Eragon

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Summary: What an adventure!!
Review: How else can I describe Mr. Paolini's delightful story other than immensely adventurous? As a small child, I often lost myself in strange and enchanting worlds created by Lewis, MacDonald, L'Engle, and even the grandfather of fantasy himself, Tolkien. There was something magical about those stories that revealed the great wonder of adventure, and a sense of awe at the mysterious and unknown aspects of life. In Eragon, Mr. Paolini demonstrates the same ability to pull his reader in by weaving together a most thorough and captivating plot. All the classic elements of a fantasy are included: mystery, adventure, magic, swordsmanship, and a little romance. All this together, without adding too many extraneous details, results in a very grand adventure. Congratulations to Mr. Paolini on such a fine story; I am very anxious to read his next book.

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Summary: A Classic
Review: I am an 8th-grade school teacher. I caught one of my students was surreptitiously reading Eragon in class. She said she had to find out how the story was going to end and had to finish it. I rarely see that type of enthusiasm for anything in my students. I got my own copy of the book to see for myself what the fuss was about.

Eragon is a fantasy story by Christopher Paolini, a first-time author who's 18. I immensely enjoyed the story; it is executed competently and leaves me anticipating eagerly the next installment, Eldest.

Eragon has all the makings of an enduring classic that will be read and enjoyed well into the future.

Ashley Peters
Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Summary: Eragon
Review: Brilliant work! Can't wait to read the next two. Hope this becomes a movie.

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Summary: Eragon--C. Paolini---Fantasy at its best!
Review: I have just finished reading Eragon by Christopher Paolini for the second time. The book caught my eye because of the beautiful illustration on the cover. Eragon was highly recommended, so I purchased it. As an avid reader of Fantasy, I can honestly say this is one of the finest stories I have read in a long time. Christopher Paolini tells a story as well as Tolkein, and I do not say that lightly. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves elves, dragons, magic, or just a fabulous story to captivate a reader.

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Summary: "Eragon" Hits the Mark
Review: Congrats to Christopher Paolini. He's got a terrific writing future--and a long one, if his age is any indicator! But make no mistake about it, this isn't just a great story "for his age"; it's a great story, period. Humans, dragons, elves, dwarves, Shades--yes, all the creatures of fantasy that we love, and then some. You've read that it compares to "Lord of the Rings," and it certainly does. It has the wide and varied age-appeal that marks Tolkien's masterpieces. I'll happily mount this at the top of my sci-fi fantasy favorites, along with Tolkien, McCaffrey, Lackey, Rowling and a very few others. Can't wait for the next installment, "Eldest."

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Summary: A book that will keep you up late at night
Review: I just finished reading this fine book- staying up late each night long after I should have gone to bed in order to read "just a bit more". Each time I tried to guess ahead to the outcome of a situation, I was outdone by the author, who created an excellent world, populated by very believable characters.
Structurally, the book is so well written, that at times it leaves the realm of prose and reads more like fine poetry, not with meter and rhyme, but with the beauty and rhythm of words and images flowing together. To say much about the book would be to take away some of the surprise, but suffice it to say that it is a book very well worth reading, and then passing on to a friend. I'll purchase a copy to give to a talented teenager, just so that they can see how far one can go at that young age. While the book stands very solidly on it's own two feet- I find it very inspiring that it was written by one so young. This author is likely to have a well known name before he sprouts a beard! I now eagerly await the next book in the series. The characters are set up to allow just about anything to happen. Read it- you'll love it!

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Summary: An outstanding writer
Review: Eragon, what can i say. It is one of the best books I have ever read. It has action, romance, mystery, and always kept me guessing. Unfortantly I am one of those people who sits in the movie theaters and shouts out the story line before it happens and it is suprising, not to mention embarssing, when I am wrong. Eragon was one of those books I should tape my mouth shut for. This book combines the both a well thought out story line that is interesting and a world fully created and decribed by Christopher. Reading Eragon is like being straped into the seat of a F-15 and hitting the after burners. THe only thing i wish was that i didnt have to wait for next book , but it will be worth it.

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Summary: Eragon is a great book.
Review: Eragon is agreat book that will capture readers and not let them go , at least that's what it did to me. If there is one draw back it is that I have to wait for the sequel to arrive.

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Summary: Eragon¿Fantasy Distilled
Review: The first thing that any potential reader needs to know is that in Eragon they have found a book containing the distilled essence of fantasy-an epic quest, a majestic dragon, and a dark evil-but also a book containing the rare genius of Christopher Paolini, a completely new writer to the field, that breathes into the story a vitality and freshness that makes you think, "This is what all those other fantasy authors were trying to write."

The characters of Eragon at first seem like your basic archetypal fantasy people: a young boy without a mysterious past, an old storyteller who obviously knows more than he's telling, an evilly twisted magic user, and a grand elven lady. But as you become immersed in the story-which occurs fairly quickly-the characters begin to take on a life of their own, becoming more real as each event plunges them further into danger and uncertainty, so that by the time the last page falls they are old friends, ones that you eagerly look forward to seeing again. Christopher's prose breathes life into the characters of Eragon.

The characters are not the only strength of Eragon, however. The land of Alagaesia in which they live is also incredibly realistic, and it and the trials that Eragon faces lend credibility to the story that much fantasy lacks. For although Eragon is fantasy to the core, it also contains many realistic elements. Eragon is not able to overcome all odds from innate "gifts" but instead must work for his achievements. Eragon is a boy trying to find his way in a world that has suddenly become much more hostile than ever before, and his story is one of tangible reality.

And this is why Eragon is such an incredible book. Not because it is excellently written (even though this is another good reason to read it), nor because it embodies so much of what fantasy has come to mean, but because Christopher Paolini has breathed a realistic life into his characters and their world which makes the reader care. Or to sum it up in a single short phrase:

This is a darn good book.

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Summary: Yeah Eragon
Review: Wow umm what to write? This is one of my favorite books I have ever read! I loved it! I knew I would love it from the first chapter and I ended up reading the last half in one sitting because it was too exiting! This is the greatest book and it is amazing that someone so young wrote it. I think it is going to be extremly popular as soon as word gets out about it. I cannot wait for the sequel!