I'm not much one for fantasy novels. Lord of the Rings, Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones), Twilight - I have no desire to read any of them. The sole reason I even had this book on my shelves is because the author was only 15 when he wrote it. That alone intrigued me. And like many other books it sat on my shelf patiently waiting to be read. Thankfully, due to this challenge, it no longer had to wait! At 500 pages, I was leary about choosing it for the June challenge of fantasy read, (but I only have few fantasy books on my shelves!) but I'm SO glad I did!! A well-written book for a 15 year old (yet, he graduated high school at 15, so this was no average teenager). I didn't allow myself to get caught up in the frustrations I have had in the fantasy genre - understanding and/or picturing a purely fantastical, imaginative world. I simply went with it. The character development of Eragon has you cheering for him at every obstacle, and the dragon....well, let's just say that in addition to a skunk (favorite childhood animal), an elephant (read Modoc), and a pig (read The Good Good Pig), I now want a dragon! Paolini's descriptions of the dragon and the fictional landscape are gorgeous!
I have seen reviews of this book that are all over the map from 1 star to 5. Many claiming it is a mishmash of Star Wars and LOTR rather than an original plot all its own. I rarely take reviews into account when selecting or reading a book (yet here I am writing one!), but I do peruse them upon completion and it always amazes me the vast spectrum the reviews cover - lovers and haters alike, just proving once again that reading is completely subjective and all that really matters is if YOU enjoyed the book and gained pleasure, insight, and/or an emotional connection to the book.
So, now of course I want to read the rest of the series (4 in total) and I already have Eldest, again patiently waiting on my shelves for years now, yet each sequel increases in pages!! Eldest is a tome of 704 pages!! Gonna have to do some bicep curls so I can read and walk with that one!!!
Quotes: "Keep in mind that many people have died for their beliefs; its actually quite common. The real courage is believing and suffering for what you believe."
"Lastly, a very special thanks to my characters who bravely face the dangers I force them to confront and without whom I wouldn't have a story." (author's acknowledgments)
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