Anyone who enjoys fast-moving tales of adventure and independence will love The Name of The Wind. Patrick Rothfuss’ The Name of the Wind is the first installment of a trilogy following the life of adventurous hero Kvothe.
A story within a story, Kvothe recounts to a historian the tales of his path to greatness in a fantastical world. Rothfuss never allows the story to slow down, with the character constantly facing new trials in new settings. In this book, he spends time in a travelling band of musicians and performers, fends for himself on the streets of a poor city, attends a university, and learns the art of a sinister type of magic.
Rothfuss’s development of the main character is an interesting strategy which works to greatly immerse the reader. Externally, Kvothe appears to be as perfect a character as they come. He can think his way out of any situation with his sharp wit and intelligence, or failing that, he has an arsenal of superior skills and abilities. However, as it is Kvothe’s own narration for most of the book, he uses a tone that is hypercritical of his flaws, insecurities, and selfish desires. This creates an interestingly grounded character, despite his surplus of strengths. The reader is filled with a sense of admiration and respect not only for Kvothe’s intelligence and capability, but also his self awareness.
Additionally, Rothfuss uses complex plot structures to keep the reader immersed, while it also seems to detract from the overarching plot. The bulk of the book is composed of a number of suddenly emerging problems and solutions, with each subplot creatively overlapping and intertwining to always keep the reader on their feet and invested in the story. All this drama is a main contributor to what makes the book such an enjoyable read and what makes Kvothe such a legendary hero. However, the preoccupation of the author on subplots creates a noticeable deficit of the overarching plot, consisting of Kvothe’s vengeful investigation of his painful past. Since this plot is overlooked, readers have little investment in this plot. The vengeance story also presents a harsh contrast to Kvothe’s day-to-day struggles, creating a rather disjointed progression of an otherwise exciting read.
All things considered, The Name of the Wind makes wonderful use of somewhat experimental writing techniques. Rothfuss creates a legendary but grounded character, and a quick moving plot that is sure to keep the reader immersed. I would without hesitation recommend this book to anyone looking for a longer read packed with a quick-moving plot.
Comments