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A review by finozbleck
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Initially, I listened to this book when I was returning from a trip to an anime convention and was intrigued enough to invest in it because it's a book that falls into one of my preferred genres of fantasy. It's a solid book.
However, my biggest problems with it came about when I fully devoted my attention to listening to the audiobook.
Firstly, the characters, even Kvothe as the main character, felts a little one-dimensional focusing on some sort single trope or idea and felt a bit disappointing. All minor female characters were described and defined by their beauty, such as Denna and Fela, even if they have at least some interesting ideas to back them up. The supporting cast feels a little bit lackluster compared to Kvothe. Even then, Kvothe feels very much like a Gary Stu/Marty Stu/etc. simply because he feels very one-dimensional and excels at everything without virtually any flaws.
Secondly, the prose feels a bit repetitive towards the end of the book with some sections feeling like it stretches on a little bit too long or tediously. While the world-building and the descriptions were pretty good, it felt a little bit too forced into one perspective, the perspective of Kvothe and his retelling of his life. It probably would've been immensely better if it wasn't a retelling as it would've helped resolve some of the mysteries that weren't explained.
However, my biggest problems with it came about when I fully devoted my attention to listening to the audiobook.
Firstly, the characters, even Kvothe as the main character, felts a little one-dimensional focusing on some sort single trope or idea and felt a bit disappointing. All minor female characters were described and defined by their beauty, such as Denna and Fela, even if they have at least some interesting ideas to back them up. The supporting cast feels a little bit lackluster compared to Kvothe. Even then, Kvothe feels very much like a Gary Stu/Marty Stu/etc. simply because he feels very one-dimensional and excels at everything without virtually any flaws.
Secondly, the prose feels a bit repetitive towards the end of the book with some sections feeling like it stretches on a little bit too long or tediously. While the world-building and the descriptions were pretty good, it felt a little bit too forced into one perspective, the perspective of Kvothe and his retelling of his life. It probably would've been immensely better if it wasn't a retelling as it would've helped resolve some of the mysteries that weren't explained.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Death of parent
Moderate: Bullying, Grief, Alcohol
Minor: Addiction, Drug use, Sexism