This past Christmas, I first heard of wunderkind Christopher Paolini. I had seen his debut novel, Eragon, at the bookstore for some time, but I never paid too much attention to it until I heard about the young author behind it. Eragon
has enjoyed incredible success and is being called the new “it” book of
children’s literature. I think that has to do with several factors
aside from the quality of the book itself. For one thing, between Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings
films, fantasy is very big right now. For another, Paolini was
fortunate in that he was in a position to self-publish and promote his
own book; if he’d had to go the traditional route he could have ended up
in a slush pile like so many other promising writers. By the time Knopf
picked up his book, the company knew that his novel would be embraced
by the public. There is also the matter of his age. When I heard he was
only 19, I was both quite impressed and duly jealous, and I was eager to
see what kind of an epic this teenager could have come up with. I’m
sure his youth has drawn the curiosity of other readers as well.
I had the opportunity to read Eragon
this past week, and while I still think it’s quite an accomplishment
for a teenager, for me it failed to live up to the accolades it
received. I know that many people have drawn comparisons between this
novel and Lord of the Rings. Avid Tolkien lover that I am, I don’t think Eragon comes anywhere close to the mastery and enchantment of Lord of the Rings, but I have no doubt Paolini was influenced by the Professor’s work.
Eragon’s name bears a striking resemblance to Aragorn, the rightful
king of Gondor, and he has more in common with Aragorn than with any
other LOTR character. He is raised primarily by someone other
than his parents and as a young man he learns that he is destined for a
position of greatness that has long been abandoned. He also has an
increasingly strong command of the Elvish language, and his relationship
with the Elven beauty Arya seems to carry the potential of an Aragorn
and Arwen-style romance. The Urgals which pursue Eragon could just as
easily be orcs. Elves and Dwarves both have similar characteristics to
their Tolkien counterparts, but then pretty much any fantasy that
includes them depicts Dwarves as gruff, short, bearded miners and Elves
as ethereal, immortal, breathtaking beings.
Brom is a wise old
man who assists Eragon in his quest and as such could be taken as
similar to Gandalf, but I think a much better comparison would be to
Obi-wan Kenobi. Indeed, the novel reminded me much more of Star Wars than Lord of the Rings.
Eragon, like Luke, is a teenager living with his uncle until a host of
unpleasant creatures attack his home while he is away, leaving him
alone. Brom’s instruction in sparring and magic is akin to Obi-wan’s
Jedi training, and Eragon’s vision of Arya is like Luke’s holographic
encounter with Leia. The role of the Dragon Riders is not unlike that of
the Jedi, and both elite groups have diminished almost to the point of
nonexistence. And, of course, there is the evil Empire and the rebel
force determined to oppose it.
Then there is the whole matter
of Eragon’s dragon. Saphira chooses to hatch while her egg is in
Eragon’s possession, and the two are immediately bonded for life. Though
Saphira cannot talk, she and Eragon communicate telepathically, and
they work together to rid Alagaesia of evil. This aspect of the novel
strongly echoes Anne McCaffrey’s Dragon Riders, and to a lesser extent
Mercedes Lackey’s Heralds. As an aspiring writer, one of my greatest
frustrations is what literary critic Harold Bloom refers to as “the
anxiety of influence.” It seems that no matter what I write, it ends up
sounding too much like something I’ve already read to be original, even
if I am not aware of a resemblance while I am writing. I am well
acquainted with the difficulty of creating a truly unique piece of
fiction, and I don’t think it’s a hurdle Paolini has quite managed to
clear. As I read, I kept thinking the book reminded me a bit of this or
that, but at no point did it draw me in like a McCaffrey or Lackey
novel, let alone Star Wars or LOTR.
It’s a dark
tale, and while Eragon is supposed to be the hero, I didn’t find him all
that likable much of the time. It’s clear that he does have emotional
attachment to certain people and empathy for others, but his grief and
pity always lead him to the same place: rage. He spends a good portion
of the book slashing enemies. Even when we first meet him, he’s
preparing to kill a deer, though in that instance it’s for sustenance.
Still, it wasn’t the best way to win my affection. He seems hardened
even then, and throughout the novel he shows very little levity or
humor. Likewise, everyone in the book is deadly serious nearly all the
time, and when the occasional moment does arise that fills a character
with mirth, the scene is not nearly as funny for the reader as the
character. The most light-hearted character is probably Angela, the
witch who Eragon encounters about halfway through the book. The only
character with a name one might encounter today, she is modeled after
Paolini’s sister and probably shares some of her traits. But she appears
in the book too briefly to add much reprieve. As I read, I kept
thinking of J. K. Rowling’s witty narration and host of colorful
characters, of Tolkien’s jocular hobbits and idyllic locales. I felt
very little attachment to any of the characters and none to the world in
which they were situated.
I found Eragon descriptive,
well thought out, an impressive achievement for a 17-year-old… but,
ultimately, pretty boring. Will I pick up his sophomore effort?
Probably. Who knows how much his skills will have improved by then? I
doubt most of my favorite writers could have pulled off a masterpiece in
their late teens. He’s just lucky to have gotten a head start. I won’t
say that Eragon is a bad book, and I wouldn’t dissuade anyone
from reading it, but I think the praise for it has been overstated. Read
it, enjoy it, and anticipate the next volume and the possibilities it
entails. Just don’t expect the next Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings.
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