# What age to read the Belgariad?



## Quartz (Jul 8, 2012)

My nephew will be 10 in a few weeks and I'm wondering if David Eddings' Belgariad would be suitable reading material? Reading-wise, he's advanced for his age, so I don't think he'll have any problems with the words, but I think he's moderately immature for his age.  I'm thinking that far too much will go over his head - especially the romance and the humour - and some of the subject matter - such as the attitudes to drinking - will be age-inappropriate. My experience of 10-year olds is rather limited, so I turn to Urbanites for advice; how say you: appropriate or not?


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## The Groke (Jul 8, 2012)

I read it at 9 or 10 and I haven't killed or raped anyone yet. 

That said, I think a more pertinent question is whether you should be encouraging him to read such dreadful bobbins. 

I tried to go back and read it for nostalgia's sake not that long ago and discovered that it is frighteningly inept in almost every conceivable way. 

Buy him the Earthsea omnibus or His Dark Materials instead.


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## Santino (Jul 8, 2012)

It's shit.


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## Greebo (Jul 8, 2012)

FWIW if you're going to worry about things like the age appropriateness of drinking in  the Belgariad you can probably rule out a lot of so-called children's classics, even the abridged ones.

Some books need growing into, let him try the Belgariad. If he doesn't like it, or he's not ready for it yet, he can always go back to it later when he is.  IMHO the Earthsea trilogy might be a bit dark and slow moving for a 10 year old, but tastes differ.  Others to consider would be Raymond E Feist, Diana Wynne Jones, Brian Jacques, and Phillip Pullman.


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## cesare (Jul 8, 2012)

Try him on Alan Garner.


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## DotCommunist (Jul 8, 2012)

Never. Eddings is the worst kind of hack (think he might be dead) is total, utter shite.

Stephen Lawhead is a better read despite the mild christianity lurking behind it all. Endless Knot stuff is good (silver hand and the other two). It's intelligently written and demonstrates clear knowledge of tropes and how to use them.


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## bi0boy (Jul 8, 2012)

I'd second Stephen Lawhead, also Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising Sequence and Peter Dickinson's The Changes Trilogy


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## Greebo (Jul 8, 2012)

There's also John Christopher's tripod trilogy which starts with "The White Mountains".


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## Mungy (Jul 8, 2012)

i read the Belgariad and the Mallorean to my daughter when she was about 6 or 7. she really enjoyed it and for a while there was some strange goings on with her playing.

She's a funny kid though, she's watched Deep Space 9 with me and one of her dolls married postman pat in a klingon wedding ceremony


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## DotCommunist (Jul 8, 2012)

Eddings once burned his own house down by cleaning the tank in his motor, then testing it for cleanliness by putting a lit match near it. IIRC he barely escaped with his life.

you wouldn't trust the man to organise your sock draw let alone write fiction of quality for young adults.


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## Greebo (Jul 8, 2012)

DotCommunist said:


> Eddings once burned his own house down by cleaning the tank in his motor, then testing it for cleanliness by putting a lit match near it. IIRC he barely escaped with his life.
> 
> you wouldn't trust the man to organise your sock draw let alone write fiction of quality for young adults.


Since when does having a practical turn of mind (or complete lack thereof) have anything whatsoever to do with writing ability?


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## purenarcotic (Jul 8, 2012)

I don't mind Eddings tbh.  I read them about the same age as your nephew and I enjoyed them immensely.


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## bi0boy (Jul 8, 2012)

I never read Eddings cos too many people said not to bother.


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## Greebo (Jul 8, 2012)

bi0boy said:


> I never read Eddings cos too many people said not to bother.


I wouldn't claim that his works are great literature, but in my arrogant opinion they're entertaining enough to save for comfort reading.


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## DotCommunist (Jul 8, 2012)

Greebo said:


> Since when does having a practical turn of mind (or complete lack thereof) have anything whatsoever to do with writing ability?


 
Its just that if you cannot think through the logic of sticking a match to a petrol tank then I don't really trust your ability to think through things like character motivations- I aint handy, always need a gaffer for complex tasks in the practical sphere. But come on- blowing your own car up? wtf


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## Greebo (Jul 8, 2012)

DotCommunist said:


> Its just that if you cannot think through the logic of sticking a match to a petrol tank then I don't really trust your ability to think through things like character motivations<snip>


Yes, but you know how you can burn off the last bit of alcohol?  He probably didn't realise that petrol doesn't behave like alcohol. That's an easy mistake to make if it's something you haven't needed to know, and haven't known anyone who made that mistake.


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## Santino (Jul 8, 2012)

They're really really shit.


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## Greebo (Jul 8, 2012)

Santino said:


> They're really really shit.


So's a hotdog from one of those carts still selling into the small hours in tourist hotspots - it doesn't mean you never want one.


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