Eldest by Christopher Paolini

[meganbmoore]

 Below the cut is primarily my hatred of Eragon himself.  That whole "betrayal" scene has sent it to new heights.

Ok, seriously.

Your supposed "best friend"  has just told you that he was tortured-by a person well know for being evil and cruel beyond words- into revealing information.  He told you that, weakened and imprisoned, and was forced to swear allegiance in what results to a compulsion spell.  During this, he is SPARING you and his cousins despite his orders, and you are ranting and screaming and calling him a traitor and saying everyone was right about him.

And mourning?  What mourning...Eragon was sad for about 5 minutes and didn't exactly do more than a cursory search "oh, here are Murtagh's clothes...well, I guess he's dead."

Seriously...one person there was coming across as a person with goodintentions being forced into things against his will but trying to do what he could, and the other was acting like the kind of screaming, irrational red shirt that dies because they doubted the hero.

I mean,  I can't even fathom really regarding it as a betrayal.  "Betrayal" implies choice and free will...Murtagh had none...serving Galbatorix is not something he did, but something that was done TO him.

Also...Yes, Eragon, of course you're going to view THE GUY YOU GREW UP WITH AS BROTHERS as more of a brother than a guy you've only known for a few months...sorry, but you lose at heroic bonding.

I gave Paolini a lot of room with Eragon because I try to be generous for first books, plus his age, but I expect improvement between a first book and a second...if anything, this is a regression...a MAJOR regression...in quality.  I was forced, by pure survival instinct, to skim very large sections of it.  It's like no one even bothered to edit it...he just turned in the manuscript and off to the printers it went.  The first book, at least, had some sparks of originality...here, it's purely derivative of other fantasy.

A large part of the problem is that Paolini very, very clearly has an extremely idealistic view of heroic fantasy...there are no greys, just stark black and white, and if black and white can have rose colored glasses, Paolini has the thinkest ones in existance.

In Paolinui's world, all things Eragon are good and perfect, and all things not are evil.  If you are strictly allied with Eragon, you are good, if you conflict with Eragon, you are bad.  Eragon himself is perfect, has no flaws, and never makes mistakes.  To Paolini.  To the reader, everything Eragon does is the height of stupidity, at best.  When he DOES mess up, it rewritten to be a good thing he did.  The Inheritance Trilogy is supposed to be a coming of age heroic journey, but it approaches it in the worst possible way

Eragon is, ctep by step, cliche by cliche, walking the glorious path of it.  He has a dragon.  He has a magic sword.  He has magic.  He has a destiny.  Everywhere he goes he is immediately acclaimed as a hero and leader.  Everyone seeks his allegiance.  He never lacks for mentors and allies.  He suffers few hardships and those he does have no lasting effect...when they SHOULD things happen to negate it.  In addition, his "destinty" makes him long lived and physically perfect, and he somehow, miraculously, becomes the best at everything.

That's not what what the hero's journey is supposed to be about, though.  That's the leftover stuff that the legends talk about, while ignoring the real meat of the matter.  It's about hardship.  It's about suffering and becoming better for your suffering.  It's about learning from your flaws.  It's about meeting those who are what you want to be and realizing how far you go.  It's about getting kicked down and picking yourself up.  It's about learning what the world really is, about facing adversity-physical and otherwise-and either becoming better for it, or being broken by it.  It's about GROWING UP.

Eragon is never challenged.  He is given everything he could possibly need and constantly given aid.  Everywhere he turns there is someone to help him.  He has never been faced with a choice that challenges his beliefs or forces him to make a hard choice.  In approximately 1500 pages, Eragon has never GROWN.

Then there's Murtagh.  Murtagh was dropkicked into the world and the world hasn't stopped kicking him since.  He essentially grew up in hell and escaped.  He did everything in his power to be good, to be a hero, to be a friend.  In return, he is constantly doubted, questioned and berated.  He is imprisoned by those he would help.  Time and again he saves Eragon's life, but instead of thanks, he gets berated for his methods...methods no different, and often more honorable, than those of many heroes.  But they involved cunning and guile and the willingness to kill enemies that tried to kill him, and for this-despite being right every time-Eragon yelled at him.

Murtagh is, literally, walking the hero's path that Eragon should be walking.  Sadly, Paolini's one good creation out of the whole thing is also the worst thing he could have done to the series.  Before Murtagh appears in Eragon, Eragon is annoying, but bearable.  The second Murtagh appears, however, all the flaws, all the contrivances, all the sanctmoniousness in Eragon becomes blatantly evident, and it just keeps getting worse and worse, even when Murtagh isn't around.

Know what possibly the saddest thing is?

I called all of Murtagh's "revelations" when he gave his origin in Eragon.  The dragon, the parentage of both, the forced betrayal(actually, I called it being that or a false betrayal...and, IMO, it's both, as he had no choice in the matter and would likely switch allegiances if given free will.)  For that matter, I even figured he'd get the sword at some point.

Sadly, all of the above are things Paolini seems to be completely oblivious to.

Which, sadly, isn't likely to stop me from reading it.

As kingcrankycatpointed out, Eragon fans seem to be masochists.

Unrelated and regarding a far superior hero and story: SPIRAL: THE BONDS OF REASONING HAS FINALLY ACTUALLY BEEN RELEASED AFTER UMPTEENBILLION RUMORED LICENSES AND RELEASED RELEASE DATES.  It is by a publisher I have never heard of BUT I DO NOT CARE BECAUSE I SHALL FINALLY HAVE THE SPIRAL MANGA AND THE PUBLISHER IS FORBIDDEN TO GO OUT OF BUSINESS UNTIL THEY HAVE RELEASED THE ENTIRE SERIES OR I SHALL NEVER FORGIVE EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO DOES NOT BUY IT!

No, I haven't been waiting years to get my hands on it or anything...

Comments

[magicnoire.livejournal.com]

Spiral? That's being put out by Yen Press, right? I wouldn't worry about them going out of business just yet. They're the new manga imprint of Hachette, formerly Warner and Little Brown, now known as Grand Central Publishing. They just launched last month, so give them some time. Del Rey Manga started off small with only 4 titles and look at them now. :)

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Yes, that is them.

I am now joy-filled.

And Del rey has the benefit of being rather picky about what they license.

[magicnoire.livejournal.com]

I've been following the launch of this imprint for the past few months and they seem to be thoughtful and careful with what they're doing. Their catalog is a little different - it has a different feel and style -- but I feel like they get mad props because their launch title was the manga about autism. I know one of the girls who does their translation via the Asian ball-jointed doll hobby and at the very least, they have a very strong stance about not censoring the titles in any way. So I'm cautiously hopeful about their success.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Do you have a link to the website?

[magicnoire.livejournal.com]

http://yenpress.com

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

it gave me an error message...

[magicnoire.livejournal.com]

Oh! I guess it needs the www or it gets mad -- http://www.yenpress.com

[crumpeteer.livejournal.com]

Eldest might be the most frustrating book I've ever read and SO HELP ME TOLKIEN, IF HE KILLS MURTAGH IN THE END I WILL END HIM!

What gets me is that Paolini completely seems to miss the fact that Eragon is in no way heroic (everyone else does everything for him), likable (everyone likes him for no good reason) or intelligent (he makes STUPID decisions and jumps to conclusions constantly). He seems to conclude that since HE loves his creation, everyone else should. A faulty conclusion to jump to indeed.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

It's not so much the idea of Murtagh dying, it's the fact that if Murtagh DOES die, it will be for a "redemption" that he DOESN'T NEED.

Eragon is, by far, the most irritating fantasy hero I've ever read about. In the afterword, Paolini says "he's not to bright, is he?" but in a "but you love him anyway" way...except...there's nothing lovable or sympathetic about him. Eragon is very much a 15 year olds idea of...well...a perfect 15 year old hero. If it weren't for Murtagh, I'd just rely on Codex Alera for my coming of age fantasy needs...there the hero is actually LIKABLE and gets called on it when he's stupid and actually has to grow up.

[crumpeteer.livejournal.com]

This is why 15 year olds are generally not the best writers. And its the fact that I feel Murtagh is going to die in some great self sacrificial Darth Vader moment that literally makes me want to wretch, as you have to actually do something WRONG for that to be an appropriate ending. Murtagh better start killing kittens and kicking puppies in book three for me to buy that.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

The sad thing is that there's actually a fairly solid story...hopelessly lost in all the derivative and faulty writing and characterization, but enough that you think he could be good if he were put through the wringer like most writers. As it is, though...

I think that's a large part of why Murtagh is so well liked: He's the only thing we have to showthat it COULD be good if Paolini had proper guidance.

I, seriously, wanted to kill Eragon in that scene. I mean, his supposed best friend was standing there, essentially apologizing for being forced to reveal secrets while under torture, and the "hero" is standing there, screaming about him being a traitor and deserving rotting in a cell...I mean, what? Did Murtagh need to cry and sob about how horrible it was to get the message across?

[crumpeteer.livejournal.com]

Murtagh is a different style of character too. His self possession is part of the reason he's loved. Yes, he's a deeply flawed person, but he's GOOD on the whole, tries to do the right thing and talks more sense than anyone else.

That scene itself really made me wonder how someone could be so deluded as to write it and think that it seemed reasonable.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Murtagh isthe only one who actually is a character and not a caricature, and an annoying one at that.

That scene was...it's beyond me how anyone could write OR read(or "edit") that scene and possibly believe that Eragon was in anything resembling the right, or even sane. "Delusional" is the kindest word that could ever be applied to Eragon there.

[tigger-01.livejournal.com]

In vehement agreement with you there, crumpeteer.

People like characters with whom they can relate too - who has failures, doubts, is confused but ultimately rises for the good of other people to be someone better than they thought they could be. I couldn't stand Eragon and it was painful trudging through Eldest.

And IF Paolini kills Murtagh - then you won't be able to end him, because I'll get there first. xD

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

People like characters with whom they can relate too - who has failures, doubts, is confused but ultimately rises for the good of other people to be someone better than they thought they could be.

This is the ENTIRE POINT of the coming of age heroic journey, and why everyone I know likes Murtagh and despises Eragon.

[tigger-01.livejournal.com]

Why couldn't it have been Murtagh and Eldest? I would've read that - a dark, tragic hero who battles the cruel stigma of his past, the exultation of his younger brother and the mental and physical struggle that comes with enslavement to Galbatorix; ultimately becoming the saviour that Algaesia (?) needed the most. That could've been developed into a much darker but infinitely more compelling novel, IMHO.

And there's the saddest thing about it. Despite the tons of cliches within this book, his one potentially awesome character is vilified and underused. (10 PAGES?!!!)

[crumpeteer.livejournal.com]

I think the most frustrating thing is that no one is there for Murtagh. You see Murtagh as the injured party in everything as we watch Eragon be the typical "spoiled, bratty kid" that just about every other novel would cast as the villain (see: Draco Malfoy). Murtagh gains the readers sympathy because he gets such a raw deal, but no sympathy from any of the other characters. Eragon on the other hand, is adored, petted and molly coddled by everyone in the novels, so WHY would the reader feel a need to sympathize with a character who not only gets everyone he meets sympathy, but who doesn't really need it all that much in the first place?

[tigger-01.livejournal.com]

I think part of the concern is also (ironically) because Paolini didn't mean for him to be constructed that way - I think we are supposed to side with Eragon, but we support Murtagh precisely because he's going through such a struggle, trying to remain strong and help his brother - and no-one else is there but us.
He better get a damn good slice of the kingdom and a nice, non-marysueish love interest when this is over.
*glowers*

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

But we know that, at best, Murtagh will be "redeemed" (HA!) and maybe get to live.

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

I have never felt tempted to read these books and now I am particularly glad of that. I can just imagine what sort of hero my 15 year old self would come up with and it wouldn't be pretty.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Count yourself lucky and remain strongh in your resistance. For whatever reason, it seems that if you make it until Murtagh appears, YOU ARE TRAPPED FOR ALL ETERNITY.

[tigger-01.livejournal.com]

*giggles again*
Oh yes - I was much like you when I finished Eldest, but it's been months since then and I've just let Paolini slide.
I'm not sure I completely agree with you when you say that Eragon is the perfect hero and has never made mistakes - what about that little girl who he wrongly blessed? But yeah, compared to what it should have been, and was in Eragon, Eragon has much, much further to go.
Totally agree with you about the "betrayal" scene. *grumbles*
I really don't blame him if he hates Eragon now - his little brother, escaping a cruel life with his father and the stigma associated with his name, being exulted as the hero and saviour.

What did you think about Arya? She got on my nerves most of all, I think. The QUEEN of Mary Sues if ever there was one.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

I don't mean that Eragon is perfect as we define it or could view it, but that's how he's treated.

The little girl is actually the perfect example of what I mean. Eragon literally destroys a life and barely gets a verbal slap on the hand for it. Then, instead of actually letting it be a mistake, Paolini turns around and makes her apparently NOT MINd and a vastly powerful ally...as presented, it's not a BAD thing that he did, but a GOOD thing.

I was incapable of paying attention to Arya's scenes...it was too horribly written.

[tigger-01.livejournal.com]

Ah, okay. Fair enough - that makes sense. He never gets punished for his mistakes (of which there are plenty) and the reader is supposed to feel sympathy when someone doesn't take him seriously or when Arya pushes him away.
*headdesk*

That poor, poor girl. *shivers* He did destroy her life, and all because he tried to play "the hero" and screwed up.

Hee. Fair enough. I skimmed through most of it (including the scenes with Oromis?!, that random old elf guy) but Arya's scenes were too painfully hilarious for me to ignored. Ironically - she's normally the one that gets vilified while Eragon gets off a lot lighter.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I loathed the first book and not even Murtagh got me to try the second. Glad I resisted, I see...

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Murtagh is there for about 10 pages. The only good pages. I survived only by massive skimming. Besides I(obviously) have a thing for the coming of age heroic journey in fantasy, and this series is the perfect guide for how NOT to do it.

Come to think of it, I think the first book may have spawned a mini dissertation about that...I can't recall...

[ladysaotome.livejournal.com]

I saw the movie before reading the books & called Murtagh's revelations then (most of them anyway since they left certain details out of the film). The 1st book merely confirmed my suspicions. Much as I hated what Eragon had done to the child, in some ways it was the best thing in the books so far as I never saw it coming & cannot relate it to any of the various epic fantasies that the Inheritance Trilogy so obviously draw from. The similarities w/Star Wars & LotR are so glaring they drive me crazy at times. That's how I knew who Eragon's father was - who else could it possibly have been?

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Just their recounting their mothers was all i needed.

The thing with the child was one of the few thing that indicate paolini could eventually be a good writer, but the handling wa terrible at bet, but actually rather digusting(essentially turning something he should have regretted forever into less than an object lesson and even into omething to praie him for becaue of the end result)