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A review by lorenzm
The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss
4.0
Much like its predecessor, I have a love-hate-relationship with this book. It has given me great joy, yet frustrated me all the same.
First things first, I’d still recommend it overall, but its numerous little flaws prevent it from being among my favorites. Like the main character. I don’t like Kvothe. I don’t know how to phrase it, but he feels made-up, like he couldn’t be a real human being. Which is ironic, considering that the difference between the legend and the person is a major theme of this book and the reader is supposed to get the latter. What’s more, Kvothe the innkeeper is so much more compelling than his young counterpart, but instead of letting him take center stage, he is forced to narrate the exploits of his vastly less interesting self. The self that never fails, always has a quip ready and is dashingly handsome to boot. Add to this that these exploits themselves are excruciatingly slow-paced and 90% meaningless tomfoolery/10% actual story and I hope you can understand why I can’t give this book 5 stars
That being said, I adored the writing. Humor, structure and language elevate this book beyond its mediocre protagonist and make what would otherwise be an unremarkable book actually enjoyable, resulting in a much more favorable rating from me.
In conclusion, if you’re looking for a slice-of-life novel about a student at a marginally magical university, interspersed with occasional approaches to actual fantasy, then this is the book for you. I’d rather the fantasy be the focus.
First things first, I’d still recommend it overall, but its numerous little flaws prevent it from being among my favorites. Like the main character. I don’t like Kvothe. I don’t know how to phrase it, but he feels made-up, like he couldn’t be a real human being. Which is ironic, considering that the difference between the legend and the person is a major theme of this book and the reader is supposed to get the latter. What’s more, Kvothe the innkeeper is so much more compelling than his young counterpart, but instead of letting him take center stage, he is forced to narrate the exploits of his vastly less interesting self. The self that never fails, always has a quip ready and is dashingly handsome to boot. Add to this that these exploits themselves are excruciatingly slow-paced and 90% meaningless tomfoolery/10% actual story and I hope you can understand why I can’t give this book 5 stars
That being said, I adored the writing. Humor, structure and language elevate this book beyond its mediocre protagonist and make what would otherwise be an unremarkable book actually enjoyable, resulting in a much more favorable rating from me.
In conclusion, if you’re looking for a slice-of-life novel about a student at a marginally magical university, interspersed with occasional approaches to actual fantasy, then this is the book for you. I’d rather the fantasy be the focus.