Paolini, Christopher 1983–

PERSONAL: Born November 17, 1983, in Southern California; son of Kenneth Paolini.

ADDRESSES: Home—Paradise Valley, Montana. Agent—Simon Lipskar, Writers house, 21 W. 26th St., New York, NY 10010.

CAREER: Writer.

WRITINGS:

Eragon (first volume in "Inheritance Trilogy"), Paolini International (Livingston, MT), 2002, second edition, Alfred A. Knopf (New York, NY), 2003.

Eldest (second volume in "Inheritance Trilogy"), Knopf (New York, NY), 2005.

SIDELIGHTS: Christopher Paolini achieved publishing success while still a teen when his book Eragon, the first novel of a projected trilogy, topped the bestseller charts. Paolini, who was home schooled by his parents, began writing Eragon at the age of fifteen, after he graduated from an accredited correspondence high school. He wasn't ready to begin college, and so he took the next year to write the first draft of the fantasy. The second draft consumed another year, and his parents, who own a small publishing company, helped with the editing and publishing. Paolini was offered a scholarship to attend Reed College in Portland, Oregon, but instead, he and his parents took the book on the road. Paolini made appearances in schools, libraries, bookstores, and at fairs around the country, where he read from and signed copies of his book while dressed in medieval costume.

The Paolinis also placed some of the books they had printed in Montana book stores, and one of them was purchased by novelist Carl Hiaasen, while the Hiaasen family was in Montana on a fly-fishing trip. Hiaason called his editor at Alfred E. Knopf and suggested that the publisher might want to look at Eragon. They did and published a new edition that is approximately 20,000 words shorter. A new cover designed by John Jude Palencar replaced Paolini's own design. After signing with Knopf, Paolini began work on Eldest, the second novel in the trilogy.

Paolini's Montana home, located in the scenic Paradise Valley, was an inspiration for his story, described as a "solid, sweeping epic fantasy" by a Kirkus Reviews contributor. Kliatt contributor Michele Winship reviewed Eragon, saying that Paolini "takes a little Tolkien, a little McCaffrey, a coming-of-age quest, and combines them with some wicked good storytelling in this first book."

The fantasy opens to a map of Alagaësia, Eragon's world, where the teen ekes out a living with his uncle and cousin on their farm. The story begins with the fifteen year old discovering a blue gemstone covered with white veins, that is, in fact, an egg. When a beautiful blue dragon emerges from it, Eragon names her Saphira. Over a hundred years, an evil king has destroyed the Dragon Riders, and in bonding with the mythical beast, Eragon becomes such a rider, and is pursued by King Galbatorix, who kills Eragon's family and charges his dark servants with capturing Eragon and Saphira. They become travelers, along with the old storyteller Brom, and Eragon matures over the year during which the story transpires. He gains an understanding of love, loss, and the evil that is present in his world as he is pulled into the struggle between the king and the resistance forces of the Varden. Together, the boy, dragon, and wise old man draw on a combination of magic and traditional methods to protect and defend themselves from humanoid warriors.

In a Teenreads.com interview, Paolini said that he had "always been fascinated with the sources of most modern fantasy that lie in Teutonic, Scandinavian, and Old Norse history. This is disregarding a large chunk of writing devoted to the myths from the British Isles. Because of this, I used Old Norse as the basis of my Elven language in Eragon, as well as many names. All the Dwarf and Urgal words, however, are my own invention." Paolini provides a glossary of his invented language at the end of the book.

School Library Journal contributor Susan L. Rogers felt that "sometimes the magic solutions are just too convenient for getting out of difficult situations," but felt that fans of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy will find the characters and plot twists appealing. Writing in the New York Times Book Review, Liz Rosenberg cited what she saw as faults, including cliches and "B-movie dialogue." Rosenberg wrote that Paolini's "plot stumbles and jerks along, with gaps in logic and characters dropped, then suddenly remembered, or new ones invented at the last minute. And yet, as Beatrix Potter wrote, 'Genius—like murder will out.' Eragon, for all its flaws, is an authentic work of great talent. The story is gripping; it may move awkwardly, but it moves with force. The power of Eragon lies in its overall effects—in the sweep of the story and the conviction of the storyteller. Here, Paolini is leagues ahead of most writers, and it is exactly here that his youth is on his side."

Booklist contributor Sally Estes wrote that Paolini's "lush tale is full of recognizable fantasy elements and conventions. But the telling remains constantly fresh and fluid." A Publishers Weekly reviewer noted Tolkien's influence on Paolini's writing, including similar naming of geography, the use of landscape as character, and the structure and scale of the story, but noted that, as to language, Paolini "dispenses with the floral, pastoral touch in favor of more direct prose." The reviewer called Eragon "an auspicious beginning to both career and series."

The sequel to Eragon, titled Eldest, is also of epic scope. Eragon and Sasphira continue their battle with the corrupt ruler Galbatorix while Eragon receives more intense Dragon Rider training under the tutelage of the elves. A second story line follows the adventures of Er-agon's cousin, who is also battling Galbatorix by organizing an uprising in the small town of Carvahall. As Paolini tells the story, he delves deeper into elf lore and language. Many of the themes touched upon in Eragon are further explored in Eldest. In an interview with the New York Times Paolini stated that the main themes in his work include "the difficulty of deciding how to live honorably and how to deal with violence when it intrudes on someone's life." This did not go unnoticed by critics, and Sarah Couri, writing in the School Library Journal, noted that the hero in Eldest "thoughtfully examines the question of good at what price."

Many reviewers noted that the plot in Eldest effectively advances the overall plot of the trilogy. A Publishers Weekly critic stated that "the story leaves off with a promise," while Booklist reviewer Estes observed that the book indicates that there is "more cataclysmic battle ahead." In addition, critics commented that the trilogy's characters have continued to develop. "Eragon's journey to maturity is well handled," wrote Couri. "Characters and their relationships continue to develop nicely," added Estes. In a summation of the book for Horn Book magazine, contributor Anika L. Burkam wrote: "There's lots of imaginative material … the author's enthusiasm for his creation is infectious."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, August 15, 2003, Sally Estes, review of Eragon, p. 1981; August, 2005, Sally Estes, review of Eldest, p. 2016.

Bookseller, September 23, 2005, Patrick J. Eves, "Eldest Stays on Top," p. 16.

Christian Science Monitor, August 7, 2003, Yvonne Zipp, "Teen author wins readers book by book."

Horn Book, November-December, 2005, Anika L. Burkam, review of Eldest, p. 724.

Kirkus Reviews, July 15, 2003, review of Eragon, p. 967.

Kliatt, September, 2003, Michele Winship, review of Eragon, p. 10.

New York Times, September 19, 2005, "Q&A: Turning Daydreams Into a Best-Seller," p. 6.

New York Times Book Review, November 16, 2003, Liz Rosenberg, review of Eragon.

Publishers Weekly, July 21, 2003, review of Eragon, p. 196; July 25, 2005, review of Eldest, p. 78.

School Library Journal, September 1, 2003, Susan L. Rogers, review of Eragon, p. 218; October, 2005, Sarah Couri, review of Eldest, p. 170.

ONLINE

Alagaesia Web site, http://alagaesia.com/ (March 9, 2006), author Home Page.

Teenreads.com, http://www.teenreads.com/ (March 9, 2006), interview with author.