The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle, Day 1) | Patrick Rothfuss

The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle, Day 1) | Patrick Rothfuss | So much has already been said...

books:

The Name of the Wi...

	The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle, Day 1) Patrick Rothfuss DAW, 2008 - 736 pages average customer review:based on 352 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

highly recommended

Where did the pages go?

I know I must have read all 662 pages, I just can't remember turning them all. Rothfuss has crafted a thoroughly entertaining story which was over far too quickly. I eagerly await the next installment.

So much has already been said...

While I could say quite a lot about The Name of the Wind, most of it has already been said in the hundreds of reviews already written. Instead, I'll try to offer a bit of perspective.

First and foremost, Patrick Rothfuss has an amazing talent for story writing. He knows how to draw his audience into the story, presents an immersive and intriguing world, and guides his readers through the eyes and into the mind of a person with whom many avid fantasy readers can empathize.

Early in the story's telling, The Name of the Wind offers the reading audience an early taste of the story's end. Those readers who think of this as foreshadowing are only allowing themselves to see part of the picture. To foreshadow an event means to offer a hint of what will happen; the story is filled with examples of foreshadowing, but stating them here would spoil them for the people most likely to read this review.

Rothfuss takes this idea further. He paints a vivid picture of the main character at what could easily be the end of his story, and fosters a curiosity in his audience as to how he came to his current state. For anyone who doesn't understand what I'm saying, consider the beginning of "Fight Club" (i.e. the opening scene of the movie). Obviously the audience knows that the main character is sitting in a chair, talking into the gun in his mouth. The story then winds back, as the narrator proceeds to weave for his audience the twisted tale of how he found himself in such a predicament.

Some readers may balk at the sheer length of Rothfuss's story. Despite the significant length of this book, it is merely the first volume of the story, taking the reader through the main character's youth and education. Anyone who wants to read a single book and be done with the story probably won't enjoy The Name of the Wind for the simple reason that it is not the complete story. This is book one (or rather, day 1) of the "Kingkiller Chronicle", as stated in the Amazon title listing.

Why, then, is the story so long? A character's backstory could be told in a scant few pages, if the author wishes to get it over and done, or could offer it in bits and pieces as he proceeds with his main tale. Anyone who gripes about Rothfuss's handling of the main character's backstory has missed one vital point; the backstory *is* the main story. As far as the reader can tell, we first view the main character at the end of a long journey. Rothfuss makes this abundantly clear with a single pointed statement about what the innkeeper is waiting to do. While his life may continue beyond the point of his introduction, it will likely do so in small bits and pieces as he tells his tale.

Despite this, Rothfuss probably could have told the story in a single novel, and if he did not have such a literary talent at his disposal, likely would have done so. The decision to carry the story into the length of a full series appears to stem from a single source; immersion. By offering such a vivid picture of the main character's life, readers not only learn about it, we experience it in our own minds. We see and feel his motivations, his experiences, and his development in a way that draws us into the story, and leaves us always wanting to know what happens (or more accurately, happened) next. I know I had a very hard time putting this book down, and was thankful when the interludes reminded me that I, too, had to take a break and attend to other matters.

for more information click here

Great book and good length

This is a great book. One of the best I have read in along time. I noticed some people on here complained about it being too long, or that the story was too slow. I would prefer book be long and to build the character up, let us know about them. The story wasn't at all slow. It's the first part of a trilogy. This book gives you the main characters early past. I am guessing the 2nd book will be about his troubles and how he became known as the "king killer", and the third book will be fully about the present.

Most writers now seem to just throw out books with lighting speed. The characters are shallow and only flushed out in possible later novels. Taking a year to write a good book is much better then writing a crappy one every month.

for more information click here

Excellent Reading

I was hesitant buying the book, but I have to say that was a very good read. Definitely worth re-reading.

My only disappointment is that I have to wait until 2009 for the next book The Wise Man's Fear.

COULD NOT put it down, but...

This book was well written, engaging from the very beginning. I literally could NOT put it down, resulting in less than 2 hours of sleep! There is alot of material covered in this book, and the interruptions in the story within the story are more distracting that engaging. Also, Kvothe's fascination with his love interest is frustrating as well. For a man who is so smart, he is incredibly obtuse when it comes to figuring out the opposite sex. Granted this could be an interesting character flaw, the only thing that prevents him from being perfect. Whatever way you put it, this is a very interesting book, definitly reccommended as a read. I look forward to the next installment in the series!

for more information click here