Jackie in NE Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 What are your thoughts? My dd age 13 is a Tolkien nut, heard this book is good, and would like to read it. Hey, I admit it, I'm really picky about what my dc read, but I don't have time to pre-read this one.... Your comments please, on the appropriateness of this book for a young girl .... Thanks, Jackie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LBC Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 They are 12 & 14, and started reading the books when they were younger. I haven't read them, but dh has, and he didn't mention anything objectionable. hth, Lori Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 I have read it. There is a character who is demon posessed, but it is put a little differently than that. Usually that stuff spooks me and this didn't. You meet this character right after Eragon finds the egg, so you may be able to preread that part easily. His adoptive father is killed and Eragon finds him upon arriving home. I'm pretty sure I would let my DD read it when she is 13. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pammy Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 and he responded with a 5 page letter including giving her tips on how to become a successful fiction writer. He was also very encouraging about her homeschool experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unicorn. Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 DS (12), dh and I have read the first two. I didn't see anything objectionable at all. No worse than Tolkein IMHO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeanestMomInMidwest Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 My ds8 wants to read it. I pre-read it & the 2nd novel, Eldest. I will tell you I could not put it down. Loved it and am now going to get his 3rd. Also love that he started writing it when he graduated from highschool at 15....homeschooled his whole life & had written both novels before he was 21. Amazes me how anyone could think up whole new worlds. If she's read Tolkin (which I also love) she'll like this. My ds will be waiting to read it for a while because, although he probably could get through it, some of the vocabulary is a bit advanced for him, which may detract from his enjoyment. No overt sexual references (Eragon & his dragon both get a crush, but no actual sex), a bit of violence, but very well written. Not gore for gore's sake. A lot of magic (I have no objection to this, but some may). Also there is a part when Eragon is asking about what the elves believe in that I could see being objectionable to someone who was fiercly conservative christian & didn't want their children thinking about other belief systems, or no belief system at all. The elves do not believe in a god or gods and this makes Eragon question the belief system he was raised under. This may be in the 2nd book, I can't remember. Also the crush may be in the 2nd book, too. I read them back-to-back almost w/o stopping. I think that's as good of a review as I can do, this quickly. Feel free to ask if you have any specific questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remudamom Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 Mine love them, they read the first at that age. I don't think they're particularly creative, they read like LOtR, StarWars and some others blended together, but then again, there's nothing new under the sun. They're fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeanestMomInMidwest Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 Mine love them, they read the first at that age. I don't think they're particularly creative, they read like LOtR, StarWars and some others blended together, but then again, there's nothing new under the sun. They're fun. Oh, I agree...it's a fast, fun read. But I do think they're creative....and things in the books could cause kids to look at at issues from another angle (religion, loyalty), which is why I will let my dc read them....plus who doesn't love dragons?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSMP Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 What are your thoughts? My dd age 13 is a Tolkien nut, heard this book is good, and would like to read it. Hey, I admit it, I'm really picky about what my dc read, but I don't have time to pre-read this one.... Your comments please, on the appropriateness of this book for a young girl .... Thanks, Jackie Go for it....my daughter was 11. If she likes Tolkien she would enjoy the books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Virginia Dawn Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 My kids have read the first two books. I read the first one. The content is certainly no worse than Tolkein but we all kind of agreed that the style of the writing couldn't hold a candle to him. I found it hard getting into the book at first, but it got better as it went along. Personally it seemed very obvious that an adult had not written the book. The themes seemed to parallel very heavily with Lord of the Rings at times and Star Wars also. My kids noticed it too. Even so, they enjoyed the books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 LOL! I loved Eragon. So did DH and our college graduate friends. We are all in our 30s. The dragons give it a new twist. There is nothing new under the sun. If you are on the prowl for something different, Tad Williams has some very creative books for adults. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkInTheBlue Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 My 12 yr old is reading Tom Sawyer with Lightning Lit but I've been thinking about encouraging him to read Eragon in his free reading time. I wouldn't have any problem with it. I've bought Brisinger but because I'm committed to finishing my Jane Austen commitment I made to myself, I haven't read it yet. Any comments on it yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackie in NE Posted October 3, 2008 Author Share Posted October 3, 2008 Thanks everyone, for your quick replies. It is so nice to have a place to ask these types of questions. My daughter will be happy to have a brand new trilogy to start! Thanks, Jackie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 There will be a fourth book. DH is reading the third and says it is boring and slow-moving. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 I haven't read them, but my 10yo dd has read (and re-read) the three that are out & loved them. I think the first one is her fave of the three. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 My boys went to see him, that is, Christopher Paolini, last night at a book signing. He is a very gracious young man. The book store people were trying to hurry things along, but he was very nice to everyone and did not just rush people through. We saw him a few years ago, when Eldest came out. When he signed my son's book they talked about homeschooling and about Tolkien (a very obvious influence in the book.) My boys loved the books. My 8yo daughter just picked up the 3rd one and started reading it and is holding her own. Not great literature, but good reads. FYI, In the third book, there is a veiled reference to sex outside of wedlock - a betrothed couple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riverfront Headmistress Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 My 10 year old is currently reading the third book in the series. She loves them! In fact, she read the previous two books mulitiple times. Dh originally read the first book aloud to her, but then dh and dd decided that it was not a good read-aloud book so she picked up the rest of the series on her own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 My teens have read the books and have really enjoyed them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa at Home Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 We did the first two books as read alouds (I have the new one, but we haven't started it yet). Christopher was quite young when he wrote the first book, but had matured personally in more than one way by book two. I saw enough differences that I was beginning to be occasionallya little uncomfortable in book two. Talk of orgies, and some sexual undertones dealing with the fairies/elves. I don't remember all of my specifics, but I knew there was no way I was going to let dd (13) read book three on her own, and that it, too would be a read aloud. There may have been instances of foul language as well, but it's been since book two was brand new that we read it. I don't have problems with magic, fantasy, Harry Potter, etc, but I err on the side of conservativism where things of a sexual nature are concerned. I say this only to clarify my position. I was also disappointed with the writing on several points, and don't think this series compares to LOTR, or even Harry Potter. JMO! We'll still read Brisingr. ~Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa at Home Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 Her friends kept recommending it, and she didn't want to be left out. But she just couldn't get into it because, she said, the writing was so bad. I've also heard they are derivative of other, better books. She still resents the fact that she "wasted" her own gift card money on that book. I actually recommended them to my son, because he is into all things dragon (and we happened to have the first one in the house), but he couldn't get into it, either. As far as I can tell, they seem pretty harmless, just not what one might call "literature." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ma23peas Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 My son is on the newest book, he loves the series...I am NOT a Harry Potter fan..and am very selective of the books they read.. If she likes Tolkien, she'd probably like the Redwall series (Jacques) T.S. White's Sword in the Stone, a new book called The Nick of Time....City of Embers (although the sequel to City of Embers is very much Go Green in content but not so much in the first book)... HTH! Tara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 Talk of orgies, and some sexual undertones dealing with the fairies/elves. ~Lisa Funny, I don't remember anything about orgies. I do remember an elven celebration, but I thought of it as a joyful spiritual celebration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackie in NE Posted October 3, 2008 Author Share Posted October 3, 2008 Funny, I don't remember anything about orgies. I do remember an elven celebration, but I thought of it as a joyful spiritual celebration. Yikes! Any talk of orgies would be a definite deal-breaker! Can anyone clarify? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamnkats Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 My kids have read the first two books. I read the first one. The content is certainly no worse than Tolkein but we all kind of agreed that the style of the writing couldn't hold a candle to him. I found it hard getting into the book at first, but it got better as it went along. Personally it seemed very obvious that an adult had not written the book. The themes seemed to parallel very heavily with Lord of the Rings at times and Star Wars also. My kids noticed it too. Even so, they enjoyed the books. My boys probably read the books at 8 and 9. We also have one of them on CD and there are parts where I'll announce "LUKE, I AM YOUR FAAAATHHAAA" because it is SO like Star Wars in places. But I have never read the books and couldn't even tell you the plot line though I do know the words, Razak, Sephira, Eragon. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeanestMomInMidwest Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 Yikes! Any talk of orgies would be a definite deal-breaker! Can anyone clarify? Yeah, I definately did not get that from the 2nd book, Eldest. There was a celebration, but nothing sexual was mentioned. I think you'd really have to be "reading into" it to get that. ETA unless the poster was referring to when 2 elves disrobed and showed a dragon tattoo that covered both of them, making one dragon. They started dancing. I did not think it was sexual in nature at all. No graphic descriptions of bodies, etc. I didn't get "orgie" vibe at all anywhere in the books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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