The Name of the Wind
discussion
The Name of the Wind
message 1:
by
Actionring
(new)
-
added it
Aug 05, 2012 07:25AM
Contemplating on buying this book,got some good reviews. Has anyone read it?
reply
|
flag
I hated it, one of the most boring and overly descriptive books I have Ever had the displeasure of reading. Seriously it was like reading endless filler, the story seemed to go nowhere. I didn't even finish it.
I loved it! It never ceases to amaze me how two people can read the same book and take away completely different opinions. I thought that each word seemed like it was carefully chosen and that the descriptions were beautiful. I did not think it was overly descriptive or wordy, and he seemed to take things that you had read previously and bring them back later. This is the story of a man's life told over three days, and this is just the first day. So at the end of the book you still have tons of questions, but you can see that it's building up to something
I actually gave it 0/5 stars. It is funny how tastes can very so widely. At the point where I quit reading, the only question I had was why I hadn't given up sooner. Although I am sure there are books that I love that others probably hate. lol
I liked it! More enjoyable than I thought it would be and I think I'm going to buy the next one to see where it goes.
It's the first part in a trilogy. That should be clear if you looked it up here on goodreads. I really liked it and I know a few people who loved it.
I suggest not buying because reviews on this book tend to lean onto extremes. It's either 1 or 5 star so I recommend buying a book with a more consistent veto response. The book is definitely intriguing,it's undeniable. However, if you're the sort of person who like fast-pace climax, action and an extravagant protagonist, I suggest looking elsewhere.
I have been reading (and writing) in the genre for 40 years. This work stood as one of the best of its class for me, and that said a lot. When I talk high fantasy now, this is the book I hold up as the example. The second book in the series raised the bar a bit more. Pat is a world-class talent, and he will leave a deep legacy on the genre. Highly recommended.
Loved the book, it is hard to get started in to the book, but once yo have a few story lines going it is hard to drop.Some people may not like the style, hating it probably, because it is like spaghetti. You have all kinds of story lines going through it and you are never really clear what the objectives are. This is a more enjoy the ride type of book. It is the journey that is awesome, not the end or even where it is headed.
Every step of the way is a like a fine meal, where you have to sip, smell and feel the texture of each bite. People that require a definite resolution of each issue and must have the answer to every question will not enjoy this book.
The book has a lot of foreplay like 3 year boyfriends who are waiting for marriage before they consummate. Frustration may build, but every touch and contact is loud and clear, however after the first years of marriage, the energy and excitement for the little things is some what dulled.
Enjoy the ride, once you hit climax it will never be the same, though you will always remember how wonderful it was.
I know this doesn't mean as much as it should, but it has the 2nd highest average rating out of my "my books" section.
i bought this and The Lies of Locke Lamora at the same time, NOTW is rated higher but i would go with Locke Lamora which was a fantastic read.NOTW was slow, dull and the main character is so wonderful at everything i wanted him to die. I will not read any further in this series and i doubt id read anything by the author again.
Pickle wrote: "i bought this and The Lies of Locke Lamora at the same time, NOTW is rated higher but i would go with Locke Lamora which was a fantastic read.NOTW was slow, dull and the main character is so wond..."
I agree with you about both books.
There is nothing wrong with hyper-proficient characters. I have never heard anyone complain about James Bond. consider Kvoth a fantasy James Bond in training. However Kvothe has strong internal motivations, character flaws galore, and each character in the story is rich and full of life.
the story is not about Kvothe overcoming external circumstance, so making him hyper-proficient means he really doesn't have to worry too much about external problems. The story is bout his internal problems and character flaws. His worst problems come from deep internal conflict and character interaction. Not from the BBEG (Big bad evil guy) or from having to pay school tuition. All of these problems are just there to reveal who Kvothe really is inside. HOW he handles these problems and WHY he does things is the crux of the story not IF he can handle them.
From my own role-playing experience I can say that my groups favorite story has been the last one where all our characters were so ridiculously powerful all our conflict came from with in. Deep seated character flaws, strong motivations and epic desires have made for the best game we have played in 20+ years.
Conflict creates a story, external conflict is fine, but its always the internal conflict the makes the external conflict mean anything at all.
John wrote: "There is nothing wrong with hyper-proficient characters. I have never heard anyone complain about James Bond. consider Kvoth a fantasy James Bond in training. However Kvothe has strong internal..."
i dont read James Bond ;)
I really liked it, and I would recommend it if you generally enjoy fantasy novels. I did experience some frustration with #2 - the wise man's fear, but I still enjoyed it. Maybe you should wait til #3 comes out (if it ever does), then if you like #1 you can read them all in a row.
John wrote: "Loved the book, it is hard to get started in to the book, but once yo have a few story lines going it is hard to drop.Some people may not like the style, hating it probably, because it is like sp..."
Not really in the mood for a fast paced book, so this sounds wonderful! I'll be sure to give it a try, and thanks for the reply!
Gail wrote: "I liked it! More enjoyable than I thought it would be and I think I'm going to buy the next one to see where it goes."Seems to be a novel where you either love it, or hate it.
Zack wrote: "Seems to be a novel where you either love it, or hate it."That was the authors intention. he didn't leave much room for middle ground.
Pickle wrote: "i dont read James Bond ;)"
Like I said the character is like that but there is much more depth. In any case Its a love/hate book and I get that it's not for you.
Jessica wrote: "Maybe you should wait til #3 comes out (if it ever does)"
I hate the waits, im currently waiting for book 3,Jim Butcher's next book, and George R.R. Martin's next book. I finally started a series I think is finished "Ender's Saga" by Orson Scott Card.
Stephen wrote: "I have been reading (and writing) in the genre for 40 years. This work stood as one of the best of its class for me, and that said a lot. When I talk high fantasy now, this is the book I hold up ..."I second that!
There are fantasy novels that are written with so much complex details and I catagorize this book along with George R.R. Martin and Michael Sullivan; then there are those that are simple and plain,"See Jane run," that they are easy reads. I have read so many of them, that they run together and have the same endings. I just am amazed how Patrick Rothfuss came up with all of it! How did he come up with all those songs? those stories? the ideas of magic and making it? I found myself while reading it agreeing with how he describes something Kvothe is doing like it should work in real life. LOL It truly is an amazing story, complex, detailed, and unforgetting. I am spoiled now, I can't go back to the "See Jane run" novels. :)
What I loved abt this book is that there is non-magical story to it too.. unlike most other epic fantasies I've been reading lately (LOTR, Hobbit, Eye of the World, Shannara series, Game of Thrones), this one doesn't involve creatures (there are some but nothing like the others) n elves n LONG journeys n all.. all in all my guess is if you like HP more than LOTR then you would probably like this one..I certainly liked it more than most 5/5 and am as surprised as others who liked it that others not only "not like" it but "hated it".. just bought The Wise Man's Fear and after reading this thread, looking forward to it.. :)
I listened to this book on audio. The language flows beautifully. I must confess that when I am reading a book I have a nasty tendency to hop, skip and jump over the descriptive passages. When listening, I don't do that - I absorb the nuances and don't rush to get to the showdown. I have already listened to The Wise Man's Fear, the next book in the series. Oh how I wish PR had written book 3 already...
If you like beefy fantasy, (Terry Goodkind, Robert Jordan, George R.R. Martin) You will probably like it. I wouldn't say he has broken the fantasy formula, but it does have a more modern tone and style. There are real women and sexy bits, I liked that. Let us know if you read it and also if you like it!
Jennifer wrote: "If you like beefy fantasy, (Terry Goodkind, Robert Jordan, George R.R. Martin) You will probably like it. I wouldn't say he has broken the fantasy formula, but it does have a more modern tone and ..."I basically agree with you.
But... #2 is a serious let down. He builds an interesting and deep platform in #1 but doesn't take it anywhere in #2. I disbelieve claims it's a trilogy: #3 simply has too much to do.
Good epic fantasy balances this depth with getting on with things (even with Jordan it's about #5 before he gets bogged down in stuff at the expense of progressing the story).
Regarding both Kingkiller books, I found the framing story in Kvothe's inn mostly insufferable, but the 'real' story more than makes up for it. Rothfuss renders the settings and the 'rules' with such detail, and for anyone familiar with jazz bars or any well-developed local/regional music scene, there's another layer of realism in the way Kvothe's other (or primary) passion is handled.
John wrote: "There is nothing wrong with hyper-proficient characters. I have never heard anyone complain about James Bond. consider Kvoth a fantasy James Bond in training..."Never been a Bond fan either. Kinda hate the character and few Bond movies I've seen.
John wrote: "There is nothing wrong with hyper-proficient characters. I have never heard anyone complain about James Bond. consider Kvoth a fantasy James Bond in training."I think you are going to end up with a lot of people complaining about James Bond :P I hate it too, but I love this book!
Inane_Imp wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "If you like beefy fantasy, (Terry Goodkind, Robert Jordan, George R.R. Martin) You will probably like it. I wouldn't say he has broken the fantasy formula, but it does have a more..."I will defer to your opinion on the progress of the overarching plot. I typically read fantasy because a world is created in which I want to dwell, as long as possible. Within the first few chapters of most fantasy novels I think you can see what the ultimate end will be, and (with the exception of Martin perhaps) the good guys win.
Personally, I voraciously consumed fantasy as a teen, until I realized it was all the same. Reluctant farm boy, magical relic, impossible quest to save the world from the ultimate evil.
I have moved on to sci-fi for fun reads because it intriques me more, I take something away with me that applies to my life philosophy or idea of what could be possible in a way that fantasy never offers. A bit off subject, but its so nice to talk books.
Inane_Imp wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "If you like beefy fantasy, (Terry Goodkind, Robert Jordan, George R.R. Martin) You will probably like it. I wouldn't say he has broken the fantasy formula, but it does have a more..."I agree. I don't see this as being a trilogy. I really don't think he can wrap up this story and have a successful satisfactory ending without at least one additional book; which will probably take another 3 years.
Swiftsea wrote: "I suggest not buying because reviews on this book tend to lean onto extremes. It's either 1 or 5 star so I recommend buying a book with a more consistent veto response. The book is definitely int..."
Well, I would say that also. Except for the fact when you look at the actual ratings... 96% Of people rated it 3 stars or higher.
67% of the people rating gave it a 5 star, ...23% rated it 4 stars and ...6% rated it 3 stars.
Which leaves the measly 4% left to rate it a 2,1,or a 0 (The people who rated it 1 came up to 0% because there was so few in comparison) It's really not the two extremes. Just seems like that 4% is more concerned about voicing there opinions then the 96%
Swiftsea wrote: "I suggest not buying because reviews on this book tend to lean onto extremes. It's either 1 or 5 star so I recommend buying a book with a more consistent veto response."Actually the best and greatest things are polarized. Things that are consistent tend to be good, but things that have extreme and opposite reactions to them tend to be the greatest and are game changers (At least for those on the positive side of the spectrum.
So its a risk but if you end up on the right side of the votes you are in for a great ride! Or you can play it safe and just read all the good books out there and miss out on some of the greats to avoid the bombs.
From the posts in here I gather that this is pretty much in 'Lord of the Rings' style, right? The first book of this series is sitting on my to-read shelf for ... about a year now? I don't know when I want to read such a long book again (after actually reading Lord of the Rings I want to continue with something ... not this long). But I'll try to read it at least this year. :') After all, I don't mind lengthy descriptions and talk about the songs of a character's forefathers and things like that.
I enjoyed the book but I wasn't blown away by it. I haven't quite bought into Kvothe as a character yet.I do plan on re-reading the book before finally starting Wise Man's Fear so maybe a second read through will bring about some depths that I didn't pick up on before.
A second read through before beginning book #2 will be helpful. I found I couldn't remember some of the details & events from #1 without a second look. I'm sure I will have to read them both again when #3 comes out as well :)
Sparrowlicious wrote: "From the posts in here I gather that this is pretty much in 'Lord of the Rings' style..."Not really, no. The world is Medieval-ish with magic and some swordplay, but the similarity with Tolkien mostly ends there. There's definite Dungeons & Dragons influence, but magic is depicted as a natural force subject to rules, studied in universities, and exploited to make marketable technologies. Also, the prose isn't putting on airs of antiquity, though at times it's overwrought in other ways. On the whole the books are very well written.
What stands out for a lot of people (for better or worse) is the strong metatextual strain: it's a story about a story about a storyteller who is also a subject of legend, told by same. The teller's honesty is frequently called into question and competing versions of events are introduced outside of the telling. Whether and to what degree all of that stuff gets in the way of the 'main' story is up for debate.
This is a FANTASTIC book and I loved it! I would suggest it to anyone and everyone *yes, that does include strangers in the bookstore/library* If you are of the opposite opinion that is something I cannot fathom, but, meh!Read this book!!!! You will love it, I did and I would love to share it with you!!!!
I agree with Jennifer. With most fantasy books you know just by reading the back cover EXACTLY what is going to happen. After reading the first two books, I can't even tell you what has ALREADY happened, let alone what MIGHT happen. I only have a vague idea of who the bad guys might be. And yet, I've enjoyed every page, and look forward to the next installment. I like the characters, and even if the book ends with them failing completely to accomplish anything, I will be glad to have met them and lived in their well-formed world for a few hours.
I'm a four-star rater. I found many things to love in it but I found flaws, too. The worst flaw: I don't like the "frame" where he keeps interrupting the story to come back to the present where the cnronicler is jotting down the story. I assume this will pay off when the old story catches up to the new story, but why not just play it in order? The way he does it, the perfectly good fantasy story keeps getting interrupted by non-scenes full of talking heads. It's a coming of age story, in many ways, set in a land without a great deal of zap-magic, illogical magic, wave-a-wand magic. The prose is very nice, but not a high style like Tolkien. The folk songs he writes are terrific--one of his strengths. While the second book is weaker, it's not painfully so.
I like it a good deal better than the Martin, but not quite as much as the Scholes series (which has so many fewer readers, I'm perplexed; it should be up there.)
I agree with Zora about the framing story, but I didn't find book 2 "weaker." It took me from having very mixed feelings about the series to being totally invested, and the framing story even improved and became a little more three dimensional. My experience throughout the first book was that the told story seemed very concrete and vivid while the world of Kvothe's inn was vague and hazy. IIRC I gave Wise Man's Fear one more star.
The framing story (the present in the inn) is the most intriguing part. It is clearly the MIDDLE of an epic story, but we don't know how he got there, or where it will go from there. Most 1st person narratives let you know that the main character survives and won his battle. This one puts you in the middle. You aren't sure if he won, lost, or is just in hiding. All you know is that he is a legend who doesn't feel he deserves his reputation. It is brilliant. Maybe the reason why this feels like it is more than a trilogy is that the trilogy will end when we catch up to the present, and then the story will continue into a second trilogy. Just guessing.
Justice wrote: "The framing story (the present in the inn) is the most intriguing part. It is clearly the MIDDLE of an epic story, but we don't know how he got there, or where it will go from there. Most 1st per..."Justice, I couldn't agree more. I find the flashes to the present in the end to be absolutely captivating. You have Kvothe, the "Legend" telling the "truth" of his tale and you have no idea how he got to be an innkeeper who is an incredible cook, has become the teacher of a fairie and has a prized sword hanging above his mantle, but who can no longer do even the simplest of magic when he was once ridiculously gifted. How did we get there? But he can still fight off creatures in the night? He can still singlehandidly fight guards until he chooses not to win?! He can cook an incredible meal and has a vast amount of accumulated wealth and is obviously still a part of pivotal events unfolding but also stews in a depression that is yet fully understood? If anything, the story he is telling serves as an appetizer for diving into the heart of what brought the very human hero to be an "anything but simple" barkeep.
I'm pretty sure these 3 days will all be history leading up to the point when he is forced to act at the cliff hanger end of the third book.Then we might get a continuation... But who knows as long as it doesn't take for ever to get written.
I liked the novel. It had a great prose and a fantastically creative world. Kvothe is an amazing character with flaws and merit. Though I must say that only a patient reader would get into this as their is an abundance of description and meandering. I found the read to be satisfying overall.
Without the framing story, we don't have a reason read Kvothe's story; the framing story serves as a reminder that we are reading the tale of a man who will become an epic hero; it gives us context.
Zack wrote: "Contemplating on buying this book,got some good reviews. Has anyone read it?"
This book is one of the best books you will ever read. Mark my words.
This book is one of the best books you will ever read. Mark my words.
It's interesting to read the various opinions of this book. It is to be a trilogy, as per an interview with the author posted on his web site.http://www.patrickrothfuss.com/conten...
But he goes on to say that there will be more stories after the trilogy. Not that unusual in fantasy fiction, for example Stephen Donaldson's Thomas Covenant series.
I liked TNOW. And I look forward to more stories of Kvothe.
I liked it but I do see where people would hate it. I personally tend to like stories where it is in the first person perspective.
Rachel wrote: "I liked it but I do see where people would hate it. I personally tend to like stories where it is in the first person perspective."
I can't see how anyone would hate it, and technically, the majority of it is told in the first person.
I can't see how anyone would hate it, and technically, the majority of it is told in the first person.
all discussions on this book
|
post a new topic
The Lies of Locke Lamora (other topics)
The Name of the Wind (other topics)
George R.R. Martin (other topics)
Orson Scott Card (other topics)
Books mentioned in this topic
The Lies of Locke Lamora (other topics)The Lies of Locke Lamora (other topics)
The Name of the Wind (other topics)
Authors mentioned in this topic
Jim Butcher (other topics)George R.R. Martin (other topics)
Orson Scott Card (other topics)
