Not for Grown-Ups (Belgariad Series - David Eddings in general)

Name: Attacksushi

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Product:	Belgariad Series - David Eddings in general
Date:	16/04/04 (48 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: very readable, great for kids, interesting characters

Disadvantages: not complex enough to hold an adult's attention, a tad cliched, the same as all Eddings' work

When I first read these books, I was ten years old and just growing out of Redwall, looking for more adult fantasy novels. At the time, I adored them. I read the series as quickly as I could - I literally couldn't put the books down, reading them in the car, at school and at home. Whenever I had a free moment, I'd be engrossed in an Eddings book.

Why did I fall so completely in love with these books? Well, for starters, they're easy to read. The prose flows smoothly. Unlike a lot of fantasy (*cough*Wheel of Time*cough*), the author doesn't get wrapped up in describing the scenery. The action is well-written, and it's very tightly-plotted. The scale of Eddings' world is extremely impressive: he's created several races, all different and all interesting. There are about six thousand years of history, with myths, gods and so on.

The cast of characters is also huge. The Belgariad focuses largely on the adventures of one boy, Garion. Growing up, he thinks he's nothing but a simple farm-kid - but in the first book, Pawn of Prophecy, he is thrust into an epic adventure, during which he'll learn the truth about his heritage, and the secrets that people have been keeping from him all his life. Because Garion has been so sheltered until this point, as he travels around the world, he knows very little about the other races he encounters. He and the reader learn together, so there's none of that head-scratching 'huh?' feeling you get in other fantasy series.

Garion's just a kid when the books begin, so of course he can't do everything himself. A cast of colourful characters help him on his way: there's his Aunt Pol, wise, beautiful and his only living relative; Mister Wolf, an old storyteller and unsufferable rogue who's always
arguing with Garion's aunt; Silk, a skilled liar, spy and thief; Barak, a frightening, huge warrior; Durnik, the smith from the farm Garion grew up on, and a good, honest man; Ce'Nedra, a beautiful, spirited young princess (who just so happens to be Garion's age - it doesn't take a genius to spot that love is in the air); Hettar, a nearly-silent rider who can talk to horses, and a host of other characters.

All of the characters are quite distinctive. They have their own quirks, strengths, weaknesses and fears. The story is vast, and it only drags on occasions. As a child, I adored these books. But when I looked back on them recently - how can I put this? Well, I also used to love The Babysitters Club when I was young, and I don't consider that series to be a great work of literature.

As an adult, the very things that attracted me to The Belgariad now grate. For example, the characters feel two-dimensional. It's like Eddings has sat down with one of those 'how to make up good characters' guides that can be found on websites for aspiring authors and ticked off the list. Each character must have a Greatest Fear! Each one must have a Special Physical Feature! Each must have Family Problems! Check!

Another problem is the complete lack of surprises. Everything is hinted (and by hinted, I mean big flashing letters) at in advance, so you can tell exactly what will happen. Unless you skim-read, or have the mental age of a seven-year-old, everything is quite obvious. I can't really see how this can be marketed as adult fiction. A few weeks ago, when someone my age mentioned that she was reading it, I cringed a bit. As books for children or young adults, this series is superb, but to preserve the magic, don't go bac
k to the Belgariad once you're old enough to know better.

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