Dragonflight (1968)

This book is the first published in a very long and popular series. Although it was certainly written without the expectation that it would launch an enormous best-selling series, that's what happened, and it makes no sense to judge the book outside the context of that series.

It was published in the '60s. The protagonist and main POV character is a woman, Lessa, but the book itself is deeply sexist, due the conventions of the time in which it was published. Many of the cover illustrations feature a semi-naked and voluptuous woman riding a large dragon: this doesn't really fit the plot and descriptions, but is nonetheless true to the spirit of the book.

The best part of the novel is the early part, before Lessa is discovered and taken away. Her bizarre life, disguising her true identity from those who would happily kill her, and trusting only a half-senile and marginally intelligent beast, is exciting in a fantasy/mediaeval way.

What gives this book greater interest than it ought to have is the knowedge, that, due to novelistic economy and the progress of the series, numerous minor characters or virtual nonentities in the book will emerge as major characters in subsequent books in the series.

The science of the novels makes little sense, with "between" making the least sense of all, but very convenient for the plot. However, so long as you can accept between, it's fairly easy to accept the rest for the duration of the book. Note that there may be some science here: if the dragons can move faster than light, than they can also travel in time (somehow all this makes sense to theoretical physicists).

There's one really broken plot point when another character, F'lar is infuriated to find that Lessa has failed to inform him of a vital fact, a vital fact which his dragon, with whom he has a lifelong and intimate bond, has known all along. Sloppy and unnecessary, or possibly just sexist, since F'lar and his dragon are both male, but Lessa is female, and so naturally blameworthy? ( )

I liked the book enough. The characters are well developped, the setting has obviously been well and thoroughly thought out and the storyline unravels flawlessly. However, there's a "je ne sais quoi" that prevents me from just delving into the book. I wonder if my expectations (some sort of quest of great battles) were not the same as what the book has to offer. I've started reading the second book but I think it's a series I won't read in one go. ( )

I'm counting this as a 2012 read even though I have read it at least 3 times before. I love this book and its sequels. I love the writing, the characters, and most of all, the dragons. And really, if you do not like it, that is fine with me, but I'm not sure we have much to talk about anymore. LOL (Just kidding. I do not require anyone like the same things as me. That would be boring.)
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I love dragons so when someone mentioned the Dragonriders of Pern to me I quickly picked this book up. I was pleased to find that the dragons are not mean or bad. In fact they're good and they help protect the planet. It's an interesting start to a great series. A very quick read. ( )

middle-grade fantasy. definitely not dark ( )