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sharabletexas 's review for:
The Name of the Wind
by Patrick Rothfuss
I think the both the criticism and praise of this book are well-warranted. It’s very stirring and spins a very good yarn, but Name of the Wind has significant problems when it comes to female characters. It’s not till the second half of the book where it starts to get better on that front. Once we get to Denna, it’s not perfect, but it’s interesting enough without being downright awful to her. I really liked her character by the end.
Is this a male fantasy? I’d probably say yes, but I think it’s a little more nuanced than that. I think overall, the writing is very captivating and kept me engaged for the whole story, but yea some part of me feels like this is some power fantasy of the male author and not a fantasy world with relatable characters. It waxes and wanes. A good majority of the time, Kvothe is someone I believe in and empathize with, and then there are moments here and there where he’s just too good at everything and Rothfuss provides him with a few too many pats on the back.
On the whole, I did really enjoy this novel though. The quick chapters kept me going and going, and the magic school world-building was more enjoyable than Potter. I would probably label it more naive or dated than problematic, but your mileage will vary. Way better than the mainline Witcher books.
Is this a male fantasy? I’d probably say yes, but I think it’s a little more nuanced than that. I think overall, the writing is very captivating and kept me engaged for the whole story, but yea some part of me feels like this is some power fantasy of the male author and not a fantasy world with relatable characters. It waxes and wanes. A good majority of the time, Kvothe is someone I believe in and empathize with, and then there are moments here and there where he’s just too good at everything and Rothfuss provides him with a few too many pats on the back.
On the whole, I did really enjoy this novel though. The quick chapters kept me going and going, and the magic school world-building was more enjoyable than Potter. I would probably label it more naive or dated than problematic, but your mileage will vary. Way better than the mainline Witcher books.