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/lit/ - Literature

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File: 23 KB, 350x240, Christopher-Paolini-6275068.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
1406396 No.1406396 [Reply] [Original]

>In my writing, I strive for a lyrical beauty somewhere between Tolkien at his best and Seamus Heaney's translation of Beowulf.

>> No.1406399

Please tell me you're kidding.

>> No.1406402

>>1406399
Please tell me you're smart enough to Google the fucking quote.

>> No.1406403

he's kind of hot right?

girls?

>> No.1406411
File: 245 KB, 391x340, prodigy.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
1406411

>Paolini thread
>mvq

>> No.1406413

>>1406402

Y u startin bro?

Nobody was stupid enough not to guess who the writer was from the picture containing one of this faggot's magic books.

I personally knew who he was from his picture alone. Faggot.

>> No.1406414

>>1406403
oh for god's sake

if you're going to fap to undeservedly successful dorks who look like they're two weeks removed from their bar mitzvahs at least go for jonathan safran foer

>> No.1406416
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1406416

Here's a list of the words he stole from Tolkien.

*Arya - Arwen, Arda
*Ardwen - Arwen
*Isenstar - Isengard
*Mithrim - Mithrim or mithril
*Eragon - Aragorn
*Angrenost - Angrenost, the Sindarin name for Isengard
*Morgothal - Morgoth
*Elessari - Elessar
*Furnost - Fornost
*Hadarac Desert - Harad Desert
*Melian - Melian
*Vanilor - Valinor
*Eridor - Eriador
*Imiladris - Imladris
*Undin - Fundin/Udun
*Gil'ead - Gil'Galad
*Hrothgar - Hrothgar
*Ceranthor - Caranthir
*Isidar - Isiludir

pretty original right

all of his writing is derivative to the point of plagiarism

>> No.1406418

Strive, but alas, will never achieve, Paolini.
Seriously, this makes me want to guage out my eyes. I only stopped hating you becuase Stephanie Meyer was spawned, but now this?
Captcha:thouny excuse
It's right, my hate should eb equally divided between these "authors"

>> No.1406420

So the new Harry Potter is about Harry writing a successful but highly derivative set of fantasy novels?

>> No.1406427

>>1406413
What the fuck are you talking about? The poster I was replying to obviously knew who he was, he just was doubting whether or not the quote was real. I told him that if he Googled it he would have confirmed that it was real.

>> No.1406433

he honestly thinks that his suffocating thick purple prose is as good as "Tolkien at his best"

because Tolkien on any other day is not good enough for master writer C. Paolini!

let's look at some of this writing now shall we?

>Three white horses with riders cantered toward the ambush, their heads held high and proud, their coats rippling in the moonlight like liquid silver.
>On the first horse was an elf with pointed ears and elegantly slanted eyebrows. His build was slim but strong, like a rapier. A powerful bow was slung on his back. A sword pressed against his side opposite a quiver of arrows fletched with swan feathers.
>The last rider had the same fair face and angled features as the other. He carried a long spear in his right hand and a white dagger at his belt. A helm of extraordinary craftsmanship, wrought with amber and gold, rested on his head.
>Between these two rode a raven-haired elven lady, who surveyed her surroundings with poise. Framed by long black locks, her deep eyes shone with a driving force. Her clothes were unadorned, yet her beauty was undiminished. At her side was a sword, and on her back a long bow with a quiver.

>> No.1406437

>>1406433
http://aydee.wordpress.com/2006/12/17/eragon/ will now briefly explain why this epilogue sucks

>Even in this short segment, the overabundance of description weighs heavily on the narration. The first four paragraphs of the elves’ appearance in the forest are an inventory of the weapons they carry and a closeup of tilted eyebrows. Paolini’s habit of focusing on irrelevant information is a striking issue throughout his writing. Details that might have been more timely — such as a quick glance to check for pursuers, or a nervous twitching of the reins — would convey mood. Elegant eyebrows serve no purpose aside from distraction.

>> No.1406448
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1406448

>>1406437
yeah a lit theory board would be incredible wouldn't it guise....

>> No.1406455
File: 186 KB, 621x466, laughinggals.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
1406455

>>1406448
>literary theory
>book review

>he thinks literary theory is book review

>> No.1406459 [DELETED] 

>>1406455
hell it's not even a book review

it's just a review of the epilogue

>> No.1406465

>>1406455
it's not a book review even

it's just a review of the prolouge

>> No.1406469

this was okay when he was a punk kid, but surely he's grown out of it by now.

>> No.1406479

I Laughed Out Loud at that photo. Are you kidding me, or what?

>> No.1406482
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1406482

>>1406469
he never really was a punk kid though

he wrote the book when he was 18. it was published when he was 19

he's almost 30 now

he was 15 when he "imagined" the story

the 15 year old thing was a flat out lie to hype the book. and fuck if it didn't work

>> No.1406490

>>1406396
gay

>> No.1406507

>>1406482
Is he autistic?

>> No.1406508
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1406508

anyone remember anti-shurtugal?

it's on the web-archive

http://web.archive.org/web/20070501183115/www.anti-shurtugal.com/starwars.htm

that's the star wars comparison essay right there

>> No.1406548

>>1406507
He was homeschooled, so it's kind of hard to tell.

>> No.1406824

so when's the green brick come out

>> No.1406935

at least the movie was universally panned

"star wars with dragons"

why are the books treated differently? they're exactly as terrible as the movie was

>> No.1406991

>>1406935
The books are derivative and have shitty prose, but everyone who reads popular fiction reads books that are derivative and have shitty prose.
Most people read, discard, forget, and don't give a shit.

The movie, however, actually gave a perfect lasting visual portrayal of how shitty the books were.

>> No.1407005

>>1406991
is there really any popular literature out there as derivative as eragon though

the world, it's races, and the names of everything (see >>1406416) come from Tolkien

the story is star wars

the magic system is taken word for fucking word from earthsea

the dragonriders, their powers (telepathy and whatnot) come from dragonriders of pern

and from what I've heard there's more to the list than that

>> No.1407015

>>1407005
I mean, we all know that all fantasy is derivative because it all follows certain tropes (a hero goes on a journey, etc)

but anyone who says that eragon is not at the very least borderline plagiarism is lying

that or they're dipshit teenagers who have never read anything besides eragon and don't know any better

>> No.1407019

>>1407005
Robert Jordan, Mitchell Graham and Dennis L. McKiernan are all a shitload more derivative.
I mean fuck, Mitchell Graham wrote another story about a villager who finds an evil magic ring, and Dennis L. McKiernan's first book was the exact plot of Lord of the Rings redux.

Neil Hancock and Terry Brooks can be added to the list of uberderivative fucks as well, though Terry Brooks got surprisingly original with time.

>> No.1407021

That elegant eyebrow stuff reads like fan fiction written by a 14 year old. Isn't he like 40?

>> No.1407026

>>1407021
He's like twentyfive or something by now.

>> No.1407031
File: 39 KB, 392x396, 1293768016142.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
1407031

before someone forgets to mention it

Paolini was published by his parents. That's the only reason his daydreams ever made it into book form.

>> No.1407033

>>1407031
They only reached a mainstream publisher after Carl Hiaasen jr. read the manuscript though.

I used to have a higher opinion of the guy. Carl Hiaasen jr. I mean.

>> No.1407041

>>1407019
Tolkien took the ring thing from Plato. Having an evil ring isn't stealing shit.

>> No.1407044

>>1407041
Didn't Tolkien draw inspiration from a lot of the Chinese classics?
I remember definitely catching on to parallels between LotR and Romance of the Three Kingdoms and between The Hobbit and Journey to the West. There were places where The Hobbit definitely had kind of an oriental feel.

>> No.1407050

>>1407026
27 or 28 actually

>>1407019
well, no one has ever called them geniuses for their writing though, have they?

and they themselves don't think that they are geniuses do they?

because Paolini soaked up every word about him being a genius

>> No.1407052

>>1407041

I thought it was based off of the Seal of Solomon legend?

>> No.1407054

>>1407044
No idea, but wouldn't be surprised. Certainly Journey to the West is the same kind of story; leaving your cultural home to bring about a new age.

>> No.1407057

>>1407052
I'm pretty sure the Seal of Solomon legend was fabricated by Crowley and Waite to make their occult work on the Goetia look legit.

>> No.1407060

>>1407041
>>1407044
yes, Tolkien drew from lots of sources

the ring of power was probably inspired by the cursed ring from that one nordic myth

however Tolkien managed to shape a world that was entirely his own, which is much more than can be said for Paolini

>> No.1407065

>>1407060
i don't know i thought some of paolini's concepts were pretty original

like the little girl he blesses and it backfires

and the idea of the dwarf religion

and roran's fight against sloan

>> No.1407066

Man, those people who said he was gonna grow up to be an ugly virgin sure as hell weren't kidding.

>> No.1407070

>>1407052
It's from the Republic. A shephard called Gyges finds a ring of invisibility. Now that he can hide unjust acts, he is corrupted; he rapes the Queen and kills the King, becoming tyrant.

It's based on a story from Herodotus, which was also part of the inspiration for Macbeth, where a consul to the King sees the Queen naked, and must either be killed or kill the king and take his place.

>> No.1407071

>>1407066
He got mad pussy in college.

>> No.1407072
File: 91 KB, 210x251, 1293768708515.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
1407072

>>1407065
>like the little girl he blesses and it backfires

lolno

she's Alia from Dune

a curse child who speaks, thinks, and acts like an adult, and everyone hates and fears her

and what's so special about the dwarf religion? they have a bunch of different gods. there's nothing interesting about that

>> No.1407076

>>1407071
did he go to college?

he's filthy rich, he doesn't need to

and he still lives with his family doesn't he

>> No.1407079

>>1407076
Last article I read about him years ago said he was using his royalty money to pay for college, so I dunno.

>> No.1407108

it seems to me that the only original idea Paolini ever had for his books were those "dragon gem cores"

which makes sense because they're fucking stupid

>> No.1407122
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1407122

>>1407108
I was pretty sure Mega Bloks already did that with the Dragon crystals in the Mega Bloks Dragons sets.

>> No.1407134

>>1407122
I'd hardly be surprised if that's exactly where he got the idea from

>> No.1407155

Tolkien at his best was like listening to a history professor.

Anyway,once, a long time ago when I was like, 12; I started reading one of this guy's books.
It was so bad I stopped before 50 pages.
This is me at 12. I emphasis that because I sure as fuck did not have high standards, so when 12 year old me thinks a book is poorly written that's saying something.

>> No.1407165

Notice he didn't say his writing actually does sound like Heaney or Tolkien.

He just says he STRIVES for it to sound that way. Doesn't mean he thinks it does.

>> No.1407176

>>1407165
Tolkien "at his best"

meaning ordinary Tolkien isn't good enough to strive for

>> No.1407194
File: 23 KB, 250x306, Christopher_Paolini_Montana.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
1407194

>“One of the greatest pleasures of reading this series is seeing J.K.Rowling develop as a writer, and she certainly spreads her wings here”.

This is another quote from Paolini, from when he was asked to critique the Half-blood Prince.

Isn't that ridiculous? He's so confident of his genius that he's being condescending to J. K. Rowling.

I know most of you don't consider Harry Potter to be all that great, but fuck's sake...

>> No.1407207

>>1407176

Or perhaps Tolkien at his best is just better to strive for than Tolkien at his most mediocre.

There is a difference between criticising a bad writer and digging for every excuse you can find to hate him.

>> No.1407212

>>1407207
I'm sorry, but the OP quote is arrogant as fuck - it could only be said by someone with a shockingly (hilariously) overblown sense of his own importance and skill

>> No.1407232

>>1407212

Admitting that he looks up to Tolkien and Heaney is arrogant? Your level of derangement is impressive.

I've always been pretty sure that the hatred people wear so openly towards bad, but popular, writers stems from a kind of jealously that runs so deep that you lose all sense of reason and stoke your hatred with the most perverse thoughts and findings.

It's like you're feeding a bad troll. Why don't you just ignore him and talk about good writers, if you can even agree about what a good writer is.

>> No.1407234

>>1407232
please don't use the "ur just jelus!!!!11" argument

>> No.1407241

>>1407234

Why else would you have such a perverse hatred for a person that you've probably never even met in person?

You don't know that he's arrogant. All you have to go on are a few quotes with fairly ambiguous intent behind them.

>> No.1407255

>>1407241
okay for one thing anon, you're talking to more than one person here

and I wouldn't say that those quotes have a totally ambiguous intent behind them

there was an awful lot of hype behind his books. quite a lot of people were calling him a prodigy. it hardly seems like a stretch to assume he believed every word of it

>> No.1407266

>>1407232
I find your commitment to Christopher Paolini disturbing

I don't know him from Adam, but I find it kind of funny that he's talking about comparing his prose to Tolkien and Seamus Heaney. This isn't some kind of 'shoot for the stars because you'll get the moon~~~~' type of thing, you know? He's not patterning his prose off writers who he views as clearly superior; he's saying that he tries to achieve 'lyrical beauty' patterned off these two writers. The thing is that he so deeply misunderstands what kind of writer he is that it's fucking hilarious. Paolini is simply not a lyrical, beautiful, poetic writer. It's not a flaw. It's perfectly fine. I like and respect writers who are not lyrical or poetic. But for Paolini (basically a writer of simple popular fiction) to make claims about 'lyrical beauty' and compare himself to Seamus Heaney, a Nobel prize winner (and make no mistake it IS a comparison, of some kind) is simply laughable.

>> No.1407270

>>1407241

Hey Chris!

People didn't like your books, man.

That's because they sucked ass.

Run along now.

>> No.1407292

>>1407270
Isn't it so weird how this guy is committed to defending Christopher Paolini, though? Like, obviously it's not really him, but this mother is serious about this shit.

>> No.1407294

>>1407255
>and I wouldn't say that those quotes have a totally ambiguous intent behind them

You would be wrong.

>>1407266
>I find your commitment to Christopher Paolini disturbing

I'm defending the man, not the writer. I should have known some troll would pull this 'you're defending him so you're a fan' crap. You're acting as if you know what kind of person he is when you haven't ever had a personal conversation with him.

You can criticize him as a writer all you want, but these threads almost never do that. They always end up as personal attacks and butthurt over the same ill worded quotes.

>> No.1407320

>>1407294

>You can criticize him as a writer all you want, but these threads almost never do that. They always end up as personal attacks and butthurt over the same ill worded quotes.

Well, see, that's where you're wrong. This has been a criticism of his piss poor attempts at writing. Which is precisely what makes his outlandish arrogance so laughable. If he actually had any idea of how shit his writing is, he wouldn't even attempt to think he could consider shooting for Tolkien of Heaney. Basically, if he considers his books to be worthy of anything more than backup toilet paper, he's arrogant because that's giving himself far too much credit.

End of story bitch.

>> No.1407325

>>1407292

agreed

>> No.1407330

>>1407294
No, like, seriously, I don't care if you're a fan of him. That's not even an accusation, so what if you like his books? He's not that bad a writer, just very limited in what he can achieve (and laughably arrogant, apparently)

Your commitment to defending him is just weird. kind of admirable, but basically inexplicable.

>> No.1407346

>>1407320

I think it's fine that you think he is so bad that he should just give up. But whether he's arrogant, the truth of which you know nothing of, has nothing to do with his writing. The moment you start talking about him personally you are no longer criticising the writing.

>> No.1407366

>>1407346

I have it on good authority that he gets his jollies by beating the homeless with a hockey stick.

The good authority being, to be more specific, me.

I am Christopher Paolini.


I get my jollies by beating the homeless with a hockey stick.

>> No.1407374

>>1407330
>Your commitment to defending him is just weird. kind of admirable, but basically inexplicable.

I have explained it already. Your personal attacks don't really have enough basis to make a complete analysis of his personality. It just really low class to make assumptions about people you don't know personally.

>> No.1407427

>>1407374
The thing is that I don't think that I am making an attack on his personality, or some kind of analysis thereof. As far as I know, he may be an actual saint. The only judgment that I have made is that he is not a lyrical writer, and if he thinks that he is then he is deeply misjudging himself and overhyping himself. And he's doing it in a way that I find humorous. He may be modest, kind, generous, brave, courteous; I don't know. All I can judge him on is this one specific thing; and in this I find a hilariously over-inflated self-regard.

And, I mean, frankly, this is 4chan, people talk shit about public figures all the time. I don't get your motivation here. Not that you need to have one, I mean. It just confuses me.