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The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle #1)

by Patrick Rothfuss (Goodreads Author)

4.55 of 5 stars 4.55 · rating details · 291,734 ratings · 20,125 reviews

Told in Kvothe's own voice, this is the tale of the magically gifted young man who grows to be the most notorious wizard his world has ever seen. The intimate narrative of his childhood in a troupe of traveling players, his years spent as a near-feral orphan in a crime-ridden city, his daringly brazen yet successful bid to enter a legendary school of magic, and his life as ...more

Hardcover, 662 pages

Published March 27th 2007 by Penguin Group DAW Hardcover

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J.R.R. Tolkien 4-Book Boxed Set by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

The Best Epic Fantasy

3rd out of 2,496 books — 17,580 voters

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Community Reviews

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Dec 04, 2013 Patrick rated it 5 of 5 stars · (Review from the author)

I kinda liked this book. But my opinion on the matter probably shouldn't be trusted....

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Jul 25, 2008 Shannon (Giraffe Days) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommends it for: everyone!

Shelves: fantasy, favourite, 2008

This is why I love fantasy so much. After a recent string of okay fantasy novels, a couple of good ones but nothing to get really excited about, I've rediscovered my passion thanks to this book. I'm so impressed, and so in love, I can't begin to describe it. But I can try to give you a feel for the book, if I can figure out where to start and how to do justice to this masterpiece.

Kvothe (pronounced like "Quothe") is a world-renowned figure of mystery with a disreputable reputation - a hero or a This is why I love fantasy so much. After a recent string of okay fantasy novels, a couple of good ones but nothing to get really excited about, I've rediscovered my passion thanks to this book. I'm so impressed, and so in love, I can't begin to describe it. But I can try to give you a feel for the book, if I can figure out where to start and how to do justice to this masterpiece.

Kvothe (pronounced like "Quothe") is a world-renowned figure of mystery with a disreputable reputation - a hero or a demon depending on which stories you hear. The real man has hidden himself away at an inn in the middle of nowhere with his apprentice Bast - we know not why - and it's not until the Chronicler discovers him there that he shows any interest in reliving his past life. Insisting that his story will take three days to tell, and that the famous chronicler must write it down exactly as he tells it, he begins to share his story: a child genius growing up with his parents' troupe, performing plays and tricks across the land while being taught "sympathy" (magic), history, chemistry etc. by a tinker, Abenthy, who had been to the University; to ending up homeless and penniless on the streets of Treban, a big port city. It's not until he's fifteen that he makes it to the University, and is accepted, though he's three years younger than is usual. Abenthy has taught him well, and combined with his impressive memory, natural talent, quick intelligence and training, he moves quickly up the ranks of the university.

There are many adventures and mishaps along the way, and while some plotlines come to a tidy end at the close of this novel, over-arching plotlines and themes have been given a solid foundation to continue on into the next books. It took a surprisingly long time for me to realise the connection between the number of days he will take to tell his story, and that this is "Day One" in the trilogy - it's told over the course of the first day. The only thing is, he's young yet (Chronicler judges him to be about 25, though at times he looks infintely older), and there are things happening in "real time" that intrude upon the story, that will need to be resolved I think - so while I have every confidence Rothfuss has excellent control over his creation, I would love more than three books :)

I can't think of the last time I was this impressed by any story, let alone a fantasy novel. I won't compare it to bloody George R.R. Martin like everyone else is doing because I don't see that they have anything in common, really - one is a work of pure genius and the other is utter crap. Comparing them only heightens my dislike of A Game of Thrones. In truth, it's simply a marketing strategy to compare new books to ones that are already really popular, in order to draw in a well-established audience.

This is an epic fantasy - epic in scope - but it's also a bildungsroman, a story of a person's life, a life journey (including the quiet moments), which I love. The character development is ludicrously good. The world-building is solid, believable and original - there're enough new elements to keep your interest, but not so many that you get confused and overwhelmed: a perfect balance. The design of "sympathy" is original and unique, and makes so much sense that I'm half-surprised it doesn't really work. It's complicated enough to not be trite, but one basic premise is the connection between things, the sympathy they have with each other - if you broke a branch in two, the two halves would still have a connection, like sharing the exact same DNA, and so if you control one half you affect the other half. Same with two pennies of the same metal, so that, if you were holding one and someone holding the other and they worked a "binding" on their half, and, say, lifted it in the air, then your penny would also lift. It's fabulous! It's an intellectual kind of magic, not a "wave the wand" type. It takes knowledge, concentration and effort, so in effect, anyone could learn.

As for the characters and their growth, I am so impressed and so in love I will no doubt do a bad job of expressing it. While Kvothe's story is told in his voice, first person, the present day interludes are told in third person omniscient, but usually from certain characters' points of view. You get a mix of other people's impressions of characters, and a gentle showing that tells us even more. The genius is in how Kvothe is portrayed: while telling the story, himself as a young boy, already having experienced tragedy and sorrow and despair, and already feeling the weight of worldly concerns, but still with a lot to learn, comes across strongly. This is counter-balanced with Kvothe as a man, having been through all that and more and had it shape him into something subtly different, yet still very much the same person. If it had been written poorly, there would have been discord between the two Kvothes, but there isn't. He has so much charisma, and is such a complex sort, that I really felt for him. I may even have a bit of crush, actually. He's not good or evil, but he's suffering from a conscience: he's very human, and lonely, despite the friendship of Bast. At the same time, he's a god-like figure, an amazing musician, a skilled fighter, and a powerful magician. One moment he's commanding and chillingly masterful, the next he's doing Bast's bidding and fetching food and cutting wood for others. I expect it's his contradictions and complexities that draw me to him.

The writing style is smooth, the pacing just right (though the first few chapters take a while to get you into the story, you still need to read them closely because there're a lot of details in them), and the prose isn't cluttered with boring, irrelevant descriptions or pointless details. It's a fat book and a long story, but it flies by. While it needed better proofreading - there were a lot of problems with dialogue punctuation; there were a few lazy typos; he never once used a semicolon when he should have; and he always used "lay" instead of "laid" (but hey, at least he was consistent) - the prose itself is engaging, often humorous, detailed but not overly so, and never boring. I also loved the little songs and ditties that are included, and the stories within Kvothe's story.

Likewise, the way he doles out the various plots, revealing and hinting at the right moments, building up tension and anticipation, giving clues that start to coalesce into a stunning picture, is, frankly, impressive. The supporting cast, while not as fully explored as Kvothe (it is his story, after all), are in their own ways vividly portrayed and gradually explored. There's no chunky exposition or a description of a character shoved at you all at once. It's more a show-not-tell kind of book, appreciating the intellect of its audience and our ability to figure things out for ourselves. Nicely done. There was a while there, when I was reading, that the prose gave me the same kind of thrill as reading a sex scene in a romance novel might - but it could have just been the excitment of the story.

One last thing (though I could go on forever): I loved what he did with dragons. I won't spoil it by saying more, just that it's original and delightful - this coming from someone who's been known to get a mite bored by dragons in fantasy.

I would easily recommend this to anyone who enjoys fantasy, but also to people who enjoy great stories told wonderfully well. As many non-fantasy readers loved Harry Potter, they would also love this book. ...more

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Dec 09, 2011 Rob rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have no interest in imagining I'm someone who is stronger, deadlier, smarter, sexier, etc. than myself - a famed hero in a milqtoast world little different from modern North America.

I read fantasy to immerse myself in strange worlds ripe with danger and conflict. To uncork primal wonders. And there is none of that in Rothfuss' book.

His world is about as strange and dangerous as a mashed potato sandwich. His protagonist is comically overblown wish fullfillment for people who weren't popular i ...more

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Feb 19, 2011 Ian rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: best-sellers-that-suck, did-not-finish, unfulfilled-expectations, fantasy

I'm sorry, Mr. Rothfuss. For realz, actual sorry. Honestly. I tried giving your book two stars out of pity, since I so wanted to like it and I'd feel bad about giving it one star and dragging down your average rating. Though you don't appear to need my pity. Your book has the highest average GR rating (4.49) of any of the book I've read. I finally dropped my rating down to one star because it's just a steaming pile of crap and I couldn't take the embarrassment of having posted a two-star rating ...more

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Sep 01, 2015 Mark Lawrence rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'll give this 5* with no begrudging. I'm pretty easy with my 5*, they're not reserved for the best book I've ever read, just very good books. I thought The Name of the Wind was "very good". I read it in what for me was a very short span of time - it had that 'more-ish' quality that best sellers need.

Can I see what makes this the single best selling epic fantasy for a generation (apart from George Martin's series)? No. Excepting that perhaps the lesson is that to be head and shoulders above your I'll give this 5* with no begrudging. I'm pretty easy with my 5*, they're not reserved for the best book I've ever read, just very good books. I thought The Name of the Wind was "very good". I read it in what for me was a very short span of time - it had that 'more-ish' quality that best sellers need.

Can I see what makes this the single best selling epic fantasy for a generation (apart from George Martin's series)? No. Excepting that perhaps the lesson is that to be head and shoulders above your competition in sales "all" you need is to be better by a nose - after that the non-linear dynamics of the market take over and elevate you to godhood.

I loved the writing, and that's very important to me. Rothfuss often treads the thin line between prose and poetry, and fortunately it's excellent poetry that he brushes up against. The quality of the writing breathes magic into even fairly ordinary scenes, and makes some of the important ones extraordinary.

The story itself is mostly compelling. It uses the reverse of the device I saw recently in Blood Song of a framing story that's not in the first person, delivering up a first person narrative. Our hero, Kvothe has bags of attitude and is a total genius at everything. To balance out his 'all power' we have his poverty, bad luck, tendency to dig himself into a hole, and his powerful enemies.

Kvothe's real powerful enemy sits in the background as a motivator (& presumably story for books 2 & 3) while his 'school-boy' adversary at the university fills in for bad guy for most of the book.

Like Blood Song, and many other really successful books, TNOTW is at its core a school story. Harry Potter, Wizard of Earthsea etc all feature magic schools, for Blood Song and Enders' Game it was a battle school, but the point is that the schools + lessons + masters combo sells bucket loads if you write it really well and plumb it into a compelling larger picture.

With magic the school system also provides a painless way of educating your readers in the magic-system you have (by virtue of it being delivered through formal education) elected to use.

Was there anything wrong with it? For me the whole 'and then I broke another string' and 'I was very hungry and dirty in Tarbean' sections were rather slow and lengthy - I understand their role in the story but they felt overplayed. And at the end the whole business with the draccus felt tangential and diluted the endgame for me. But no, nothing of great significance.

A final observation: throughout the book we (like Kvothe) are constantly aware of money. Kvothe's poverty is a driver and source of tension. He is constantly coming into money, losing it, incurring costs. We almost know the contents of his purse at any time and the price of all his needs. To me this was very reminiscent of Dostoyevsky's work (and to a lesser extent, Dickens) where a similar focus on the number of coins in our character's pocket is maintained and the need to cover their expenses drives much of the story.

In short though, given the impossible level of expectation built up by years of hearing how incredible this book is ... the text made a very good attempt to live up to its reputation.

. ...more

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Jul 28, 2011 Allison (The Allure of Books) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: loved-it, 2009, own-it, other-adult-fantasy

Originally posted here.

This is definitely one of my new favorite books, so if you're a friend of mine, prepare to have me brutally push it on you until you give in and give it a go.

One of the reviews I read compared it to The Song of Ice and Fire and Lord of the Rings, saying that the book was equal to the best of fantasy written thus far. Well let me tell you, this doesn't stand alongside the fantasy greats, it knocks them off the shelves.

It isn't just some fantastic epic that you read for fun Originally posted here.

This is definitely one of my new favorite books, so if you're a friend of mine, prepare to have me brutally push it on you until you give in and give it a go.

One of the reviews I read compared it to The Song of Ice and Fire and Lord of the Rings, saying that the book was equal to the best of fantasy written thus far. Well let me tell you, this doesn't stand alongside the fantasy greats, it knocks them off the shelves.

It isn't just some fantastic epic that you read for fun and adventure (although you'll get plenty of that too). It is story of a real life. Kvothe has known pain, despair, the feeling of being completely abandoned and alone, and he has also experienced joy, love, happiness and knowledge. One chapter he is beaten half to death, the next he is being shown some of the truest acts of kindness I could ever imagine.

I can't think of an emotion I didn't experience while reading. I snorted with laughter, gasped in outrage, choked back tears, shook with disbelief and trembled with anticipation. Seriously, the book has it all.

What a magnificent achievement to tell this story in a completely believable way-I mean sure there are dragons and magic (sympathy)...but I mean the "real life" stuff. Here you have a 15 year old boy, who early on, had fantastic parents and a happy life as a traveling performer. When that was taken away, he lived on the streets of a large city and raised himself to be tough and cunning. He knew how smart he was, and he got himself a place in the University. Now-before you start thinking that he is portrayed as being perfect-the author never hesitates to remind you that he is still a kid! He is constantly showing off and doing outrageously idiotic things that get him into heaps of trouble. I wanted to wring his neck more than once myself!

Anyway, I'm not going to try to summarize the book. I wouldn't be doing it any favors. I will say that the beginning was slow. It probably took me over a hundred pages to actually get really involved with the story. But, even that was all so mysterious and sinister that I knew sticking with it would pay off. I can't wait to read it again someday when I will be able to understand more of what was going on in the beginning.

The ending. I have read a ton of reviews and comments of people saying it ruined the book and so on. I don't get that. I thought Kvothe ended his story in a perfect place to set up anticipation for the next book, and the little scene with Bast and the Chronicler that closed the story was brilliant, set up interest in the current setting. Anyway...just my opinion.

Even after over 700 pages, I still don't "know" Kvothe. Isn't that the point? He isn't predictable, and he hardly ever did what I expected him to do. For that reason alone, I know the next installment will probably be even better then this one.

So...quit listening to me and go meet Kvothe for yourself.

Oh yeah--one more thing though. If you're a fan of the book...or really, even if you aren't, I recommend checking out Patrick Rothfuss' blog (it is posted on his website). He is hilarious, and regularly keeps me entertained. He is just the type of guy I would love hanging out with. Not in a creepy-I'm-looking-at-him-through-his-window way, more of a "hey lets eat something really unhealthy and talk about books."

Anyway, he comes off as a really nice, interesting guy. Its a pleasure to read such a fantastic book by a guy that actually seems to deserve the privilege of having come up with it. ...more

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Apr 12, 2011 j rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks, 2010, sci-fi-fantasy, series, vote-getters, here-there-be-dragons

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I must preface this review by stating that my experience with fantasy is somewhat limited: the Harry Potter books, George R.R. Martin, a dozen scattered other novels and series. The more of it I read, the more I realize traditional "epic" fantasy of the multi-book series tack is not quite for me.

Or maybe I am bad at choosing, since I really like some of it (Martin, Bujold). Some of it, not so much. Take, for instance, The Name of the Wind, one of the most celebrated fantasy debuts in years, with I must preface this review by stating that my experience with fantasy is somewhat limited: the Harry Potter books, George R.R. Martin, a dozen scattered other novels and series. The more of it I read, the more I realize traditional "epic" fantasy of the multi-book series tack is not quite for me.

Or maybe I am bad at choosing, since I really like some of it (Martin, Bujold). Some of it, not so much. Take, for instance, The Name of the Wind, one of the most celebrated fantasy debuts in years, with glowing praise from... just about everyone. In some ways, I can see why. It's very well written. The characters are engaging. There's good dialogue. Drama. Adventure.

But it's also very long. I'm not against a long book if I feel like I got something back for the time invested. But TNOTW doesn't tell an epic story to match its epic length. To be fair, it's the start of what promises to be an epic story, but that means I'll have to read the next two books in the series to be satisfied. This book is not a satisfying installment on its own. The episodic structure means large parts of the book are largely inconsequential when you get right down to it, so if they aren't interesting, well... they feel like a waste of pages. Which means while I really enjoyed the scene of Kvothe earning his silver pipes, I *really* could have done without the extended horse bartering/fevered riding/detective work/battling dragons section (which was about 150 pages I think), as it didn't advance the story... at all, really. Not even when you throw in the romance angle.

What I liked: The structure of the book is interesting. I like the idea of the narrator telling his story. In fact, because of this I can somewhat excuse the episodic feel (and the appallingly thin, idealized female characters, who have no substance and next to nothing to do), even if I don't always like it. It also does a great job of slowly revealing the mechanics of its world without too much exposition or too little explanation, and some elements, like the explanations for sympathy and "real magic," are very satisfying. The prose and dialogue are better than the narrative; I would read other books by this author (just, er, no more books like this one).

What I didn't like: Rothfuss is a little too satisfied with the ways he's working to break fantasy conventions even as he seemingly reinforces them (i.e. a unassuming boy is secretly a genius and a chosen one, goes off to a magic school, excels at everything he tries, etc. etc.). I can't even count the number of cute comments like, "If this were a story, X, Y, and Z would have happened. But this is not a story." This might be a revolutionary concept in fantasy writing, but considering much of post-modern literature is built on metafiction, it struck me as one one interesting element; certainly not enough to excuse 600 pages of narrative inaction. ...more

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May 09, 2015 Raeleen Lemay rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Raeleen by: Catriona (LittleBookOwl)

Shelves: favorites, own

Upon this second reading, I've come to the conclusion that the audiobook for this isn't the greatest. SO, if you're reading it for the first time I INSIST that you read the actual book. 100% the best way to read this book.

Also I am SO READY for book two.

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Sep 08, 2009 colleen the fabulous fabulaphile rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommends it for: People who like overwrought epics

Recommended to colleen the fabulous fabulaphile by: Those evil goodreads people

Shelves: fantasy, sword-and-sorcery

"I must confess myself... disappointed."

(For those who don't get the reference, it's a line that Voldemort uses in Goblet of Fire - the movie version at least. I am using a Harry Potter reference in retaliation to all those people who are somehow comparing this to that series, for the sole reason that there's a freaking magical university. Really, there's very little comparison aside from that. I mean, not even to get into how the whole tone and whatnot is different, but, really, the fact that t ...more

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Jul 25, 2007 Jim rated it 5 of 5 stars

They say writers should write what they love, what they're passionate about, and Patrick Rothfuss loves stories. The Name of the Wind introduces us to Kvothe, a legendary figure now living a quiet life as an innkeeper. This is the first book in a trilogy, and takes us through the first day of Kvothe telling his story to The Chronicler, a wandering scribe and collector of stories. Rothfuss also shows us the power of stories. Kvothe is shaped both by the stories others tell about him as he grows u They say writers should write what they love, what they're passionate about, and Patrick Rothfuss loves stories. The Name of the Wind introduces us to Kvothe, a legendary figure now living a quiet life as an innkeeper. This is the first book in a trilogy, and takes us through the first day of Kvothe telling his story to The Chronicler, a wandering scribe and collector of stories. Rothfuss also shows us the power of stories. Kvothe is shaped both by the stories others tell about him as he grows up, and eventually by the stories he tells about himself. Stories define us, just as they define the world around us. Kvothe spends much of his time seeking stories of the Chandrian. It's quite clear that Rothfuss loves this stuff. If the book isn't evidence enough for his love of story, check out the many interviews he's done and notice how often he responds by saying, "Let me tell you a story about that...."

On many levels, the story of Kvothe is a familiar one. Gifted orphan goes off to magical school and becomes a hero. I know I've heard that plotline before. And some of the events of the book were a bit predictable as a result. But it doesn't matter. This isn't a book you read to discover what's going to happen; you read to discover how things will happen, and to appreciate Rothfuss' storytelling. This is both a strength and a weakness. On the one hand, though this book doesn't end so much as it simply stops, I don't feel a powerful urge to run out and grab the second book. Oh, I plan to read it, but there isn't the same urgency with which I've awaited other books. Action and plot aren't used as a blatant hook to force you to keep reading.*

But when you read this book, you're immersed in Kvothe's world. The cultures and geography and characters and details, everything is amazingly well developed. According to one interview, Rothfuss spent 14 years working on this trilogy, and it shows. He knows his society, every detail from the exchange rates for various coins to the mathematical formula for calculating the power of different kinds of magic to the exact level of medical skill Kvothe receives from both your average townsperson and from the University medic. If you're a worldbuilding junkie, you should enjoy this one.

While the book is basically one big flashback, we do get bits of an approaching crisis in the present day. (Rothfuss seems to enjoy this layering of stories. Fortunately, so do I.) These glimpses, brief though they are, help show us how much Kvothe has changed, how different he is from the young Kvothe of his own story. I wish I had seen a little more of the present, but I'm assuming I'll get more answers in the next books.

While there's a fair amount of action, at it's heart The Name of the Wind is simply the story of Kvothe. And it's a good story.

It's also a long story -- 600+ pages in book one, and we've got two more on the way. While some reviewers have complained of slow pacing, I had no problem at all. If I had to point to a weakness, it would be that some of Rothfuss' antagonists feel a bit two-dimensional. Kvothe's foes at the University are nasty, petty, and often a little dim. The Chandrian are a more interesting antagonist, but we don't really see enough of them in this book for them to feel completely real yet. (Which is appropriate, since they're creatures of legend.)

Overall, this is a very good book. The fact that it's Rothfuss' first novel is even more impressive. ARCs** of The Name of the Wind included a note from Rothfuss' editor, describing the book as the best first fantasy novel she's seen in 30 years as an editor. I haven't read enough first fantasies to say the same, but for me, the book is definitely worth picking up, reading, and assuming you have time, reading again.

---
*Not that there's anything wrong with that, Jim said self-consciously.
**Advance Review Copy. Being a DAW author does have the occasional advantage :-) ...more

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Aug 30, 2007 Wealhtheow rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Wealhtheow by: Pat Rothfuss (an excellent congoer)

Shelves: fantasy, didn-t_finish

I really disliked the main character, to the extent that I couldn't get more than 1/3rd through it. The other problem I had was the language: Kvothe's eyes are described as shards of ice just a sentence before his voice is likened to a sharp steel blade. Ah well--there's lots of other high fantasy in the world.

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Sep 19, 2015 Bookworm Sean rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

When I began reading this, I did so with a yawn. It initially appeared quite basic and completely uninspiring. I almost stopped reading after twenty five pages, shocking I know. If I did that it would have been a massive mistake because this is one of the best fantasy novels published in the last twenty years. Those first few pages did nothing to encourage me, but as soon as I realised that this is, essentially, a story about a story, I was hooked of Rothfuss’ magic.

This series has such a huge s ...more

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Aug 14, 2014 Kevin Xu rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: re-read, 35-until-becoming-an-aficionados

I heard a lot of hype and great things about this book from just about everyone and their mom in order to tell everyone else and their mom who has not read the book to read it so they can fall in love and rate it five stars. So I took a shot and check this book out of the library, ending up hating the book mostly because of the main character, Kovthe. Everything that he does to me might as well be a flaw, the flaw of being rational , not thinking of the consequences or the emotional effect it wo I heard a lot of hype and great things about this book from just about everyone and their mom in order to tell everyone else and their mom who has not read the book to read it so they can fall in love and rate it five stars. So I took a shot and check this book out of the library, ending up hating the book mostly because of the main character, Kovthe. Everything that he does to me might as well be a flaw, the flaw of being rational , not thinking of the consequences or the emotional effect it would have on others. I was wondering how many things that he does right then there is a flaw to follow right afterwards. I know he is still learning in this book, but where is his common sense or emotions (other than anger), I felt like he had it and throw it out the window. The main point is I felt that me as a reader does not fell sympathetic for his action, but hating it instead. He is like everything that a parent does not want their kid to become friends with or their daughters to even date. He is no gentleman. Overall, he is a very arrogant character that think he is better than everyone in everyone way possible, and he would do anything to get ahead, even if means killing you. So he is not a person to be trusted.

He is my version of Sword of Truth's Richard Rahl, Soldier's Son's Nevare Burvelle or Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, Thomas Covenant, which I know a lot of people hate these three characters to death by wanting to destroy those books, but I loved those three characters. I understood where and why Terry Goodkind, Robin Hobb, and Stephen R. Donaldson was coming from. Hey, at least the book is well written and readable, which made me actually finish the book.

Also many compare this book to The Lies of Locke Lamora, which even the two authors acknowledge that, and have become good friends, appearing together at signings with two of the highest ratings and loyal fan followings.
For me, The Lies of Locke Lamora is a book that I quite enjoyed after many tries of finally able to read the book.

Also the book is like Lev Grossman's The Magicians. One is Kvothe is a mixed character just like the main character of The Magicians, Quentin, where both characters are in a love or hate relationship. Also both of those books are really hyped, but the difference is that The Magician is hyped up by all the literature crowd, while The Name of the Wind is more of fans/readers of fantasy all time favorite. The biggest difference between the two books is that The Magicians is not as well like, having an almost a star less in the ratings.

Lastly, this book has the highest rating of any book I have ever seen on Goodreads. It has even a higher rating and likes than any of the Song of Ice and Fire books, which is saying something, even though it is a lot more popular. It makes me feel like I am not ever going to understand the what is so great about the book, and Partick Rothfuss. I'm not a big fan of Partick Rothfuss himself as a person just like many who hate Orson Scott Card or Terry Goodkind, but that is another story for another time.

P.S. I am also not a fan of John Scalzi personal or for his books as his books for me directly mimics well known books.

P.S.S. If anyone that knows me, two of my favorite characters are Drizzt and Ender, who are both the opposite as a character to Kvothe, even though the first time I heard of Kvothe, even though I had the seen the book when it came out in the bookstore, was really the first and best SUVUDU cage match 2010. It had all the top characters from Science Fiction and Fantasy up against each other. Kvothe and Drizzt was fighting it out for the third and fourth place, and I could not believe that Drizzt lost. I had to check him out. Personally I think Drizzt would have won just because he is over infinite times better of character than Kvothe ever will ever be. ...more

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Oct 30, 2009 Stephen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, 6-star-books, all-time-favorites, audiobook, biographies

6.0 stars. One of my All Time favorite novels. This is essentially a perfect novel. Having just finished it I can honestly say that even at 662 pages, there was not a slow or dull moment in the novel. I loved every page and can not wait for the sequel. HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION!! Read it!!

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Jan 26, 2008 Sarah Keliher rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: shelf-of-shame, sf-fantasy-general

I really, really wish I could give this negative stars.

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Jan 14, 2015 Debbie rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Those who like badly plotted male wish fulfillment Gary Stus.

Shelves: fantasy, 2012, book-club, dead-tree

ETA #2: Spare me Rothfuss fanboys who just want to pick fights over negative reviews. I thought the book sucked. My thinking the book sucked in no way impacts how much others enjoyed the book. And if you are uncomfortable that I point out the lack of strong female characters, the main character as essentially a male Mary Sue, or the fact that the entire book was pure male fantasy wish fulfillment, then perhaps you should consider some personal reflection on why those points upset you.

ETA: I had ETA #2: Spare me Rothfuss fanboys who just want to pick fights over negative reviews. I thought the book sucked. My thinking the book sucked in no way impacts how much others enjoyed the book. And if you are uncomfortable that I point out the lack of strong female characters, the main character as essentially a male Mary Sue, or the fact that the entire book was pure male fantasy wish fulfillment, then perhaps you should consider some personal reflection on why those points upset you.

ETA: I had to downgrade this from 2 stars to 1. I have a very visceral negative reaction whenever I am reminded of this book. I have blocked this book's existence from my mind and whenever someone mentions it, I want to foam at the mouth.

I slogged through the first 200 pages and kept wondering when the plot was going to show up. The early bits were interesting but had a tendency to drag (espcially after Kvothe was by himself). After he joined the University, the story picked up a bit and became more engaging -- but there was still no real point to the book... and after finishing it, there still wasn't. Rothfuss probably planned the story arc over the span of (presumably) three books, and broke up the story at what seemed like appropriate points. But my complaint is that they weren't - by focusing on the overall story arc, there were no arcs in the individual book, and no thread that connected everything together other than Kvothe was telling the story of his life.

Another irritant was Kvothe, the paragon of perfectness. He was beyond perfect. He had no flaws and after a while, it got annoying. Would it have killed the author to give his main character a zit or something? On a whim, I started filling out the Mary Sue litmust test for Kvothe but got tired of checking all the boxes. He was OSSIM at everything he tried, and not only awesome but better than people who were masters. Everyone LURVED him. If a character didn't love him, they were horrible, bad, not very good people. Women fawned over him and fell at his feet and had no other role in the story. This was an epic fail on the Bechdel test. Gag.

There were enough hints of a larger plot to intrigue. I just wish that Rothfuss compressed everything more. After finishing the 700+ pages, I didn't actually get much story. I did end up liking it enough to contemplate continuing on with the second book...until learning that The Wise Man's Fear was even more of a badly plotted mess of male wish-fulfillment than The Name of the Wind.

...more

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Aug 11, 2010 Danielle The Book Huntress (Self-Proclaimed Book Ninja) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommends it for: Readers who want to be enthralled

Shelves: favorites, hero-to-die-for, angsty-read, fantasy, coming-of-age, nerd-prof-scientist-genius-geek, owned-copy, magic, self-made-hero, story-within-a-story, musical-story, mage, desert-island-books, desert-island-keepers, polymath-hero-or-heroine, uf-summer-challenge, fantasy-aficionados-aug-read, best-books-of-2010, school-days

There are just some books that you have no conception of how much you will come to love, until you read the book, and fall in love. That's what happened to me with this book. At 722 pages, I think this is the longest book I've ever read and finished, all the way through. When I read it, the world fell away. The mark of a good book.

I worry about my reviews being too repetitive, and I don't want to mess this one up. So I'll keep it simple.

I would ask this book to marry me, if it was legal to marry There are just some books that you have no conception of how much you will come to love, until you read the book, and fall in love. That's what happened to me with this book. At 722 pages, I think this is the longest book I've ever read and finished, all the way through. When I read it, the world fell away. The mark of a good book.

I worry about my reviews being too repetitive, and I don't want to mess this one up. So I'll keep it simple.

I would ask this book to marry me, if it was legal to marry a book. If I had to choose a book to take to a desert island, this book would be on my final consideration list. Yes, I am known for my bizarre excitement when it comes to books. They mean so much to me. I may seem like I hype books unnecessarily. It's not the case. But, if a book finds a place on the shelf in my heart, then I do want to rave about it. Such is the case with The Name of the Wind.

If you aren't sure about diving into a 722 page book, take a chance. My game plan was to read it over the month. Hah! I read it in about a week. I was that sucked in. Not sure that your interest will be sustained for over 700 pages? I don't think you'll be disappointed, if you enjoy books with fascinating characters. And Kvothe is definitely fascinating.

This book made me cry, it made me laugh, it made me angry. I got excited, I got frustrated. I was sad when it ended. Yes, even after 722 pages, I wanted more.

I walked the long road that Kvothe walked. I couldn't abandon him. When the book would go from his story narrative and back to the inn where he was telling his story to the Chronicler, I was like, "Wait. I want to hear more." That's the kind of story that Kvothe has. I don't want to suffer the things he did. But, I like the idea of having an epic story of my life to tell someone. That probably won't happen in real life, but there's an identification factor here in this: We were all young, and rich with dreams; we have all cried bitter tears as some of those dreams died painful deaths. Only for new dreams and possiblities to be born. That is what this book shows.

I may add more to this review, because I think I could say more. Right now, I think this will do. I hope you decide to read The Name of the Wind someday. ...more

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Jul 09, 2015 Bangadybangz rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was so epic! Intrigue, drama, humor, wit, and ALL THE EMOTIONS galore! Love this world, love the characters! Such an enthralling plot and I WANT MORE

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May 12, 2011 Hirondelle rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, mary-sue-land

I do not know how to assign a numerical rating to this. As Sheryl Crow complained "if it makes you happy, it cant be that bad". But it makes me happy and yes, I think it is bad, sorry. This was a good read, it made me keep turning the pages and wanting to just go sit down reading it till I finished it. But it is, for my taste and from my point of view, bad - the writing, the plotting, the characterization.

First the good. Its a massive brick of a novel, seems to be designed to be one third of a s ...more

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Oct 06, 2010 Danica rated it 1 of 5 stars

Okay. Wow. Let's back the hell up here. How is this so highly rated? Are those genre-establishment reviewers who're thrashing about in paroxysms of fawning five-star NEXT BIG THING OMG joy wearing blinders or just so used to mediocre fantasy that this book actually comes across looking good in comparison? Why do these high fantasy disappointments keep on keeping on? Whose brilliant idea was it to throw around the GRRM and Harry Potter comparisons, thereby actually getting me to waste my pennies Okay. Wow. Let's back the hell up here. How is this so highly rated? Are those genre-establishment reviewers who're thrashing about in paroxysms of fawning five-star NEXT BIG THING OMG joy wearing blinders or just so used to mediocre fantasy that this book actually comes across looking good in comparison? Why do these high fantasy disappointments keep on keeping on? Whose brilliant idea was it to throw around the GRRM and Harry Potter comparisons, thereby actually getting me to waste my pennies on this book when the money could've been better spent, I dunno, on some new dish sponges or perhaps bundled together into a lump sum donation to the Feminist Fantasy Writer Foundation? And for God's sake, why do male fantasy writers always write about do-everything, know-it-all male heroes who vanquish dragons, defeat their conniving rivals, strangle angels, and literally walk through fires /carrying weeping females over their shoulders like sacks of potatoes/???? HE WALKS THROUGH A FIRE GUYS. WITH A GIRL SLUNG OVER HIS SHOULDERS. LIKE JESUS CHRIST OR SOMETHING. AKJGALGJLSJLAG W.T.F.

For one, the protagonist is an insufferable little shit. He's the best musician, the best dueler, the best test-taker, the fastest learner, the snarkiest snarker, and the best actor. Plus he's got the greenest eyes too. And an encyclopedic knowledge of everything there is to know, ever. And a tragic past. His one handicap is that he's dirt poor, but hey! That's okay, because he's so awesome it hardly matters. (Well, to be hair, it is a fairly severe handicap. But that doesn't make up for his infuriating lack of weakness in basically every other area of his life.) To echo an earlier review, I really was waiting for someone to hip-check this guy into a mud bog. Or a moat full of voracious alligators. Yay, the end!

To be sure, Rothfuss is very self-conscious about his story-making. I lost count of the number of times he wrote, "If this were a story, Kvothe would be serenading Denna on his magical lute with a red rose clenched between his teeth. But it's not, which is why he's blushing and stammering (but still, amazingly, Getting the Girl)".

And the language. Okay. What. I understand this is fantasy, so it's gotta have the ponderous, stentorian, "And Twas it Was that Haldorian Son of Keoth-Arbalith Returned to the Great Stone Tower of Gothalas to embrace his weeping elven bride" Tolkien vibe, and that Rothfuss was a substitute high school teacher all his life and didn't graduate from the much-touted Iowa workshop with an awesome literary degree of MFA awesomeness, but jesus, put a cap on it, please? Like, the cheapass cliff-hangers that end one chapter only to resolve in the very next paragraph? And this following paragraph, which I especially earmarked out of boggle-eyed feelings of what-the-fuckery?

"Deoch, my heart is made of stronger stuff than glass. When she strikes she'll find it strong as iron-bound brass, or gold and adamant together mixed. Don't think I am unaware, some startled deer to stand transfixed by hunter's horns. It's she who should take care, for when she strikes, my heart will make a sound to beautiful and bright that it can't help but bring her back to me in winged flight."

A moment of wondering silence for how this drivel actually managed to avoid excision via enraged editor.

Not to go on an embittered, long-winded rant or anything (.. too late for that), but this book represents pretty much everything I hate about high fantasy. There's the utter paucity of strong female characters. The cardboard villainy of the baddies. The lack of real dimension besides character 'typeness'. The never-ending leveling up of powers. The protagonist who can do no wrong. The frankly boring, and sometimes hair-raisingly clichéd, use of language. Also, the lack of females. You know what this book makes me want to do? Smash the patriarchy. Oh my god. I think this guy needs to sit at the feet of Joss Whedon or George R.R. Martin and learn something worthwhile. ...more

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May 29, 2014 Kirstine rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, own, nope, reviewed

So many of my favourite reviewers on Goodreads have praised this book to high heaven, so obviously I jumped at it without a second thought, just to end up feeling "meh" about it.

It would seem, sadly, I expected too much. Something I'm not wont to do, but even the best slip up, I suppose.
Still, I really hate not loving this book.

However, it isn't all bad. Let me tell you the good things first, like why it's getting 3 stars:

1. The idea
I love the switching back and forth between present time and t ...more

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Apr 07, 2011 mark monday rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantastickal

this is a really absorbing mixture of epic fantasy tropes and The Story of Kvothe: The Harry Potter Years. the novel, besides its framing story, is divided inequally between three parts of the protagonist's early journeys: a bucolic life on the road with romany-like entertainers, a hard-scrabble life on the streets in a typically hard city, and a life of mystery & romance & wonder in a sinister school for sorcerors. all three portions are nothing new; in fact a person could call out each this is a really absorbing mixture of epic fantasy tropes and The Story of Kvothe: The Harry Potter Years. the novel, besides its framing story, is divided inequally between three parts of the protagonist's early journeys: a bucolic life on the road with romany-like entertainers, a hard-scrabble life on the streets in a typically hard city, and a life of mystery & romance & wonder in a sinister school for sorcerors. all three portions are nothing new; in fact a person could call out each scenario as an obvious cliche of the genre. happily, nothing felt derivative to me and kvothe's adventures were a pleasure to read from beginning to end. it is hard for me to put a finger on why this is so, other than to state the obvious: the writing is excellent. now this is not especially lyrical or literary writing - i never felt the need to put the book down and savor a brilliant or haunting phrase. but what it is, well, is perhaps even more enjoyable: a truly well-crafted page-turner that escapes derivativeness by virtue of its straightforward humanism, its carefully constructed mysteries, its relaxed pacing, its many scenes of derring-do, its equally frequent scenes of contemplation & moodiness, and its splendid hero - one who manages to be both somewhat of an everyman and yet also a singular & highly individualistic oddball. sometimes a classic formula works perfectly, and this novel manages to take three classic situations (theatre types on the road, orphan child-thief, student mage) and breathe new life into them.

for me, there was one flaw: the portrayal of kvothe in the framing sequences and within the interludes. personally, i need to be shown how a character is an amazing icon, a fearful wizard, a terrifying power who moved history. i can't just be told that - or even have it implied - and then just accept that this is how i should view the character. so, although the framing sequences and interludes were definitely compelling - i really want to know what is going to happen next - i found myself rushing through them to get back to the boyhood adventures. all that said, this is truly a minor flaw in my opinion.

so back to the novel's virtues:

Kindness. how refreshing to have so much kindness displayed by various characters throughout all of kvothe's life situations. the kindness was never maudlin or forced, and was depicted side-by-side with cruelty and other forms of darkness. and so it was a pleasure to live in a world that felt real but was not all harsh edges, where some human beings didn't automatically want to fuck over other human beings.

Music. i loved this novel's focus on music as a key component of life, and how it was central to kvothe's self-image.

A Single Perspective. since george rr martin, i will always appreciate the multiple-perspective epic fantasy. but it was really enjoyable looking through kvothe's eyes throughout the novel. he never bored me, he never alienated me; his motivations were clear and yet he also managed to surprise me on a regular basis. in general, i don't need to like a protagonist for a novel to succeed for me. that said, kvothe is a prickly cuss at times but was also genuinely likeable - in a very unforced way.

Scary Demonic Beings. the Chandrian! gosh i am intrigued. i can't wait to read more about them. a woman with a broken sword? a man by a dead tree? a naked temptress? a white-haired man with all-black eyes? a man with a dog biting his leg? a thoughtful man, wrapped in shadow? who are these enigmatic villains who slaughter groups of people for digging up the wrong treasure or for singing the wrong song?

A Dragon. perhaps the most realistic dragon i've ever read about. sorta deadly. sorta cute. an interesting animal. and also drug-addled!

okay, if you haven't read this already, you should. reading it is like a beautiful day in the park, you just want it to go on and on. ...more

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Jan 14, 2012 Mags~CVAddikt~Your shock-wave whisper has sealed your fate rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites-2011-2012, magic-n-stuff, epic-fantasy, heros-2-die-4, 2012, 5-stars-2012, simply-perfection, pure-fantasy

THIS BOOK IS AWSOME!!!

MUST READ!!!

I'll show you how good this book is ... in two ways .. one way for the girls and one way for the boys ...

GIRLS ... this book is AS GOOD AS:

Christina Aguilera's Closet (and this photo shows only the shoes ... )

Chris Evans in a Tom Ford Suit

Black Friday at Macy's without the crowd and with thousands of dollars to spend without guilt!!!

.

BOYS ... this book is AS GOOD AS:

Watching your team win the super bowl... (GO PATRIOTS!!!)

Being on a deserted island with "_____ ...more

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Sep 15, 2014 Jonathan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: want, fantasy-challenge, favourite-series, fantasy, favourites

Let me begin this in an unusual manner by noting how some of my opinions on fantasy books and stories in general have changed as of recent. Or rather they have not changed but have been defined and realized. You see I used to not be concerned with a book that seemed like a duplicate of Tolkien. If I liked the story and it was well written then I would enjoy it. Then I came to realize that a lot of fantasy was very similar to Tolkien. So I began to say: well maybe it can't be good. It mustn't be ...more

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Jul 02, 2015 Will M. rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Will by: Everyone, apparently

Shelves: fantasy, 2014, magic, books-i-own

This was a pain to read, to be honest. If not for some parts in the middle, and the last few chapters, I would've rated this 2 stars. The first chapters were very slow and dull. Nothing made me want to go on. If not for some people who asked me to continue on and finish this, I would've rated this 1 star and left it unfinished.

Kvothe, at first, was terribly boring. He tried to be the cool tough guy in front of Chronicle [Devan Lochees], but all I saw was a pretentious man. That being said, I was This was a pain to read, to be honest. If not for some parts in the middle, and the last few chapters, I would've rated this 2 stars. The first chapters were very slow and dull. Nothing made me want to go on. If not for some people who asked me to continue on and finish this, I would've rated this 1 star and left it unfinished.

Kvothe, at first, was terribly boring. He tried to be the cool tough guy in front of Chronicle [Devan Lochees], but all I saw was a pretentious man. That being said, I was already annoyed at first, thus there was no motivation to continue on. Chronicle [Devan Lochees] was mildly interesting, yet knowing that he wasn't the main character to begin with, it wasn't enough to make me continue on [at first]. As the novel progressed though, I learned to like Kvothe. Once his quest to be accepted in the University started, my favorable opinion of this novel also started.

In one of the blurb, it said that this, in a way, is somewhat like Harry Potter. At first I was enraged with that blurb, as I did not see any connection to HP [not until half of the book, or maybe 3/4]. As I continued reading on though, I realized that Kvothe was a little bit similar to Harry. Being bullied by Ambrose [Harry by Malfoy], Professors not favoring Kvothe [Just like Harry and Dolores Umbridge]. There were a lot of similar things between TNOTW and HP, and that made me like this novel. It brought out a lot of memories, because the HP series was my childhood.

His life journey was mildly interesting at best. Nothing grand, and nothing to rave about. It was a simple adventure of a child who seeks a greater meaning in life, but told in fantasy form. I knew what was in stored for me, but what annoyed me was the ravishing hype this novel received. It wasn't that good to be considered one of the best fantasy novels of this decade. Sure it was good, but it wasn't amazing. It also received a very high rating here on goodreads, higher than some better fantasy novels I've read. Yes, this review is clearly opinionated, but seriously, what's with all this hype? I believe the hype rocketed my expectations lightyears high, and in the end, I was left utterly disappointed. This will be the last time I will trust the high ratings of a book here on goodreads, or anywhere to be certain.

One more thing that I liked about this was the hardship he experienced in the University in particular. Like I said, HP was awesome for me, thus the bullying of professors and students brought out a lot of memories. No matter how hard Kvothe tried, his enemies still found ways to make his life miserable. But let's give Kvothe a big round of applause, as his efforts to be successful were not wasted.

Also, real life struggles were evident in this novel. One prominent factor would be his financial hardship. One clearly knows how expense tuition is, especially of the University. This novel didn't leave that part out, as we see Kvothe clearly crawling his way to paying tuition, rent, food, and other necessities. Another real life struggle would be bullying. Not only of the fellow students [Ambrose], but also of the Professors [Master Hemme]. Also his romantic struggles (view spoiler) It was nice seeing real life struggles being incorporated to a fantasy novel. For me, that's a really good thing to add. Delivers excitement to the reader, yet it also serves as an eye opener to some.

(view spoiler)

I still rated this 3 stars though, but my real rating would be 2.5. The dull moments of the novel were unforgivable. They were dull to the point that they almost made me stop reading this in the first place, so how in the world does anyone expect me to forgive those and rate this 5 stars for instance? I've read other novels wherein there were a lot of dull moments, yet there were also very redemptive moments to actually boost up my rating and garner forgiveness. This on the other hand, was not one of those novels. A good novel at best, but I can recommend better novels for you to read [of the fantasy genre]. I think I'm being too generous giving this a 3-star rating, but I don't know, maybe it's just because I've read quite a few amazing Fantasy novels, that I didn't like this as much as I should've had. If this will be your very first great, amazing, perfect, etc fantasy novel though, then I believe you'll find this novel to be amazing. Disappointing how I'm not rating this 5 stars, and also not considering this to be one of my favorites, but at least it still made me want to read the sequel. I guess that's still something worthy of a 3-star rating. Really hoping that things would improve in the sequel, because I will not be this generous anymore for that. A debut novel turning out just good is quite understandable, but if the sequel doesn't improve, then get ready for a low rating, and a very rant filled review.
...more

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Mar 12, 2012 seak rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, top-12-fantasy

WOW! Where have I been all these years? That's right, I'm actually really glad to have waited this long. I can't stand the couple month-long wait I have for a book that's already finished let alone a couple years.

Reading other books right now, I honestly feel like I need to get back to The Name of the Wind ... because it's not finished yet. Everything is stale in comparison because I'm still right in the middle. What's Ambrose going to do next and how's Kvothe going to get back at him, what abou ...more

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Oct 04, 2015 Mangrii rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favoritos

Hace unos días por casualidad limpiando mi estantería, me dio por abrir este maravilloso libro, vi la firma de Patrick Rothfuss estampada en la primera página y sabéis como termino la cosa, en una relectura que me ha llevado apenas 5 días; y aunque sabiendo más o menos todo lo que iba a suceder no podía parar de leer, al igual que me ocurrió la primera vez, y creo que eso no son capaces de conseguirlo todos los libros.
Como sabéis El nombre del viento recoge el primer día que utiliza Kvothe para Hace unos días por casualidad limpiando mi estantería, me dio por abrir este maravilloso libro, vi la firma de Patrick Rothfuss estampada en la primera página y sabéis como termino la cosa, en una relectura que me ha llevado apenas 5 días; y aunque sabiendo más o menos todo lo que iba a suceder no podía parar de leer, al igual que me ocurrió la primera vez, y creo que eso no son capaces de conseguirlo todos los libros.
Como sabéis El nombre del viento recoge el primer día que utiliza Kvothe para contarle al Cronista su verdadera historia y poder desmentir las leyendas que se cuentan sobre él, yendo en esta primera parte más o menos desde su infancia hasta los 16 años aproximadamente, periodo por el cual pasa por un montón de sucesos que lo han llevado a ser quien fue.
Contando desde el punto de vista de Kvothe cuando está narrando los hechos y desde una tercera persona cuando estamos en el presente, Rothfuss nos va presentando una típica historia de fantasía épica que entraña multitud de misterios, algunos de los cuales quedan resueltos y un montón de ellos que tendremos que continuar leyendo sus secuelas para conocerlos. Eso sí, prepárate para embarcarte en un montón de horas de apasionante lectura conociendo la interesante vida de este personaje, con sus desventuras y aventuras, algunas más agradables que otras y que no deja de mostrar lo peor y lo mejor de la sociedad, aunque sea en un mundo inventado.
Lo más especial de Rothfuss es su estilo de narración. Complejo, denso y lleno de metáforas, donde parece que llevas leyendo un montón y apenas has avanzado unas 10 páginas, lo cual creerme que no es malo, porque solo querrás saber más. Además Rothfuss crea un mundo único; con su sociedad y su religión, sus costumbres y sus leyendas, sus monedas y sus idiomas, y lo más importante, todo tiene coherencia y al final te resulta plenamente normal.
En definitiva, un libro que trata temas de superación, de amor, de compañerismo, de magia, de miedos, de personas, de maestros, de seres fantásticos, de personajes, de leyendas en donde claramente te querrás sumergir. Un relato lleno de acción, fantasía y buenas dosis de misterio, con unas personajes a los que pronto amaras (u odiaras en el caso de algunos) y que es realmente especial. Es un libro para leer y releer despacio (aunque yo lo hice rápido esta vez), para deleitarse en cada una de las descripciones que nos ofrece el autor. Un libro en el que cada personaje tiene una fuerza brutal y de los que quieres saber más.Un libro que definitivamente tenéis que leer, SI O SI. ...more

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Jan 16, 2015 Franco Santos rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Bueno, esta vez voy a hacer la reseña de mi segundo libro favorito...
Disculpen si me excedo con la extensión, pero realmente no puedo evitarlo.

« Viajé, amé, perdí, confié y me traicionaron .»

Me acuerdo de que cuando salió acá en Argentina yo lo vi en una librería, era más chico y no estaba tan interesado en la lectura; aunque seguía con Narnia(). Me quedé mirándolo, sin saber de qué trataba ni de qué género era y me dije: Este libro algún día lo voy a leer y me va a encantar...
Cinco años des ...more

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Dec 26, 2014 Jamie-leigh Haughn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, jamie-vs-jeff

*slow clap*

I'm not gonna lie it took me a long time to read this book and I was very confused by a lot things that happened, fantasy just isn't my forte. That being said, once I got into this book and started knowing Kvothe better and understanding the world, I really loved this book. Even though I found there wasn't a ton of action, it was the writing style that hooked me, it was wonderful! This is a mammoth of a book with intricate details and a whole new world to learn, I highly recommend th ...more

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Mar 03, 2011 Vinaya rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-loved, fantasy, re-reading-times-1-million, favorites, the-real-5-star-deal, speshul-snowflake

My name is Kvothe, pronounced nearly the same as "quothe." Names are important as they tell you a great deal about a person. I've had more names than anyone has a right to.

The Adem call me Maedre. Which, depending on how it's spoken, can mean The Flame, The Thunder, or The Broken Tree. "The Flame" is obvious if you've ever seen me. I have red hair, bright. If I had been born a couple of hundred years ago I would probably have been burned as a demon. I keep it short but it's unruly. When left to My name is Kvothe, pronounced nearly the same as "quothe." Names are important as they tell you a great deal about a person. I've had more names than anyone has a right to.

The Adem call me Maedre. Which, depending on how it's spoken, can mean The Flame, The Thunder, or The Broken Tree. "The Flame" is obvious if you've ever seen me. I have red hair, bright. If I had been born a couple of hundred years ago I would probably have been burned as a demon. I keep it short but it's unruly. When left to its own devices, it sticks up and makes me look as if I have been set afire. "The Thunder" I attribute to a strong baritone and a great deal of stage training at an early age. I've never thought of "The Broken Tree" as very significant. Although in retrospect, I suppose it could be considered at least partially prophetic.

My first mentor called me E'lir because I was clever and I knew it. My first real lover called me Dulator because she liked the sound of it. I have been called Shadicar, Lightfinger, and Six'String. I have been called Kvothe the Bloodless, Kvothe the Arcane, and Kvothe Kingkiller. I have earned those names. Bought and paid for them.

But I was brought up as Kvothe. My father once told me it meant "to know."

I have, of course, been called many other things. Most of them uncouth, although very few were unearned.

I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep.

You may have heard of me.

This is not where the book begins, but this is where the story begins. Patrick Rothfuss' The Name of The Wind, justly hailed as one of the promising fantasy debuts of all time.

I always find it hard to write reviews for books I like; harder still, for books I love. But the hardest of all are the books that bring me to awe, admiration and adoration. I know I sound hyperbolic, but there is no adjective I could apply in praise of NotW that would capture the essence of what this book means to me.

There are many writers I have admired over the years. Some of them I revere. But Patrick Rothfuss is the only writer who makes me pray passionately to a God I'm not even sure I believe in, to grant me an iota of his talent. It's not just that the Name of the Wind has some of the most beautiful prose I've ever read. It's not just that the storytelling transcends our times, and transports me to a place that seems almost real. It's the fact that these simple words on a page touch a deep place inside of me. Allow me to quote Kvothe here:

Yes, I cried at the end of it. I did then, and I have every time since. Even a reading of the story aloud will bring tears to my eyes. In my opinion, anyone who isn't moved by it is less than human inside.

Quoting Kvothe again, this book is "not flawless, but perfect". I'm not so blind in my adoration that I cannot see the faults in this book. Let's begin with the obvious. It's gargantuan! This is one massive doorstopper of a book, and the next one is TWICE as big! There are times when, no matter how absorbing the narrative, the editor part of me was screaming, 'not necessary! not necessary!' Kvothe is one of those smart, charming, cocky, funny, attractive, talented heroes who are every geek's wish fulfillment fantasy. So are the women. You can totally tell from this book that Patrick Rothfuss is a geek, whose spent more of his time role-playing than playing Casanova. Denna is the perfect adolescent fantasy. A beautiful mysterious woman who secretly has the hots for our hero, who appears and disappears at whim, vastly desired by all the men around her, and playing hard-to-get into the bargain. All the other women in this novel also appear sparsely and are oddly flat. This book is all about Kvothe and how super-cool he is. There are also way too many "cute" references to how, if it was a story things would have gone differently, but since it's real life, things are more complicated. Rothfuss does come across as being a little too self-satisfied with his subtle attempts at breaking fantasy tropes.

But despite its faults, this book sucks you in and keeps you mesmerized. There is beauty in Rothfuss' prose, a rhythm and flow that indicate a master storyteller, almost bardic in its intensity. This book reminds me of Daughter of the Forest, even though the styles and the cadences are completely different. What's similar between them is their ability to sweep me off my feet and into another world. NotW is the sort of book that makes me want to genuflect; it's the sort of book that makes me deeply envious as a storyteller, because I know that no matter how good I am, no matter how well-received my work is, this is the book I would have wished to have written, and never shall. Damn you, Patrick Rothfuss! ...more

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About Patrick Rothfuss

It all began when Pat Rothfuss was born to a marvelous set of parents. Throughout his formative years they encouraged him to do his best, gave him good advice, and were no doubt appropriately dismayed when he failed to live up to his full potential.

In high-school Pat was something of a class clown. His hobbies included reading a novel or two a day and giving relationship advice to all of his femal It all began when Pat Rothfuss was born to a marvelous set of parents. Throughout his formative years they encouraged him to do his best, gave him good advice, and were no doubt appropriately dismayed when he failed to live up to his full potential.

In high-school Pat was something of a class clown. His hobbies included reading a novel or two a day and giving relationship advice to all of his female friends despite the fact that he had never so much as kissed a girl. He also role-played and wrote terrible stories about elves. He was pretty much a geek.

Most of Pat's adult life has been spent in the University Wisconsin Stevens Point. In 1991 he started college in order to pursue a career in chemical engineering, then he considered clinical psychology. In 1993 he quit pretending he knew what he wanted to do with his life, changed his major to "undecided," and proceeded to study whatever amused him. He also began writing a book....

For the next seven years Pat studied anthropology, philosophy, eastern religions, history, alchemy, parapsychology, literature, and writing. He studied six different martial arts, practiced improv comedy, learned how to pick locks, and became a skilled lover of women. He also began writing a satirical advice column which he continues to this day: The College Survivial Guide. Through all of this he continued to work on his novel.

In 2000 Pat went to grad school for English literature. Grad school sucked and Pat hated it. However, Pat learned that he loved to teach. He left in 2002 with his masters degree, shaking the dust from his feet and vowing never to return. During this period of time his novel was rejected by roughly every agent in the known universe.

Now Pat teaches half-time at his old school as an assistant-sub-lecturer. He is underpaid but generally left alone to do as he sees fit with his classes. He is advisor for the college feminists, the fencing club, and, oddly enough, a sorority. He still roll-plays occasionally, but now he does it in an extremely sophisticated, debonair way.

Through a series of lucky breaks, he has wound up with the best agent and editor imaginable, and the first book of his trilogy has been published under the title "The Name of the Wind."

Though it has only been out since April 2007, it has already been sold in 26 foreign countries and won several awards.

Pat has been described as "a rough, earthy iconoclast with a pipeline to the divine in everyone's subconscious." But honestly, that person was pretty drunk at the time, so you might want to take it with a grain of salt. ...more

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Other Books in the Series

The Kingkiller Chronicle (3 books)

Books by Patrick Rothfuss

The Wise Man's Fear (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #2)

The Slow Regard of Silent Things (The Kingkiller Chronicle #2.5)

The Thing Beneath the Bed (The Adventures of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle #1)

Doors of Stone (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #3)

The Dark of Deep Below (The Adventures of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle #2)

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Quotes from The Name of the Wind

“Words are pale shadows of forgotten names. As names have power, words have power. Words can light fires in the minds of men. Words can wring tears from the hardest hearts.” — 2387 likes

“It's like everyone tells a story about themselves inside their own head. Always. All the time. That story makes you what you are. We build ourselves out of that story.” — 2263 likes

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