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I haven't tried that dish yet (I probably never will), but it sounds fabulous. What I have tried, though, is my Mom's "Roast beef, mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables." I still make it whenever my kids are in the mood, and it costs me about $15.00
At Gordon Ramsey's Pétrus restaurant (1 Kinnerton Street / Knightsbridge, London / SW1X 8EA...in case you're interested), I can get a "Roasted beef fillet with braised shin, baked celeriac and Barolo sauce" for the reasonable price of £65.00 pounds.I haven't tried that dish yet (I probably never will), but it sounds fabulous. What I have tried, though, is my Mom's "Roast beef, mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables." I still make it whenever my kids are in the mood, and it costs me about $15.00 dollars Canadian for five people, and it's delicious. Yes, it's simple; yes, it is plain in comparison to Ramsey's feast; but it makes me feel good, tastes great and satiates my hunger.
Gladly running the risk of sounding like a boring guy, I think, in the big scheme of things, that I will always like my Mom's dish better than Ramsey's, even if I tried it in the company of say...Harrison Ford. I would always remember that "Roasted beef fillet with braised shin, baked celeriac and Barolo sauce" fondly, but I'd go back to my Mom's dish before I ever made it to Pétrus again.
I feel the same way about David Eddings Pawn of Prophecy.
There's nothing fancy about Eddings' tale of Garion, Belgarath and Polgara. We've all tasted the ingredients in a similar dish hundreds of times (at least we have if we're fantasy geeks). Some of those dishes have been tastier (think A Song of Ice and Fire -- at least that's what I've heard), some have been more filling (think Lord of the Rings), some are perfect aperitifs (think A Wizard of Earthsea), some are great appetizers (think The Chronicles of Narnia), and some are perfect desserts (almost anything by Guy Gavriel Kay), but it is always nice to have something familiar and tasty and simple. That's what Pawn of Prophecy is for me (now that I have finally read it).
I've started a few fantasy series lately, and they've slipped out of my memory as soon as I've put them down, but ten minutes after finishing Pawn of Prophecy I walked into a used bookstore and bought Queen of Sorcery, and I plan to read it soon. You see, I need my Mom's Roast beef and mashed potatoes for dinner every couple of Sundays, so I'm not about to wait.
I'm going to let Eddings cook for me again soon.
Bram and Ryan were right to love this book as boys (lose the guilt Brer Ryan). It might not be mindblowingly inventive, but it is comfortable, and sometimes that is better than mindblowing -- or just as good.
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I think many of the reviews of the Belgariad are too harsh. This is a book that you can hand to your kids without worrying what strange ideas they might pick up. Somebody reviewed the books as xenophobic. What rubbish! If you create a country like Cthol Murgos where the people have an evil ruler who promotes cruelty, or a country like Nyissa who are constantly in fear of being poisoned and have strange mannerisms that imitate their snake god is that xenophobic? No, it's doing what every author needs to do. They create a world that we can escape into and people that we can relate to. If you have to superimpose our world onto the canvas of the Belgariad you're looking too deeply. Eddings writings are not social commentary or overly symbolic. It's not CS Lewis or George Orwell. It's about having fun! Sorry for the tirade, but I get bugged by reviewers who are so full of themselves that they can't admit a book is a good read because someone might think of them as juvenile or unsophisticated!
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There is nothing I hate more than trying to review one of my all-time favorite books from my teenage years. We all know the reason: the book just never lives up to your memories of its perfection. A fact - which if we are honest with ourselves - is inevitable, because we personally have changed too much, the world has changed too much, and our tastes have changed too much since the initial reading. This is true to a certain extent with David Edding's Pa
Originally reviewed at Bookwraiths ReviewsThere is nothing I hate more than trying to review one of my all-time favorite books from my teenage years. We all know the reason: the book just never lives up to your memories of its perfection. A fact - which if we are honest with ourselves - is inevitable, because we personally have changed too much, the world has changed too much, and our tastes have changed too much since the initial reading. This is true to a certain extent with David Edding's Pawn of Prophecy.
Back when I picked up this first novel of The Belgariad in 1984, I was a 13-year-old or a 14-year-old (I can't remember which anymore) just getting over an addiction to Dungeon & Dragons and trying to transition away from my pre-teen persona into my young adult one. I had also just recently made the life altering discovery of J.R.R. Tolkien, whose books made me fall in love with fantasy and ruined my dreams of ever being considered a cool kid in high school. (It was hard to be cool when you were reading The Hobbit and making jokes about what exactly JRR was talking about when he wrote "...it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort", but I probably shouldn't really mention that in this review.) So when Pawn of Prophecy found its way into my hands, it must have been fate, and I fell very hard for all things related to Belgarath, Polgara or Garion. A love which lasted into my early twenties and began from the very first page of this novel.
As a teen who adored the Council of Elrond chapter in The Fellowship of the Ring, the prologue to Pawn of Prophecy was like getting a fix of my favorite pharmaceutical product. Where else except for The Silmarillion could I get to read about ancient gods creating a world only to have its perfection marred by some horrible act and throw creation into a state of constant strife? Not too many places. So within minutes, I was addicted to this story of maimed Torak and his eternal conflict with his godly siblings over possession of the Orb of Aldur, and I had to have more. Honestly, it was just a great hook.
From this beginning, Mr. Eddings immediately thrust me into the story of a simple farm boy named Garion. I learned of his earliest memories, hiding under a table watching his Aunt Pol cook. I experienced him growing up with his childhood friends, playing games, and even saw his first romance between himself and a local girl Zubrette. I also read about - but payed little attention to - the introduction of a wandering storyteller named Mister Wolf, who seemed like the comic relief more than a major character. (Boy, was I wrong on that!) And like all good fantasy books, Mr. Eddings provided me with constant foreshadowing that there was some terrible evil lurking right around the corner, waiting to destroy all this normalcy. A feeling which he deftly stoked by scene after scene of Garion experiencing visions of an unknown antagonist stalking him.
Naturally, one day Garion's quiet farm life did end and end suddenly. Mister Wolf arriving at the farm unexpectedly, bearing news that a mysterious object has been stolen by a thief whom no-one will name. This news shocks Aunt Pol, causing her to pack up her and Garion's things and leave the farm with Mister Wolf, dragging our clueless teenager along against his will. From there the true adventures began, and what a tale it was!
A huge, colorful world inhabited by different cultures, grand characters, and even ancient gods opened up before Garion. All of it there for our young farm boy to see and experience and me tagging along behind. Mr. Eddings dazzled both of us with his constant unveiling of ancient mysteries, evil villains, grand conspiracies, divine prophecies, and wonderful history. And the whole time, I - a teenager myself - witnessed one more thing: Garion dealing with the normal teen angst of a simple boy ripped from his safe home and thrown into a larger, more dangerous world than he ever imagined. Every adventure, every heartbreak he experienced slowly turning him into a young man before my reading eyes. Something that I was also struggling with in my own life though in different ways.
It was a grand ride that Mr. Eddings took my teenage self on during those years, and I adored every one - even when I was 19 instead of a 13-year-old, because for a few hours I could go back "home" and visit my teen heroes Garion, Belgarath, Aunt Pol, Silk, and all the rest. They felt like family to me. And it all started with this book.
Later in life I returned to Pawn of Prophecy to revisit my old "friends." Like many times when you visit your childhood haunts, I found that things had changed - specifically me. I was older. No doubt about that. The mirror doesn't lie after all. Plus, I was a father now. Responsibilities and all that other grown up stuff weighing me down. And I have to admit that I was now a bit jaded about life. Things were more gray now and a lot less black and white than back in my teen years. So Pawn of Prophecy's straightforward fantasy about good guys defeating bad guys did not energize me as much as it once did. The best comparison I can give is going to your twentieth high school reunion excited to see your old girlfriend/boyfriend only to realize they aren't sixteen anymore, have put on thirty pounds and gotten wrinkles just like you. How dare they change! That is how I felt as I sat there reading about my old friends Garion, Belgarath, and Polgara.
So why the five (5) star rating if I felt this way on my re-read you ask?
Simple: I try to rate my favorite, childhood books by what I thought of them when I read them the first time.
Maybe rating certain novels that way is wrong, but I cannot think of another way to be fair to a novel which I dearly loved at an earlier period of my life. It isn't the books fault that I have gotten older after all. And the truth of the matter is that when I read Pawn of Prophecy - not once but numerous times in the 80s - I absolutely loved it! The simple plot and world spanning journeys of Garion bedazzled me, making me want more and more, and in my obviously biased opinion, it is still a great book for the right person - maybe another 13-year-old boy trying to grow up. Because I truly believe that even in its simplicity Pawn of Prophecy can still speak to that person and begin them on their journey into the world of fantasy novels. For that reason - and all my personal memories of it - Pawn of Prophecy will always remain a 5 star book and one of my all-time favorite fantasy novels.
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This was a fun classic fantasy. If you're looking for something innovative, then this book isn't for you. It was published in 1982 so by today's standards it is definitely a cliché. However, of course, I personally won't judge a book as a cliché if it's almost 40 years old.
Even though it can be read to children, I don't think it's for a particular age only (though the older you are the less you'd enjoy it I suppose.) Pawn of Prophecy wasn't fast-paced but it was a very quick read. It i
3.5 starsThis was a fun classic fantasy. If you're looking for something innovative, then this book isn't for you. It was published in 1982 so by today's standards it is definitely a cliché. However, of course, I personally won't judge a book as a cliché if it's almost 40 years old.
Even though it can be read to children, I don't think it's for a particular age only (though the older you are the less you'd enjoy it I suppose.) Pawn of Prophecy wasn't fast-paced but it was a very quick read. It is not memorably by any means but it was enjoyable and it's a good –even if typical- story.
I might seem negative but only because I don't want people judging it harshly. The characters were interesting and the main character was decent (however we never learn if he eventually learns to write, there are some minor plot holes). I'm rating it 3 stars instead of 4 because I did not witness enough development in Garion's character/skills.
I'd only recommend it if you're looking for a good old fantasy. I'm looking forward to continuing this series, I've been dropping many lately so it's good to read a book and plan to read its sequel!
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Pawn of Prophecy is everything everyone makes it out to be. That is, it is a book which at first seems like a derivative, annoying teenage farmboy fantasy with very few redeeming qualities. For those who stick with it, however, it contains so much more. By the end of the book, I just wanted more immediately.
After a painstakingly slow beginning, t
And there we go - after posponing and postponing I've finally kicked off the last of the old great fantasy series on my long term fantasy reading quest.Pawn of Prophecy is everything everyone makes it out to be. That is, it is a book which at first seems like a derivative, annoying teenage farmboy fantasy with very few redeeming qualities. For those who stick with it, however, it contains so much more. By the end of the book, I just wanted more immediately.
After a painstakingly slow beginning, the book picks up pace, and by the end, it becomes a real page-turner. Most of the characters are significantly more enjoyable than their equivalents in many similar fantasy series, and while I understand that some people are annoyed that they're seemingly invincible and face few real challenges to their progress, I found it somewhat refreshing to not have to read through the kind of setback some authors use to create fake suspense.
While there are plenty of downsides, the world of the Belgariad becomes more and more enjoyable by each chapter.
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A lovely story, very similar to Grandma's bedtime stories.
3.5*.A lovely story, very similar to Grandma's bedtime stories.
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While I don't actually dislike this book I'm pretty far from liking it either. Mostly I struggled to stay awake and keep my mind on it. It starts out slow meanders around trying to find a plot in the midst of it's standard epic fantasy stereotypes and finishes telling me I should get the next book.
Not for now, thanks.
The book wants very badly to be a standout epic. I mentioned elsewhere that it felt
Okay, I see all the glowing reviews and all the 4 and 5 star ratings... sigh. Here I go again.While I don't actually dislike this book I'm pretty far from liking it either. Mostly I struggled to stay awake and keep my mind on it. It starts out slow meanders around trying to find a plot in the midst of it's standard epic fantasy stereotypes and finishes telling me I should get the next book.
Not for now, thanks.
The book wants very badly to be a standout epic. I mentioned elsewhere that it felt as though the book kept yelling "LOOK AT ME I'M AN EPIC FANTASY!" The novel begins by introing us to the deities of the book's mythology, telling us about the "evil one of them" and the "mythic event" that set things in motion. (view spoiler)[ I do wonder why the deities made the powerful gem in question when "misusing it" could apparently undo not only their work, but them?!?! (hide spoiler)]. We are told about and later meet Polgara, Belgarath and Garion. Garion is a boy growing up on large and prosperous farm or farm-stead being raised by "Aunt Pol". (view spoiler)[ Aunt Pol/ Polgara is Belgarth's daughter. Belgarth is a 7000 year old sorcer...meaning Aunt Pol is probably a bit older than she looks also. One of the other things that bugged me about this book is that while we get all kinds of portentous statements about Garion "Aunt Pol" who is raising him seems not to grasp [even though you'd think she'd be old enough to] that over protection may not be the way to go when a boy is the "expected one". Garion gets into a fight...Pol drags him back to the kitchen. Garion builds a raft and falls into a pond...Pol drags him back to the kitchen. Garion "discovers girls" and Aunt Pol catches him in the barn with a pretty young woman getting a kiss and she....you guessed it... drags him back to the kitchen. He's never been taught to read, he's never been taught to swim...Pol's not teaching him to be a hero or champion, she's teaching him to be a scullery worker. When the boy hits 15 years old he starts to go on his first boar hunt, but "to allow it to happen" "Mr. Wolf" (Belgarath) must intervene. Aunt Pol was going to "put her foot down" and prevent it. Oh well. (hide spoiler)]
I read one other David Eddings book some years ago and I've largely forgotten it. My only clear impression is that throughout the book we were always traveling. We're here and we need to go there. We get there and we find we need to go somewhere else. Once there another trip became necessary. I joked that I probably wore out shoes reading the book. The same starts out here...(view spoiler)[ we soon need to "travel" we flee in disguise. We're freighters...now we're selling turnips...now we're arranging another cargo, so we look like "real freighters". Okay, it's become obvious we're not freighters. Now we'll travel as "fake royalty". Polgara likes that better anyway. Oops! we've been recognized...now we'll travel as "us". That is except for Garion... (hide spoiler)]
Anyway, the book strives to build a portentous story but ends feeling mostly like an intro into a longer story. I know a lot of you like this book and I'm not taking shots at it, it just didn't draw me in. I kept finding that my mind had wandered off the story, so enjoy if it's for you.
This is I'd say a "try it yourself book". I didn't care for it and probably won't follow it up (at least not till someone convinces me that I "simply must" try the next one. LOL). See what you think, not one I really care for. And, frankly...I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be an "Eddings fan".
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Instead, I was deeply engrossed in this book, couldn't put it down. Didn't want to put it down.
This book is like sipping hot chocolate wrapped in a blanket while it snows outside. It's familiar, comforting, and it's fun.
Of course, it's neither deep nor complex, but it resulted in a wonderful, heartwarming Saturday afternoon, and I can't wait to continue the series.
I thought I'm too old. I thought this wouldn't be challenging enough. I thought I'd be bored.Instead, I was deeply engrossed in this book, couldn't put it down. Didn't want to put it down.
This book is like sipping hot chocolate wrapped in a blanket while it snows outside. It's familiar, comforting, and it's fun.
Of course, it's neither deep nor complex, but it resulted in a wonderful, heartwarming Saturday afternoon, and I can't wait to continue the series.
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I noticed that most of the reviewers give this a nostalgic loved-this-when-I-was-young rating. And they're right to do so. This is the perfect series of books for a young reader: clever enough to hold its own, exciting without being too graphic, and the youth don't notice just how bad the prose is.
I mean, it's hilariously bad. It's not that the Eddings machine can't write for beans; it's that the writing does all the hackneyed nasty cliched things that you're
Review here for the entire Belgariad.I noticed that most of the reviewers give this a nostalgic loved-this-when-I-was-young rating. And they're right to do so. This is the perfect series of books for a young reader: clever enough to hold its own, exciting without being too graphic, and the youth don't notice just how bad the prose is.
I mean, it's hilariously bad. It's not that the Eddings machine can't write for beans; it's that the writing does all the hackneyed nasty cliched things that you're supposed to get out of your system sometime shortly after high school. (For an effective drinking game, swig every time Eddings writes a Tom Swifty - ("I can't swallow this peach," Garion choked.) Or just sip; it happens on every page so you'll drink your share either way)
On rereading, though, two things struck me other than the bad prose. The first is, the characteriations are really swift, moving directly and smoothly from "yes you care about this person" to "this is what's happening to this person", usually in a couple paragraphs. Drawing parallels for me to the adventure novels of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The brevity of the characetrizations are a real strength. The second thing I noticed was that there was something else going on here; glimpses of a cosmology of wonder and fascination beyond the play of the story itself. It was as though, every once in a while, the bottom dropped out of the floor and you realized you were in the midst of the ambitious project of an undiscovered author, the one thing he cares about more than anything else, and you have a front-row seat to teh story he wants to tell, yes, but more importantly you can see him constructing the stage props by hand in the wings, scrambling for everything he can get his hands on, and by some happy accident conjuring a genie that grants his greatest wish.
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The Belgariad was suggested to me by just about everyone I knew who enjoyed fantasy, and a number of my favourite authors. Imagine my surprise when I start reading and keep waiting for the story's plot to begin, and it begins to dawn on me that no such relief will be arriving.
The problems I have with th When we're all looking for a good book to read, we usually look to our favourite authors and our best friends and trust their recommnendations as to what we should try next. Such as it was for me.
The Belgariad was suggested to me by just about everyone I knew who enjoyed fantasy, and a number of my favourite authors. Imagine my surprise when I start reading and keep waiting for the story's plot to begin, and it begins to dawn on me that no such relief will be arriving.
The problems I have with the Belgariad are simple: The 'story' is so cliche (An orphen boy who finds himself the subject of a prophecy to save the world, say it isn't so!), The characters are bland and the world seems impervious to logic.
Garion, the protagonist of the story, grows up an orphaned child with only his annoyingly mysterious Aunt Pol to take care of him. Despite the fact that he is at an age where he is approaching maturity, Garion demonstrates momentous stupidity several times throughout the series, and particularly in the first book. His entire childhood has been haunted by the prescence of a 'ringwraith' archetype character, a mysterious shrouded black horseman who stalks him, yet he has never once mentioned the terrifying figure to his Aunt Pol, and nor has she, who it becomes known is a powerful sorceress bordering on godly power, ever detected this figure despite being Garion's caretaker and vigilant protector.
Over the course of the story, Garion travels alongside a group of companions, every single one of whom is either Royalty, powerful Nobility or an individual regarded as an equal among Kings and Emperors. Bit odd of an adventuring party eh?
On top of all of this, the action is horribly bland and Garion's growth into the prophetic saviour is infuriatingly poor, one minute he's a lackwit child and the next he's striding along blasting enemies with torrents of magic without training and out-witting his counselors and advisors despite the fact he's never really had a proper education in statecraft.
The dialogue is similarly poor, and often cliche.
The romance between Garion and the princess of a neighboring Empire was just plain embarrassing.
In summary, I was regretful I had ever picked up the series, and was and still am confused as to how the series ever gathered the acclaim it has. ...more
5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Are the cares of life getting you down? Sky rocketing gas prices, financial and housing markets in ruins, high unemployment, an unending war sucking dry the country's coffers and recession looming on the horizon. Rather than resort to drink or despair, get away with some escapist fantasy! I read The Belgariad series when
This is a review of The Belgariad, a fantasy series that includes the books: Pawn of Prophecy, Queen of Sorcery, Magician's Gambit, Castle of Wizardry, and Enchanter's End Game.Are the cares of life getting you down? Sky rocketing gas prices, financial and housing markets in ruins, high unemployment, an unending war sucking dry the country's coffers and recession looming on the horizon. Rather than resort to drink or despair, get away with some escapist fantasy! I read The Belgariad series when I was in high school and recently revisited it to see if they were as good as I had thought when I was a mere lass. Lo and behold, the books were a pleasant surprise upon re-reading. The plot includes all the key plot points for a hugely satisfying fantasy story -- no spoilers but there is an epic fight between good and evil, battling prophecies for both, a young good-hearted boy who discovers in time his true destiny, a band of heroes on a quest to seek a powerful talisman, and adventures galore with monsters, gods, fierce warriors, great battles, and magic. These books are not rocket science, and there are no ethical nor even any thoughtful questions posed as sometimes happens with fantasy/sci fi books. But the story moves along briskly with some surprising twists, the characters are fierce and funny. I almost felt sorry for Evil since who could withstand such a powerful band of heroes? Recommended for when you need to escape reality, with no hangovers afterwards.
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Tha
My old review from 2008 still holds. This is the beginning of a fun, 5 book series. There is another 5 book series, the Mallorean, that comes after plus several additional books, "Polgara", 'Belgarath' & the 'Mrin Codex'. If you stick with the first 5 & maybe the second 5, you'll be happy. Unless this world totally captivates you, reading the 3 additional books is kind of a waste. While there are some tidbits you can pick up, mostly they're a rehash from different POV's of the other 10 books.That said, the world captivated me. My wife & I originally started reading this series just after the second book came out. We the proceeded to read one book a year - FOREVER! - well, it seemed like forever. Of course, we'd have to re-read or at least skim the earlier books again, so I don't know how many times we read them. Two of my kids have read them at least once each, as well.
It's a sword & sorcery world with a nifty take on it. The characters are engaging, larger than life & just a lot of fun. No sex or gore, it's appropriate for ten or so & up, coming-of-age story. This first book follows Garion from his early memories to about 14. His world starts to turn upside down about 1/4 of the way through as he (& the reader) slowly begin to figure out what's going on.
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Like many others I cut my fantasy teeth on David Eddings' Belgariad and Mallorean series, once in my early teens and then again in my early twenties. And it was during last week and in between books that I heard the siren song of Eddings once more and knew that I had to heed the call.
I have read other
Pawn of Prophecy and the remaining four books that make up The Belgariad series are for me pure comfort reading, something that always manages to put a smile on my face and entertains me throughout.Like many others I cut my fantasy teeth on David Eddings' Belgariad and Mallorean series, once in my early teens and then again in my early twenties. And it was during last week and in between books that I heard the siren song of Eddings once more and knew that I had to heed the call.
I have read other readers reviews on Goodreads that label this series as being simple, too formulaic, Eddings was secretly a xenophobe and that in comparison to other much well read fantasy series just childish in comparison. Well to them I say phooey! ;)
Formulaic? Most fantasy series begin with similar tropes so I reject that argument? Xenophobic? You're reading too much into it and obviously have way too much time on your hands. Childish? Well it's definitely a lighter read than say Donaldson, Erikson or Abercrombie but again I don't care. This book is pure entertainment, populated by fantastic characters that you really come to know and love. Silk, Belgarath, Garion, Polgara, Anheg, Barak, Porenn and even the Earl of Seline, all bloody well written and you just can't help but like them.
Overall, I loved this book to death the first time I read it and age and time haven't diminished my love for it now. Let's all raise a glass to the beauty of nostalgia :)
Always 5 stars for me.
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I like this book because I like Harry Potter, and they are very similar, but I'll get to that later.
This is the first book in a series of five called The Belgariad, which chronicles the quest of a boy who learns he is a sorcerer. His parents were killed when he was a baby, and he lives with his aunt. Sound familiar? This book was published in 1982.
THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SOME THINGS YOU MAY CONSIDER AS SPOILERS, though, I think they are just nuances because I'm not telling huge chunks of the story.I like this book because I like Harry Potter, and they are very similar, but I'll get to that later.
This is the first book in a series of five called The Belgariad, which chronicles the quest of a boy who learns he is a sorcerer. His parents were killed when he was a baby, and he lives with his aunt. Sound familiar? This book was published in 1982.
What I liked most about "Pawn of Prophecy" is that the characters are quite human, and quite funny and smart-assed. I've laughed aloud a few times, and the author allows the characters to make fun of themselves and the antiquated language they sometimes employ. It's also rather exciting and it's an entire new world to learn a la Tolkein.
I feel secure in saying that I would like this book and perhaps this series had I never read Harry Potter; however, I am a huge HP fan and there is such a great number of parallels between "Pawn of Prophecy" and HP:
1) Garion, the boy who finds out he is a sorcerer, lives with his aunt. His parents were murdered when he was a baby, and he has sworn to avenge their deaths.
2) His aunt can turn into an animal. What animal? A great snowy owl, of course!
3) There is an important scene where Aunt Pol tells Garion he "must not say the name" of the evil god that, unbeknownst to him, he is to face in later books. This was prophesied before he was even born.
4) Also, "It's not a good idea to speak his name. He has certain powers which might make it possible for him to know our every move if we alert him to our location, and he can hear his name spoken a thousand leagues away."
5) The peoples in the Belgariad are separated by the gods, each choosing his own people to represent and each peoples having certain personality traits, much like the four houses of Hogwarts.
6) The author makes a deal about a cut on Garion's forehead early on and I wonder if it has remained as a scar.
7) The old sorcerer, Garion's grandfather, has this said about his eyes: "His eyes were a deep and merry blue, forever young and forever full of mischief." Of course, this old sorcerer, Belgarath, has long white hair and a white beard etc. etc.
8) Garion has a "mark" upon his person that has been there as long as he can remember.
9) One of the men on Garion's quest is regularly mistaken for a giant, as he is a big, hairy man.
10) Garion goes through this thing of where everyone keeps referring to him as "the boy" [who lived?] and he has problems with that.
11) Said of the Murgos: "There are some among them who can reach out and pick the thoughts right out of your mind." Hmm, occlumency circa 1982?
A mentally handicapped young man who doesn't understand th
By his own admission, Eddings (much like Terry Brooks) was a struggling writer until he saw how Tolkien was selling like hot cakes and decided to churn out simple, easily digestible, highly formulaic fantasy novels. There isn't necessarily anything wrong with that (I actually like Brooks' work while admiring the balls it took to blatantly re-write The Lord of the Rings and just changing the names a little). Let's see what Eddings gave us:A mentally handicapped young man who doesn't understand the history or society of his world, or generally anything that is happening around him at any given time, has to constantly ask everyone around him to explain absolutely everything to him. People then go about giving him HUGE info dumps. The tiny amount of action that happens always involves the mentally handicapped boy wandering blindly into danger without a safety helmet or reflective vest, thus requiring a responsible adult to come and save him. Repeat for 300 pages. The End. If this is supposed to be the chosen one, the world would be better off by dumping him down a well and hoping for the best.
On a side note: since this book basically serves as no more than an almanac for his fantasy setting, it would have been much better had Eddings created a more compelling world.
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Give the girl a medal! She finished it!
What a fun ride - but gorrammit did Eddings HAVE to end it THAT WAY? We got some answers (thank Bilbo for that!) but dayum, it took awhile! And now, in order to get more answers and closure, I gotta find book 2!
Slightly Updated Bullet Review (More Coffee, Less Snoozes):
I had a LOT of fun reading this. It's pretty much your classic Hero's Journey story - a young boy with a MYSTERIOUS past sees all these crazy things going on. He joins his aunt-
Bullet Review:Give the girl a medal! She finished it!
What a fun ride - but gorrammit did Eddings HAVE to end it THAT WAY? We got some answers (thank Bilbo for that!) but dayum, it took awhile! And now, in order to get more answers and closure, I gotta find book 2!
Slightly Updated Bullet Review (More Coffee, Less Snoozes):
I had a LOT of fun reading this. It's pretty much your classic Hero's Journey story - a young boy with a MYSTERIOUS past sees all these crazy things going on. He joins his aunt-figure and a wizened old man on a journey to find something - what, he doesn't know. As he journeys, he meets new peoples (Barak and Silk), learns new skills (basically sign language) and starts to learn the truth about himself and those he thought he knew best.
I'm not going to bother writing a proper review because I was too damn slow to read this book, and it's not fair. But I will say: this may have all those cliches we gripe and moan about, but in a way that's just so much FUN. Sometimes it's nice to watch something not so gorram serious (I'm looking at you, DC!), and just go along for the ride.
The only problem? This book does NOT have an ending! We get a couple of answers...and then, BOOM, it's the end! Which means I absolutely HAVE to get my hands on book 2 one of these days and attempt to read this slightly faster than I read it this time around!
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This is an important book if you follow Eddings' work as he introduces themes here in this volume and the rest of the series that he continues and repeats in his other works. Eddings pens tales of Gods meddling in mortal lives and how the gods themselves are pawns in the greater scheme of the universe.
I found the book
This is the first of a series of books by David Eddings that comprises his epic Belgariad, the story of a young boy thrust into the eternal contest between two competing prophesies.This is an important book if you follow Eddings' work as he introduces themes here in this volume and the rest of the series that he continues and repeats in his other works. Eddings pens tales of Gods meddling in mortal lives and how the gods themselves are pawns in the greater scheme of the universe.
I found the book a light read but substantial enough, probably because I cut my teeth in fantasy with Tolkien and Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time. With those as my initial foray into sword and sorcery fantasy, I expected something heavy. I was pleasantly surprised as this was not the case. Tolkien often plodded in his narrative and Jordan's later work in his books was a quagmire so I felt the pace here was fast but not so fast as to neglect characterization.
The book is highly recommended for enthusiast of the sword and sorcery fantasy genre. This first book is something a young adult can enjoy and Eddings will only improve in the next books, growing along with his targeted audience and with the stories turning darker as well. I have already enjoyed multiple readings of this book.
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The Belgariad is great starter-fantasy. it will always have a special place in my heart and thus the admittedly inflated rating. Does it break new ground? Not at all. Is it fun and filled with great characters? Yes and no. It's definitely great fun, but the characters are pretty much cardboard cutouts. If the author made them surly (I'm looking at you Belgarath) then
I realized I still hadn't reviewed this book since I rated it in 2008 (when I joined Goodreads) and read it some time before then.The Belgariad is great starter-fantasy. it will always have a special place in my heart and thus the admittedly inflated rating. Does it break new ground? Not at all. Is it fun and filled with great characters? Yes and no. It's definitely great fun, but the characters are pretty much cardboard cutouts. If the author made them surly (I'm looking at you Belgarath) then they will be that throughout the entire series no matter what. Always surly. And people will always comment about how surly said character is.
But I loved the adventures when I was just entering fantasy and I'll keep the stars and reserve a reallocation of star-age upon reread (whenever I have time for that).
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The story is told from the third-person perspective of Garion, except for the prologue which sets up the history of the world. As is proper for an epic fantasy story, we meet him while he's still young, living a simple life (and spending a lot of time getting underfoot
Pawn of Prophecy is the first book in the classic Belgariad series by David Eddings. It was originally published in 1982, and it definitely shows its age, but it was a fun, quick read full of the sorts of tropes I typically enjoy.The story is told from the third-person perspective of Garion, except for the prologue which sets up the history of the world. As is proper for an epic fantasy story, we meet him while he's still young, living a simple life (and spending a lot of time getting underfoot in a proper epic fantasy style kitchen) but having a mysterious heritage. He gets caught up in events he doesn't understand, and ends up having to leave his home with travel companions who are a lot more than they first appear. I think by the end of the story Garion is only 14, approaching 15. The book has a young feel to it, but not the sort that's full of silly romance tropes. There's very little romance in this book, which was one of the things I enjoyed about it.
Garion came across to me as immature for his age, and sometimes the internal sulking got a little tiresome. On the other hand, the adults around him could be pretty annoying too. They, especially Aunt Pol, were constantly making careless comments around him but not considering how some of the things they said would sound to Garion, and nobody would give him any satisfying answers. It wasn't until the end that I felt like he even got any sort of satisfactory answer as to why he couldn't have satisfying answers. But aside from the occasional annoyance, I mostly enjoyed the characters. There was a bit of humor here and there that made me smile and on rare occasions laugh out loud. My favorite line was, "Never forget the cabbages." A motto to live by, for sure.
I did also get annoyed at times by the way the author gave information to the reader in a way that felt contrived. I felt like the author didn't quite know how to reveal the things he wanted his readers to know while confining us to the POV of Garion who wasn't supposed to know those things yet. I wouldn't have minded a little more suspense myself, actually. The prologue combined with the blatant hints in the story means the reader knows a lot of stuff that Garion has no clue about, which made his thoughts boring at times when he spent too much time puzzling over something that I already had the answers to.
I'm giving this 3.5 stars and rounding up to 4 on Goodreads. I plan to continue on to the second book shortly.
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Pawn of Prophecy is the first of five books in The Belgariad series. In this book we meet our hero, Garion and most of his companions: Polgara, Belgarath, Durnik, Silk, Barak and Hettar. Garion is an orphan farmboy who is being raised on a farm (of course) in Sendaria by his aunt, Pol. This trope – the orphan farmboy – is one that the seasoned fantasy reader is quite familiar with. The big difference here is that Eddings' Garion is one of the first of his
http://bookslifewine.com/r-pawn-of-pr...Pawn of Prophecy is the first of five books in The Belgariad series. In this book we meet our hero, Garion and most of his companions: Polgara, Belgarath, Durnik, Silk, Barak and Hettar. Garion is an orphan farmboy who is being raised on a farm (of course) in Sendaria by his aunt, Pol. This trope – the orphan farmboy – is one that the seasoned fantasy reader is quite familiar with. The big difference here is that Eddings' Garion is one of the first of his kind. Pawn of Prophecy was published in 1982 – a time when fantasy had very few titles and readers were clamoring for this type of epic fantasy.
I absolutely love this series. I read this series and the sequel – The Mallorean – at least once a year (sometimes more). As much as I love this series I feel that I see it with [somewhat] clear eyes – I can see some faults. I can also say that reviewing this book (and the series) will be difficult for me. I've read it too many times – the entire series is basically one book to me – and I like it too much. Every time I read this (book and series) I feel like I'm visiting old friends. It's like…one big, warm and comfortable hug to me.
The Belgariad (and The Mallorean) has a quest based plot. This plot requires a character/group of characters to go on a search for some item/person/information that is considered extremely important – often the fate of the world depends on the outcome of the quest. The Belgariad is also something like a travelogue as well – the characters' quest will eventually take them through most of the countries in Eddings' world.
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Reputedly, Eddings was inspired to write fantasy when he saw a copy of LOTR on sale and learned that it was on its 78th printing—he went home and started to renovate a previously drawn doodle of a map into a f
PoP is truly a lovely amalgam of Tolkien and T.H. White. When I read about the Orb of Aldur, I couldn't help but think about Tolkien and the Silmarils of Fëanor, stolen by Melkor, and burning his hands. It parallels Torak's theft of the Orb and it's destruction of the left side of his body.Reputedly, Eddings was inspired to write fantasy when he saw a copy of LOTR on sale and learned that it was on its 78th printing—he went home and started to renovate a previously drawn doodle of a map into a fantasy tale that lasted a great many volumes!
But there is also very much a Sword-in-the-Stone vibe about this book, as Garion, our farm boy main character, dangles along with Mr. Wolf and Aunt Pol. He has very little information about his parents, his background, or what will be required of him and they are in no hurry to enlighten him. Very reminiscent of T.H. White's young Wart who has no idea that he is Arthur, the King's son.
The writing is adequate—not bad as a first stab at high fantasy. I'm hoping that will improve as the series progresses. Since I am a fan of both Tolkien and White, I'm finding the tale enjoyable, even if the plot points are a bit obvious.
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This is a must read. Highly recommended! ...more
To me, it is the pinnacle of contemporary epic fantasy. It is not only interesting characters and exciting adventure that made this so great, it was the believable interaction between the characters and the moments of humor sprinkled throughout the story.
.. Solid F A N T A S Y ..
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Nothing much that would've specifically enticed me, plot, world or character wise - not being of the general target persuasion -, but fully appreciated the excellent writing (and the great audio narration, which kept you glued), completely embodying the spirit of the genre; the epicness of the world hit you heavy in the face right from the beginning, like diving into thick smoke.
╔═≫═≪❈≫≪❈≫═≪═╗.. Solid F A N T A S Y ..
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Nothing much that would've specifically enticed me, plot, world or character wise - not being of the general target persuasion -, but fully appreciated the excellent writing (and the great audio narration, which kept you glued), completely embodying the spirit of the genre; the epicness of the world hit you heavy in the face right from the beginning, like diving into thick smoke.
...moreDavid Eddings' first books (which were general fiction) sold moderately well. He later switched to writing epic fantasy, a field in which he a
David Eddings was an American author who wrote several best-selling series of epic fantasy novels. David Eddings' wife, Leigh Eddings , was an uncredited co-author on many of his early books, but he had later acknowledged that she contributed to them all.David Eddings' first books (which were general fiction) sold moderately well. He later switched to writing epic fantasy, a field in which he achieved great success. In a recent interview with sffworld.com, he said: "I don't take orders from readers."
On January 26, 2007 it was reported that Eddings accidentally burned about a quarter of his office, next door to his house, along with his Excalibur sports car, and the original manuscripts for most of his novels. He was flushing the fuel tank of the car with water when he lit a piece of paper and threw into the puddle to test if it was still flammable.
On February 28, 2007, David Eddings' wife, Leigh Eddings (born Judith Leigh Schall), died following a series of strokes. She was 69.
David Eddings died on June 2, 2009 at the age of 77.
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I think that if I had my choice, I'd prefer one of those quiet centuries," Garion said glumly.
Oh, no," Silk said, his lips drawing back in a ferretlike grin. "Now's the time to be alive - to see it all happen, to be a part of it. That makes the blood race, and each breath is an adventure."
"I already have, your Majesty," Silk said modestly, "a dozen times or more."
Anheg looked at Rhodar with one raised eyebrow.
Rhodar coughed slightly. "It was some time ago, Anheg. Nothing serious. I was just curious about something, that's all."
"All you had to do was ask," Anheg said in a slightly injured tone.
"I didn't want to bother you," Rhodar said with a shrug. "Besides, it's more fun to do it the other way."
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