The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

[Clansman]

What naming genius came up with that horrible title?!? A Song of Flame and Thunder?!? Possibly litigious? A Song of Ice and Fire sounds great, but once that is done, no one else can ever use that "A Song Of" formula, especially with combustion-related words.

I am a lawyer (seriously) and that would definitely be litigious. The legal department at Bantam would have gone ape, and they probably would have won. It would also have led to a lessening of the book itself, which sounds really good.

 

[Lady of Winterfell]

Wow, I didn't know that Wert, thanks. I'm quite glad they didn't go with that name.

 

[AvoidingReality]

Yeah, I think it was meant to be one book but was split into 3. I assume it wasn't just the publisher deciding where it ended, as it did end at a plausible stopping place. It rounded off quite nicely, but it definitely didn't finish the story and as such I rather wish I'd picked it up when I could read the whole series in one go.
I was also enjoying the book so much I just wanted it to continue

 

[Perpetual Man]

It rounded off quite nicely, but it definitely didn't finish the story and as such I rather wish I'd picked it up when I could read the whole series in one go.
I was also enjoying the book so much I just wanted it to continue

I think this is my only problem too, but the way I am trying to look at it is that for once I am getting in on the ground floor! So many times I have bought into a series after averyone else has been talking about it and there are two or three books already published, so you read the first, love it and then go onto the 2nd, 3rd by which time the 4th is out, and then you can go back and read the early volumes...

This time I picked it up because of a couple of great reviews... but there is no more, but know in a few years time when people are raving about it and talking about it... well we were there at the start. (I hope. It might disappear from the shelves in a bad way... no one reading!)

 

[AvoidingReality]

That's true; usually I only find a book after everyone else has already read it and by the time I've read it, people are talking about something else

I don't think you need to worry about people not reading it though, from the amount of interest its picked up on here - plus, we keep promoting it

 

[Perpetual Man]

That's true; usually I only find a book after everyone else has already read it and by the time I've read it, people are talking about something else

I don't think you need to worry about people not reading it though, from the amount of interest its picked up on here - plus, we keep promoting it

Exactly what I was thinking!

 

[Amalthea]

But yes this is a traditional JORDAN-esque fantasy, and a lot of fun.

Uh-oh. I got this book as a birthday present, and I could never get into the Robert Jordan's series.
I do love GRRM and Robin Hobb, however.

 

[Perpetual Man]

Uh-oh. I got this book as a birthday present, and I could never get into the Robert Jordan's series.
I do love GRRM and Robin Hobb, however.

Give it a go! It's only Jordanesque in the most basic of ways. I would say that this moves a lot faster than Jordan and goes in totally different directions very quickly.

It lacks some of the complexities of Martin, but the last book that dragged me in like this one was Hobb... so take that as you will

 

[AvoidingReality]

I couldn't get into Jordan's books either, though I'm determined to give them another go some time. I found they were too slow personally, but this book doesn't have that problem at all. I found it really easy to get into and really enjoyable, so I second Perpetual Man in urging you to try it. It's like Jordan in being a very traditional fantasy, but apart from that, I didn't see a lot of similarities.

 

[Clansman]

Just bought this book the other day. Starting soon.

 

[Amalthea]

Give it a go! It's only Jordanesque in the most basic of ways. I would say that this moves a lot faster than Jordan and goes in totally different directions very quickly.

It lacks some of the complexities of Martin, but the last book that dragged me in like this one was Hobb... so take that as you will

Thanks! I expressed interest in this book because of a review I read by Robin Hobb.
Also, if I have a book, I will always give it at least two tries before giving it up as a no-go.

 

[Lady of Winterfell]

I will third the recommendation to read this book. I am a huge fan of GRRM's ASOIAF and I enjoyed Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy, and I really liked Name of the Wind. I've only read the first Jordan book, so can't really compare.

 

[GOLLUM]

I bought the book on the strength of comments here and elsehwere. I'm really interested to see what it is like.

 

[AvoidingReality]

Good good
I'd be interested in what you think of it after you've read it

 

[Clansman]

I started it yesterday (taking a short break from Deadhouse Gates), and I'm only thirty pages in. It is a compelling story, and the mystery is building very nicely.

 

[Clansman]

Okay, now I am about 120 pages in, and it is an engrossing story. Not the complexity of Wurst or Erikson, or the intrigue of Martin that I am used to. It appears he really is revisiting old fantasy themes in a rather new way. Very crisp, clean style, and an engaging narrative.

His map, however, sucks. This is one of my pet peeves with fantasy, is when you have vague maps without much detail. Of course, I have been spoiled by Tolkien's maps, and only a few authors do really good ones. If Rothfuss gets to the reprint stage, he simply must redo the map. Hopefully he will with the second volume of the series.

 

[chopper]

for some reason i don't much like first-person narratives,but this one has been quite fun to read. i like the framing device, and Rothfuss is doing something a little different with the standard fantasy tropes. so far, not as astounding as it's been made out, but i'll be finishing it - more than could be said of Modesitt's first-person stuff, for example.

 

[Werthead]

Give it a go! It's only Jordanesque in the most basic of ways. I would say that this moves a lot faster than Jordan and goes in totally different directions very quickly.

I disagree. Compared to later Jordan, sure it's fast, but then so is mountain erosion The Eye of the World is a lot faster-paced than The Name of the Wind. The two books are otherwise similar actually, with both making use of well-established tropes in a fresh and interesting manner (EotW, not so much by modern standards, but in 1990 it had a similar impact to what TNotW has had now). I'm a bit worried actually, since Kvothe's story is supposed to be six books long (the current trilogy brings Kvothe's story 'up to date', then there's going to be a sequel trilogy taking it forward), which is what WoT was supposed to be when it started...