Garion or Errand?

[Winters_Sorrow]

Well, without getting to deep, there were obvious "Christ" comparisons for Errand (the Angarak "messiah" if you will). The story was well crafted at points though (as you may spot in other threads), I think Eddings re-used a few too many ideas from the first series into the second. My favourite books of the two are "Castle of Wizardry" in the Belgariad and "Demon Lord of Karanda" in the Malloereon.
I enjoyed the second series more for the new characters (like Zakath) than the older ones.

 

[Teir]

no no psychogirl , dont stretch yourself out of shape. Having our own opinions is what keeps this place lively

 

[Psychogirl]

No YOU'RE out of shape!... I mean... yes, lively... sorry
anyway, I LOVED Zakath! I just wanted to give him a big hug and take him home with me, and i loved "Castle of Wizardry" to. You just got to know the characters so much more. Was it Castle of Wizardry that Ce'Nedra was told to stay with the Ulgo's while everyone else went off? I really liked that bit because there was absolutly nothing she could do about it, and she knew that.

 

[Winters_Sorrow]

Yup, that was the one - also the one where Ctuchik (sp?) got what was coming to him...

 

[Princess Ivy]

hello pgirl. good to have you abroad.
must say i do agree with 'zakath, though i'm known to enjoy badboys...

 

[Kobudera]

Garion is a more developed character, because we get to follow him from childhood to adulthood and all of the growing pains he endures. Garion is flawed and we get to see those flaws. Errand or Eriond, doesn't seem to have any flaws or worries. Nothing seems to bother the guy. He is just a little too perfect for me.

 

[Dave25]

Garion for sure is more interesting, the way he develops throughout the books just seems more involving. Perhaps this is just because we "get to know" him first? Anyway, I also agree with the post above Errand is just too perfect throughout...

 

[Nanaki]

Both characters were incredibly weak and anti-climactic (just like the entire Belgariad and Malloreon series). Garion is like a piece of toast without any spreads: dry and tasteless. There's nothing that marks Garion as a hallmark protagonist... The only time I got excited about Garion, was when he went beserk and started gourmadizing enemies as if they were fish fillets... But how - *stops*

And well... Errand? He's as interesting as an innocent could be. I'd have to give my vote to Errand however, because at least for all his lack of personality (along with Garion) he had a part to play that was true to his character and displayed as well as he could have been... where as an impulsive and talented sorcerer with almost limitless power, had endless avenues to go as far as shows of ability and possibilities for personality - Eddings fell face-first in the ability to capitalize on his own protagonist...



Eddings would have been better suited to fiction I think - his imagination is just too strictly limited to tread in the genre of fantasy...

 

[Alexa]

I like both characters. Errand was born wise. He didn't like to speak a lot. He spoke only when it was necessary and important. Strange thing. After the death of Torak, when all the gods came for his body, Errand called Ul "dad", but nobody in the group of Garion remembered. Every time when Errand made something unusual took them by surprise. It was like they were not supposed to remember what he could do.

Garion was lucky to have such a quiet life at Faldor's farm. I understand his frustration of the huge responsability he had to deal with after. He had to learn everything *on the field* when all battle was "for life or death". I didn't like how he behaved with the Orb though.

And I have a thing for Zakath, too.

 

[Kynsilaukka]

I´d like to say hi to everyone!

My answer to this question is absolutely Garion, as he was far more interesting. Of course, Errand (I guess that´s his 'nickname' on the original language... I haven't read any Eddings in English, sorry if I make mistakes due to it!) is sweet and I liked him very much when he lived with Pol and Durnik in the beginning on Malloreon. There he seemed to become a bit more rascal, yet still keeping the overwhelming innocence. But... Then he became just a naïve mister Good-aura, or something. I think Eddings made him too messiah-like, I would have preferred some attitude and persona. But well, perhaps a god that is supposed to rule over the world from Chereck to Mallorea to Nyissa has to be absolutely open-minded and unbiassed.

Garion on the other hand was a wonderful character! Okay, he´s a bit (an understatement) slow sometimes, but he´s still actually very sharp and witty. His personal growth through the books was very likely and I loved his faults. He was goldenhearted but without overemphasizing it.

And no, don´t get me wrong! I still like Errand, he just was one of my least favourite characters as he was plain boring. Except for his sled+river-experiments.

 

[talen]

david eddings books all seem the same like the elenium sparhawk gets a special jewel bhellion the belgariad garion gets the orb and in both at the end they kill a god pffft he needs to make a new storyline and they both end up as royals like sparhawk becomes prince consort while garion becomes king and they both marry stubborn manipulative wimen ehlena and ce'nedra

 

[Parsimony]

Garion because I can relate more to the man. Also, I think we see a little more into Garion's mind than we do into Errands - the boy anomaly. I wish Garion was written to be a little more witty, but then again, there's enough wit to go around with the rest of his company.

 

[Netted]

*spoiler warning*

Errand is a nice enough kid, and i'm sure he'd be a great god, but i dont think i could talk to him. i mean, can you imagine sitting down, pouring out all your woes... then he'd just go ''yup. i knew.'' a bit freaky. wqhereas with Garion, i reckon i could tell him most stuff. or just chunter about films + books + stuff.

Nothing against errand, but, well, i'd always feel like i was trying to live up to the honour of knowing him. Not that he'd be all snooty or anything (quite the cointrary), but i'd still feel that way. i mean, hes a god, for christs sake, and even before that, he's very... holy. not in a religious way, but hes just a bit to good. I like people to actually have faults.

 

[The Ace]

Hmmm, tricky ! Do we go for the guy who learned everything the hard way (imagine being taught to read, or anything else,by Ce'Nedra) or the charming, smart-arsed little oik who becomes a god. I think that if Eriond walked into a pub, only his divinity would allow him to walk out again.

 

[Cloud]

I'm not sure what you mean by "prefer." They're both good boys, but they're fictional characters. I'm not sure I can "prefer" one fictional character over another.

 

[keeron_man_boy]

gotta be garion lol

i do like the way how eriond acts and thinks though

 

[Koopa]

Belgarion, though for a great part for his sword and its godslaying ability.
Erriond is too goody golike , in that kinda world not having once nor ever will kill somebody

 

[devilsgrin]

to paraphrase Belgarath "he's smarter than Garion, but doesn't have his sense of fun'
Its Garion's occasional lapses in higher brain functions that make him my favourite character of these two... and also one of my favourites overall...

 

[YoYo]

I don't like them both, really - Eriond is so damn good-natured that there's just no way to like him. He somehow believes that there are no evil men which seems freaky and Garion actually has no real faults - I mean thoughtfulness and sensibility aren't, right? I hate perfect characters... just a personal opinion, don't get andry

 

[Talysia]

I voted for Garion, although they aren't the best characters in the Belgariad/Malloreon. Eriond is too quiet, and doesn't really feature in any of the storylines until the last book.