Poll: The Inheritance Cycle (i.e. Eragon)

[Arnoxthe1]

So have any of you guys read these books or a book from it?

To me, it's good corny fantasy that combines the best of a lot of fantasy classics before it into one package that I find to be awesome. If you take it for what it is, it's a fun series. I will agree though that Eldest seems to have some dry moments in it.

 

[Assonabum]

Aside from it being a product of borderline plagiarism, it was a decent read.

 

[Arnoxthe1]

Aside from it being a product of borderline plagiarism, it was a decent read.

lol Yeah the plagiarism was pretty darn bad the more I think about it, borrowing from at least 3 famous fantasies. Nevertheless, I still think it's a worthy read if anything else, because it combines all these ideas into a story with some personality to it as I said before. It's not just a copypasta project.

 

[Nieroshai]

To me it seemed not to really know which story it wanted to tell. It was alright (the movie wasn't) but I'd more readily recommend the stories it draws from.

 

[Shadu]

I read Eragon. I started Eldest. I never finished. Only got half way and gave up. We own Inheritence in the hope that one day one of us will make it through Eldest...but it isn't looking good. I got the furthest and I still only got just over half way.

I've had plenty of people tell me it gets good after halfway, and my response was that it shouldn't take something like 300 pages to get good. The most exciting parts didn't even seem that important. I'm sure they were later in the book but gheez. Too boring and dull.

 

[Whoatemysupper]

It's Star Wars but with Obi-Wan being Luke's father. It's delivered well though.

 

[lacktheknack]

I kinda hazed through the second fifth of Eldest, but beyond that, I very much liked the series. Can't wait to get my paws on the fourth book.

 

[Arnoxthe1]

WTH? Sorry about the double post but my post didn't show up for a while.

 

[Arnoxthe1]

I read Eragon. I started Eldest. I never finished. Only got half way and gave up. We own Inheritence in the hope that one day one of us will make it through Eldest...but it isn't looking good. I got the furthest and I still only got just over half way.

I've had plenty of people tell me it gets good after halfway, and my response was that it shouldn't take something like 300 pages to get good. The most exciting parts didn't even seem that important. I'm sure they were later in the book but gheez. Too boring and dull.

Keep going man, if anything just finish it and then read Brisingr. It starts getting really interesting then.

 

[Berithil]

Aside from all the cliches and rip offs, it was a decent read. Not the best series I've read but not bad, no matter what most people say.

 

[Mallefunction]

I'm an English major and I was shocked at how horribly written it was for a bestseller...so yeah, I hated it.

 

[Berethond]

I liked it until I realized how racist it was. The Elves are just automatically better than humans at everything ever? Interesting. (Not.)

 

[Arnoxthe1]

I liked it until I realized how racist it was. The Elves are just automatically better than humans at everything ever? Interesting. (Not.)

I suppose your feelings also go toward LotR as well on this?

 

[Joel Dawson]

Looking past many rip-offs and cliches I really liked it. I've read them through twice and I'm waiting for the fourth. However, more and more, I find the romance scenes with Eragon and Arya just painful to read.

 

[TheLoneBeet]

I remember really liking the first one when it came out (I was 12). I read through it in three or four days, wrote a review/essay about it for school, and generally loved it as much as a boy can love a book that doesn't have any naked girls in it.

When the second came out I was still enjoying the series and eagerly scooped up a copy and read through it in about two days.

When the third came out I was beginning to lose interest but decided to read it as well because if there's one thing I hate it's not finding conclusion (still waiting on the fourth *HOPEFULLY LAST* book so I can get said coveted conclusion)

I'd read The Hobbit when I was 8 (my dad got me into it) and The Lord of the Rings trilogy by the time Eragon came out so I was essentially hoping for a grand scale fantasy epic to follow that and it failed me. Those are very high and unfair standards to hold almost anything to but I was young and optimistic and basically stupid. It was only once I'd gotten a little older that I figured out it was blatantly plagiarized and I'm now 20 and wanting to end it and move on.

In short. They're alright.

 

[Arnoxthe1]

I remember really liking the first one when it came out (I was 12). I read through it in three or four days, wrote a review/essay about it for school, and generally loved it as much as a boy can love a book that doesn't have any naked girls in it.

When the second came out I was still enjoying the series and eagerly scooped up a copy and read through it in about two days.

When the third came out I was beginning to lose interest but decided to read it as well because if there's one thing I hate it's not finding conclusion (still waiting on the fourth *HOPEFULLY LAST* book so I can get said coveted conclusion)

I'd read The Hobbit when I was 8 (my dad got me into it) and The Lord of the Rings trilogy by the time Eragon came out so I was essentially hoping for a grand scale fantasy epic to follow that and it failed me. Those are very high and unfair standards to hold almost anything to but I was young and optimistic and basically stupid. It was only once I'd gotten a little older that I figured out it was blatantly plagiarized and I'm now 20 and wanting to end it and move on.

In short. They're alright.

Have you ever read The Belgariad and The Mallorean? They deserve a spot next to LotR IMAO. Why?

1. The world is constantly changing and feels REAL. There's not just the basic fantasy standbys here. There's a full economic system and an ordered government.

2. It has some of the most memorable characters I've ever seen in a book.

3. Pretty darn original. Some of the concepts in these books might seriously wow you.

4. It's LONG. And if you're anything like me, a long series is AWESOME.

 

[Lionsfan]

Oh don't even get me started on these books. Cheap ripped off story, bad writing, plot holes, overuse of Deus Ex Machina, and horribly offensive (I don't need the author strong-arming his personal views on what's right and wrong in the world, so fuck those damn Elves). I don't know how I made it through 3, and unfortunately I'm gonna bet my curiosity will get the best of me and I'll check out the 4th one.

I liked it until I realized how racist it was. The Elves are just automatically better than humans at everything ever? Interesting. (Not.)

I suppose your feelings also go toward LotR as well on this?

I can't speak for him, but for a lot of people it's the fact that A: LOTR did it first and was original. And B: in LOTR the elves are better yes, but they also have flaws and aren't these gods walking around the planet. In LOTR the Elves acknowledge that their time is over, and admit they aren't all-powerful. Contrast that to Eragon where it seems like every other word coming from the Elves mouth is how great they are, and how cool they are etc. etc. And finally, another point is that in LOTR for the most part the readers are dealing with a select few characters, while in Eragon we're dealing with an entire race

 

[Dr_Horrible]

I loved the first book when I was younger, trudged most of the way through the second, and got about 50 pages into the third before turning all of them in to a used bookstore. I had mostly been reading the second and third out of series loyalty, but it had finally hit me that the books were nothing but Star Wars+LoTR minus writing skill and charm.

So yeah, kinda hate it now.

 

[Kahunaburger]

However, more and more, I find the romance scenes with Eragon and Arya just painful to read.

This. I hated basically every part of the books, but reserve special hate for the romance plot. Even when I was in my socially idiotic high school years I knew that was hilariously off.

 

[Arnoxthe1]

Oh don't even get me started on these books. Cheap ripped off story, bad writing, plot holes, overuse of Deus Ex Machina, and horribly offensive (I don't need the author strong-arming his personal views on what's right and wrong in the world, so fuck those damn Elves). I don't know how I made it through 3, and unfortunately I'm gonna bet my curiosity will get the best of me and I'll check out the 4th one.

LOL dang man, I think you might be taking this book too seriously. And with the elves, I assume you're talking about their strict veg diet and their disbelief in any god?

Spoiler

First with the meat thing, many main characters have ridiculed such a diet as well and later, we see that even Eragon knows that such a strict diet is kind of foolish. And with the atheism, again, there was given proof that there really were gods in the world.

So no, Paolini is not strong-arming his views.