The Name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss Review

 

Name - The Name of the Wind

Author - Patrick Rothfuss

Rating - ★★★★☆

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 a fugitive after the murder of a king form a gripping coming-of-age story unrivaled in recent literature.

A high-action story written with a poet's hand, The Name of the Wind is a masterpiece that will transport readers into the body and mind of a wizard. 

“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.”

The Name of the Wind has to be one of the most hyped and recommended adult fantasy books EVER. Almost everyone who reads it, loves it and it's many people's favourite novel. It is very much a classic in the fantasy genre. Personally, I enjoyed this novel but I'm not sure if it is as astounding as many people declare it is.

First of all, the aspects that I loved. My favourite thing in this novel has to be the importance of music and stories, and the use of art itself. From the beginning to end, the beauty of music is emphasised. Music is so important to Kvothe, and I loved seeing the allure and grace of the lyre through Kvothe's character. The lyre isn't just an instrument to Kvothe, it's a part of him, and I LOVED that aspect (of art being something that stabilises and calms and is a part of you)

"It was secondhand, ugly, and had cost me dearly in money, blood, and peace of mind. I loved it like a child, like breathing, like my own right hand.”

Also, the use of STORIES. Rothfuss takes care to deliver the message that art equates to knowledge. Throughout the novel, many different stories were told, in pubs, between friends, through music... the power of words is something that is really emphasised in The Name of the Wind and it made the story so much more transcendent and meaningful.

“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.”

However, there were few things that I didn't enjoy or felt could've been improved. For example, the pacing. This story took so long to really start. It took me around 250 pages to get into it and become interested in the story. Only when Kvothe reached the University, did I really get sucked into the novel. The pacing really could've been improved.

But no amount of pages could've made me like Kvothe. I felt like Rothfuss really honed in on how perfect Kvothe is. He can literally do anything. It got to the point where it would be a very intense scene (.e.g. fighting a DRAGON!!!) and I still wasn't concerned for Kvothe's safety because he's perfect and too smart and brilliant to let anything bad actually happen to him *insert eyeroll* With him being the main character, I would expect him to be intelligent, or skilled etc. But to have a main character who is literally brilliant at everything is dull and a little lacklustre. However, I am intrigued to see Kvothe's character develop throughout the trilogy. I want to know what turned him into the dark, sombre man he is in the present tense chapters of the book. A man who doesn't play music or use magic, a man who has given up. If there is one thing that Rothfuss does well, it's keeping his reader's intrigued.

Although Kvothe's character left something to be desire, I did enjoy the side characters. Denna is actually my favourite character in the book, and the most intriguing. Rothfuss gives us enough of Denna to begin to like her, but as you start to understand her, Rothfuss snatches her away again. I'm not sure if I like her with Kvothe. Her character is interesting, but she's constantly drifting away with other men, and her attention never really stays on one man for longer than a couple of days. There is nothing wrong with that of course, but it makes it difficult to trust her. I think I prefer her and Kvothe as friends rather than something more. Another character that really interested me was Elodin. Not only was the professor funny but he is so bizarre and kinda crazy, that you can't help but want to know his secrets.

The writing style was absolutely stunning. Rothfuss has a beautiful way with words. His descriptions were mesmerising. His talent for writing is unquestionable.

Overall, despite the rough and slow start, I grew to really enjoy this book. I loved the use of magic, the University setting, the way that the beauty of art permeates the novel. Kvothe wasn't my favourite, but honestly all of the side characters really make up for it. I really enjoyed this novel, and I can't wait to read the next book!!

That's all from me, thank you for reading! ♡

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