The Belgariad-Saga

[Frostmarrow]

Greetings!

I've just completed David Edding's Belgariad Sage (unfortunately), und I'd like to know what the general community thinks of it.

Personnaly, I think it's utter rubbish. The hero's are stupid, ignorant, have no clue (at least none that is communicated to the reader). In fact, the only people making ANY plans at all are the villains, and these are ALWAYS thwarted by coincidence.

I agree. I've not read any fantasy what so ever since. Put me off completely.

 

[Claude Raines]

I enjoyed the Belgariad Saga even though there were some plot holes you could drive a truck through. I've read the Mallorean, Elenium and Tamuli and each series I liked less and less until I just couldn't take it anymore. The reason is that in the 3 other series he's essentially telling the exact same story over again and using the exact same characters (either literally or figuratively). Eventually all his characters sound the same and the plot is so predictable you can skip chapters and not lose anything. The only series I would recommend is the first.

 

[Wolf72]

I enjoyed them when I read them ... but then again I was a young teen-ager back then and any fantasy was good fantasy.

 

[Mark]

I enjoyed them when I read them ... but then again I was a young teen-ager back then and any fantasy was good fantasy.

We should live our whole lives so unspoiled.

Maybe not, since perhaps we appreciate some things more through intellect than blind adoration, but I must agree that I was much younger when first reading the two initial series. Still, I find it odd that some folks are compariring Sparhawk to any character from the first two series. How is this the case in the minds of those who have?

 

[Wolf72]

We should live our whole lives so unspoiled.

Maybe not, since perhaps we appreciate some things more through intellect than blind adoration, but I must agree that I was much younger when first reading the two initial series. Still, I find it odd that some folks are compariring Sparhawk to any character from the first two series. How is this the case in the minds of those who have?

blind adoration? you mean like making sure everything was set up and ready to go so you and your friends could watch an all day Godzilla marathon ...

intellect ... trying to do the same thing 10yrs later and complaining/laughing at the wierdo in the rubber suit jumping up and down on top of models

 

[Mark]

blind adoration? you mean like making sure everything was set up and ready to go so you and your friends could watch an all day Godzilla marathon ...

intellect ... trying to do the same thing 10yrs later and complaining/laughing at the wierdo in the rubber suit jumping up and down on top of models

Yup. That about sums it up!

 

[Samnell]

I liked them all, but Eddings is using the same plot. The Belgarath and Polgara books are exceptions since they're written as quasi-autobiographies, but the Elenium, Tamuli, Belgariad, and Malloreon are the same plot and Eddings admits as much in those campaign notes of his they published. (Those get very tedious to read, by the way, and sometimes he gets cynical enough that it's very off-putting.)

The characters and setting of the Sparhawk books are a bit more mature (although the Belgariad setting isn't kids' stuff either) but I felt they had a lot less oomph in the conclusions. The big fight at the end of the Tamuli takes like a page. After the conclusion of Seeress of Kell taking up a third of the book, it was a big letdown. Prophecy is less emphasized in the Sparhawk books, if that's something you'd like.

I haven't read his latest, so I can't say anything about that.

 

[Vocenoctum]

I liked the Belgariad and Malloreon saga's as good light reading. The two trilogies were decent, but the gaining of the Major Artifact so soon is just... silly.

Althalus was horrible. repetitive, badly written, predicable... just bad IMO.

Losers is modern fiction, and I thought was an excellent book of Eddings also. I recommend it.

 

[Samnell]

The two trilogies were decent, but the gaining of the Major Artifact so soon is just... silly.

You mean at the end of three books into a five book series? Not what I'd call soon.

 

[jdavis]

I loved the books when I was young, I would probably think they were silly and immature now. They are very good light reading with a basic plotline, stereotypical settings and a cheesy love story thrown in to boot. I think the problem is that you overanalyzed them. Once you look at them as anything resembling a literary masterwork like LOTR, they crumble, but they are very popular pulp fantasy for young people, a good easy read just for fun, but nothing to deep.

If you want something deeper and more complicated, try the Song of Fire and Ice books, by George R R Martin. But bring some note cards, it's definatly not full of shallow characters and you'll need flow charts to keep up with people's plans, which are normally thwarted by bloodshed and violence instead of coincidence.