Monday, April 07, 2008

Book Review: Eldest

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Paolini, Christopher (2005). Eldest (Inheritance, Book 2). New York: Knopf Books for Young Readers.
Photo source: Amazon.com

I finally finished reading Eldest last night. It took more than six weeks to slog through this tome—and not just because it is heavy enough to put down a budgie.

In many ways, Eldest is much better crafted that Earagon. The writing is smoother. The plot and character development is more intricate. Unfortunately, it is just not as interesting or as original.

But Eldest reads like the middle book of a trilogy—perhaps because it is. There are long passages of Tolkienesque exposition that lack Tolkien’s imagination or eloquence. When I put it down, I found I had to make myself pick it back up.

Still, I look forward to the third book. Maybe it will be better. Maybe now that Paolini has found his voice, he will remember what he wanted to say.

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