Bekah’s Bookshelf: The Belgariad and The Mallorean by David and Leigh Eddings

source

You can read a bit more about my love of David Eddings on my new blog, here: http://literallynoidea.blogspot.com/2014/09/book-lover.html

But that’s more like my feelings and memories about the book and ways I am a weirdo. I’m here to talk about the actual story and such.

Also, this is going to be a new thing I’ll do. Instead of giving my thoughts on a movie or book I've just seen/read for the first time, I’ll talk about a book or movie I adore. And even when I talk about movies it’ll be called Bekah’s Bookshelf because alliteration.

I first read the Belgariad series in either fifth or sixth grade I think. Since then, I have read both The Belgariad and The Mallorean at least once a year. For those who don’t know, these are two five-book series that take place in the same world and have the same characters. Essentially The Mallorean is a sequel/continuation of The Belgariad. There are also two sort of standalone books called Belgarath the Sorcerer and Polgara the Sorcerers. The first series was written in the early 80s and they’re probably my favorite books in the world.

The plot is pretty simple. The first series is about how a farm boy named Garion learns that he is actually a long-lost king and that he has to kill an evil god to prevent the world from being destroyed. The second series is about how his son has been kidnapped by an evil priestess and he has to rescue him before the child is used to become the ultimate evil. He is joined by a host of characters that fulfill basically every archetype there is, and the books are predictable and almost formulaic in their approach.

And I just love them so much. I don’t really care that you know from page one (assuming you've read the prologue, which you absolutely should for every book) that Garion is the long-lost Rivan King and that his Aunt Pol is actually Polgara the sorceress and daughter of the seven thousand year old sorcerer Belgarath. It also ddoesn'tmatter that the plot isn't totally original; light vs dark, good vs evil, prophecy, normal kid discovers he’s really important. The thing is, you don’t really feel like you’re reading the same old story you've read a thousand times before, even if you have literally read it a thousand times before.

Source

Full disclosure though, the first book, Pawn of Prophecy is a little rough. It’s very formal and it feels a little cliché at times in some aspects, but once you meet a few more characters, the dialogue and wit help you ignore it as Eddings settles into a style of writing that feels fresh even thirty years after it has been published.

There is just something about the way he describes things and how the characters talk. You feel like you’re in an actual real world with actual real people. Everyone has his or her own voice or personality to the point where you know who is talking without any dialogue tags. The wit is insanely clever and always makes me laugh and smile. I absolutely have to provide my favorite quote from a book ever, even if it is a little long.

“What was that?" Belgarath asked, coming back around the corner.
"Brill," Silk replied blandly, pulling his Murgo robe back on.
"Again?" Belgarath demanded with exasperation. "What was he doing this time?"
"Trying to fly, last time I saw him." Silk smirked.
The old man looked puzzled.
"He wasn't doing it very well," Silk added.
Belgarath shrugged. "Maybe it'll come to him in time."
"He doesn't really have all that much time." Silk glanced out over the edge.
"From far below - terribly far below - there came a faint, muffled crash; then, after several seconds, another. "Does bouncing count?" Silk asked.
Belgarath made a wry face. "Not really."
"Then I'd say he didn't learn in time." Silk said blithely.” 
― David Eddings, Magician's Gambit

Got that from Goodreads.

This quote will never cease to make me smile and giggle a little.

The other thing Eddings is good at is making me cry. I will not spoil anything, even though the books are 30 years old, but a couple characters die. And most of the time when I read that part, I am either choked up or actually crying tears. It is so dumb, but you love the characters so much and it’s just so tragic.

 Maybe it’s just because these are novels from my childhood, but I don’t care. These are good books. Half of what I know about fantasy comes from these books, as well as ideas on how to create unique cultures and races and a pantheon religion. I'm about 80% certain they're the reason my favorite color is blue and my favorite animal is a wolf.

I could go on for a really long time about this, but I will not because it would just become entirely self-indulgent. I will say that although I would love to see an adaptation of the books, unless it gets the Game of Thrones treatment, sans the boobs and language, I don’t think it would work.

I'll have new reviews up soon. I'm moving to Kansas next week though, so it may not be for a few weeks.

Source