photographs and brightly colored paper

[enthusiastick]

I've started reading Eragon, partly because Eldest is out now, and I feel compelled to find out whether or not I actually have any interest in the series. There are definitely bits of this book that feel like they were written by a teenager, which is unsurprising given that the author started it when he was 15 and published it when he was 17. Some of the dialogue, particularly the expository stuff, is inarguably wooden. And yet I find myself oddly drawn in and compelled to read on.

I say "oddly" because, as sleetfall will happily confirm, I'm not actually a big fantasy guy. Oh, sure, there are certain sub-genres, particularly those influenced by Asia, that I get fired up about. But aside for a sort of grudging respect for the Tolkien oeuvre (although I agree with theferrett that, from a certain point of view, they're bad books) I'm not actually one to get into long fantasy series. Science fiction will call me like a moth to a flame. But fantasy, well. The first time I have to read a blow-by-blow description of any sort of hand-to-hand combat, or find the story put on hold so that the author can serve up 50 pages (or more!) of "necessary" history regarding his mythic lands, or worse still find a character I had come to enjoy abandoned utterly in favor of completely new people 300 pages into a 500 page book, with the tacit understanding that he'll probably show up again, down the line, a book or so from now... I admit it, part of me tends to just give up. Maybe its a short attention span. My mind wanders.

I want to think its more than that. I enjoy the fantasy genre; I love a good fantasy movie (which comes along rarely, in my opinion), or television series (which is so rare it might just be mythical or imaginary.) And as I said, I'll often find myself reading long science fiction series without batting an eyelash. I get involved, and my interest is held. And its not like I don't read anything under the general heading of "fantasy" that's long-form. So-called "modern" fantasy? No problem. Graphic novels? Check. Harry Potter? Try and stop me. Sure, I might re-read extensively, but I tend to do that anyway, and if I find myself using it to refresh the salient details of a complex tale, all the better. But I don't know, most "classic" high fantasy just escapes me.

But I'm going to keep plugging away at Eragon. For the moment its got my attention, and I might even end up liking it.

Comments

[adampb.livejournal.com]

I have a fantasy-book-reading friend who refuses to read Eragon on the grounds that a teenager shouldn't get to have a book published.

It makes more sense when he explains it, you hear the indignation in his voice.