Books that are similar to Belgariad

[ghost8772]

Just possibly Eragon reads like Eddings because the two draw from the same source (mostly JRRT) which was itself drawn from older sources. Both works, along with Brooks et al, are almost blueprint uses of Joseph Campbell's hero's journey (CF "the Hero with a Thousand Faces.")
As to characterisation, both use Campbellian archetypes almost straight off the page. This being the case I can't say that either Paolini or Eddings does a great job of characterisation. Tolkien did better and he was conciously trying to use the archetypes as archetypes. Much as I enjoy the Prose Eddings as a light read, his characters are thin and repetetive.

sigh, Darv, Sword of Shannara and Lord of the Rings are disturbingly similar stories. if they were both taken from an earlier story, thats cool, however I have yet to see a similarity between the Eddings' works and Tolkien. Paolini's works? as I've said, his stuff classes more fanfic than anything else, anyone who has read McCaffrey's stuff, watched star wars, and read the books licensed in that universe, etc... will usually find ideas and concepts straight out of it. The only point I've heard, aside from the similarity of main character being orphaned and raised by an "uncle" who dies.... standard once upon a time setting usually... is magic being loaned to creatures without it. Eddings had that in the Elenium series, I don't know where it might have come from in an earlier incarnation.

As far as the Eddings characters being "thin and repetitive" those characters are the best representative of characterizations I've seen. Yeah, a couple characters are fairly imperious, but there are others who fall under the everyday Joe heading. and these characters are true to who they are. no everyday joe who suddenly knows everything thats going on, no feeling that the female character is some fantasy in a guy's mind, or worse, a picture of a guy cross dressed, acting the part of a woman.

 

[Eugotur]

What you also need to note is that Paolini also states quite openly is that the begariad is what brought him into Fantasy, the idea that he followed some of these ideas isn't odd also him you note, I'm fairly certain where the basis for the name Eragon came from, there is a tolnedran count that plotted against the bounes that is extremly similar I just can't think of it

 

[BAYLOR]

The Runelords by David Farland

 

[Boaz]

Wayspooled answered for me on the second page.

Rachel Weizs was flawless as Sapphira, she's now my favourite to play Polgara if there was ever a movie.

Is she even five feet tall? From my memory, Polgara is a tall woman... at least 5'10", maybe up to 6'2". Height is such a definitive aspect of a character's portrayal that it can make or break a film. I read one of the Jack Reacher books... he's 6'6", but was played by Tom Cruise (closer to 5'0" than 6'0") in the movie.... he's at least a foot shorter than Jack. Would you rather be bothered by a short, but excellent actor or just regret the movie with an height appropriate, but forgettable actor? I'd rather be bothered by something good than to immediately regret seeing something bad. The perfect Polgara to me... would be Sigourney Weaver from the mid-80's..... and then get Michael Biehn to play Durnik.

 

[The Big Peat]

Always interesting to see what people consider as similar.

A lot of people focus on "does it contain stereotypical fantasy archetypes and plots". In which case, yeah, there's a lot of books like the Belgariad.

For me, a lot of my focus is on tone and exact content. I don't think Lord of the Rings or the Dragonbone Chair or most of Feist feels like the Belgariad.

I think there are certain similarities between the Belgariad and the Wheel of Time that do make them quite similar.

I think that the list of exact similarities listed between the Belgariad and Eragon make them sound very similar, if not of potential interest to a suitably aggressive lawyer.

To me, I see a lot of Eddings in the various flippant approaches to fantasy you see these days. I think Abercrombie is very similar to Eddings at time, and I believe he has acknowledged him as an influence. Tonally, I see a lot of Eddings in Lies of Locke Lamora and the humour.