Author Gush: David Eddings and The Belgariad
As some people partake of a favorite brand of booze to soothe the soul so do I rely upon the works of David and Leigh Eddings.
These books caught me at an early age and have been constant companions throughout my reading career. Their use of sharp, dry wit mixed with a fair bit of philosophy and touching personal moments is a winning combination that any author should aspire to. Reading these book is a distinct experience, dear reader, and one that has yet to be replicated in my eyes. The world you are transported to is…well it’s somehow more, let us say, distinct than other novels.
Take the first book in the Belgariad, Pawn of Prophecy, which has the single best description of childhood that I have ever seen put to paper. You can almost feel the hazy golden edges around the protagonist’s halcyon years, making his sudden spurt into adolescence all the more jarring. Such a “coming of age” moment is hardly rare in the fantasy genre but Eddings makes it less of a trope and more of a natural progression. When the character is frustrated in a childish manner it isn’t because they’re a douche- it’s because they’re literally a confused kid (and one who knows when it’s time to grow up at that!)
But it’s not just the main character that sells the series, dear reader. Oh no! Don’t get me wrong, both the magical and mundane exploits of Garion are far from dull but nearly every character presented to you could be the main character of their own novel. Whether it’s a burly warrior with a troubled marriage who’s cursed to transform into a literal raging bear whenever a certain someone is in danger or a spy prince who uses his insider knowledge to put an entire continent into his debt by investing in beans the amount of unique personalities and the ways they all interact with each other creates a reading experience thats as smooth as silk and twice as fine.
Yes, beans. Here’s to you, Silk, you magnificent bastard.
But even the finest characters can’t amount to much if the plot is dull. Thankfully these books evade that common foible, instead presenting a world where the stakes are cosmic in their importance, and where the play on both gender roles and race is biting and (unfortunately) still applicable in today’s society. Both women and men can be strong and weak in their convictions. Warriors can be tender and poets cruel. Knights can be devious and thieves can be honorable. The very cosmos shakes beneath the protagonists feet as love is given and taken and lost. And it all has to do with a prophecy- wait! Don’t leave! Hear me out.
Yes I know the prophecy trope has been done to death but Eddings makes it work. How you may ask? Well he rather cleverly implements two competing prophecies that feed off of each other. It may seem simple (or indeed doomed to failure) but the explanation given ensures that the character is never “destined to win.” Rather than one character being the chosen one nearly every character is an amalgamation of choice made for thousands of years and is faced with choices of their own. What these choices are will tip the scales in the favor of one prophecy over the other in variously significant ways.
And sooner or later that bill comes due (though in this series it’s usually paid in the form of magic)
Simply put: whether it’s the plot, dialogue, character development or the wonderful worldbuilding, this series is one for the ages.
Oh, and for those of you who have read these here’s a little incendiary question to leave you on: is The Belgariad or The Mallorean better? I know my answer, but I’d be interested in hearing yours (as well as your rationale).