BOOK REVIEW: THE NAME OF THE WIND BY PATRICK ROTHFUSS
8:07 PM
Original title: The Name of the Wind
Author: Patrick Rothfuss
Year of Publication: 2007
Number of pages: 662 in the UK pocket edition
“I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep. You may have heard of me.”
Kvothe has been given many names throughout his life: he's been called the Kingkiller, the Arcane, the Bloodless, The Flame, the Broken Tree... however the truth of his life and legacy is still a mistery to the world, but the Chronicler is determined to write it, as Kvothe has given him three days of his time to narrate his life.
The Name of the Wind covers day one, and is the first installment in ‘The Kingkiller Chronicles’ trilogy. I won't go much into the details of the story, as it is one marvelous experience to cover by yourself, but I will say something about the writing and the world Rothfuss has created. You can tell since you start reading the book that the realistic feel it gives out is not only because of how it is written, but also because of the depth of the story: Patrick Rothfuss is a self-declared worldbuilder and the world you get with this book is very rich and powerful. With this story, you never find Kvothe's life truly in danger and therefore you do not suffer for his physical disappearance per se, only for who he comes to be and the people and life he leaves behind, as he grows and travels from town to town.
Kvothe as a character is very intriguing, and is definitely one of my favorites. You can tell he is an egocentric being, something you can't really blame him for as he is incredibly talented and smart, being capable of excelling in almost anything he pursues. This façade is something that you could get very bored of quite quickly, as he is not the first person in a fantasy story who is 'the chosen one'. However, Kvothe does not have the blissful ignorance of his own self-worth as all those other characters we've read before: he knows himself and explains with all honesty how he came to be. He becoming a legend is plausible within the story, because as we read we can see that the world around him is a mere spectator of his fame and glory, but is not changed by him: he is just another guy they can sing about as time goes by.
When I was a child all I read were fantasy stories and I grew loving the somewhat sheer predictability of them. Fantasy is still my favorite genre, though the worlds I choose to read of nowadays are a bit more mature and realistic, more brutal and long, and much more complex. The Name of the Wind tugged at my childhood with its unique world, yet left me speechless as it grew more complex and believable than any other fantasy book I've read lately. I know that the story of Kvothe and the great world he lives in will live in me for all my life, and I'm grateful for that.
- Where to buy? Barnes and Noble, Amazon, your local book shop.
- The author's blog and website
- Another story he has written: 'The Adventures of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle' read by him and the due explanation . You can buy it here + you'll be helping his charity!
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