Eragon

Are there a lot of similarities to The Lord of the Rings? Yes, there definitely is. But there's also a lot of profound dialogue that touches some really important themes. I don't know, as much hate as I see this book get, I had a good time reading it, the pages feel like they fly by. I think this novel is cliché and hits on all the major tropes, and I don't know why that's such a problem for people. It's written well, and the reason tropes exist is that people enjoyed them originally. Because The Lord of the Rings already did it, we should just dismiss anything written in the same vein as trash? This book isn't super realistic, but I want to be in worlds where things feel easier sometimes. Where things feel epic and a normal kid becomes more powerful than anyone else, but at the same time keeps his humility. This isn't what happens in the real world, and reading is an escape from the real world for me to a certain degree. Would this ever happen to me or anyone else? No! That's the point! High fantasy is super empowering for me, and this book nailed evoking that feeling. That's enough for me.

Read primarily because: Over 1 million ratings.