little woman

Eragon
by Christopher Paolini
YA, Fantasy
Published 2003

Ok this story is awwwwwwwwesome (if you know Paul that sounds very familiar)… my only problem is that sometimes the writing seemed a little stiff or forced. But I realize he started writing this story when he was 15 years old. And you were told things throughout the book that you know are important to the plot that never got mentioned again… teaser for Eldest, yes, but kind of frustrating. All that said… great story! I plan on reading more for sure!

A little background from Wikipedia…
After receiving his high school diploma at the age of 15, the homeschooled Paolini started planning a novel which he would enjoy reading himself. After a month of planning out the series, he started writing the first draft by hand. It was finished a year later and a second draft was started. After another year of editing, Paolini and his family decided to self publish the book. Editing proceeded through a third year, as well as the creation of marketing materials, promoting the novel as Paolini and his family toured across the USA. Over 135 talks were given at bookshops, libraries and schools, many with Paolini dressed up in a medieval costume. In the summer of 2002, Carl Hiaasen brought Eragon to the attention of a publisher after his stepson read a copy of the book. Knopf acquired the rights to the series, which led to another editing of the novel as well as a new cover, drawn by John Jude Palencar.

Cover of the self published edition

The New York Times Book Review stated that the novel, “for all its flaws, is an authentic work of great talent.” I agree most with this assesment. But some others were not as kind… Common Sense Media called Eragon‘s dialogue long-winded and clichéd, with a plot “straight out of Star Wars by way of The Lord of the Rings, with bits of other great fantasies thrown in here and there”.

I am actually watching the movie right now… no seriously… right this very minute. Woah… John Malkovich is in it??? Anyway, I don’t have high hopes for it.I knew it was doomed when I read “…Peter Buchman wrote the screenplay, best known for Jurassic Park III”… oh jeez… Oh and Joss Stone is Angela… yikes

This is what Paolini had to say:
“The Eragon movie is Fox 2000′s version of my story. I had no control over their decisions. I have not seen the final version of the screenplay, nor the movie itself. We just have to wait and see how it turns out and hope for the best. In any case, the books speak for themselves.”

Eldest, coming up… eventually

Coraline
by Neil Gaiman
Published 2002 by Harper Collins
Fantasy

“Fairy tales are more than true. Not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be defeated.” ~ G.K. Chesterson Gaiman has this quote at the beginning of this book. I loved it and I just had to learn more about G.K. Chesterson… here you go..

This is an alice-meets-return-to-oz story… at times it can be dreadfully horrible and bizarre. It reads like a children’s book but it is more for YA much like Stardust. I really love that he doesn’t leave it up to your imagination… did it really happen or was it all just a dream? 

 This is what Wikipedia had to say… Coraline (2002) is a novella for children and adults by the British author Neil Gaiman. It was awarded the 2003 Hugo Award for Best Novella, the 2003 Nebula Award for Best Novella, and the 2002 Bram Stoker Award for Best Work for Young Readers. It has been compared to Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland books because of its surreality and its alternate-reality based plot. 

Its a good story… and I cannot wait to see what they do with it when the stop motion film that will come out in 2009. Paul should enjoy it because They Might Be Giants is doing the music for it! Henry Selick is directing… he did Nighmare Before Christmas which is one of my favorite movies!! The trailer looks a little too cartoony for my liking… I fear they won’t make it as dark as it should be.

The Giver
by Lois Lowry
Published 1993 by Bantam
Young Adult/Soft Science Fiction/Utopia & Dystopia Fiction

What an interesting concept… one single person in the community to remain “conscious” while the rest are drones. I was amazed to find myself considering that some of their educational tactics were fascinating. Until a certain age, you wear a jacket that buttons up the back so you learn to be interdependent on each other. When you come of a certain age, you get the button-up-the-front jacket. And talking about your feelings and dreams with your family at the table… not a bad idea!

However, there are worse things that definitely override any positives those kinds of things might have… the listening speakers in the homes, the suppressing of sexual feelings, not having actual families but family units, having birthmothers that are cranking out children to be placed in family units. All bad…

This is a great book for Young Adults to teach them to embrace individuality and feelings. I really enjoyed it… reminded me a lot of Farenheight 451… Supposedly this is the beginning book in a loose trilloy. Next comes Gathering Blue published in 2000 and Messenger in 2004. They are only loosely tied by having some recurring characters and dealing with some of the same issues… fitting into a society where one clearly doesnt belong.