David Eddings Balgariad

[slickthomas]

I know I am way too late but I would skip the prequels. Also, no point in reading Malloreon if you have read Belegriad. It's really 80-90% the same series rehashed. And yes, his stereotyping is the worst.

I found them enjoyable as a young adult. Would I today? Not sure but rereading it isn't high on my list of things I want to read.

[Avatar]

Never too late.

--A

[Cord Hurn]

Never too late.

--A

That's my motto, too!

[Khaliban]

We had a lengthy discussion of this several eons ago that might put you off reading it.

kevinswatch.ihugny.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=8538

[Cord Hurn]

We had a lengthy discussion of this several eons ago that might put you off reading it.

kevinswatch.ihugny.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=8538

I wasn't aware of that thread, Khaliban, so I took the time to read it and I thank you for making me aware of it. The Belgariad was fun the first time through, and I found the Mallorean and Belgarath the Sorcerer tolerable in places, enough to go on reading Polgara the Sorceress and The Rivan Codex. I tried re-reading some of these, and got disgusted with the stereotyping of the characters based on their nationalities, the waspish nature of Ce'Nedra and Polgara, the bland personality of Errand (Eriond) the quiet little savior-in-waiting, the disgusting nature of the rude and sadistic sorcerer Beldin (whose personality is as bad or worse than the Grolims who are supposed to be the bad guys), the lack of any real danger for the good characters (except for Durnik who is destined to be resurrected and the giant Toth who is a non-personality).... reading Eddings is basically like eating a sugary dish that tantalizes you at first until continued consumption makes you sick in your stomach. Looking back, I'm amazed I got as far as I did!

[Horrim Carabal]

I'm all for people reading Eddings so that then they can join with me in making fun of Eddings.

Leigh wrote most of the books anyway, I am sure.

They are thoroughly awful in almost every aspect.

The character ideas are okay. David & Leigh's execution of those character ideas resembles giving a team of apes all the tools to build a pretty good nuclear reactor and letting them have at it for a few weeks, then powering up the resulting monstrosity and letting it run until it tears itself apart.

[Khaliban]

I once read a writer should read everything including the bad stuff, because you can learn as much from the bad as you can from the good. So, I dragged myself through the Belgariad and the Mallorean with the mantra, "I will not be beaten by David Eddings." It did teach me how not to write a fantasy series. Especially how not to write characters. Eddings characters are that most hated of animals, the Original Character Mary Sue. My own characters became far more flawed after Eddings, so I can thank him for that.

I finally exorcised my Eddings demons in fan fiction. (Garion has a personality, and everyone hates Polgara at the end.) I actually enjoyed writing that story. Even Eddings characters can be fun if you hurt them enough.

[Horrim Carabal]

I once read a writer should read everything including the bad stuff, because you can learn as much from the bad as you can from the good. So, I dragged myself through the Belgariad and the Mallorean with the mantra, "I will not be beaten by David Eddings." It did teach me how not to write a fantasy series. Especially how not to write characters. Eddings characters are that most hated of animals, the Original Character Mary Sue. My own characters became far more flawed after Eddings, so I can thank him for that.

I finally exorcised my Eddings demons in fan fiction. (Garion has a personality, and everyone hates Polgara at the end.) I actually enjoyed writing that story. Even Eddings characters can be fun if you hurt them enough.

In real life everyone would hate Polgara in about 10 minutes. And far be it for me to suggest violence against women but Ce'Nedra is in need of a good spanking.

[Avatar]

I once read a writer should read everything including the bad stuff, because you can learn as much from the bad as you can from the good.

The High Hunt was pretty good. Not fantasy though.

--A

[Khaliban]

And far be it for me to suggest violence against women but Ce'Nedra is in need of a good spanking.

Emotional anguish is much better. I destroy her concept of the perfect, happy ending and stomp on it with raspberry tarts.