The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #1) in The Perks Of Being A Book Addict

Dec 10, 2014 Trisha rated it liked it

I can see why so many people love this. It's very engrossing, complete with world building and flushed out characters. This is just not my typical genre. I'm not a huge fan of it and it makes it hard for me to enjoy a story, no matter how good.
also, this was huge. It was just too much for me - probably part of the reason I don't tend to like Fantasy.

But, even with all that, I'm rating it 3 stars. That really shows just how well done the story is. If you like/love fantasy, than this one is a mus ...more

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Apr 29, 2011 Logan rated it really liked it

Shelves: own-bought-ebook, fantasy

First impressions: I'm not generally an epic fantasy fan, but after hearing everyone and their mother rave about this book, I had to try it. I'm so glad I did! The first few chapters had just enough mystery to suck me in, and once the story-within-a-story kicked in, there was no turning back.

Lasting impressions: Parts of this book were so beautiful I could hardly breathe, but there were times I wanted the pace to pick up a bit. You have to commit for the long haul with this one.

Conflicting impre First impressions: I'm not generally an epic fantasy fan, but after hearing everyone and their mother rave about this book, I had to try it. I'm so glad I did! The first few chapters had just enough mystery to suck me in, and once the story-within-a-story kicked in, there was no turning back.

Lasting impressions: Parts of this book were so beautiful I could hardly breathe, but there were times I wanted the pace to pick up a bit. You have to commit for the long haul with this one.

Conflicting impressions: The story Kvothe tells is meant to span three days, and this novel is the first of those. At times, because of the length of this tale, I felt the story lost its focus. I got swept up in the adventures Kvothe undertook, but occasionally got impatient wondering where this was all headed.

Overall impressions: There can be zero doubt that Patrick Rothfuss is a masterful storyteller. His patience and attention to detail, combined with a clear love of words and the beauty they can create, make it obvious that storytelling runs in his blood.

It should be no surprise to see a family of storytellers at the heart of this book. Kvothe is the son of a traveling band of performers, and learns most of life's major lessons from plays, literature, and stories. As he grows up, and suffers a devastating series of losses, he vows to research the history of his world's most dangerous stories - those surrounding the mysterious and deadly Chandrian.

Rothfuss juggles between Kvothe's present and past, with the past related to the reader by Kvothe himself as he recounts his journey to a transcriber known as Chronicler. In the present, Kvothe is a man of many secrets, and the action is nailbitingly tense. I was desperate to know how this man's life had shaped him into the innkeeper so many refer to as a "king killer." Meanwhile, as we listen to the incredible tales from his childhood, I rooted for this boy of poverty and heartache to find his way in the world and realize his strengths.

Kvothe has remarkable abilities - his intelligence is quick and sharp, he can make music that causes even the most hardhearted men to weep - and at times he has an ego to match. He's grounded by his extreme poverty and a hard life, however, and as often as his mouth gets him into trouble, he usually has the sneaky grace to get himself out of it. As he starts to learn magic, make friends, and fall in love, we get the pleasure of seeing how the smallest of stories can create a hero. Intentions do not generally find a way into history books, and though Kvothe may have reasons or circumstances that affect his actions, the stories quickly become larger than life. Actions speak louder than words, remember?

This is a dense book that took me nearly two weeks to finish, but it was absolutely worth it. Rothfuss has a gift for words, and he can spin them into scenery that fills the mind. Rarely have I felt so transported into the world of a book. Though the story is long, it is certainly not boring. I had the feeling that I was simply experiencing one part of a long journey, that would come to a full and satisfying resolution by the end of the trilogy. That doesn't mean there was not a definite conclusion to this part, which had a great ending of its own. Instead, I was being prepared for an epic tale that required the patience of a good setup to give me the payoff of a glorious ending.

Well, if this book is any indication, that ending is going to be magnificent. I wouldn't miss it for the world. ...more

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May 05, 2011 Meera rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, bee, ala-alex, bookmarks-magazine, ebooks-i-own

This was a good fantasy. This novel received a lot of hype and it is mostly written well but... there are other authors who I've read previously who were as good or better that hadn't received the kind of recognition this author seems to have. I wish I had read it before the hype then I could have gone into it without any high expectations. For me, the story was really good except it was slow when it came to his love interest, the writing was occasionally too self-reflective of the fact that it ...more

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Feb 13, 2017 Kelly rated it liked it

I really wanted to be swept off my feet by this book, but I wasn't. Admittedly, I'm not a huge fan of traditional fantasy. I was looking for something that might surprise me, but the book was totally what I would expect from the genre. ...more

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