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''Eragon'' is a novel written by Christopher Paolini and is the first book of the '' Inheritance '' trilogy. It was originally self-published by the author before being picked up by Alfred A. Knopf , after which it became a publishing success and a New York Times Bestseller . ''Eragon'''s sequel is '' Eldest '', and there are rumours that the third book in the series is going to be called '' Empire '', though there is no official name yet. INTRODUCTION AND COVER FLAP SUMMARY The story is set in the land of Alagaësia, and follows the travels of a 15-year-old boy named Eragon . It is said that the author, Christopher Paolini, got the name from the word "dragon" and replaced the "D" with an "E" to form "Eragon." Paolini also thought the name "Eragon" was fitting because it sounded like "era gone"- a good representation of the former glory of the Dragon Riders. It also echoes the sounds of J. R. R. Tolkien 's Aragorn , though they shouldn't be confused with each other. Eragon is currently being filmed and is set to be ready by the end of 2006. Official website. CHARACTERS By order of appearance (beginning after the prologue):
THE ANCIENT LANGUAGE
The Ancient Language, also referred to as the Language of Power, is the Elven language in the book that enables certain people to use magic. Because of the nature of the language, it is impossible to lie but is to mislead as elves show in abundance. Eragon uses it many times in the book. The Ancient language is based on Old Norse and Icelandic. CRITICAL REACTION There has been much criticism of ''Eragon'', regarding everything from word usage to the Marketing Techniques (critics deride the labelling of the author as a "prodigy" or "wunderkind"). The book's most frequent criticism is that it uses far too many clichés. Paolinii employs stock characters, such as Elves , Dwarves , and a pseudo- Orcish race known as Urgal s, complete with an elite sect known as the Kull, comparable to Saruman's Uruk-hai . Reviews Reviews of ''Eragon'' were mixed, although more solidly positive than the reviews of the book's sequel, ''Eldest''. ''KLIATT'' found the book "exceptional", and ''Children's Literature'' said Paolini's "eye and ear for detail, especially in describing the natural world, are topnotch". '' VOYA '''s response was more balanced between praise and mild critique, saying, :"Overwritten action sequences and occasionally forced dialogue do not detract too much from the interesting and entertaining tale. Now and then losing its direction and sometimes a bit immature in style, Paolini's debut novel will make readers long for the second volume in hopes of finding both Eragon and the writing a bit more polished." '' School Library Journal '', while noting correctly that the book would garner many fans, added that it "does not approach the depth, uniqueness, or mastery of J. R. R. Tolkien's works, and sometimes the magic solutions are just too convenient for getting out of difficult situations." Derivative nature of the books There has been much debate over whether incorporating Elves and Dwarves similar to Tolkien's is derivative or respectful. It has also been pointed out that many names in ''Eragon'' resemble those in Tolkien's work, including
Additionally, Paolini 's Beor Mountains are named based on the word "Beorn", which is another word for bear. In '' The Hobbit '', there is a character known as Beorn, who has the ability to transform into a bear. There is a character named Beor in Tolkien's Silmarillion. On the map of Alagaësia , the spelling of the place name ''Melian'' is identical to the name of the character Melian the Maia of Tolkien's The Silmarillion . The Grey Folk, said to be the first few magical beings resemble the Sindarin, who are the Grey Elves. The 'Lonely Mountain' Utgard in Eragon is thought to be based on the Lonely Mountain Erebor of the Lord of the Rings. These are a few examples of what is believed to be a wider occurrence. Yet another criticism is that the plot closely resembles that of the original '' movie, and no one would no the difference. Paolini countered remarks of this sort by stating that most fantasy is derivative, and that ''Star Wars'' has heavy ties to '' Buck Rogers '' and '' Dune ''. Furthermore, he also believed Tolkien to echo a famous Norse Myth about a ring that made a dwarf invisible, made popular by Richard Wagner 's epic opera series " Der Ring Des Nibelungen ", or " Ring Of The Nibelung ," despite the fact that Tolkien himself once said; "Both rings were round and there the resemblance ceased." Prose style Critics also conjectured that Paolini had the characters of Eragon act unrealistically while performing a myriad of fantasy clichés, such as "shedding a single tear" or reflecting in needless arcane speech: "When he would return, he knew not." MOVIE Fox 2000 (division of 20th Century Fox) recently bought the rights to Eragon and are making the book into a movie. Such stars as Jeremy Irons and Sienna Guillory have starring roles in this movie. The movie also has an estimated budget of $100,000,000. The film is directed by Stefen Fangmeier, who did the effects for Lemony Snicket's A Series Of Unfortunate Events (2004). The movie is planned to be released on the 15th of December, 2006. The official site can be found here , however content is currently limited. You can find a great wealth of info on it here . ISBNS
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