Comments | antishurtugal: Inheritance Advent Calendar: Days 5-8 [Part 2]

predak123 in antishurtugal

Inheritance Advent Calendar: Days 5-8 [Part 2]

Aug 13, 2011 06:37

(See Part 1 for details)

In order to keep AS from getting really cluttered, I've decided to do this series in parts, clumping 4 days together at a time. With three chapters per day and 4 days per post, that's 12 chapters per post, which is very respectable. Today being August 13th, we are now on Day 5 of the countdown to Inheritance. I'll try to be ( Read more... )

eragon (book)

Comments 45

hitori_ryuu August 13 2011, 22:03:57 UTC

Uh, a question I suppose: why is "okay" not okay to use in a fantasy novel? I ask because I've read DOZENS that do this, quite a few of them that are like Eragon, for that matter.

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hitori_ryuu August 13 2011, 23:33:55 UTC

... But if the author is doing the world-building then doesn't the author decide what's culturally appropriate? I mean, otherwise all fantasy novels set in feudal periods would have characters using Middle to Old English - no one does that.

I think of all the criticisms to have with Eragon, having a character say "okay" is by far one of smallest.

hitori_ryuu August 14 2011, 00:07:36 UTC

I agree. I personally try not to use too much modern slang in my fantasy (and "okay" is a word I try to avoid), but it doesn't break the experience for me if it's in there. I would actually rather a fantasy novel use some modern slang than be completely Olde Englishe-y and stilted. I think it's difficult nowadays to pull off writing in an older style ala Tolkien, and it often sounds pretentious when people (including Paolini) try it.

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predak123 August 14 2011, 01:34:27 UTC

Ah ha! I hadn't thought of that; I've put meat in brines before, but I always submerged them in a bucket. Cloth would probably not allow the brine to penetrate as well, but it sounds sound enough for me. Interesting. :)

13thfriday August 14 2011, 00:03:05 UTC

“It's okay, I can do it myself.” . . . “okay”?! NO! NO NO NO NO NO! “Okay” is NOT an acceptable word to use in a fantasy novel!!!!!! AAAUGH.While having overly modern slang would be annoying, I don't really think there's anything wrong with saying "it's okay". Would you really want to read a novel with dialogue that is written in Middle English? Everyone would come off as pompous asses in my opinion, and most readers wouldn't be able to understand anything the characters were saying ( ... )

charlottehywd August 16 2011, 23:24:16 UTC

I would totally read a novel with dialogue in Middle English. Or try to. ;-)

13thfriday August 17 2011, 03:52:50 UTC

Then you are awesome. <3

charlottehywd August 17 2011, 14:12:19 UTC

I try. ;-)

13thfriday August 14 2011, 00:55:06 UTC

Day 5: Deathwatch, The Madness of Life, A Rider's Blade

1. Eragon remained at the table, his eyes focused on a knot in the wood. *snip snip* The knot was filled with endless detail; the closer he looked, the more he saw. He searched for answers in it, but if there were any, they eluded him.
Attempt at something deep/thought-provoking/whatever falls flat for me.

2. Frustrated and terrified, he turned his tear-dampened face toward the heavens and shouted, "NOOOoooooooOOOOOO What god would do this? Show yourself!" *snip snip* "He didn't deserve this!"

Not quite a "big no", but still silly, unnecessary and unrealistic. Made even sillier considering Eragon forgets Garrow ever existed mere days later.

3. "As for how I know so much, I will keep that to myself.
Dun dun dun

jair_greycoat August 14 2011, 03:59:34 UTC

Day 5: Deathwatch, The Madness of Life, A Rider’s BladeThe next large problem I find is that after Garrow dies, Eragon goes to his room and screams at the ceiling. First he blames the world for killing Garrow; then he thinks God must have done it. Um. . . which is it? Nitpicking aside, Eragon must have some serious theology problems if he asks what god would do something like this. What makes him think God is responsible? That doesn’t sound like a very good view to hold, to me. The last time I checked, I saw that the world kills people through no fault of God at all. I would file this under the small list of ill-thought-out arguments against God that Paolini makes in his books. This one, however, I suspect snuck into the story subconsciously ( ... )

jair_greycoat August 14 2011, 05:24:28 UTC

I just realized I probably should have put a theology warning on this, and why did I use the word “program”? I meant something else, but I can’t think what at this time.

13thfriday August 14 2011, 22:21:44 UTC

THIS.

Each scene you described bothered me, but I could not have described why as well as you did.

One line I got stuck on was when Saphira told him: "then don't". I mean, is she telling him to go die then? Or is she telling him to stop whining or something? xD

...it just seems tacked on to make her seem wise.Unfortunately this is the problem with a number of Saphira's scenes. Paolini attempts to give some of his scenes "meaning" and a "message", and sometimes he doesn't do too badly, but other times it just totally falls flat. It all boils down to a lack of life experience for Paolini ( ... )

jair_greycoat August 14 2011, 23:19:02 UTC

One line I got stuck on was when Saphira told him: "then don't". I mean, is she telling him to go die then? Or is she telling him to stop whining or something?

Her intention was to tell him to deal with the situation, but technically she was telling him to kill himself, so it’s funny.

The theology warning is because there are several wildly different belief-systems on Antishurtugal, and I suspect one or two might think I’m being full of myself, to use Charlottehywd’s words. I didn’t want it to seem like I was unaware of that.

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