Book Review: The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

0 Comments

The Name of the Wind is a fantasy novel released in 2007. It was penned by Patrick Rothfuss and took fourteen years to reach the shelves. The story is told in the form of a re-telling. A chronicler arrives at an inn to document the life story of the unassuming inn-keeper, Kvothe. Through the retelling of his life it soon becomes apparent that Kvothe isn't the average inn-keeper he is trying to be.

The story flashes between present day and Kvothe's history. We learn about his painful childhood and early teenage years.

This is the first book of a trilogy of which the final book is still to be released.

Rothfuss has been marked as a Fantasy hero since the release of this book. So I was eager to see why.

Below are my spoiler plagued thoughts so be aware:

WHAT I LIKED:

The story captivated from start to finish. Everything fit and nothing felt forced or like a literary device. The regular pain inflicted on Kvothe kept you interested to see how he would overcome. I lost count of the times I leapt for joy when something good happened to him or sunk my head into my hands when he was beaten with tragedy.

Rothfuss's writing is rhythmical. Certain paragraphs had me feeling I was in the middle of a Keatsian epic. His sentences and words slapped a smile on my face and kept it there. I paused regularly at his descriptions and just nodded with approval. Everything was clear and vivd. The freedom and fun of his language reminded me of Oscar Wilde.

The protagonist Kvothe was interesting and brilliant. He could do everything and picks up skills quickly, but wasn't a Mary Sue. Rothfuss kept him interesting through inflicting failure and disaster into his life. Kvothe's brilliance grouped with his frequent lack of wisdom was a page turner. There was never certainty he would will succeed but when he was it was triumphant surprise. Seeing Kvothe in the future and in the past was a great tool for the story. I hungered to know how young Kvothe ended up as a dull inn-keeper.

The dialogue was witty, clever and authentic throughout. The characters had distinct voices and conversations felt real. Characters made mistakes when they spoke, not everything was perfect. Some conversations had no purpose to the storyline a la real life. Monologues were insightful and powerful but didn't feel preachy or pompous. The amount of quotes teeming from this book about various aspects of life was special.

I haven't fallen in love with a world such as this since the Harry Potter series. Rothfuss created back story that leaves you hungry for knowledge. He shared myths of the world and had me feeling like I'm in the bar sitting with Bast, chronicler and Kvothe. The money system presented was easy to understand and the social hierarchy was clear. The in-depth introduction of magic had me envious and wishing I took a class at the University. There was a lot of information for readers, but the information was fed with intrigue and doesn't feel clunky or needless.

WHAT I DISLIKED:

That this book isn't taught in schools. It should be on the curriculum for secondary pupils across the country. If you want to see good writing and storytelling you don't need to look any further.

WHAT IT IS SIMILAR TO:

Rothfuss's writing style reminded me of Oscar Wilde. The immense fun with language, the freedom, but also the ability to tell a gripping story. The last book that had me pausing frequently because of its literary beauty was The Picture of Dorian Gray.

WOULD I RECOMMEND?:

Does the Pope have pointy hat? It's a wonderful story, written by a wonderful author and it's a tale that has enriched me as a writer, reader and person. Thank you Patrick Rothfuss.

About Post Author

allthingsm4tt

Writer of things, meme supplier, semi-occasional six string swordist, sporadic cinema goer and smiler.