Sunday, January 01, 2006

Eldest

Pretty easy to simply refer to the triology as Eragon instead of 'Inhertience'. So I go around wrongly saying I am reading Eragon when in fact, I am reading Eldest, book II or inhertience, which I inappropriately refer to as Eragon. Pretty muddled way of confessing my own ineptness (much less the inept use of the word). Larger point being however, that although Eragon (proving my point, although I am aware of the mistake) is too god damned preachy, too fucking 'inspired' by Tolkein (if you get what I mean) and as bloody Jeuvenile as a Chetan Bhagat book. The good thing about Eragon is, that the series, unique in its genre, rising above the works of Tolkein does not indulge in racism. The one thing I hated about Tolkein is that it was so fucking racist. Orcs were bad by nature. The equivalents in Eragon, Kull are initially on the side of the evil empire, but become allies of the good guys later when they learn that servitute to the empire is not beneficial for them. Althouh there aren't direct allusions in old fantasty to real races, the same sentiments are brought out if an entire race is referred to as malformed and immoral. Harry Potter half rises out, with some werewolves being good, but unfortunately all dementors are bad. there is one issue in Animorphs with a good yeerk, but that is clearly written JUST to make the series non racist. Star Wars stays out of this mess entirely... almost.
Still, coming from Eragon, in the setting, is a very commendable piece of intention.

However, the book advocates atheism... something I am surprised hasn't gotten a reaction from the clergy, like HP got because of simply showing witchcraft in a good light, even without advocating it.

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