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Eragon

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This article is about the novel written by Christopher Paolini. For other uses of the name, see Eragon (disambiguation).
Eragon
First edition cover
AuthorChristopher Paolini
Cover artistJohn Jude Palencar
LanguageEnglish
SeriesInheritance Cycle
GenreYoung adult
Fantasy novel
PublisherAlfred A. Knopf
Publication date
August 26, 2003
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (hardcover and paperback) and audio-CD
Pages509 pp (Knopf)
544 pp (Paolini LLC)
ISBNISBN 0-375-82668-8 (First Knopf edition) ISBN 0-9666213-3-6 (Paolini LLC) Parameter error in {{ISBNT}}: invalid character
Followed byEldest 

Eragon is the first book in the planned 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 advertising 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 egg in the mountains. A dragon named Saphira hatches from the egg. When 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 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 Edward Speleers in the role of Eragon.

Background

Writing and publication

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 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 the 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]

Influences, inspiration, and characters

Paolini received much inspiration from Philip Pullman, the author of the fantasy book series His Dark Materials.

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]

Paolini received inspiration from Paradise Valley, Montana (Emigrant Peak pictured).

The landscape in Eragon is based on the "wild territory" of Paolini's home state, California. Paolini "likes" to think he is "as much a nature writer as a fantasy writer".[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. It really does help." 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]

Plot summary

Eragon lives with his uncle Garrow and cousin Roran on a farm on the outskirts of a small village called Carvahall. While hunting in the Spine, a large range of mountains, 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 in actuality, 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. 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, from where they are able to track the Ra'zac to the southern city of Dras-Leona. Once in Dras-Leona, they manage to infiltrate the city, but Eragon later encounters the Ra'zac in a cathedral in the city, and is forced to flee. Though Brom and Eragon manage to escape, their camp is ambushed later that night. A stranger named Murtagh rescues them, but Brom is gravely injured and dies shortly after.

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 possession of the Varden can cure her. Arya is able to give directions to the exact location of the Varden; a city called Tronjhiem, which sits in the mountain Farthen Dûr. The group go in search of the Varden, both to save the 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 tells him 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 is about to capture Eragon when Saphira and Arya create a distraction, diverting Durza's attention 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. During Eragon's unconsciousness, a stranger contacts him through his mind and tells Eragon to come to him for training in the land of the elves.

Reception

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]

There were also positive reviews of Eragon. 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]

Film adaptation

Main article: Eragon (film)
Aerial photography of the Ság mountain, which served as the backdrop for Farthen Dûr in the film adaption of the book.

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 Edward 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 8, 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]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Spring, Kit (January 25, 2004). "Elf and efficiency". The Observer. Retrieved 2009-01-31.
  2. ^ a b c Saichek, Wiley (September 2003). "Christopher Paolini interview". Teenreads.com. Retrieved 2009-01-31.
  3. ^ Paolini, Christopher (2002). Eragon. Paolini International LLC. ISBN 0966621336. OCLC 49993776.
  4. ^ "The Author". Alagaesia.com. Retrieved 2009-01-31.
  5. ^ "Christopher Paolini Q&A". Shurtugal.com. Retrieved 2009-01-31.
  6. ^ a b c d e Weich, Dave (July 31, 2003). "Philip Pullman, Tamora Pierce, and Christopher Paolini Talk Fantasy Fiction". Powell's Books. Retrieved 2009-01-31.
  7. ^ Rosenberg, Liz (November 16, 2003). "The Egg and Him". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-01-31.
  8. ^ Rogers, Susan. "Amazon.com Eragon". School Library Journal. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
  9. ^ Berman, Matt. "Eragon Book Review and Rating". Common Sense Media. Retrieved 2009-01-31.
  10. ^ Casamassina, Matt (March 1, 2004). "Book Review: Eragon". IGN. Retrieved 2009-01-31.
  11. ^ Lawrence, Chris. "Eragon (Inheritance, Book 1)". About.com. Retrieved 2009-01-31.
  12. ^ "Best-Selling Children's Books, 2003". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2009-01-31.
  13. ^ "Best-Selling Children's Books, 2005". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2009-01-31.
  14. ^ "New York Times Best Seller List". The New York Times. January 6, 2008.
  15. ^ "Nene Award Website - 2006 winner". R.E.A.D for Nene. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
  16. ^ "2006 Winner - Eragon". Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Book Award. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
  17. ^ "Eragon". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2007-05-01.
  18. ^ Lyall, Sarah (July 18, 2006). "He Was a Teenage Spy, Surrounded by Treacherous Adults". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-01-31.
  19. ^ Parsons, Ryan (August 15, 2006). "More Eragon Stills!". CanMag. Retrieved 2007-11-06.
  20. ^ "Silver Screen Destinations: Eragon". AdventureTravelLogue. Retrieved 2009-01-31.
  21. ^ "Eragon". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2007-11-06.
  22. ^ "8th Annual Golden Tomatoes Awards". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2007-11-06.
  23. ^ Macdonald, Moira (2006-12-14). "Even preteens aren't slayed by familiar tale". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 2007-11-06.
  24. ^ Honeycutt, Kirk (2006-12-14). "Eragon". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2007-11-06.
  25. ^ a b Hunter, Stephen. "Eragon". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2007-11-06.
  26. ^ a b Bell, Josh (2006-12-14). "Lord of the Wings". Las Vegas Weekly. Retrieved 2007-11-06.
  27. ^ Seymour, Gene (2006-12-15). "Eragon". Newsday. Retrieved 2007-11-06.
  28. ^ Ferguson, Jason (2006-12-14). "Eragon". Orlando Weekly. Retrieved 2007-11-06.
  29. ^ Germain, David (2006-12-13). "'Eragon' is a 'Star Wars' wannabe". MSNBC. Retrieved 2007-11-06.
  30. ^ Smith, Michael. "This Week's Movie Review". Crazed Fanboy. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
  31. ^ "Eragon". Urban Cinefile. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
  32. ^ Arnold, William (2006-12-15). "All that's missing are the hobbits". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
  33. ^ "Movie Viewer". Shurtugal.com. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
  34. ^ "Eragon (2006)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
  35. ^ "Fantasy - Live Action Movies". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2007-10-31.
  36. ^ "Dragon- Focal Point of Movie Movies". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2007-10-31.
  37. ^ "Sword and Sorcery Movies". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2007-10-31.
  38. ^ "Eragon (2006)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
  39. ^ "Weekend Box Office Results for December 15–17, 2006". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
  40. ^ "2006 Yearly Box Office Results". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
  41. ^ "'Eragon' soars atop overseas box office". The Hollywood Reporter. 2006-12-18. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
  42. ^ "2006 Yearly Box Office Results". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
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