Rating: 
Summary: shameless
Review: J.R.R. Tolkien: 'The time of the Elves has passed." Christopher Paolini: "The time of the Riders has passed." Hmmm. You may not agree with me, but I'd call that cheating in a big way. As a mother, I think it's too bad this author is getting so much press when what he did was quilt together patches from any fantasy source I can think of--books, movies, games--and the stitching isn't even very good. Since when is it 'classic' to take what others have done and call it your own? Although I didn't see anything truly original in this boo, having read other fantasy authors, I wonder how Paolini would feel if there had been something really original in his book and someone else had taken it and made a fortune off of it. Well you might not agree, but what should I say to my own kids about givin gcredit where credit is due?
Rating: 
Summary: A wonderful book for young readers!
Review: My 10 yr. old son loved this as much as the HP books, which is a rare find. He did not critique the book, as many of the reviewers have. He just enjoyed it, as it should be. This book is not a "literary masterpiece", but it serves it's purpose well. Paolini gives the kids what they want...a hero, a dragon to wish for, and an exciting storyline...who cares if it's been "done". My son would argue against any critique, and so would I. Excellent book! We both eagerly await "Eldest".
Rating: 
Summary: Weak world, good story
Review: From what I have seen for both myself, and in reading prior reviews, the utterly blatant lifting of plot elements is fairly rampant. But what 15 year old author doesn't want to replicate his favorite authors? The problems with this book are primarily in the worldbuilding aspect of the book. Yes, one sees Middle Earth; yes, one sees Star Wars; hell, I even found Norwegian myth, Beowulf, and George R. R. Martin.The type of reader that doesn't enjoy an archetypal hero story won't enjoy this book. It is a simple, linear plot, but in this context it is effective, as it is written and marketed as a children's book. And contrary to some opinions written here, there are definitely strong female characters with at least one who is given substance in this book and two more who I am certainly itching to hear more about. I read through this book quickly, the chapters are short which keeps the pace quick and exciting. It will make great bedtime reading for kids since there are plenty of stopping points. I predict that with the writing experience that Paolini is gaining, and the critiques he is sure to have read, the next book in the series will far outdo this one.
Rating:
Summary: Great Intro to Fantasy Literature for kids
Review: Eragon is admittedly somewhat like Lord of the Rings, but so is a much of the genre of science fiction/fantasy. The great thing about the book is that it provides an introduction to the genre for children (who the book was written for!)which doesn't go over their heads (like LOTR might). Eragon also combines the basic fantasy elements of many different books. If young readers want more,more, more of the same kind of books, Eragon is a great lead in to reading Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, His Dark Mysteries, etc. I recommend this book to parents/relatives seeking something engaging for their young ones. It's not the most original book ever (but Saphira, the dragon, is a wonderful character),and it's a great start for Paolini. I and my 11 year old are awaiting the next book eagerly.
Rating:
Summary: Great book for young readers
Review: My 10 year old boy was fascinated with this book. He could not put it down until he finished it, and he kept reading me exciting parts of the book, so much so that I had to read it myself. It is a great read, and I recommend it for anyone with young advanced readers.
Rating:
Summary: Good book!! Good work Paolini !!
Review: Well, I do argee with some of the reviewers. The story line and characters do remind me of LOTR and HP. Nevertheless, I think the book was rather well written. Especially since this is his very first book. I like the story and I am looking forward to reading the second book in the series. Thumbs up to the author!!
Rating:
Summary: couldn't get into it
Review: for the reasons others have said, I couldn't get into this book. weak dialog, ridiculously weak female characters, ripped-off plot, and I'm supposed to like it because of all the hype? I don't. I for one have nop interest in the next book whatsoever.
Rating:
Summary: intensely boring
Review: As a girl, I could not relate to any of the characters in this book. I like to be able to relate to at least one person. The female characters WERE all for him, him, him. Girls today know better, and stories that do this are intensely BORING to us. Mothers, if you give your daughters this book, you might as well tell them to forget about being a person in their own right. If they're beautiful and enjoy falling in love with adolescent boys for no particular reason, and then . . . BORING!! Oh poor me, I'm such a beautiful elf languishing in prison. Help me, help me. Bad enough that this book is unoriginal. It's also dull.
Rating:
Summary: Can't understand why people dead-pan this book!?!
Review: I have never been a huge fan of fantasy books, but I bought this for my teen-age son...and I ended up reading it for myself. Yes, there are alot of places where you could say '...hey that sounds like a scene from...' but as a huge fan of great story telling, I was captivated by the characters and how they developed...despite similarities between Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and many others. Remember this book is written for young teens and has well-written, short chapters. The book is long, but because of the short chapters, I found it hard to put down. I disagree with the person who wrote a review stating they are a professional editor and spouted off a litney of "errors". WHO CARES!!! Nobody (average Joe/Jane reader)thinks about those things when they are reading unless the story is so poorly written. I just think you can't argue with the New York Times Bestseller list. (They say this is the Number 1 children's book as of Sunday 2/8/04)
I think this book shows tremendous talent for a 15 year old (at the time he began to write ERAGON) and I will look forward to the second installment to this trilogy. My advise...stop being so critical and just enjoy reading this book...just ENJOY reading...PERIOD!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Book
Review: Before I bought the book I read many of the mixed reviews on Amazon.com. Although you can see signs of Tolkiens influence, it still holds it's own. The book has a faster pace than any of the Lord Of the Rings books. If you like fantasy books and dragons, you will love this book. It keeps you turning the pages and asking for more. I can't wait for the next book in the series.
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