leynes’s Comments (group member since Jan 26, 2017)

leynes’s comments from the THE NAME OF THE WIND group.

I‘d highly recommend „Passing“. It‘s about white passing during the Harlem Renaissance.

Oscar Wilde definitely has a peculiar style. His plays are the absolute best. „The Importance of Being Earnest“ is so hilarious!

Denna is a super interesting character. Can‘t wait to see where her story goes.

I‘m currently reading the complete fiction of Nella Larsen and I‘m also trying to finish my complete works of Oscar Wilde. :) Both are brilliant writers!

Hey, I finished it way back in June and it was awesome. It actually made my top books of 2017. I hope you enjoy it just as much. :)

Okay awesome! Let's go for April then! My semester break goes up until the 15th, so I would schedule the readalong for the first two weeks in April. I hope that works for you. (?)

I am very excited! :)

Hey Sage, hey Dirk,

I wanted to ask you if and when you'll be continuing with the series. I would love to do another buddy-read for "The Wise Man's Fear" because it motivates me so much when I know that other people are reading along...

My "reading schedule" is quite tight in March, but I would love to jump into the next one in April, or even May. If this works for you, please let me know. :D

Happy Reading!

Sage wrote: "Because I have such a terrible memory I don't remember when the few instances I am going to mention briefly happen. Thus I'll just stick my amusement in here. Its about Elodin, because I love him s..."

I completely agree, Elodin was my favorite master as well. Despite the fact that he's the youngest, he seems to be the most powerful. I can't shake the feeling that he's been quite the „Kvothe“ during his youth and time at the University, and therefore he has taken a liking to Kvothe ;)

I was sooo happy to see that Kvothe became his apprentice by the end. It was so epic when the name of the wind revealed itself to him, and then Elodin helped him snap back to reality. In general, I loved the fact that Kvothe got promoted to Re'lar, and so every time that Ambrose put him on the horns, it backfired completely. :D However, I am a little scared of what might happen in the next book, because Kvothe hinted that Ambrose would get him expelled eventually, and I don't want to see my trash child being forced from the University!!! Also, when Ambrose destroyed Kvothe's lute I got sooooo mad – oh boy, I could have killed that fucker on the spot !

And coming back to something we've discussed earlier, by the end of this tale I am convinced that Bast loves his Reshi. Of course, it's not clear whether Kvothe answers these feelings, or whether anything happened between the two of them at all, but the fact that Bast would do everything for his master, and that he is so worried about him and „just wants him back“, are clear indicators in my book, that there are strong feelings involved. I really loved how he threatened the Chronicler at the end. :D

What else? ...I was laughing out loud when it was revealed that the „dragons“ are actually draccusses and not dangerous at all. :D The fact that Kvothe compared them to cows, and Denna made „Moooo“-sounds just made me laugh sooo hard.
I don't know if any of you have listened to Hamilton but this entire book gives me true „Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story“-feels, e.g. in the beginning of the book Kvothe has this epic monologue („I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings […] My name is Kvothe, you may have heard of me.“) in which he states that he „burned down the town of Trebon“ - and it sounded all epic and shit, and as a reader you were led to believe that he burned that town out of malice, because he is just that crazy of a fucker ;)) but then when we actually get to the part in the book, the town only burned down because Kvothe tried to help its inhabitants. This really shows how different stories can take effect, depending on whose telling them at what point in the story. Overall, I have the feeling that Kvothe is an unreliable narrator, this is further enhanced by the fact that at the end Bast wants the Chronicler to only focus on the good things, and so we as readers don't even know if we're getting the „true“ story.


Questions I have/ that I will keep in mind when I'll read the next book:

- after Denna is waking up from delirium (after she is all high on denner), she mutters the name „Moteth?“ (WHO IS THIS DUDE AND WILL HE PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE?)
- what is up with that vase which showed the Chandrian's symbols? Are there more heirlooms in the world and why are they so important? Further on, what are the Chandrian up to, despite killing people who know too much...
- What is behind that stone door in the Archives? Lorren, teeeeelll mee :D
- Why is Kvothe no longer able to do SYMPATHY? (I mean we get a little explanation at the end, that he basically told himself that he's a loser and an innkeeper and therefore this came true BUT there must be more to that – why did he become an innkeeper in the first place?)
- it is hinted in the prologue and the epilogue that Kvothe is waiting to die – WHYY? What happened? Why is he not protecting himself?
- And I just have a little theory on my own: At the beginning we learn that Kvothe needs 3 days to tell his story – one day is over, and covered in the first book of this trilogy; I am assuming that the second day (the second part of his story) will cover book 2, and same goes for day three/ book three – and then at the end of book 3 he told his story and will either die or be restored to his old self – I know that theory is a bit shaky, but it would be neat if Pat was to structure his books in that clear way – I heard he is also working on book 4, so that may play exclusively in the present time with grown up Kvothe? Who knows... :D

Overall, I really liked this novel because the world and magic system were so interesting, I really liked most of the characters (especially Kvothe <3, Bast, Auri, Elodin and Simmon)!!! My only problem with this book is that I didn't like the romance that much. To put it in Simmon's words, Denna is quite the cruel love interest, and I didn't like her portrayal for the most part, so that's why this book got 4 instead of 5 stars from me. :) Apart from that, I loved everything, but I think my favorite aspect of this story was definitely the music, and what an intricate part it was of Kvothe's character.

Woop woop, I am finally done with this chunk of chapters, to my surprise they were a lot lengthier than previous chapters, and I have to say that I thought they dragged a bit. As I mentioned before, I am not the biggest fan of romance, and for my taste Pat focused a bit too much on Kvothe's feelings for Denna... I'm not sure if I am 100% behind that relationship because:

1.) Denna seems a bit shady. Maybe that is enhanced by the fact that present time!Kvothe already hinted that she betrayed him, and that she destroyed him. But even in the flashbacks, she seems super secretive and somewhat distanced. :D
2.) I feel like Kvothe is much more into her, than she is into him. He is so honest, sweet, vulnerable and caring, and super careful not to make some stupid mistake and he would basically do everything for her (which is a tad unhealthy but oh well, Kvothe is rather the obsessive type), whereas I don't get the same vibe from her. She seems a bit more selfish (which is not necessarily a bad trait; in these dangerous times probably the more practicle behaviour) but...
3.) Denna is painted as this special snowflake. She is like the most beautiful girl. She is better, and more clever than all other girls, she is like a vulcano whereas other girls are merely candles BLA BLA BLA – those tropes just get on me nerves. ;)) Of course, this is enhanced by the fact that Pat isn't narrating the story, Kvothe is, and he is just head over heels for her... but still, her depiction overall kind of rubbs me the wrong way.

Nonetheless, I am very happy with the ending of this portion of the book, because fantasy seems to become more important again. At first, I was really happy about the fact that Kvothe might finally get answers about the Chandrian, but now I am even more hooked because DRAGONS – dragons who breathe blue fire. TELL ME MOREEEE! I am super intrigued, I have this weird fantasy of Kvothe becoming a dragon tamer and riding a dragon, calling the wind... lol probs won't happen, but let me dream a bit. ;)

The other thing that keeps me invested into the plot is the whole Ambrose-situation (anyone else getting serious Draco Malfoy vibes from him?) because I am pretty sure that Kvothe shaking off the paid killers won't be the end of it. I am excited to see how far Ambrose is willing to go.

And as always I wanna learn more about ELODIN (he's like my bae, you know...) :D After the fire at the Fishery, Kvothe talks to Master Kilvin about how he managed to extinguish the fire, and Kilvin tells him that if Elodin had been here it would have been much easier because ELODIN KNOWS THE NAME OF FIRE. Like whaaat? I need more info on this. Kilvin also mentions two more people at the University who can name the elements – WHO ARE THEY???

Also, wasn't it heart-warming how Kvothe 1.) saved Fela from the fire (I kind of like her... kind of like her more than Denna tbh) and 2.) how he immediately thought of Auri – Auri is like ma gurl, she is so odd and funny and adorable and I am pretty sure that she will play a bigger role in the future. I can totally see how she would e.g. tell Kvothe how he can get access to the Archives OR how Kvothe has to go into hiding and she shows him the underground world. I really want more Auri in this story!!!

Onto the last chunk, hopefully I'll be back with my final thoughts this evening!

I'm always repeating myself at the beginning of these chapter discussions, but damn, I'm enjoying it so much. I am more and more intrigued by Pat's narrative choice of flashbacks, because as a reader you know that Kvothe survived his years at the University and did all sorts of crazy shit afterwards (e.g. burned down the town of Trebon), and so I'm thinking that the „real story“ will be about grown up Kvothe... I mean we learn at the beginning that he is awaiting his death, and I can't wait to see that, and get to the present time... But nonetheless, his youth is soo interesting and makes up for a captivating story in itself.

I really love the University as a setting, it is soo complex, and I feel like we have lots left to explore. I would love to learn more about the masters, especially Elodin, because damn, he is crazy af, but has an intriguing depth to him! When Kvothe is visiting the Crookery with him, trying to convince him to become his apprentice, I genuinely thought it would work out... Guess I was wrong and we had one of the best scenes so far... First of all, Elodin breaking the wall by calling its name. Badass level 10000. Second of all, Kvothe jumping off a fucking roof because he had faith in Elodin and Elodin was just like nah „this was the stupidest thing I've ever seen“. I was laughing soooo hard, it was such a comical scene. :D I really appreciate how Pat is trying to go against stereotypes and this generic way of storytelling, having a hero who accomplishes everything after a few trials.

Apart from that I love how relatable the studying aspect is. Kvothe is overestimating himself and his friends fear that he'll burn out, therefore they go talk to the masters. It was so nice and made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. In general I love his group of friends and how intimate they are with one another. Again, I might be reading too much into the subtext, but I'm getting a gay vibe from Simmon as well... Anyone else? :D

But of course, the two big themes of these chapters were music and girls, or „the girl“ (how Kvothe would put it). I am a musician as well (or at least I play the piano passionately...), and I could relate to Kvothe's feelings as well. I love that music isn't simply a „hobby“ to him, but much more of a lifestyle. He is breathing music, it gives him fuel. It was wonderful to witness him getting a lute back and being able to play again. And so many little things made me so giddy and happy, e.g. the fact that Kvothe didn't wanna play in front of his friends at first, because their judgement was of most value to him, and he didn't wanna present them something lukewarm. So relatable!
And then of course the most wonderful thing that happened, Kvothe playing at the Eolian and earning his pipes. I was sooo apprehensive of this moment, I honestly thought something would go wrong – then when his string broke, I was like OH NO that's over then, but NO, my little trash child can make the best of every situation. I was soo happy for him. Stanchion and Deoch seem super nice, and I can wait for Kvothe to find a patron!

So, the three girls that we are introduced to are Auri, Devi and „Dianne“ (DENNA!). I have to say that I love Auri, I hope that she'll play a bigger role in the future, because I can really see her becoming friends with Kvothe. She mentioned the underground and that she is living there. I'd love to explore that side of the University! Then Devi, she is quite the badass. I love that she is taking no one's shit and stands very firm in her beliefs, and how she makes business. The entire tuition/debt thing was very interesting to me, because it showed that not only Kvothe but other students are struggling with money as well. And then finally, Denna. I was sooo surprised to see her re-introduced into the story. Kvothe had said earlier „I knew I would never see her again“, and I believed him – call me a fool. ;) I am very grateful that (at least as of now) it doesn't seem that this will become an epic lovestory (I'm not a fan of those), and that Pat will Focus more on the FANTASY aspect of the story than on the ROMANCE. Hallelujah! Nonetheless, I liked to see Kvothe blushing and being all confused because at his tender age of 15, he is completely inexperienced and doesn't know shit about women. I can totally see the two of them getting together, but as grown up Kvothe already mentioned, destruction is under way, he was betrayed and it didn't last. I can't wait to see their relationship blossom and burn out!

Favorite quote:

Music is a proud, temperamental mistress. Give her the time and attention she deserves, and she is yours. Slight her and there will come a day when you call and she will not answer. So I began sleeping less to give her the time she needed.

I'm amazed at how addicting this book is, I'm flying through this and enjoying the ride. Pat Rothfuss is just that brilliant. I love how frequently he pulls us (as readers) out of the story (almost breaking the fourth wall) - I loved how he talked about generic heroic stories where the protagonist gets a sidekick and takes down the villain - and that "real life" is not that easy (even though his story is NOT real life but a story after all - ahhh I love these layers)!

Okaaay, so first of all, Kvothe's farewell to Trapis was heartbreaking. I loved it so much. Especially how proud/ happy Trapis was, that Kvothe made it out of the slums and would try to lead a better life, even if it meant a parting of their ways. I also loved how he reassured him that he would always be welcome in Tarbean. AWWW

Then, I really loved the bit about Kvothe and Denna. I'm not a huge fan of romance, and so I liked its innocence and that Pat was just trying to show that Kvothe is hitting puberty (I mean he's 15 at that point), and so he is aware of the women around him. I really liked that level of authenticity. Also his jealousy regarding Josn was quite funny to read about, especially if you consider how tough grown up Kvothe is. :D

Just like I predicted Kvothe has arrived at the University and I'm all here for it. The University is giving me serious Hogwarts vibes. I loved the admission process and how cheeky Kvothe was. The masters are so intimidating (I'm a huge fan of Lorren and Elodin!), Hemme is the total Severus Snape! I can't wait for him and Kvothe to clash more and more!!!

I was also really happy to see that Kvothe managed to find friends, it's quite the mixed group, and I love that Manet is like 50 years old :D, Sovoy is a rich brat (but nice at heart), and Simmon is just the piece that holds them all together. I love how much Pat discusses money and status, and that Kvothe has to overcome his low birth and poverty.

Ambrose is such an ass, he's giving me the creeps. Like his rapey-demeanour is just so disgusting. I really liked how Kvothe was able to detect how uncomfortable Fela was in his presence, and that he managed to help her get out of that situation. Overall, Kvothe has very good morals, and I support him in his actions, even though his means are somewhat questionable/reckless at times.

Also, this University is intense as fuck. I did not expect them to whip students (Filch would've propably loved it there), but well, I can't wait to learn more about the classes and traditions there. I am sooooo frustrated that Kvothe got banned from the Archives. UGH

I cannot wait for Kvothe to approach Elodin, because, honestly, I think the latter is quite the badass. I don't believe that he is mad, I think he is fooling everyone. Master of Names, I mean come on, he will teach Kvothe the Name of the Wind and he will probably become a second Lyra or something. :D I really want him to get more "magical" skills.

My favorite quote from these chapters:

There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.

It's quite foreshadowing for the second book in the series, but very epic either way. :D

AND two things I forgot to mention in my earlier posts:
1) Being a linguist myself, I am in love with the variety of languages that are presented here. I am especially curious about the phonetic system that The Chronicler uses! I mean, it doesn't seem that efficient to me, but I'm trying to picture how his written sentences look like with the vowels being horizontal lines, and the consonants being vertical. It's a clever idea, I'm just not sure if it's practicle.

2) The use of the word "folly". I think this will become important later on. So often, characters talk about "fools", "foolishness" and "folly" - and Kvothe carved it in his holder for his sword. I can't wait to see what's behind that.

I have to say, I love this very much! Pat Rothfuss is an excellent story teller. I love how complex and layered this story is, it definitely adds to its unreliability which I find fascinating. :D We have Pat Rothfuss telling Kvothe's story, who himself is recounting his childhood, and young Kvothe himself is hearing stories from people who have heard them second-hand. It's brilliant, I am pretty sure that the truth is somewhere hidden in all of these tales, but I love that Pat isn't too straightforward with it.

Overall, I am getting major Silmarillion-vibes from his narrative style, especially when Trapis recounts Tehlu's und Encanis' story, and when Skarpi is telling the story of Lanre. I love it so much, but I can definitely see how this isn't everyone's cup of tea. Personally, I love how much time Pat is dedicating to the worldbuilding and setting up of the story. I'd argue that at chapter 30 we're still at the introduction of the story, but I don't mind it at all. The way I'm perceiving the story (as of now), I think the „rising action“ (if speaking in Aristotelian terms) will start once Kvothe reaches the university, and that will probably happen in chapters 31-35. I can't wait, I am so hooked, because I think that the concept of the university is so cool and I can't wait for Kvothe to get back into „magic“ (alchemy?).

So, what shocked me the most in the past fifteen chapters was probably Kvothe's parents (and entire troupe, for that matter) dying. I had such high hopes for them. Pat did such a wonderful job with his parents that I hoped they would play an important role later on – guess, I was wrong. It's incredibly sad, but definitely a good narrative choice, because it feds fuel to the fire which is brooding inside of Kvothe. I really want him to become a badass assassin and kill bitches (aka the Chandrian) left and right. :D

I love how consequent Pat is with his incorporation of music. I love how Kvothe found solace in his lute, and how he managed to play feelings and situaitons on his lute. It was wonderful. Or how certain sounds remind him of the horrifying memories that he has so carefully locked away.

I have to say that geographically I am still a bit lost in Pat's world. I'm consulting the map as often as I can but still, I only have a vague understanding of the Commonwealth. I am excited to see how long it will take Kvothe to travel from the city of Tarbean to the university because both are on the map, and so this will help me heaps to understand the scope of the world.

So, for the next fifteen chapters I'm looking forward to the getting to the university, maybe learning a bit more about Skarpi (do you guys think that he knows Abenthy?? because Skarpi knew an aweful lot about Kvothe, so that had me wondering what his connection to him was...) and maybe Kvothe finding friends/ a companion. I am kinda digging that he is a lone wolf, but he deserves friends, man, all the shit he suffered through already. He deserves friends to lean on!

Aaaaand lastly, I don't mind the interludes one bit. At first I was afraid that they would pull me out of the story but no, I think it's wonderful to see how battered Bast, and how trite Kvothe is. ;)

Dirk wrote: "As I am german my english is not like a nativ speaker. What impressed me most on the first 20 pages was the used english of Patrick Rothfuss. There were so much unknown word that I took out my pock..."

Ich denke es kommt immer darauf an, wie viel man schon in Englisch gelesen hat. Bisher finde ich Pats Sprache recht gut verständlich. Natürlich gibt es einige Wörter, die man eher nicht kennt, aber ich glaube das liegt eher am Genre "High Fantasy", da Autoren oft Wörter erfinden oder unübliche Gegenstände (Waffen etc.) mit in ihre Geschichten inkorporieren.

Ich hoffe, du hast weiterhin Spaß an dem Buch. :)

I know I'm late to the party, but I've just now started reading this book and hells yeah, I already love it very much. I think the first 15 chapters work excellently as an introduction to this fantasy epos.

I'm getting quite the "Tolkien-vibe" from Pat Rothfuss, granted his language and narrative is much more accessible, but in terms of worldbuilding he's pretty Tolkien-esque. ;)

I loved learning about the creation myth and how everything was created out of words/music, it's pretty similar to Tolkien's "Ainulindalë".

In general I feel like after only 100 pages I'm already into Pat's world. He hinted at at least 4 different languages, multiple religious views, and overall it seems to be quite the medieval setting. I like how he leaves us in the dark about the "supernatural" aspect of the story (at least for now), so we only get hints for the demons, scrael and the Chandrian. I'm extremely intrigued.

Regarding the characters, I'm pretty much in love with all of them. Kvothe has the total potential to become one of my trash children. His snarky humour is right up my alley and I love that he's not all "sunshine and daisies". I diiggggg his realtionship with Bast. (*coughs*does anyone get a little bit of a gay vibe here? OR is it just me and me and my assumption that it's quite similar to Oscar Wilde and Bosie, or Socrates and Plato, in which one part is clearly superior and teaching the other one stuff - whatever, they seem to be just friends but I love their intimacy!)

Also, Kvothe's parents and their sexual tension? :D Daaaaaamn Gina! It's great!

It's a bit of a lazy narrative choice to go by flashbacks and recount one character's tale, but whatever, I think Pat executes it nicely. I like Kvothe's narrative voice and how he looks back on his childhood. I can sense an unreliable narrator, and I'm all here for it. :D His relationship with Ben was wonderful and heartwarming, and I'm super sad to see them separated at the end of chapter 15, but oh well I AM SOOO PUMPED FOR KVOTHE'S TIME AT THE UNIVERSITY. "Magical schools" are my thang and I'm just as curious as young Kvothe regarding learning more about "sympathy" etc.

And lastly, I love how much "music" is incorporated in the story, and how silence and sounds play a huge role!!

@Sage: Yes, exactly, so that the other people won't get spoiled! :D

Unfortunately, I didn't get to "The Name of the Wind" this week because my other readalongs were in the way but I will dedicate my time to it next week and can't wait to join in on the discussion. :)

HELLO EVERYBODY !

I just wanted to remind you guys that the readalong starts today and that you can post your thoughts in the respective threads...

Please follow the "no spoiler"-rule which I explained in the first thread for chapters 1-15. :)

Happy Reading!

Discussion exclusively for chapters 76 to 92 (+epilogue).

Discussion exclusively for chapters 61 to 75. No spoilers for any chapters beyond that. :)

Discussion exclusively for chapters 46 to 60. No spoilers for any chapters beyond that. :)

Discussion exclusively for chapters 31 to 45. No spoilers for any chapters beyond that. :)

Discussion exclusively for chapters 16 to 30. No spoilers for any chapters beyond that. :´)

As the readalong starts today, I'm going to create threads for every 15 chapters, so that you guys can post your thoughts and questions here.

You can post whatever you want - every opinion is valid! - but NO SPOILERS meaning that everything in this thread (ch. 1-15) is exclusively about these chapters, if you wanna talk about something in chapter 16, you have to do that in the respective thread for ch. 16 - 30.

Secondly, beware that if for example you have only read up to ch. 8 you might get spoiled in this thread, therefore wait until you're finished with 15 chapters and then come here to discuss. :)

I hope this isn't too complicated!

Happy Reading!
Hélène