INHERITANCE CYCLE: BRISINGR by Christopher Paolini

Brisingr was the last book of the Inheritance Trilogy. Or so everyone thought until it was announced that there was going to be a fourth and final book. The trilogy became the Inheritance Cycle. It doesn’t make much of a difference to me now, but I was definitely disappointed when I found out back then.

It was a couple of months before Brisingr came out and I had just discovered—and finished—reading the first two books. When I finished off the last page, I couldn’t wait for the next book to come out and just had to know when it was releasing. Lucky for me, it was only a few months away. So when it finally came out, my best friend and I (we were quite into the book back then), got our hands on the hardcover edition.

Back then, in all my eagerness to find out what happened next, I was through with the entire book in two days, even with school and homework. But now, reading it again with a more rational mind, I find that though I still like it as part of the series, I found a few more flaws than the first time.

As much as I had appreciated the fact that Paolini has slowed down Eragon and Saphira’s movement across Alagaesia in the second book, this one was a little too slow. There’s not much happening in this one. The book with more than a thousand pages only covers Katrina’s rescue and wedding to Roran, the dwarf king’s coronation, a couple of minor attacks on the Varden, and Eragon’s return to Ellesmera and back to Fienster where the Varden have moved.

Having said that, I still feel that it was a book worth reading. I have to think that Paolini’s decision to split the final book into two installments was the right one. Although Brisingr didn’t have as much content as I would have liked it to, I don’t think cramming complex pieces of the ending would have helped either.

As to the actual development of the characters and Paolini as a writer, I feel that there has been some good work done there. I could see Paolini’s exploration as an author. His tone changes—from the young writer he used to be to one going through a learning process. I suppose a better understanding of himself, both as a person and an author, gave him the insights necessary to make many of the characters grow as an entity unto 

themselves.

First and foremost would obviously be Eragon and Saphira. As it is mentioned by the characters themselves in the book, the pair of them have come a long way from being mere hatchlings to the warrior duo looked up by many. In this installment, they have a better understanding of the situation they are in and also of the possible consequences that could arise from any of their actions. As readers, we seem them think before they act more than they used to.

Unlike the previous two books, this one gave a lot more space towards the two main female characters, Arya and Nasuada. On one side, as Nasuada explores and tries to establish herself as the leader of the Varden, she grows wise as a character. One the other hand, we see Arya, who so far has only been a minor presence who has stood with her principles and duties no matter what. But now, we see her begin to soften. I have a feeling that Arya will go through further transformation in the next book.

In Eldest, I found that Paolini took the time to explore the culture and surroundings of the dwarves and the elves. In this one, he manages to provide us some insight into the lives of the Urgals. We see that they aren’t really creatures bred out of evil, like the shades, but just another group of beings with their own customs. It goes to show that ugly isn’t always evil.

Throughout the three books, I have seen both the author and the characters of the book grow. I suppose this in part to accommodate the growth and maturing of the readers. The fourteen and fifteen year olds who started with Eragon would be in their late teens at the time of this book. So I figure it helps that all of these things complement each other. Only this way, the minor flaws are forgiven and the essence of the story is kept in place.

INHERITANCE CYCLE: ELDEST by Christopher Paolini

Readers always have high expectations for sequels, hoping for them to be as good as or better than the first. Such was the pressure faced by Paolini’s second installment in the Inheritance Cycle, Eldest. And after having read it three times over the past several years now, my verdict is that, it didn’t disappoint. Of course, it didn’t blow my mind either, but it was as good as its predecessor, Eragon.

One of the things that I liked most about this book was the change of scenery and pace of the story. In the previous installment, Eragon was constantly on the run, always travelling, either tracking the raza’ac or being tracked by them. In this one though, he only makes two long voyages, one from Farthen Dur to Ellesmera, and the other from Ellesmera to the Burning Plains in Surda.

I found that the slowing down of Eragon’s movement across Alagaesia allowed for Paolini to focus on a few new things, one of which helped distinguish his work from that of Lord of the Rings as had been the opinion earlier on. I felt that he did this mainly by choosing to elaborate on the lives of dwarves, humans, and elves. While with each of the three kinds of beings, the surroundings and its inhabitants were observed very keenly.

Everything from their architecture and interior decoration to the people’s dressing sense and diet were given an account of. Even individual appearance, emotion, and personality were given attention to. To me, this made it easier for me to imagine myself within the events that were happening. The characters came through quite naturally and connected with me as a reader. Some of these details may not even seem significant, but I have a feeling that Paolini intends for them to be of some use in the future. Of those, some of my guesses have been right and some have yet to come true.

Another thing that was done, though not really novel, was jump between the heads of characters. In the first book, only Eragon’s thoughts were given to the readers. In this one, however, both Roran’s and Nasuada’s were added. This tool was mainly used to provide the reader with updates on the events that were occurring simultaneously in three different parts of Alagaesia as well as to show how these characters were connected to and affected each other. I suppose it’s also a bit of a refresher to jump between heads. Being in one for too long may sometimes get a little bit constant. The change in setting, pace, and mood helps some readers to re-concentrate themselves—it does for me.

A more subtle difference that I found as the story progressed was Eragon’s maturity. Compared to the young sixteen year old boy, who acts mainly on impulsive decisions, given in the first book, Eragon has progressively become more mature. His thoughts are ordered, calm, and slightly more rational. I would attribute this to his lessons with Oromis and Glaedr. Of course, this personality hasn’t entirely changed either. But one can’t expect it to either.

Indirectly, this isn’t just Eragon’s maturity, but also Paolini’s maturity as an author, a person, and his understanding of his characters. But I still have to say that his writing style has a lot of room for improvement. For a person as young as him to be able to write a fantasy novel such as this is good, but as we have seen from other fantasy writers, a lot can be done to further both the reader’s experience and the character’s development.

Again, I’ll say that Eldest wasn’t mind-blowing or anything, but it was still good. One can read it a couple of times over several years—as I have done—and not feel it become predictable. It also provides a different enough timeline, situation, and observation that the book doesn’t seem like a completely copied book with substituted words, while at the same time providing a continuation to the story and character.

INHERITANCE CYCLE: ERAGON by Christopher Paolini

Most teenagers today, and going back till eight years ago, would know Eragon. I myself was only 14 or 15 years old when I came across it at my school’s library. While having thousands of other titles stacked in the shelves around me, the thing that drew me to that book was Saphira’s deep blue eyes. Keeping in mind not to judge a book by its cover (despite it being very attractive), I flipped it over and read the back cover. The words ‘dragon’, ‘elf’, and ‘magic’ were enough for me. And the next thing I know, I’m halfway through the book. Since then, I’ve read it three times—don’t judge. It’s nice to feel like a teenager again. Besides, I’ll explain myself later.

Like everyone who has read the book, I too noticed the similarities and ‘borrowings’ from different fantasy novels. To me, the book’s (in fact, the entire series’) similarities with Lord of the Rings slammed me in the face just several chapters into the book. I mean the mentioning of magic, dwarves, elves, and dragons are hard to miss between the two (though dragons aren’t really in LOTR, they are mentioned to have existed). But what makes Eragon standout are the subtle differences placed within the similarities.

The elves share the usual long life/immortality, speed, strength, and knowledge along with their pointed ears and slender bodies. However, Paolini’s elves have an added sense of slightly dangerous mystery. The dwarves on the other hand, are actually very similar to each other with their physical features, affinity to stone, and staunch loyalty to their clans.

However, one major difference that I find is the use of magic and the ancient-ness of the land. In LOTR, magic is a given presence that affects certain things whereas in Eragon, it consists of an actual presence and a spell casting ability. As for the ancient-ness of the land, Alagaesia gives off a much younger sense than Middle-Earth. I suppose this difference rises from the fact that history is a core element in LOTR while in Eragon the focus is more on the current happenings. Yes, the past is referred to in parts, but just the ones that are essential for the understanding of the storyline.

Being a fantasy-genre novel, it is almost impossible not to have the usual adventure, quest and journey with medieval elements added to it. But for me, the genius of fantasy novels lie in the ability of the authors to use the same archetypal component and weave a completely different story each time, as Paolini had with Eragon.

THE LAST LECTURE by Randy Pausch and Jeffrey Zaslow

Death is a very difficult thing to come to terms with, especially when one finds out that they don’t have as long a time as they would like. I have heard that when people reach their old age, many think back on their lives. Whether they were a good person or not. Whether they achieved what they had dreamt of as young adults. Whether their life led was a life led meaningfully for them and those around them.

Randy Pausch, a professor of computer science and human computer interaction from Carnegie Mellon, had to do all that around the time when most others would be in the middle of their careers or planning for their young children’s futures. He had to come to terms with something that very few would expect in their lives: pancreatic cancer.

Naturally, as many others who find out that death is imminent for them, Pausch too wanted to leave a meaningful piece of himself behind for his wife, children, those who knew him, and those who would come to hear about him after his death. Being a lecturer and a geek, he did it in the one way he knew he would make a lasting impression—by giving his last lecture.

To give you an idea of my opinion on this book, I’ll say this: only two books have brought me down to tears—ever. And this was one of it. It felt like Pausch was speaking to his reader—as if he was sitting in front of me and having a conversation over coffee—throughout the pages. Such tone, in my opinion, is highly difficult to achieve with words. One would need to have a very clear understanding of their personality and self—and I suppose natural talent—to come through and touch a person using nothing but written words. And to do that as a reflection of his life is simply an amazing feat.

As much as he directly intended for his lecture and book to be a piece of him for his young children, it indirectly became an encouragement for all the people out there. Through his anecdotal stories, we learn about and to appreciate the small or intangible things in life. The ones that caught my attention the most were the close human connections that he made, with his family, friends, colleagues, and students, as well as his emphasis on passion and following that to achieve something in life.

To Pausch, death is a given. There is nothing that can be done to change it. All he cares about is that however long life is, it is lived with passion and worth. A professor of mine has this biweekly talks about the bucket list—things we’d want to do before we dies—and how we shouldn’t be too caught up that we forget to live. Giving talks like that are fine, but there’s only so much impact that it can make. But with The Last Lecture, Pausch became a real life embodiment of this philosophy and more. So, all in all, I’d say that although it really wasn’t meant to be, if there is every a need for inspiration or motivation, this would be the one book to look for.

p.s. do watch the webcast of Pausch’s lecture. All my praises for this book would be justified in it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo

THE INSIDE FLAP

Stories and storytelling has been a part of human life since the dawn of language and understanding. And it was taken one step further when books were introduced with the discovery of first, papyrus, and then, paper. Not to mention, the invention of the printing press only made one thing much easier—the reading and writing of books.

History lessons aside, books provide its readers with not only knowledge but also with the ability to imagine, dream, and think in new ways. Besides the heavy duty benefits, the simple act of reading a good book gives the reader mental peace. For me especially, it is a way to momentarily escape from the busy and constantly moving life in a metropolitan city into a world where anything is possible, be it out of this world vampires, dragons, and magicians, or close to home histories, lives, and romances.

Of course, not all books provide its reader with the same amount of satisfaction. And that is where I come in with this blog. I have read an uncountable many number of books over the years and when I read, I always have a simultaneous reel playing of how I imagine the scenes from the book would look like acted live. I intend to put that together with the skills and knowledge that I have acquired and learned over to time to critique and present my opinions on the books that I read from now and beyond.

With that in mind, I think it right that I should also mention that much of my initial postings shall be of books that are widely known and popular due to the fact that those the books that are currently among my personal collections—you never know when they will be useful. But I intend to, and shall work on expanding my collection and outreach, which will consequently diversity my review list. And until them, I shall work my novelsense into this blog.