“It’s amazing that a man who is dead can talk to people through these pages. As long as this book survives, his ideas live.” – Eragon
One thing I think a lot of people dream of when they are children is having some sort of mythological creature as a pet. Whether it is a unicorn, griffin, or pegasus, many a child longs for a magical beast that could ferry them through the sky or protect them from their bullies. For me, that beast was a dragon. I mean come one, who wouldn’t want to be able to ride a dragon, with its powerful wings, intimidating jaws, and flaming breath. There is even a movie depicting children training dragons to be their pets. In Christopher Paolini’s Eragon, one lucky teen gets the chance to fulfill that dream. Eragon, the title character, is a 15 year old orphan, living with his uncle in a small town on the outskirts of Alagaësia. While hunting in the mountains, he finds a beautiful stone that in time he discovers to be a dragon egg. He makes a connection with the dragon, who is much more intelligent than most dragons portrayed in Hollywood films. Eragon names her Saphira and they form a deep bond as they struggle to hide Saphira’s presence from Eragon’s family and the local populace. In the end, the evil king Galbatorix’s minions, the Ra’zac, are sent to retrieve the egg, and in the process murder Eragon’s uncle. This leads to Eragon going on a quest for revenge, taking Brom, the local storyteller with an inordinate amount of knowledge of dragons, with him.
Eragon does a very good job of creating setting in the story. Reminiscent of Tolkien or even Steinbeck, Paolini spends plenty of words describing the setting of the book. With vast landscapes and varied cities and villages, Paolini does a good job of painting a picture of Alagaësia for the reader. This can be very useful for students who struggle to create the images in their minds, or those who love a well-developed setting. Again, much like Tolkien, Paolini invested a huge amount of time in creating the cultures and languages of the peoples of Alagaësia. Using old languages and myth to help him, he created languages for the elves, dwarves, and even an ancient magical language for Eragon to learn while wielding magic. The story is filled with a history that is slowly doled out to the reader as Eragon discovers it himself, making lovers of fantasy history turn the page to find out what they will learn next.
The problem with Eragon is that it lacks substance. While Paolini is very good at painting a picture and creating a backstory for his world, he is not as strong in creating a deep meaning behind his character’s actions. Eragon seems to be driven by a basic need for revenge, not necessarily the most heroic endeavor. And while he does try to show his hatred for the evils in his world, such as slavery or poverty, the motivations he shows lack conviction. There are no big topics tackled, and no great changes come to those who read it, but it is an engaging novel that was fairly entertaining throughout.
I would have a hard time suggesting that this book be used in a Lit Circles setting. With so little substance, students would find it hard to write responses that carried depth. However, I do think this is a great novel for students who enjoy fantasy stories for silent reading. Paolini has a strong vocabulary and will engage students who enjoy reading, but the over-descriptive nature of the prose will probably ward of struggling readers. I would recommend it for grade 10 and higher, although strong younger readers could tackle the story as well. If I were to use this with Lit Circles, I would pair it with J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, Patrick Ness’ The Knife of Never Letting Go, or John Flanagan’s Ranger’s Apprentice Series, mostly for the descriptive similarities and fantasy-based content. Eragon is a fantastical story of a young man and a dragon on an adventure to change their world and is a great story for fans of the fantasy genre.
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