| 29th | Top fiction works made into feature films |
| 1st | Top video games cancelled for Nintendo consoles: #-E |
| 4th | Top children's books made into feature films |
| Eragon | |
|---|---|
 First edition cover |
|
| Author | Christopher Paolini |
| Cover artist | John Jude Palencar |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Inheritance Cycle |
| Genre(s) | Young adult Fantasy novel |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Publication date | August 26, 2003 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover and paperback) and audio-CD |
| Pages | 509 (Knopf) 544 (Paolini LLC) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-375-82668-8 (First Knopf edition) ISBN 0-9666213-3-6 (Paolini LLC) |
| OCLC Number | 52251450 |
| Dewey Decimal | [Fic] 21 |
| LC Classification | PZ7.P19535 Er 2003 |
| Followed by | Eldest |
Eragon is the first book in the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini. Paolini began writing the book at the age of fifteen. After writing the first draft for a year, he spent a second year rewriting it and fleshing out the story and characters. Paolini's parents saw the final manuscript and decided to self-publish Eragon. Paolini spent a year traveling around the United States promoting the novel. By chance, the book was discovered by Carl Hiaasen, who got it re-published by Alfred A. Knopf. The re-published version was released on August 26, 2003.
The book tells the story of a young farm boy named Eragon, who finds a mysterious stone in the mountains. A dragon named Saphira hatches from the stone, which was really an egg. When the evil King Galbatorix finds out about Eragon and his dragon, he sends his servants after them in an effort to capture them. Eragon and Saphira are forced to flee from their hometown, and decide to search for the Varden, a group of rebels who want to see the downfall of Galbatorix.
Critiques of Eragon often pointed out the similarities between Eragon and other works such as The Lord of the Rings and Star Wars. Reviews also called the book a notable achievement for such a young author as Paolini. Eragon was the third-best-selling children's hardback book of 2003, and the second-best-selling paperback of 2005. It placed on the New York Times Best Seller list for 121 weeks. Eragon was adapted into a feature film of the same name that was released on December 15, 2006. It was directed by Stefen Fangmeier and written by Peter Buchman. The film starred Ed Speleers in the role of Eragon.
Contents |
Christopher Paolini started reading fantasy books when he was ten years old, but was "frustrated" by the "absence of quality writing". At the age of fourteen, Paolini started writing the first novel in a series of four books, but he could not get beyond a few pages because he had "no idea" where he was going. He began reading everything he could about the "art of writing", and then plotted the whole Inheritance Cycle book series. After a month of planning out the series, he started writing the draft of Eragon by hand. It was finished a year later, and Paolini began writing the "real" version of the book.[1] After another year of editing, Paolini's parents saw the final manuscript. They immediately saw its potential and decided to self publish the book. They had Eragon printed through Lightning Source, a print on demand company that is a subsidiary of Ingram, a major book wholesaler. "This meant that even though Eragon was self-published, it was available in any quantity, at any time, and, because of Lightning Source's connection with Ingram, in all bookstores in the United States, including online booksellers," Paolini said.[2] Paolini created the cover art for this edition of Eragon, which featured Saphira's eye on the cover. He also drew the maps inside the book.[3]
Paolini and his family toured across the United States to promote the book. Over 135 talks were given at bookshops, libraries, and schools, many with Paolini dressed up in a medieval costume; but the book did not receive much attention. Paolini said he "would stand behind a table in my costume talking all day without a break – and would sell maybe forty books in eight hours if I did really well. [...] It was a very stressful experience. I couldn't have gone on for very much longer."[1] In the summer of 2002, American novelist Carl Hiaasen was on vacation in one of the cities that Paolini gave a talk in. While there, his stepson bought a copy of Eragon that he "immediately loved".[1] He showed it to his stepfather, who brought the book to the attention of the publishing house Alfred A. Knopf. Michelle Frey, executive editor at Knopf, contacted Paolini and his family to ask if they were interested in having Knopf publish Eragon. The answer was yes, and after another round of editing, Knopf published Eragon in August 2003. It also led to a new cover, drawn by John Jude Palencar.[4]
Paolini cites old myths, folk tales, medieval stories, the epic poem Beowulf, and authors J.R.R. Tolkien and Eric Rücker Eddison as his biggest influences in writing. Other literary influences include David Eddings, Andre Norton, Brian Jacques, Anne McCaffrey, Raymond E. Feist, Mervyn Peake, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Frank Herbert.[5] Paolini has also received inspiration from the two authors Philip Pullman and Garth Nix. In Eragon, Paolini "deliberately" included the "archetypal ingredients" of a fantasy book – a quest, a journey of experience, revenge, romance, betrayal, and a "special" sword.[1]
The ancient language used by the elves in Eragon is based "almost entirely" on Old Norse, German, Old English, and Russian. Paolini commented that he "did a god-awful amount of research into the subject when I was composing it. I found that it gave the world a much richer feel, a much older feel, using these words that had been around for centuries and centuries. I had a lot of fun with that."[6] Picking the right name for the characters and places was a process that could take "days, weeks, or even years". Paolini said that "if I have difficulty choosing the correct moniker, I use a placeholder name until a replacement suggests itself."[2] He added that he was "really lucky" with the name Eragon, "because it's just dragon with one letter changed." He thought the name fit the book perfectly, but some of the other names caused him "real headaches".[6]
The landscape in Eragon is based on the "wild territory" of Paolini's home state, Montana.[1] He said in an interview that "I go hiking a lot, and oftentimes when I'm in the forest or in the mountains, sitting down and seeing some of those little details makes the difference between having an okay description and having a unique description."[6] Paolini also said that Paradise Valley, Montana is "one of the main sources" of his inspiration for the landscape in the book. Eragon takes place in the fictional continent Alagaësia. Paolini "roughed out" the main history of the land before he wrote the book, but he did not draw a map of it until it became important to see where Eragon was traveling. He then started to get history and plot ideas from seeing the landscape depicted.[6]
Paolini chose to have Eragon mature throughout the book because "for one thing, it's one of the archetypal fantasy elements". He thought Eragon's growth and maturation throughout the book "sort of mirrored my own growing abilities as a writer and as a person, too. So it was a very personal choice for that book."[6] Eragon's dragon, Saphira, was imagined as "the perfect friend" by Paolini.[1] He decided to go in a more "human direction" with her because she is raised away from her own species, in "close mental contact" with a human. "I considered making the dragon more dragon-like, if you will, in its own society, but I haven't had a chance to explore that. I went with a more human element with Saphira while still trying to get a bit of the magic, the alien, of her race."[6] Paolini made Saphira the "best friend anyone could have: loyal, funny, brave, intelligent, and noble. She transcended that, however, and became her own person, fiercely independent and proud."[2]
Eragon lives with his uncle Garrow and cousin Roran on a farm on the borders of a small village called Carvahall. While hunting in the Spine, a large mountain range, Eragon is surprised to see a polished blue stone appear in front of him. A few days later, Eragon witnesses a baby dragon hatch from the "stone", and realizes that it is actually a dragon egg. Eragon names the dragon Saphira. He raises the dragon in secret until two of King Galbatorix's servants, the Ra'zac, come to Carvahall looking for the egg. Eragon and Saphira manage to escape by hiding in the forest, but Garrow is fatally wounded and the house and farm are burned down by the Ra'zac. Once Garrow dies, Eragon is left with no reason to stay in Carvahall, so he goes after the Ra'zac, seeking vengeance for the destruction of his home and his uncle's death. He is accompanied by Brom, an elderly story-teller, who insists on helping him and Saphira.
Eragon becomes a Dragon Rider through his bond with Saphira. On the journey, Brom teaches Eragon sword fighting, magic, the Ancient Language, and the ways of the Dragon Riders. Their travels bring them to Teirm, where they are able to track the Ra'zac to the southern city of Dras-Leona. Although they manage to infiltrate the city, Eragon encounters the Ra'zac in a cathedral and he and Brom are forced to flee. Later that night, their camp is ambushed by the Ra'zac. A stranger named Murtagh rescues them, but Brom is gravely injured. Knowing that he is about to die, Brom tells Eragon that he used to be a Dragon Rider. His dragon's name was also Saphira, but an evil Dragon Rider named Morzan killed her. Brom then avenged Saphira's death and killed Morzan. After telling Eragon this, Brom dies.
Murtagh becomes Eragon's new companion. They travel to the city Gil'ead to find information on how to find the Varden, a group of rebels who want to see the downfall of Galbatorix. While stopping near Gil'ead, Eragon is captured and imprisoned in the same jail that holds a woman he has been receiving dreams about. When he breaks out of his cell, he discovers that she is an Elf. Murtagh and Saphira stage a rescue, and Eragon escapes with the unconscious Elf. During the escape, Eragon and Murtagh battle with a Shade – a sorcerer possessed by evil spirits – named Durza. Murtagh shoots Durza between the eyes with an arrow, and the Shade disappears in a cloud of mist.
After escaping, Eragon contacts the unconscious Elf telepathically, and discovers that her name is Arya. She tells them that she was poisoned while in captivity and that only a potion in the Varden's possession can cure her. Arya is able to give directions to the exact location of the Varden: a city called Tronjheim, which sits in the mountain Farthen Dûr. She also adds that they have only four days to reach the Varden or she will die. The group go in search of the Varden, both to save Arya's life and to escape Galbatorix's wrath. When they arrive in Farthen Dûr, Eragon is led to the leader of the Varden, Ajihad. Ajihad imprisons Murtagh after finding out that he is the son of Morzan. Ajihad tells Eragon that Durza was not destroyed by Murtagh's well placed arrow, because the only way to kill a Shade is with a stab to the heart.
Eragon is at last able to rest, but a new invasion is imminent. As the battle begins, the Varden and the Dwarves are pitted against an enormous army of Urgals, deployed by Durza and Galbatorix. During the battle, Eragon faces Durza again. Durza, having gravely wounded Eragon's back, is about to capture him but is distracted by Saphira and Arya. Durza's attention is diverted long enough for Eragon to stab him in the heart. After Durza's death, the Urgals are released from a spell which had been placed on them, and begin to fight among themselves. The Varden take advantage of this opportunity to make a counter-attack. While Eragon is unconscious, a stranger contacts him telepathically and tells Eragon to come to him for training in the land of the elves.
Eragon received mixed reviews by critics. Liz Rosenberg of The New York Times Book Review criticized it for having "clichéd descriptions", "B-movie dialogue", "awkward and gangly" prose, and a plot that "stumbles and jerks along, with gaps in logic and characters dropped, then suddenly remembered, or new ones invented at the last minute". However, she concluded the review by noting that "for all its flaws, it is an authentic work of great talent".[7] School Library Journal wrote that Eragon is "overly simplistic in its resolution of plot issues".[8] Common Sense Media called Eragon's dialogue "long-winded" and "clichéd", with a plot "straight out of Star Wars by way of The Lord of the Rings, with bits of other great fantasies thrown in here and there." The website did concede that the book is a notable achievement for such a young author, and that it would be "appreciated" by younger fans.[9]
Favorable reviews of Eragon often focused on the book's strong characters and tight plot. IGN's Matt Casamassina called the book "entertaining", and added that "Paolini demonstrates that he understands how to hold the reader's eyes and this is what ultimately separates Eragon from countless other me-too fantasy novels."[10] Chris Lawrence of About.com thought the book had all the "traditional ingredients" that make a fantasy novel "enjoyable". The book was a "fun read" for him because it is "quick and exciting" and "packed" with action and magic. Lawrence concluded his review by giving the book a rating of 3.8/5, commenting that "the characters are interesting, the plot is engrossing, and you know the good guy will win in the end."[11]
Eragon was the third best-selling children's hardback book of 2003,[12] and the second best-selling paperback of 2005.[13] It placed on the New York Times Best Seller list for 121 weeks.[14] In 2006, the book was awarded with a Nene Award by the children of Hawaii.[15] It won the Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Book Award the same year.[16]
A film adaptation of Eragon was released in the United States on December 15, 2006. Plans to create the film were first announced in February 2004, when 20th Century Fox purchased the rights to Eragon. The film was directed by first-timer Stefen Fangmeier, and written by Peter Buchman.[17] Edward Speleers was selected for the role of Eragon.[18] Over the following months, Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich, Chris Egan and Djimon Hounsou were all confirmed as joining the cast.[19] Principal photography for the film took place in Hungary and Slovakia.[20]
The film received predominantly negative reviews, garnering a 15% approval rating at Rotten Tomatoes;[21] the tenth worst of 2006.[22] The Seattle Times described it as "technically accomplished, but fairly lifeless and at times a bit silly".[23] The Hollywood Reporter said the world of Eragon was "without much texture or depth".[24] The story was labelled "derivative" by The Washington Post,[25] and "generic" by the Las Vegas Weekly.[26] Newsday stressed this point further, asserting that only "nine-year-olds with no knowledge whatsoever of any of the six Star Wars movies" would find the film original.[27] The acting was called "lame" by the Washington Post,[25] plus "stilted" and "lifeless" by the Orlando Weekly.[28] The dialogue was also criticized: MSNBC labelled it "silly";[29] the Las Vegas Weekly called it "wooden".[26] Positive reviews described the film as "fun"[30] and "the stuff boys' fantasies are made of".[31] The CGI work was called "imaginative" and Saphira was called a "magnificent creation".[32] Paolini stated he enjoyed the film, particularly praising the performances of Jeremy Irons and Ed Speleers.[33]
Eragon grossed approximately $75 million in the United States and $173.9 million elsewhere, totaling $249 million worldwide.[34] Eragon is the thirteenth highest grossing fantasy-live action film within the United States; twenty-first when adjusted for inflation.[35] It is the highest grossing film with a dragon at its focal point,[36] and the second highest grossing film of the sword and sorcery subgenre.[37] Eragon was in release for seventeen weeks in the United States, opening on December 15, 2006 and closing on April 9, 2007.[38] It opened in 3020 theaters, earning $8.7 million on opening day and $23.2 million across opening weekend, ranking second behind The Pursuit of Happyness.[39] Eragon’s $75 million total United States gross was the thirty-first highest for 2006.[40] The film earned $150 million in its opening weekend across 76 overseas markets, making it the #1 film worldwide.[41] The film’s $249 million total worldwide gross was the sixteenth highest for 2006.[42]
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Eragon is a novel written by Christopher Paolini in 2003 and is the first book of the Inheritance cycle.
Contents |
"broke my wrist... did something stupid... fell.
| Eragon | |
|---|---|
| Author | Christopher Paolini |
| Illustrator | John Jude Palencar |
| Cover artist | John Jude Palencar |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Inheritance Cycle |
| Genre(s) | High fantasy |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Make date | August 26 2003 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover and Paperback) and audio-CD |
| Pages |
544 pp (Paolini LLC 1st Edition) 509 pp (Knopf 1st Edition) |
| ISBN |
ISBN 0-9666213-3-6 (Paolin LLC 1st Edition) ISBN 0-375-82668-8 (Knopf 1st Edition) |
| Prequel to | Eldest |
Eragon is a book written by Christopher Paolini. It was published in August 2003. Eragon is the first book in the Inheritance Cycle. The second book in the Inheritance Cycle, called Eldest, was published in mid-2005. The third of the four books, Brisingr, was released in 2008. Eragon was made into a film and released in cinemas on December 2006. It was released on DVD in March 2007.
= A long time ago, the Dragon Riders kept peace in the world between the humans, dragons, elves, and dwarves. They were humans or elves bonded to dragons. However, the dragon of a human Rider named Galbatorix was killed by the Urgals (a species that fights a lot). Galbatorix became insane because of this. The Riders would not give him another dragon, so he decided to destroy them. He stole a black baby dragon and forced it to bond with him with evil magic. Then he and other traitors fought with the Riders. Finally, they killed them all and Galbatorix became king of the humans. The book Eragon begins 100 years after this. When it begins, Galbatorix is trying to find and destroy the elves (who are hiding in a forest called Du Weldenvarden), dwarves (who are hiding in the Beor Mountains - a gigantic mountain range reaching far above the clouds), and the Varden (a group of rebels hidden with the dwarves). He has not destroyed the elves yet, because he is still cautious of their power. He has not destroyed the Varden or dwarves because he cannot yet find them in the large mountain range.
The story itself begins with a young farm boy named Eragon finding a polished blue stone in the Spine (a smaller mountain range and woods). The stone turns out to be a dragon egg, and the dragon that hatches from it is named Saphira. Eragon's uncle, Garrow is killed by the Ra'zac (insect-like creatures that work for Galbatorix), who want to find and capture Eragon and Saphira. Eragon decides to find them and kill them in revenge because of his uncle's death. He and Saphira leave, along with Brom, an old storyteller who tells Eragon and Saphira many things about dragons and Riders and promises to help them. In Yu'Zuac, Eragon and Brom were ambushed by two Urgals. After Brom was knocked from his horse, the Urgals chased Eragon, when he used magic to defeat them. Brom also teaches Eragon how to control magic after this. While they are travelling, they find a flask (a container, which usually holds liquids like water) full of corrupted Seithr oil dropped by the Ra'zac. This oil is very rare, so Eragon gets the idea to go to a coastal city for shipping records to find the Ra'zac. The three travel to the city of Teirm to see Brom's old friend, Joed. Joed is a merchant who is secretly giving supplies to the Varden. However all of his ships are being destroyed somehow by someone who knows he is working for the Varden. He helps them find a record of where the Ra'zac are - a city named Dras-Leona. Brom, Eragon, and Saphira travel to Dras-Leona, but Eragon is seen by Galbatorix's soldiers. The three run away, but the Ra'zac find them and capture them. Then they are driven away by a stranger named Murtagh, but they wound Brom first. Brom dies soon, but not before telling Eragon and Murtagh that he was secretly a Rider whose dragon was killed by Galbatorix.
Eragon and Saphira bury Brom. They decide to go to the Varden to fight Galbatorix, with Murtagh who does not want to go, but will help them until they reach the Varden, but they do not know where the Varden are. They go to Gilead, another city, to find someone who knows where the Varden are. While Murtagh is in the city, he comes back and the next morning, Eragon is captured when the three are ambushed by more Urgals. His food and water is drugged to make him forget magic so he can not escape. He realizes he is being given drugs in his food and stops eating the food. Finally, the drugs wear off and Eragon can use magic to escape. He breaks out, only to find Murtagh breaking in. The two rescue an elf that is also in the prison. Her name is Arya. They are attacked by a Shade (a sorcerer controlled by evil spirits), but escape. Arya is unconscious, but Eragon can talk to her in her mind and she tells him where the Varden are. They must go across a desert to get there, and Arya is dying from a poison, so they must hurry. They finally make it to the Varden (who are hiding in the Beor Mountains with the dwarves), but on the way Murtagh tells Eragon that Murtagh is the son of Morzan, a Rider who helped Galbatorix kill the other Riders. When they get to the Varden, Murtagh is captured because he is Morzan's son, but Arya is healed. Then the Varden and their leader (named Ajihad) find out Galbatorix is attacking them with Urgals. Murtagh is released to help the Varden, which he does. There is a big battle. In it, the Shade appears. Eragon fights the Shade and, with the help of Arya and Saphira, he kills the Shade, but his back is hit with a sword by the Shade. While Eragon is unconscious, he is rescued from death by a mysterious elf, who touched his mind and blocked the pain. Eragon promises to go to the elves with Arya for more training. Eragon wakes up and finds he is scarred by Durza's strike. The book ends with Eragon promising again to himself that he will go to the elves.
Christopher Paolini was only 15 when he started writing Eragon, which many people have found impressive. He has also been praised for his writing style and the world he created. His strong female characters were also praised. However, some people think he is not a good writer, because his book is too much like other books (like Lord of the Rings) and movies (like Star Wars). They also think he uses many complicated words when he does not need to. Unlike the book, the film of Eragon is not liked by many people. They dislike it because it did not follow the book very well and changed many parts of the story which would make making more films of the series harder.
   | Official website - Eragon, Eldest, and Brisingr | the Inheritance cycle by Christopher Paolini |
| | Shur'tugal.com - The world's largest Inheritance Trilogy website. - Shur'tugal.com, Inheritance At Its Best - (Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr, Book IV) |
| | Books 2005: The 5 Worst - EW's Jennifer Reese names 2005's 5 worst books | A Lotus Grows in the Mud | Book Commentary | Books | Entertainment Weekly |
| | More of the 'Rings' magic - USATODAY.com - More of the 'Rings' magic |
| | CHILDREN'S BOOKS; The Egg and Him - CHILDREN'S BOOKS; The Egg and Him - The New York Times |
 | Waldenbooks feature - Borders - Buy Books, DVD Movies & Music CDs Online |
| | Dushurtugals.com :: Vili Reisa Aftr - du Shur'tugals :: vili reisa aftr :: An Eragon Site |
| | SwankiVY's Essays: Eragon - Hometown Has Been Shutdown - People Connection Blog: AIM Community Network |
| | ''School Library Journal'' - Amazon.com: Eldest (Inheritance, Book 2): Christopher Paolini: Books |
| | Eragon Fan Site - Eragon Movie | Game | Book |
| | Alalea :: An Eragon Roleplaying Site - (OFFLINE) Board Offline |
| | Saphira Forums - SaphiraForums :: Eragon's adventure continues... - Index page |
| | Philip Pullman, Tamora Pierce, and Christopher Paolini Talk Fantasy Fiction - Powells.com Interviews - Christopher Paolini |
| | Dragon tale needs a magic potion - Home - The Globe and Mail |
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