A fantasy book worth reading

Reviewing Patrick Rothfuss's The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicles #1) by J. Tayler Smith

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I don’t read enough fantasy

I spent the majority of my reading time over the past several years in textbooks and other non-fiction works. Though, I have certainly read (and enjoyed) other classic fantasy works, including: The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter. Despite my limited experience with fantasy, I do think I can still provide a worthwhile review of The Name of the Wind; at the very least I add a perspective from a person who is less familiar with the genre. Reading the thoughts of a fresh pair of eyes may even inspire others to take up this book themselves.

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuff is an excellent start to what may become a timeless classic alongside other great fantasy authors. Overall, this book is worth reading, and is honestly one of the best books I have read in a long time. It does have a slower start, but the pace picks up rapidly and the reader is drawn deep into Rothfuss’s characters and world.

Stories within stories

The Name of the Wind introduces the story of a young man with incredible power and wisdom who is figuring out his place in the world and uncovering the mystery of his parent’s death. The book is roughly divided into four unequal sections. The first is the story outside the story where the protagonist, Kvothe (which I am still unsure of how to pronounce), is recounting his life story to a chronicler. The other three parts, which is the bulk of the book, are the details of Kvothe’s life that he dictates to the chronicler. The first of these parts is Kvothe’s early life on the road with his family of travelling entertainers. The second recounts Kvothe’s life homeless on the streets in a big city. The third, and the largest portion of the story, is Kvothe’s experiences at a university. The overarching plot revolves around Kvothe trying to make sense of unnatural people (or possibly demons?) who killed his family by trying to understand the more magical elements of the world in which he lives. His goal is to learn and to grow in power and influence so that he can accomplish his mission of understanding.

The world itself is perhaps the most intriguing part of this book; yet, part of what makes it intriguing is in how it is driven by Kvothe’s own development and curiosity. Rothfuss does take time to develop other significant characters too, but it is all done through Kvothe’s first person perspective, which lends to a strong connection with the reader. However, the standout set-piece and location is the University - which takes up the largest portion of the book. Here, the magic and mysteries of the world are put on full display; like other great fantasy works, the educational setting is an excellent place to develop intriguing stories. The book is successful in capturing the imagination and unfolding an intriguing world.

The Name of the Wind APPRAISED

Through my APPRAISED evaluation (which is discussed in previous reviews), one finds a highly recommendable book brimming with excitement, good story-telling, and a protagonist worth aspiring to be like. I had not read a fantasy book for a long time, and this book was a pleasurable re-introduction. The story is exciting and intriguing, and it certainly adds to the genre (from my limited perspective. It makes me want to read more fantasy.

Accuracy

Despite being a book of pure fantasy, it manages to accurately reflect the true experience of a young person attempting to make sense of his own life - this is especially true during Kvothe’s time in the university. The protagonist feels like a real teenager who is trying to prove his worth to both himself and his peers. He obsesses about his status and his standing among his friends and teachers; he suffers from ongoing financial troubles; and he is both intrigued and confused about the prospects of developing a romantic relationship. These are all realistic concerns that are expertly explored in this fantasy world.

Praiseworthiness

I am limited in my fantasy novel experience to mainly the works of Tolkien and Lewis, but I think The Name of the Wind is an excellent, and surprisingly grounded, addition to this genre. It should be praised for at the very least providing simple yet creative solutions to some long standing fantasy problems. For example, in addressing the idea of encountering a dragon, Rothfuss has one of the characters deduce the source of its flame and nature by stating,

It snuffed, rolled on the burning pieces [of wood], then ate them after they were extinguished. “That makes sense, I suppose,” Denna said, watching it. “It starts fires and lies in the woods. If it didn’t have something in its head that makes it want to put out fires, it wouldn’t survive very long.”

Rothfuss puts forward the simple and realistic idea that dragons eat charred wood - giving a grounded logic to why a dragon breathes fire and why it desires to burn trees. Most other fantasy authors simply leave the reader to assume that dragons breathe fire because that is what they do. Rothfuss’s treatment of magic feels similar. These sorts of details help make the book worth recommending.

Proficiency

Perhaps the best highlight of Rothfuss’s writing proficiency is the grounded nature of the book. The world, and writing, feel well-planned, and typical fantasy tropes (such as magic and dragons) are given logical and plausible reasons. For example, in an early example of ‘magic’, Kvothe states: “Ben taught me Heart of Stone, a mental exercise that let you set aside our emotions and prejudices and let you think clearly about whatever you wished.” The technique is nothing more than a mental exercise that someone could do today in the real world; but in Rothfuss’s world, this exercise is a necessary part of being able to perform magic. Classical elements of chemistry are also incorporated into ‘magic’, which is all expertly blended into a plausible way to understand what is otherwise ‘unexplainable’ magic that is more common in something like Lord of the Rings.

Reverence

Another highlight of the book is its positive treatment of humanity. There is a significant section that recounts the protagonist's time as a homeless youth on the streets. Through this segment, Rothfuss provides a way for his readers to treat real-world homeless people with more respect and dignity. Kvothe’s time as a homeless youth highlights the way in which homeless people are typically mistreated in our real world societies, despite having done nothing truly wrong.One powerful theme that occurs regularly after this event, is that Kvothe develops a care for other impoverished characters. He develops compassion for others after his own depraved experience - something the reader feels compelled to emulate.

Artistry

The book is written very well, and the author continually paints a clear picture in the reader’s mind of the world he has crafted. In the first several chapters, I was sceptical of the writing quality because I was confused about the world and setting. However, once Kvothe starts telling his story, everything is made much clearer. Having a character tell the story themself was an excellent choice by Rothfuss because it allows the reader to accept that everything being told is only as accurate as the character telling it - this allows for us to fill in the blanks of what really occurred in Kvothe’s tale.

Integrity

The Name of the Wind supports the idea of developing the characteristics of integrity and justice. Kvothe is admittingly ‘out-of-line’ in his problem solving approach at times, (at one point, he uses magic to almost burn a professor whom he does not care for); however, he accepts the punishments for his improper actions as just. Kvothe also becomes frustrated by what is perceived as injustice. Overall, Kvothe is acutely aware that every action he takes has a consequence for which he is held responsible.

Superbness

While The Name of the Wind is a stand-out book, I cannot yet say it is truly a superb and timeless classic. However, I only hold back on this point becauseThe Name of the Wind is the first book in a series - the remaining books will largely determine whether this is a series on par with The Lord of the Rings or The Chronicles of Narnia. The Name of the Wind is an excellent start to a story, but it is just that, a beginning.

Enjoyability

I enjoyed this book to a great degree; however, this was not apparent until Kvothe reached the university. The introduction to Kvothe’s family, and his time on the streets, did not hold my attention nearly as much as I hoped it would. It is in the university where the story picks up and is most memorable. What helps the book feel enjoyable is in how every step of the journey is an exercise in problem solving. The solutions deduced by Kvothe are written in a natural way that allows the reader to believe that they could have come up with the solution themself. The university is a great setting for this type of story because it constantly invites character driven problems that require clever solutions, such as finding ways to overcome the university bully, or completing school projects.

Decency

A positive surprise is the decency Rothfuss gives his main character, and the way in which Kvothe approaches life. The protagonist is generally good. if he performs wrongful deeds, it is done regrettably and only for survival. Kvothe is made to be a role model who cares for people and especially women, with respect. He generally tries to do things the ‘right’ way. For example, in one scene, a close friend of the protagonist becomes unintentionally incapacitated after accidently consuming a strange substance. At this moment, Kvothe states,

Denna insisted on bathing. I washed a up a little, then moved with a discreet distance away and listened to her sing several rather racy songs. She also made several none-too-subtle invitations that I could join her in the water. Needless to say, I kept my distance. There are names for people who take advantage of women who are not in full control of themselves, and none of those names will ever rightfully be applied to me.”

This is an admirable way to treat women (and all people) that demonstrates Kvothe’s determination to be good. While he does want a relationship with Denna, Kvothe wants to ensure that it is something she freely wants as well.

Best book in a long time

I give this book eight out of nine stars, which is the highest rating I have given a book in a long time. I was glad to find something as well-written and well-told as this, and am happy to come back for the second book in the series. The only thing that keeps it from being a nine-star book, in my opinion, is that it is the first book in a trilogy that has a long way to go. Perhaps I can give it a perfect score after the second and third parts.

References

Rothfuss, Patrick. 2007. The Name of the WInd. New York, New York: Daw Books, Inc.