Overview of the name of the wind by Patrick Rothfuss
My name is Kvothe.
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.
So begins a tale unequaled in fantasy literature—the story of a hero told in his own voice. It is a tale of sorrow, a tale of survival, a tale of one man’s search for meaning in his universe, and how that search, and the indomitable will that drove it, gave birth to a legend.
Kvothe begins his story during his childhood, when he lived amongst a troupe of highly reputed traveling performers known as Edema Ruh. His loving parents train him from a young age as an actor, singer, and lute player. He does extremely well in all of these as in every other field to which he turns his hand. The troupe acquires the scholar and arcanist Abenthy, who trains Kvothe in science and sympathy: a discipline that creates links from one physical object to allow manipulation of another. Kvothe also witnesses Abenthy calling the wind to fend off suspicious townspeople and vows to discover the titular “name of the wind”, permitting this control.
Kvothe’s father, the famous bard Arliden, starts composing what was to be the greatest of his works—a ballad of the ancient tragic hero Lanre. For this composition, Arliden starts collecting all the various tales of the mythical Chandrian and tries to get at the kernel of truth behind them—without explaining how this is related to Lanre. This inquiry turns out to have fatal consequences. When the troupe makes camp, Kvothe’s mother sends him to gather sage in the surrounding woods. Upon returning, he finds his parents and all members of his troupe dead, and the all-too-real Chandrian seated around the campfire, which has turned blue. They disliked Arliden’s researches and came to silence him and everybody else with whom he might have shared his findings. The eleven-year-old Kvothe is on the point of being killed by the Chandrian named Cinder when their leader, Lord Haliax, pressures them to depart due to the approach of some mysterious enemies of theirs.
The traumatized Kvothe, alive but alone, spends three years in the slums of the city of Tarbean as a beggar and pickpocket. He is nudged out of this life by hearing a storyteller recount a story of how the hero Lanre became a renegade after the death of his beloved wife, went over to the evil forces he had fought and destroyed the cities with whose protection he was charged—and then changed his name and became himself the fearsome Lord Haliax of the Chandrian. Before Kvothe can ask more, the storyteller is arrested by the dominant Church on charges of heresy.
About the Author of The Name of the Wind – Patrick James Rothfuss
Patrick James Rothfuss is an American writer of epic fantasy. He is best known for his projected trilogy The Kingkiller Chronicle, which has won him several awards, including the 2007 Quill Award for his debut novel, The Name of the Wind. Its sequel, The Wise Man’s Fear, topped The New York Times Best Seller list.
Patrick Rothfuss had the good fortune to be born in Wisconsin in 1973, where the long winters and lack of cable television encouraged a love of reading and writing. After abandoning his chosen field of chemical engineering, Pat became an itinerant student, wandering through clinical psychology, philosophy, medieval history, theater, and sociology. Nine years later, Pat was forced by university policy to finally complete his undergraduate degree in English. When not reading and writing, he teaches fencing and dabbles with alchemy in his basement.
Information About The Name of the Wind (Amazon)
- Publisher : DAW (March 27, 2007)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 662 pages
- ISBN-10 : 075640407X
- ISBN-13 : 978-0756404079
- Item Weight : 1.99 pounds
- Dimensions : 6.18 x 2.06 x 9.25 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #34,574 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #710 in Contemporary Literature & Fiction
- #730 in Coming of Age Fantasy
- #1,379 in Sword & Sorcery Fantasy (Books)
- Customer Reviews: 4.7 out of 5 stars 22,290 ratings
Where to buy the Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss Paperback Version
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Major Characters in the Novel “The Name of the Wind”
Kvothe is the main character in the Kingkiller Chronicle- The name of the wind by Patrick Rothfuss. His name is pronounced kəˈvōTH, much like the word quoth but beginning the same as the Yiddish term “Kvetch.”
Alternative name(s): Kote; Reshi; Maedre; Red; …
Full name: Kvothe, Son of Arliden
Residence: Tarbean (past)The University (past): …
Ethnicity: Edema Ruh
Denna
Aliases: Dianne, Dinnah, Dyanae, Dinael, Dinay, Dianah, Donna, Dyane, Alora
Denna is the primary female figure in The Name of the Wind. She appears to be the main romantic interest of Kvothe, who holds an uncanny fascination with her. She is poor, homeless, and prone to wandering, but manages to make a decent living with her voice and charm. Men have a fatal attraction to her, an attraction she can never seem to return. When a man gets too familiar with her, she will often leave town quickly and silently.
Taborlin the Great
Taborlin the Great is a famous wizard of old time, who had become a legend, and is poetically talked about.
Chronicler
Chronicler is a writer, who, being saved by Kvothe from a creature resembling a spider, recognizes Kvothe and asks him to tell the story of his life.
Arliden
Arliden is Kvothe’s father.
Bast
Bast is Kvothe’s assistant in the inn.
10 Minute Interview with The name of the wind author –Patrick Rothfuss (Amazon)
Q: Were you always a fan of fantasy novels?
A: Always. My first non-picture books were the Narnia Chronicles. After that my mom gave me the Hobbit and Dragonriders. I grew up reading about every fantasy and sci-fi book I could find. I used to go to the local bookstore and look at the paperbacks on the shelf. I read non-fantasy stuff too, of course. But fantasy is where my heart lies. Wait… Should that be “where my heart lays?” I always screw that up.
Q: Who are some of your favorite authors? Favorite books?
A: Hmmm…. How about I post that up as a list?
Q: What are you reading now?
A: Right now I’m reading Capacity, by Tony Balantyne. He was nominated for the Philip K Dick award this last year. I heard him read a piece of the first novel, Recursion, out at Norwescon. I picked it up and got pulled right in. Capacity is the second book in the series. Good writing and cool ideas. Everything I’ve like best.
Q: How did Kvothe’s story come to you? Did you always plan on a trilogy?
A: This story started with Kvothe’s character. I knew it was going to be about him from the very beginning. In some ways it’s the simplest story possible: it’s the story of a man’s life. It’s the myth of the Hero seen from backstage. It’s about the exploration and revelation of a world, but it’s also about Kvothe’s desire to uncover the truth hidden underneath the stories in his world. The story is a lot of things, I guess. As you can tell, I’m not very good at describing it. I always tell people, “If I could sum it up in 50 words, I wouldn’t have needed to write a whole novel about it.” I didn’t plan it as a trilogy though. I just wrote it and it got to be so long that it had to be broken up into pieces. There were three natural breaking points in the story…. Hence the Trilogy.
Q: What is next for our hero?
A: Hmm….. I don’t really believe in spoilers. But I think it’s safe to say that Kvothe grows up a little in the second book. He learns more about magic. He learns how to fight, gets tangled up in some court politics, and starts to figure unravel some of the mysteries of romance and relationships, which is really just magic of a different kind, i
Reviews on ‘The name of the wind’ by Patrick Rothfuss
Editorial reviews and praise for the name of the wind
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. The originality of Rothfuss’s outstanding debut fantasy, the first of a trilogy, lies less in its unnamed imaginary world than in its precise execution. Kvothe (“pronounced nearly the same as ‘Quothe’ “), the hero and villain of a thousand tales who’s presumed dead, lives as the simple proprietor of the Waystone Inn under an assumed name. Prompted by a biographer called Chronicler who realizes his true identity, Kvothe starts to tell his life story. From his upbringing as an actor in his family’s traveling troupe of magicians, jugglers and jesters, the Edema Ruh, to feral child on the streets of the vast port city of Tarbean, then his education at “the University,” Kvothe is driven by twin imperatives—his desire to learn the higher magic of naming and his need to discover as much as possible about the Chandrian, the demons of legend who murdered his family. As absorbing on a second reading as it is on the first, this is the type of assured, rich first novel most writers can only dream of producing. The fantasy world has a new star. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Bookmarks Magazine
Fantasy readers-a notoriously discerning group-tend to dole out praise judiciously, which makes the reception of The Name of the Wind, the first volume in Patrick Rothfuss’s The Kingkiller Chronicle, that much more remarkable. Critics are already throwing around comparisons to some of the biggest names in fantasy, including George R. R. Martin, Tad Williams, the recently deceased Robert Jordan, and even Tolkien. They praise Rothfuss’s fresh take on the genre’s conventions, particularly a shifting narrative that keeps the action moving. At nearly 700 pages, The Name of the Wind isn’t meant to be knocked off in a weekend. But readers who pick up Rothfuss now-and, according to critics, that won’t be a small number-can say they knew him back when.
Copyright © 2004 Phillips & Nelson Media, Inc.
From Booklist
Travelers to the village where Kote runs an inn are rare, but those who’ve shown up lately have brought bad news. A sort of demonic spider attacks a local, and then Kote rescues a wandering scholar, bringing him to the inn to recover. The man recognizes Kote as the legendary hero Kvothe and begs him to reveal the reality behind all the legends. Most of the novel is Kvothe’s autobiography, that of a young genius growing up in a troupe of elite traveling players, tutored by an old arcanist, until marauders (mere marauders?) destroyed it, after which he made his way to the great university and petitioned for admission. Rothfuss skillfully handles the change of Kvothe’s voice from child to youth to student, and the voice of the mature Kvothe in retrospective interjections. Hints of further adventures are strewn about in this series opener, whose one problem lies in its naturally slow, unfortunately sometimes draggy pacing. Not exactly a page-turner, but fanciers of long, intricate plots will be pleased. Frieda Murray
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved.
Reviews from notable and bestselling Authors
“The best epic fantasy I read last year…. He’s bloody good, this Rothfuss guy.”
—George R. R. Martin, New York Times-bestselling author of A Song of Ice and Fire
“Rothfuss has real talent, and his tale of Kvothe is deep and intricate and wondrous.”
—Terry Brooks, New York Times-bestselling author of Shannara
“It is a rare and great pleasure to find a fantasist writing…with true music in the words.”
—Ursula K. LeGuin, award-winning author of Earthsea
“The characters are real and the magic is true.”
—Robin Hobb, New York Times-bestselling author of Assassin’s Apprentice
“Masterful…. There is a beauty to Pat’s writing that defies description.”
—Brandon Sanderson, New York Times-bestselling author of Mistborn
“[Makes] you think he’s inventing the genre, instead of reinventing it.”
—Lev Grossman, New York Times-bestselling author of The Magicians
“This is a magnificent book.”
—Anne McCaffrey, award-winning author of the Dragonriders of Pern
“The great new fantasy writer we’ve been waiting for, and this is an astonishing book.”
—Orson Scott Card, New York Times-bestselling author of Ender’s Game
“It’s not the fantasy trappings (as wonderful as they are) that make this novel so good, but what the author has to say about true, common things, about ambition and failure, art, love, and loss.”
—Tad Williams, New York Times-bestselling author of Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn
“Jordan and Goodkind must be looking nervously over their shoulders!”
—Kevin J. Anderson, New York Times-bestselling author of The Dark between the Stars
“An extremely immersive story set in a flawlessly constructed world and told extremely well.”
—Jo Walton, award-winning author of Among Others
“Hail Patrick Rothfuss! A new giant is striding the land.”
—Robert J. Sawyer, award-winning author of Wake
Reviews from customers on Amazon
Stella B. I’m overblown
Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2018 Verified Purchase
I am a voracious reader and I like this genre of books (read Robin Hobb) – but not particularly this one. I don’t understand all the rave reviews unless they are given because of Martin’s one liner. This story plods along; it is extremely boring at times; and the protagonist is self-absorbed to say the least. I am still not finished with it and have been picking it up off and on for weeks. Normally I would finish a book in two days. I just read the reviews of book two and will pass on it altogether. It just sounds like more of the same with nothing wrapped up. The most interesting sub-plot in this book is the Chandrian but 75% in we know nothing more about them other than the first time they are mentioned. Seriously? There simply isn’t anything in this book to hook me into buying the next one – esp. after reading the reviews. It’s just more wash, rinse, repeat. And it took the author 4 years to write book two since book one? Why consider it if it is more of the same. And it has been 7 years since book two and no mention of book three. I guess my standards are different but I think this book is way overblown in the reviews and there is no assurance there will even be an ending. Don’t waste your time. P.S. I just checked author’s website and he is busy sailing, writing comic books, and admits to over 300 incomplete blogs. No mention of book three so there is no reason to believe there will ever be one. He appears to have shifted to comic books. Again, why bother to start a series when there will never be any closure? Too many good series to waste time on this one.
M. Duncan Great read, needs an edit.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 14, 2018 Verified Purchase
Good Points:
– Well written, mainly.
– Fascinating magic system, and interesting world building
– bits set in university, with the education of a wizard are great. there are a lot of similarities with Harry Potter, which many will point out, but there are enough differences to keep it a very different book
– Lots of mystery: the author cleverly sets up a lot of mysteries, which keeps the pages turning. There is plenty of suspense and it is an engaging read.
Bad bits
– This book needs a good edit. Many incidents or story sections are repetitive – how many times will the character not have enough money for tuition and have to go and find money? How many times will he meet his lady love and just have a chat with her (more later)
– Framing story: the whole story is recounted in a pub by the main character in the first person. I don’t think this framing adds much to the narrative, and just makes it longer and more difficult to get into.
– Poorly drawn characters: although NOTW is well written in general, many characters seem sketchy. Willem and Simmon are good examples. The masters in the university are better drawn. The physical descriptions are usually poor, or non-existent, and few characters have strong enough traits to be memorable.
– The love interest: creating a love interest and then putting off the characters getting together is a staple of most fictional genres. I don’t think it has ever been spun out like this, and with such an unlikeable love interest. There are several identical chapters where the character looks for the boring, self-centred, but (yawn) incredibly beautiful Denna, finds her, they have a great chat, but once again, nothing happens. This quickly becomes boring, and I wish she would get killed off so we didn’t have to read this.
Overall, I would recommend fans of Harry Potter, or fantasy genre to read the book. I think the sequel, which I am currently reading, compounds many of the weaknesses of the first book, so I may not make it until the third book.
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