Lord Reek Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 Hey everybody, I have a question on "Name of the Wind" that I could just look up on the internet but I don't want to read any spoilers. Could somebody please answer it without giving up too much?Basically, I was looking for a good fantasy read after ADwD because, well, TWoW will probably take several more years. I'm not really a fantasy fan on the one hand because I hate clichés (and probably nothing is so full of clichés as most fantasy) but on the other hand in fantasy anything is possible so sometimes it breaks free from all clichés.I saw that The Name of the Wind was praised so I started reading it. Even though I do enjoy it (I'm about 1/4 through) I'm beginning to think this will just be another revenge story with a "purely evil" antagonist. This would bother me immensely, because as I said I do enjoy the read, but I don't want to find out that all this build up is just about Kvothe gaining more magical/fysical powers to defeat the evil demon that killed his parents. Could someone (please without giving away too much) tell me if this story is headed to this cliché? Thanks in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theMountainGoat Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 While the eventual end point of the story might be about that, it really isn't about that at all - if such a contradiction makes any sense. It's about the life story of Kvothe and all the many things that happen to him, most of which have nothing to do with whoever it was that killed his parents.It is an entertaining and fun read, worth sticking with in my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ser Scot A Ellison Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 LR,It's more subtle than simple black and white. That plus I seriously doubt we have a reliable narrator. Kvothe is far from a simple "good guy" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Reek Posted September 2, 2011 Author Share Posted September 2, 2011 okay, thanks! I'll keep reading then. Even though the whole evil demon stuff seems a little lame (I just read about Lanre becoming Haliax and it sounded a little simple and unbelievable so I hope there more to it). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ser Scot A Ellison Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 LR,The second book adds depth to the first that isn't necessarily visable on the first read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Reek Posted September 2, 2011 Author Share Posted September 2, 2011 Cool, just needed to know if there's more to it than the old "you killed my loved one(s), now I'm gonna learn stuff and eventually get my revenge" story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HighwayStar Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 There is definitely a lot more than that. It is a complex, multilayered story, a bit long-winded for some (not for me... I enjoyed both volumes immensely), but in no way black-and-white. Some have called it "an adult version of Harry Potter" because of the university setting, and, while it certainly lacks the strong adult element of ASOIAF (both the sex and violence are very nuanced), there are enough realistic elements to appeal to GRRM fans. Personally speaking, I was hooked right from the start of The Name of the Wind. It may not be perfect, but it is very well-written and intricately plotted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polishgenius Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 In regards to the 'how Lanre became Haliax' thing: whenever anyone in the story tells a story, pay close attention to it but take nothing at face value. This does also, of course, apply to the entirety of the story that Kvothe is telling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Contrarius Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 I have been taking part in a long and very involved discussion about these books over on another board over the last coupla weeks. Ironically, I have mostly taken the role of the naysayer over there. This, despite the fact that I have quite a bit of respect for the books. There is a lot of depth to both NOTW and WMF. This is not a simple surface story of action and revenge. It's about stories, how stories get created and told and spread and changed. It's about which is more important -- story or "reality". It's about unintended consequences, and the damage that can be done by powerful people trying to do the right thing. It's about a lot of things. And it's a tragedy. I don't think these books are perfect by any stretch of the imagination. In particular, the characterization of Kvothe often irritates the heck out of me because he is sometimes depicted as such a Gary Stu character. Nonetheless, I've already read NOTW twice and it's very likely that I'll end up reading all the books multiple times. IMHO these are books that greatly reward re-reading because there are so many layers to be revealed. So rest assured, this is very very far from "just another revenge story". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merentha Posted September 3, 2011 Share Posted September 3, 2011 I don't think these books are perfect by any stretch of the imagination. In particular, the characterization of Kvothe often irritates the heck out of me because he is sometimes depicted as such a Gary Stu character. Nonetheless, I've already read NOTW twice and it's very likely that I'll end up reading all the books multiple times. IMHO these are books that greatly reward re-reading because there are so many layers to be revealed. So rest assured, this is very very far from "just another revenge story".He's telling the story and I fully believe that some of the Gary Stu-ness comes from Kvothe-as-narrator himself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knight Of Laughing Tree Posted September 3, 2011 Share Posted September 3, 2011 He's telling the story and I fully believe that some of the Gary Stu-ness comes from Kvothe-as-narrator himself.true but its his gary stuns that is the heart of his flaw. he is so aware of his infallibility that he is reckless and as ben put it, thoughtless. you see it throughout the book, he keeps making stupid mistakes because he's convinced that he can't make stupid mistakes. also i don't think it will be very cliched with the whole good vs evil thing, mostly because we can see that kvorthe isn't the necessarily good character that we all want to believe he is, if anything he's like the fantasy version of batman.oh and I'm pretty sure he never managed to kill the chandrian, which is something i picked up on in the first few chapters (ok he probably manages to kill cinder but i doubt anyone else). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ser Scot A Ellison Posted September 3, 2011 Share Posted September 3, 2011 KoLT,Indeed. Kvothe's tragic flaw is his arrogance. He appears to learn nothing from his time in Vintas or among the Ademre. He returns to the University more arrogant then when he left. His folly with the registrars office will be his undoing there I'm almost certain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knight Of Laughing Tree Posted September 3, 2011 Share Posted September 3, 2011 indeed, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polishgenius Posted September 3, 2011 Share Posted September 3, 2011 Come on people, spoilers surely? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selmy Posted September 3, 2011 Share Posted September 3, 2011 It's an interesting and fun read, but I wouldn't call it groundbreaking fantasy. But yeah, Kvothe is pretty much a mary sue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knight Of Laughing Tree Posted September 4, 2011 Share Posted September 4, 2011 Come on people, spoilers surely? ok Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Reek Posted September 4, 2011 Author Share Posted September 4, 2011 Please everybody, I opened a thread here because I wanted it to stay spoiler free.. Now I can't read this thread anymore.. PLEASE use spoiler tags if you're talking about events in the book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knight Of Laughing Tree Posted September 4, 2011 Share Posted September 4, 2011 ah yes i got what the spoiler was, for my part i edited the post with the spoiler in it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spaceman Hobbes Posted September 4, 2011 Share Posted September 4, 2011 It should probably be noted that Rothfuss LOVES deconstructing some cliches. So far the stage has been set for a classic revenge story with a Stuperior protagonist, but I have a feeling that cliche will be very deconstructed in the next book. And now I need to go make a super spoiler post in the WMF thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selmy Posted September 4, 2011 Share Posted September 4, 2011 It should probably be noted that Rothfuss LOVES deconstructing some cliches. So far the stage has been set for a classic revenge story with a Stuperior protagonist, but I have a feeling that cliche will be very deconstructed in the next book. And now I need to go make a super spoiler post in the WMF thread. Uh what fantasy cliches has he deconstructed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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