With the exception of Tolkein’s The Hobbit and C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia, I’ve never read fantasy. Actually, The Chronicles of Narnia doesn’t count as fantasy, because I’m pretty sure I’d find Narnia if I moved all the junk in my closet.
I tend to prefer stories that aren’t too far-fetched; they may have surprising twists and a few unlikely circumstances, but they’re the type of stories that seem as if they could actually happen. I also primarily read stories written by women. Not that I have anything against male authors (Hello, Narnia!), I just wonder why you should mess with a good thing.
Please note: That was a joke. It’s pure coincidence that most of my books weren’t written by members of the male species. Really. I’ve read incredibly powerful books written by both women and men. I just tend to say things without thinking them through. This is why I’m single.
Anyway…
Recently, one of my book-swapping buddies loaned me Eragon, by Christopher Paolini.
Last night I read the first few chapters. Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore! Or Planet Earth, for that matter.
Behold, I took some notes to document my journey into the fantastical world known as Alagaesia:
– All this time, I thought Eragon was a dragon. Turns out, he’s some teenager. Awkward.
– There is some creature named something that I can’t remember, but it reminds me of the word “Huzzah.” Oh, Urgal, that’s it. For some reason, whenever I see “Urgal,” I internally shout, “Huzzah!” Moving on…
-Spellcheck isn’t friends with the names of the fine citizens of Alagaesia.
-The author beautifully incorporated the word “smote” into a sentence. Instant cool points.
– From now on, when I feel like I’m being ripped off, I’m going to angrily exclaim, “That’s a miser’s bargain!” Watch out, Starbucks.
– I’m going to start introducing myself like this: “Hi, I’m Anna. I’m a mortal.”
And that, my friends, is what I took away from the Prologue and Chapter 1. Unfortunately, I have things to do today, so I’ll refrain from sharing my notes on the other chapters I read. But rest assured, you probably haven’t heard the last of Anna the mortal.
I really am looking forward to venturing into this novel. I’ve heard good things about it, and it’s always good to try something new.
And I love Starbucks.
Until next time,
Anna
(Now you’ve heard the last of Anna the mortal. For now).
Anna Schaeffer's Blog 
Dear Anna the mortal,
Philip has read Eragon and several of the sequels.
I enjoyed your take on it.
:-) Mrs. April L.
LikeLike
Thank you, Mrs. April! It’s definitely different from what I usually read, but I’m going to give it a chance.
LikeLike
Interesting. I’m not a big fan of fantasy either. I’ve probably only read 3 fantasy novels ever.
But who knows! Maybe that’ll change someday. :)
LikeLike
When I do my “for fun” reading, it’s almost *always* Christian fiction, with very few exceptions. That’s because I have to read all kinds of things for school, so I like to read stories that share biblical truths whenever I have the chance. Plus, I definitely don’t write anything similar to fantasy, so I haven’t read much…but we’ll see.
LikeLike
Oh, and guess what? I got awarded something on the first day my blog was officially started. :P If you don’t like to do awards, that’s fine. Here’s the post with the details: http://alifeonmission.wordpress.com/2013/01/25/liebster-blog-award/
LikeLike
I’d say you’re off to a good start, then ;) Thanks for the nomination! I haven’t done one of these yet, but I’ll definitely look into it!
Also, you now have a new blog follower :)
LikeLike
Thanks! :D
LikeLike
My status is a juxtaposition (new favorite word) to that. I find that most of what I read is about a fantasy world of whimsical creatures and realms. That is the type of story I prefer to write, also. I feel books are supposed to tell a story that is not like your life. While there may be characterizations that relate to us (this is important), the most entertaining novels to me are the ones where a completely new way of life and reality is formed. That is real creativity. From literature class, though, I have learned that there are many realistic-fiction books worthy to be read; many real-life stories that are amusing and important.
LikeLike
You make some good points. We talked about this in one of my classes recently. You want a story that’s different and exciting, with just enough familiarity to be relatable. Thanks for sharing your perspective!
LikeLike
I
Ive always thought erogon was a dragon up to this point!
~Natalie Noel~
LikeLike
I told a friend I thought Eragon was the dragon, and she laughed at me. I haven’t even reached the part where you meet the dragon yet. You really do learn something new every day ;)
LikeLike