Paolini, Christopher. Eragon. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. 2003. ISBN-13- 978-1-5895-464-7
Plot Summary:
Eragon is an orphan who is trying to provide for himself and his family by hunting in the mountains. While hunting he comes across a unique stone which seems to be valuable and Eragon takes this back to his village. After failing to sell it, he takes it home and it begins to hatch to reveal that it contained a blue dragon. Eragon learns about dragons from the local storyteller named Brom. Eragon eventually names the dragon Saphira and he is able to communicate with it telepathically. The dragon grows to where Eragon is able to ride her, but he keeps her hidden because he is afraid of what the authorities might do if they find her. The evil king Galbatorix, a former dragon rider, sends out the Ra’zac (hunting creatures) to retrieve the egg and these end up killing Eragon’s uncle and causing Eragon to flee his home in search of vengeance. Eragon is accompanied by Brom, who teaches him the arts of magic and swordplay, and teaches him how to read. Eragon finds out that Brom was somehow involved with the resistance (Varden) against Galbatorix’s reign. The two travel about looking for the Ra’zac and battling Urgals, which are a kind of humanoid monster. Brom is killed in one of these battles, but before he dies he lets Eragon know that he was once a dragon rider and that Eragon is now the last dragon rider and the heir to a tradition.
Eragon meets up with Murtagh, who is on the run from the kingdom and the Varden. Murtagh’s father was one of the reasons the dragon riders had largely disappeared and everyone suspects him as being for the other side. Eragon has a recurring dream of a girl imprisoned, and after Eragon is captured he meets this girl who turns out to be an elf named Arya. She is in a self induced coma because she was poisioned and she wanted to slow down the effects of the poison. She communicates with Eragon through magic and tells him he must take her to Tronjheim, a city of the dwarves, where the Varden will be able to give her an anecdote. The two escape from prison with the help of Saphira and Murtagh and rush away to Tronjheim, pursued by Urgals most of the way. Once at Tronjheim, Eragon finds kindred spirits in the Varden and joins his cause with theirs and helps them defend their city against an Urgal army supported by King Galbatorix.
Critical Evaluation:
The book is very fast paced and is reminiscent of Tolkien’s works without as much detail. Paolini does a god job of creating a world but does not spend so much time in describing it that one loses interest in the action and magic that is taking place. The story takes the classic good vs. evil and coming of age elements and presents them in a way that readers old and young alike would find attractive. One of the amazing parts of the writing is that it was done by a writer who was an older teen at the time of writing. Tolkien, who wrote comparable stories, was an Oxford Don when many of his writings were done. It could be said that Paolini builds upon much of what Tolkien had already done, but the fact is that Eragon is a rather well-written book with a good dose of originality. This is a book that makes one want to read another volume after the first is completed.
Reader’s Annotation:
Eragon finds a dragon’s egg and becomes linked with Saphira, the dragon that hatches with it. The dragon brings dragon hunters who kill Eragon’s uncle. Through the help of Brom, a wise man, Eragon learns swordplay and magic while trying to hunt down those who killed his uncle. The young man and the dragon become involved in a much larger struggle in the process.
Information about the author:
Christopher Paolini was born in 1983 in Southern California, but grew up in Montana. He is quite interesting as he is perhaps the youngest published writer that one sees in the YA field who has such a large amount of success. Paolini was home schooled who tried to nurture his artistic side. He was fifteen when the first draft of Eragon was completed and it was released a few years later after edits.
Eragon was a huge success after many years of the family trying to promote the book themselves. Since the book became widely read, the story has been made into a major motion picture. Paolini has gone on to produce subsequent books which continue where Eragon leaves off. He plans to continue writing after a long vacation.
Genre:
Fantasy
Curriculum Ties:
N/A
Booktalking Ideas:
1. Focus on the relationships Eragon has with the various other characters, as Eragon is an orphan, how do these relationships take on the roles of immediate family which are not there.
2. Saphira becomes almost a second part of Eragon, discuss how people have such relationships.
3. The tale is of the classic good vs. evil variety, think of other popular tales to compare it with.
Reading Level/Interest Age:
13+
Challenge Issues:
Violence, Magic
Challenge Defense Ideas:
1. Read the book.
2. Be Familiar with the policy of the ALA and your institution.
3. Make a note of the contents of the work and how they fall in with the collection development policy of your institution and the standpoint of the ALA.
4. Gain an awareness of the awards, reviews, and criticisms of the work, as well as other works by the same writer.
5. Know the process for materials challenges at your library.
Why did you include this book? :
I think very highly of Tolkien’s works and had heard that Paolini’s works were worth a read. I was not disappointed. The writer was in the older teen age group at the time of writing, that might be attractive to some readers in that group.
Author Website:
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