Let me start off by saying that all of the criticisms saying that Eragon bears similarity to Tolkien's work are entirely true. As a huge fan of the fantasy genre i have read The Lord of the Rings several times over, and it was such a groundbreaking work that almost any fantasy novel written from that point on is going to contain similarities. That said, I do believe that Paulini borrowed from Tolkien, intentionally or otherwise, but still managed to write an excellent fantasy novel that was original and fresh enough to keep me entertained until the last page and thirsty for a sequel.
I also liked the fact that Paulini is a young writer, and I believe that we will see him hone his skills as time goes on and he continues to pump out great novels. And as far as originality goes, he will start borrowing less from other authors once he begins to find his own style. Critics may say that Paulini borrowed certain elements from Tolkien, but soon they will be saying that other authors borrowed from Paulini.
Eragon is an excellent novel that i absolutely could not wrench my nose from, even if my house was ablaze. I wouldn't go so far as to say that it will be a classic in the years to come, but it is a sturdy fantasy novel and a must read for any fans of the genre, young and old alike.