something quite engaging out of them. The story reminded me of DaVinci Code, of all things - it's all plot twists that I followed, not to see what happened to the characters but fo find out what the author would do next.

I just hope this book would lure DS into reading better written fantasy. Although why I want him to read fantasy in particular is not at all clear to me.

[Inanna]

I just hope this book would lure DS into reading better written fantasy. Although why I want him to read fantasy in particular is not at all clear to me.

Yeah... I don't get it either. Why Frelga?

[Frelga]

I just hope this book would lure DS into reading better written fantasy. Although why I want him to read fantasy in particular is not at all clear to me.

Yeah... I don't get it either. Why Frelga?

Clearly, the answer is because I love it.

But I was actually only half joking. On a tangent, I think it's one of the biggest challenges a parent faces - to let the children be what they are and love what they love. Which may not be at all the same thing that the parent used to enjoy as a kid.

DS doesn't have the same need to construct an internal world that serves as an escape as I do. And unlike me, he says he doesn't see "a movie" in his head when he reads a story. A lot of children's books he brings home from the library are mysteries, which is consistent with his more logical mind and more outgoing personality.

Still, I want him to give those books a try. Sometimes, it's nice to have that escape. And the best fantasy books can inspire us, giving us ideals and heroes that stay with us for life. Eragon is not quite in the same league, but... well, it's a start.

[Glawariel]

I recently finished Eldest and I was rather disappointed. I felt like Eragon's training started out promising but then dragged on for way too long. It was also very reminiscent of Luke's jedi training with Yoda but not nearly as interesting. I also didn't like [spoiler] Eargon's transformation towards the end of his stay with the elves. It made him too perfect (would that be considered a deux ex machina?).

Although, in it's favor, I thought that the last few chapters (once the battle started) were very well done. I was really sad, and frustrated, for Eragon when the identity of the new rider was revealed (I felt bad for the rider as well).
I was also very intrigued by the girl who was "blessed" by Eragon in Book 1. It will be interesting to see where Paolini takes that.

I'm still planning on reading book 3 when it comes out. And once I finish book 4 of Martin's The Song of Ice and Fire Series I will be waiting for 3 final books- the above 2 and Harry Potter. And none of them have a set publishing date !

[Frelga]

Well, there goes my clever plot to lure DS into reading Tolkien through Eragon. He hated it. Well, not hated, but he got bored and didn't even finish. Now, that's probably the longest book he had attempted on his own, but still.

I can't really blame him, I got bored too. The only reason I finished it was because I wanted to know what he's reading. But now I really have to rethink my plan of attack. Or maybe I'll give up on fantasy for now and try a mystery on him.

[Impenitent]

Frelga, try the Deltora Quest series. They're short and they kept my son rivetted, whereas he also dropped Eragon before he got half-way.

Re Eragon's training: it made me laugh when he was put on a program of Ashtanga yoga! I recognised all the postures, starting with the salutes to the sun.

[superwizard]

So I have just finished watching the movie having no prior experience with anything Inheritance Trilogy related. To tell you the truth I am not very impressed with the movie. The movie was both jerky and cheesy IMHO. I'm hoping that the book is better and from what I read here that seems to be the case so I've decided that I should read the books to get a real sense of the movie. I am however confused about which book to read first. I like to read new stuff before rereading things (doesn't everyone?) so I'm thinking about reading Eldest. However I don't want to be missing out on crucial elements in the storyline so I'm hesitating. Can anyone help clear my dilemma?

[Primula Baggins]

My advice: Read it in the order it was written, not what's newest. That's what the author wants; that's how he wrote it to be read. Even a not-great author deserves to be judged on his work as he intended it, not as you happened to pick it up.

(And you're right that it should be less confusing. The only way to write book 2 so that you don't need to have read book 1 is to write book 2 so that anyone who has read book 1 gets angry and frustrated. Not a win-win.)

[Old_Tom_Bombadil]

Goldberry and I saw Eragon on DVD last night. (Neither of us has read the book btw.) Goldberry liked it quite a bit. Although very derivative of LOTR and Star Wars (I half expected Jeremy Irons to tell the kid to use the Force) I thought it was an okay story. The special effects were excellent, particularly the dragon, but we've come to expect that these days.

The scene where the Shade dude (he looked like Wormtongue, had the wizardly powers of a Saruman) looked out over the hordes of orc-like guys screamed of the scene in PJ's TTT. I'm surprised a tear didn't roll down his cheek. (Do Shade's cry?)

I thought the scenes with John Malkovich were pretty stale. I don't know if it was the writing, the directing, the acting, or a combination of the three but they weren't very believable. The story was paced too quickly for my taste; everything was so condensed. (Of course if PJ had made this movie it would have been an hour longer, so maybe that's why it felt so condensed.) I like a good story, and this flick was almost all action.

So, is there going to be a sequel or did the movie fare so poorly that they're not going to bother?

[Alatar]

Well, its really a bad summary of the book to be honest. Also, huge chunks were changed, both in location and storyline. If PJ had made the movie, perhaps it would have been recognisably based on the story too!

The Malkovich scenes were completely invented by the way. They're not in the book.

[Old_Tom_Bombadil]

The Malkovich scenes were completely invented by the way. They're not in the book.

That was true of much of Saruman's scenes in the LOTR films, not to mention virtually all of Arwen's.

I don't think a film is bad just because it differs from the book that inspired it. It does, however, make it difficult for someone who's read the book and is expecting to see more-or-less the same story.

[superwizard]

My advice: Read it in the order it was written, not what's newest. That's what the author wants; that's how he wrote it to be read. Even a not-great author deserves to be judged on his work as he intended it, not as you happened to pick it up.

I do usually read books in order but not always. After watching FOTR I read TTT without first reading FOTR. I don't regret that decision because I didn't really miss anything crucial to the plot but I don't know if it's the same for this movie. If the book is radically different than the movie I would prefer to read Eragon before Eldest. Ironically I won't be reading either book anytime soon simply because I am currently reading A Storm of Swords (3rd book in A song of ice and fire series).

[Alatar]

Its radically different. Read Eragon first.

Tom, I see your point, but the problem is that they messed with the book so badly that the sequel becomes problematic. They left out crucial stuff in Film 1 thats necessary for Film 2 (and I'm not talking stuff like Galadriels Gifts either). I'd be curious to see your reaction if you read the book.

[superwizard]

Thanks everyone. Eragon first it is!

[superwizard]

Ironically I won't be reading either book anytime soon simply because I am currently reading A Storm of Swords (3rd book in A song of ice and fire series).

Well I am forced to take back what I said! Today I bought Eragon in the airport because I wanted something to read on my 5 hour flight from Cleveland to SanFran. The copy of A Storm of Swords I have is very big and bulky and so I had to store it in my suitcase. SO in short I ended up reading half of Eragon on the flight and I must say, the book is a zillion (yes I know that's not a real number ) times better than the movie!!!

[Inanna]

Never Judge a Book by its Movie.

[Voronwë the Faithful]