You are far from the only person to feel this way about Kvothe. For lots of people, he is a dealbreaker for these books (which he doesn't seem to be for you, since you said that you will be reading the next one). Here is why I do not feel that way: I see Kvothe is a Tragic Hero in the tradition of Ancient Greece. He is near perfect at the things he does, but he has fatal flaws. How do we know that his flaws are fatal? Well, he is living as a humble innkeeper in the middle of Newarre (nowhere) under an assumed name. He seems to be unable to access his magic. He no longer plays music. A war is raging that he may have started. Hostile fey beasts are loose on the land, and it is probably his fault. The hook for the character of Kvothe is not a desire to see how an imperfect character overcomes their shortcomings and succeeds, but rather, a desire to see how this nearly perfect character manages to fail on such an epic scale. That being said, to each his own. :)
It's not even gonna be a satisfying fall because for 2k pages he has shown that he fails not of his own fault in virtue or character but from opposition and coincidence. Like, he finds the most dangerous tree to have existed by accident and interacted with it before he even knew what it was, thereby sealing his fate as a fallen hero.
His could be a story of manipulation, and he fell for it over, and over again. Denna’s benefactor could have her lead our not so humble protagonist down this path without him being able to understand the grand scale of his mistakes until things are far outside of Kvothe’s ability to fix them. And now he’s living with ‘something’ that is slowly stripping away at his very soul. Maybe the box holds Denna’s patron, and he is eating away at Kvothe’s memories. That would explain why he can’t fight, or use sympathy. There’s a large number of explanations. Maybe it’s a box made by the Lackless family to store the Chandrian, which could explain the seven puzzles. What do I know? I’m just theorizing.
He a God amongst men who just happens to work at a pub!! Yea I got the feeling that he's flawless in all things and everything he turns his hand too he's perfect at and It gets tiring fast. I started reading it but am finding the audio book alot easier to deal with thanks to the awesome voice actor. I should also mention I haven't finished it yet.
This is boring as fuck I am already half of the book but it is so slowwwwwwww,there is no much interesting,magic system is smart but least badass magic system i ever seen I was thinking?what the fuck is this?fucking david copperfield story in magic world?
@@noelwright1165 Yeah, he is very clever and good at a lot of stuff but he clearly has flaws. If he didn’t he wouldn’t be hiding away in a backwater inn.
When my friend asked me how good is this man’s writing, my response was always simple... “This is the man who can describe the *sound of silence.* The man who let’s you *see the music* other than just hear it. The man who can make you *hear and know* the human struggle.” EDIT: Yes, it’s an exaggeration, but Patrick certainly made me wanna say it this way.
I think that Kvothe is telling his story as it really happened. I believe that he is flawed : he is cocky, arrogant and he has a temper. I also got tired of the fact that he was the best at everything. However, I read both books because they are entertaining and I enjoy the writing style !
I agree. I just read it... I always thought it was funny when the story went "well that's how it goes in only books and tales" when something mundane happens. But, then he is miraculously good at everything else. It was entertaining though.
It would be funny to hear people who knew him while he was at the university and everyone would be all, "oh that guy was a real a$$hat. He kept picking fights with Ambrose for some reason" And we find out that nobody really liked him and thought he was obnoxious, including his friends.
Interesting. I’ve always considered Kvothe very flawed (impulsive, short tempered, massive pride that makes him quick to judge/make mistakes/say things before thinking). It’s his character flaws that led him to his current situation (a tragically fallen lowly inn keeper). I could see if you just don’t like him (he’s got lots of things about him to dislike), but I certainly wouldn’t call him flawless. That said, Rothfuss leans into Kvothe’s “perfection” in book two in a way that gets pretty ridiculous (especially when it comes to his new found experience with women). So if you had problems with this in book 1 I imagine book 2 only made it worse. (I’m gonna go check to see if you have a review of that book shortly...) Thanks for the review!
If Kvothe's ceaseless simping wasn't portrayed in such a positive light, he'd probably be a much more likeable character. It would have also helped if his main rival/enemy wasn't such an ultra cliche mean rich boy who no one likes. Honestly, the story would have only gained from dropping both Ambrose and Denna entirely.
The main antagonist being a schoolyard bully that nobody likes was so irritating. I usually skip through any parts that he was in I didn't dislike Denna though. She is a huge tease which is irritating. She is more interestimg if just slightly, i was very suspicious of her
I think almost all of Kvothe’s problems after getting to the University are of his own making. Like the Archive thing wasn’t just because he was tired. It was because he’s just been whipped and rather than go home and rest he’s just got to go check out the archives, even though he knows he won’t really be getting anything done. He’s also tired because he’s drugged himself for a bit of a better reputation, a drug he knows causes fatigue. So of course instead of going to rest and let that wear off he goes to match wits with the guy he’s made an enemy of. That animosity, which he insists on continuing despite his friends telling him to drop it, later costs him his financial stability. Also there’s the thing with the roof..... Kvothe’s main flaw is that even though he is smart he lacks wisdom, which is pointed out by several characters throughout the book. It’s an easy flaw to miss because he is so smart and he can cover for most of his mistakes. I suspect that the state of the world in the frame is largely his fault. Some foolish course he pursued that cost him everything and put the state of the world in the crapshoot.
It actually seems to be a very large element of the story- How genius is squandered and impulsive self gratification leads to irreparable self sabotage. Sure, we keep hearing about how talented Kvothe is, but far more often we learn about his mistakes and poor decisions.
I liked how the author portrays the difficulties and pride of poverty. He seems to get the gist of it. I was born poor in a third world country, and the depiction of Kvothe early life in tarbean, the abuses the he suffered, his distrust of authority and the feeling of superiority and arrogance that comes with viewing yourself as a self made man. All too real. He would never ask for a shirt or help from his friends, he would prefer to go for a money lender, cheat of he has too. All the characters decisions feel natural due to his background.
Pride of poverty? That's probably the dumbest thing I've ever heard being defended about this book. Poverty is not something to be proud of. Lemme tell you a personal example. In school, I didn't have money to buy myself food and I was too shy to ask my colleagues for their leftover food so i just watched them throw it away. I am now in my late 20s, I am employed, I can buy myself however much food I want, but I cannot stand to go to my workplace's cafeteria because it hurts me personally to see how much unwanted food people leave behind. I have PTSD because of poverty.
@@elrilmoonweaver4723 I was going to write a long comment about how being ashamed to ask others for help is prideful but I am glad that you are doing okay now. Which is all that should matter!
@@paragonexperience Being ashamed does not involve pride, but it does save you from the self-loathing that comes if you overcome that shame. It happened to me when I last went to the cafeteria 2 months ago. I overcome my shame and asked a woman for her leftover meat ball cuz I thought it a waste to that she should throw it away. After that, I rushed back to my desk and cried, hating myself and thinking of myself a lowly begger. So, no, it has nothing to do not pride. I'm better now since I stopped going and thinking about the cafeteria and all the wasted food.
@@elrilmoonweaver4723 I understand completely, I've had to be dressed for several years with clothes from friends of ours, church clothes etc. And this is not even the most shameful event in my life but the antonym of pride is shame by definition. You didn't want people to perceive you as a lowly beggar so you were ashamed but also too prideful being prideful is not a bad thing, having dignity is not a bad thing either.
@@paragonexperience What bothered me truly was the idea that pride can be associated with poverty particularly in the Name of the Wind. In the story, Kvothe is SO patronizing that he talks down to the reader. He HAS skills that can help him overcome his "poor" status, but he will not use them because "personal gain is bad" and he just loves to milk the reader's sympathy. Thus he keeps hammering to the rme that I cannot possibly know what it feels like to be poor, unless I experienced it myself. I DID experience poverty, but I will not go out of my way to patronize people who've been more privileged than me, just because they have no idea what it's like! I really, really hate Kvothe, btw. I 100% agree with what Simon Clark brings as criticism for the Name of the Wind, because Kvothe was the main reason I couldn't even finish this damn story.
One of the arguments that was made against this notion( Kvothe is perfect) is from the beginning of the book it was heavily implied that Kvothe is an unreliable narrator, with him being a "fall from grace hero" telling his story. A stronger argument in my opinion is that the whole thing was set by Bast(by terrorizing the Chronicler) so that the story telling aspects will focus on the highlights of Kvothe life and not dwell on the falier. I wholeheartedly belive it was done by the author on purpose so that we think Kvothe is unblemished and ideal. And that is why it's easy to dismiss Kvothe's character as perfect and flawless, if you don't take into consideration where and who he is when the story start; a small village innkeeper, and is responsible for this big war upon the land. How did he get there? How did he fall from that legendary figure people told stories about? He is a con artist who built a legend around his name that he couldn't live up to. Kvothe is reckless, and" thinks "he is flawless which makes him so interesting and unlike any other characters I've read about in fantasy.
I don't really agree with you on the topic of Kvothe being flawless. He may be abnormally smart but e.g. he can get carried away by his emotions/hurt pride and get into some real trouble because of that. But I definitely agree that Kvothe is not the typical likeable protagonist, but weirdly that makes me like the books even more. But I can understand that may be something other people really dislike about the Kingkiller Chronicles.
That's why I liked the books. He was a dick most of the time but he got punished for it. He thought he was smarter than nearly everyone but got proved wrong by some. It's been a while since I read it but I remember him not being good at everything and having to spend time studying even though he was smart.
I read it as Kvothe having once been a precocious kid and then a cocky teenager, and now having become a mostly defeated adult who recounts his past with the same attitudes he held at whatever age he was in each part of the story.
He was really bad with women, then he met a fucking fairy that brought him to a magical fairy world and taught him how to be a sex god, after he returned he was charismatic as hell, he got thaught dignity and physical combat by the Adem so after that he barely has any fucking weakness left.
@@thorsten8790 hes still bad with women. Theres an entire chapter where fela tells him about the women he has slept with and how hes too distant so they lose interest. She tells him they see him as a person to sleep with but not to be with.
Same here! I read it first in the 5th grade but I've re-read it and the second book about 8 times. Uzubat taste is subjective. Everyone has different opinions and interests. While in your eyes you might hate a book and therefore see anyone who likes it as below you but that is pure opinion. If you stated more reason as to why you disliked and discussed it people might care about that opinion but just saying "Book bad, you dumb" isn't doing anything for anyone. Unless you just want to show how superior you are to those you see as weaker than you, or you just want to see someone get angry when you mock something they like.
@UZUBAT what does GRRM have to do with this? Yes he praised the book, and that may be the reason that a lot of people read it, but that isn't the only reason most people started to read it. People don't go saying "I liked TNotW because GRRM liked it!". No, that's stupid of you for thinking people just do that. Having an author that you like praise a book that you haven't read has a lot of chances of making you read that book but that won't make it the only reason you like said book Also, OC doesn't have bad taste, he/she just doesn't have *your* taste, likes something that you don't, it's not that difficult to understand
@UZUBAT lol I didn't even know that GRRM gave a review of this book but it's still my favourite fantasy book of all time 😂 and to be honest I haven't even read the entire Song of Ice and Fire series just the first two.
YES. Kvothe's lack of flaws was my biggest complaint about the book. I disliked him as a character so much that it took me out of the story. I think it had elements that were good - the magic system was fascinating, and there were sections where I was entertained, but overall I think the worldbuilding was lacking and there seemed to be no real plot besides lots of stuff happened.
Honestly this review came across as really honest, and made absolutely valid criticisms, not pandering or "difficult for difficults sake". Thank you Simon
Just read this book and I totally agree with you. Moreover, I can't find a reason to the events of the story at all. So he went looking for the Chandrian, found a lizard and destroyed trebon, but he didn't name to wind until ambrose broke his lute? I've read autobiographies that's more exciting this is.
I'd definitely recommend that you finish the series at some point (possibly wait until the last book is out). A lot of the things that bothered you are tropes that are being deconstructed throughout the books, especially the fact that Kvothe is a Mary Sue (potential spoiler alert: it seems to me that that will be his greatest downfall in the end). I also feel like the structure is pretty natural since the book is supposed to be an autobiography, but a lot of the things that seemed trivial, or not interconnected, do tie together as you continue reading. The structure emerges retrospectively, which is why I enjoyed re-reading the first part after I'd read the second one.
I had the exact same experience, pretty much. There was a decent critique of the book that I read online a couple years back. I understand it was TAKEN DOWN due to the backlash against it. Hilarious and soured me against the books, the author, and the fandom.
I see where you are coming from with Kvothe (check the pronunciation btw :p) and other details. First off, with the narrative structure, this tale is brought to us as an account of someone's life. And that I think is why the narrative structure probably bothered you a bit, this is not an epic tale, not really, not quite, it's a bloke recounting his life, not just telling a story. When it comes to Kvothe though, I agree with most of what you said, but others will point this out as well. Kvothe is flawed, for one he is a total prick (you said this yourself), he is arrogant and thoughtless (a certain scene involving Ben and the Wind should come to mind). These things get him into trouble all the time. Most notably with Ambrose, Simmon and Willem warn him time and time again that Ambrose shouldn't be trifled with, and yet he managed to always put himself across from him. Another example is how he jumped off a bloody roof because he was "so clever" and figured out Elodin "was testing his resolve". Ultimately, more often than his wit, I feel that his luck gets him out of tight places. And yes, he is awful, but I do not think we are supposed to like him, not really, not the way we like Frodo, or Bilbo. That being said, brace yourself for his meeting with Felurian, there are important and marvellous things that happen there, but it's also the worst of his character. Ultimately, the reason I read these books over and over again is the world building, the side characters he meets along his journey, the adventures, and most importantly, the mythos. Sprinkled throughout this and Wise Man's Fear are bits and bobs of mythology, and I suggest paying more attention to them. These paint a world with a history and an existance outside of the main character. A wonderful world. Edit: As a last year master's student in physics I also loved the way sympathy was portrayed!
He's also not afraid to cheat when he needs to. Not exactly an endearing characteristic. I can understand why some people will shrug this off though because we're always led to believe that his situation demands it of him.
i like the way you explained it, he is a prick, but even though he is a prick he does it in a sort of way, like 'i would have loved to use his words on the bully at my school' type way
Oof, the Felurian part is hotly contested for the worst part of the series, maybe that or the matriarchal society that somehow doesn't understand how reproduction works. Are you fucking kidding me? These lady ninjas never even watched animals? Don't they have sheep or cows? Sex doesn't make babies, what garbage.
I've been all over the map with this book... i read it in highschool and loved it unconditionally, i thought Kvothe was super cool and thought Denna was stupid to keep him at an arms length. Then i went online and started discussing the book with others, and the topic of Denna came up and i found myself actually defending the character from this incredible barrage of vitriol (probably by frustrated young guys who see themselves in Kvothe). I realized that really from her perspective Kvothe is doing to her exactly what he complains about her doing to him. Then it suddenly hit me: Kvothe is super cringey, and his whole attitude to Denna is written almost like the book is trying to show you the corrupting power of a subjective perspective... and that's really the point where the books took on a different tone for me, and going into Wise Man's Fear i started reading Kvothe as this deeply traumatized kid who, sure, is talented, but full of himself, with a chip on his shoulder, and completely unable to see others' perspective. I must admit i am still not sure if Rothfuss wrote him like this intentionally, because he can be a bit of a smarmy dick himself (and he's open with taking a lot of inspiration from his own college experience), but if the third book will explore this concept further this could really turn the whole critique of Kvothe as a mary-sue on it's head, which i would love. I want nothing more than this to be a 2000-page lesson in unreliable narration, and the paradox of the main character who can "do no wrong". All that being said, i still love the books because of their fantastic prose, and the wonderful depictions of music, which is very dear to my heart. The system of magic is also fantastic, a beautiful merging of the "wizard" vs "sourceror" archetypes, letting us have scientific magic and esoteric magic all in the same world.
I completely agree with everything you said Simon! I found it difficult to read mostly because Kvothe was so pretentious.. which is unrealistic and boring.
I've enjoyed Kvothe as a charater even as flawless as he portrays himself, however I get why this could make you roll your eyes. The story itself tightly follows the hero's jurney, but I didn't mind and got submerged into it regardless. The writing is just damn excellent and the story keeps gripping you and overwhelming you with awesome scenes. Funny enough I didn't like the one thing you praised, that is the structure, because to me the interludes got interesting somewhere around the middle of the book when shit started going down (or was it near the end?) and before that I always had to check how many boring pages were left before the fun part could continued. You'll be pleasantly suprised with the sequel as Kvothe starts to develop a darker side to himself. One thing I absolutely hate about The Wise Mans Fear tho is that he basically turns into a Casanova and even fucks a literal Goddes of Beauty, as alluded by himself earlier. Those chapters with Felurian are great, but unfortunately it doesn't end there. I just don't like too many sex scenes in my books (nearly had to kms reading Ringworld sequels) so if you don't mind that, the story will only get better with the second book. Overall I'd give The Name of The Wind 4,5/5 and TWMF 4,8/5. Hopefully my grand children will be able to enjoy the last book when it comes out.
Joshua Woods hit the nail on the head. His primary character flaw is his pride. The story is more compelling/interesting than any normal life would be, solely because it isn’t entirely true. I think that makes it better.
I agree with the reasons you didn't like the character, but I despised the book, not because of Kvothe (whose major flaw is that he has none to speak of), but because this is not a story, it's just a bunch of stuff that happened. A story has a beginning, a middle, and an end. It has characters other than the main character who are more than one dimensional. And It has a conflict that is resolved *by the end of the book*. What a mind-blowing concept, I know. What is the central conflict of the story? Is it the demonic spiders that are infesting the land? Is it the Chandrian? Is it the scoundrels at University? By the end, we still have no idea. If your epic is so complex that you cannot fit a full explanation of the central conflict in one 700 page novel, then, 1. don't split your book up or 2. don't tell that story. I was 95% done by the time I had allowed myself to realize that there would be no fleshing out of the conflict or anything approaching a resolution. After I finished the novel... well... let's just say whenever someone brings up this "cornerstone of modern fantasy" I begin to foam at the mouth.
This is a beautiful collection of stories within a story, I didn't even notice that the story didn't fit the typical literary expectations until you said it. I think you have a critic's disease, When your head is set up with "how it should be", which interferes with perception. If you throw away these self-created frameworks, the story can sparkle with completely different colors
I agree with you. I liked the world that Patrick built and how he wrote about it, I really like the "three silences" interlude. But I hated how perfect Kvothe is.
You think the character doesn't have any flaws? He lights up his enemy in Tarbean with liqour and a match. It was a bigger kid who bullied him. I think that is pretty brutal.
I see your point about kvothe but that’s honestly part of why I like him. He is not the typical #relatable normal guy kind of protagonist that I was a bit bored of when I read name of the wind. I like that he is this super awesome hero figure and that the book is the backstory of a legendary hero.
Kvothe being poor was a major flaw in my eyes. Sure the tavern owner looks back with rose tinted glasses and never admits to any negative behaviour but i always saw the flaw that kvothe had to overcome was survive his finacial situation. Not as flashy as but for me it was really compelling to read about the risks of him not being able to cover his fees.
Being poor is not a character flaw, its a state of being. Kvothe was poor not by any fault of his own, he was a victim. So very far from being a character flaw
@@epiccthulu Being poor in general isn't a character flaw, but there are definitely times when Kvothe basically says "I had so much money I was going to be able to survive for months, and it was a huge relief" and then a couple pages later he's buying himself some (good to have but not strictly necessary for survival) things and he's out of money again. Of course, it's passed over so lightly within the plot that it seems more like a convenient way for the author to give the character big successes at getting money without then having to set aside money troubles as a way to drive the plot, similar to the way Ambrose gets involved to prevent working as a musician from turning into a comfortable living.
I disagree about Kvoth. He is a great character, yes he is very successful at what he does but mostly because of his dedication and hard work. Also, his numerous skills didn't bother me because they were well earned through hardship and well developed early life experiences. ps: You're saying Kvothe wrong
I pretty much agree with this. Especially about how annoying Kvothe's perfections were. I think I could have lived with that part (at least held off on judging until a future book) if the story telling didn't tank so horribly in the last third. I was so immersed in the story until about the point where he and the love interest go off to solve that bizarre mystery involving a tree-eating dragon. I mean... why?! How does that serve the plot or develop the characters? I felt the author lost a lot of steam at the tail end and just had to muscle through the ending. I do hear the second book is pretty good, so I'll give it a shot. Nice review!
I believe Kvothe is a Mary Sue character on purpose. He is the narrator so he can embellish his accomplishments. I am confident in book three that we will see Kvothe the Bloodless fall and because hes been portrayed as a "Mary Sue" this will make the revelation so much more of a shock to us fans. I love Kvothe and the way it is, like how I love Denna and how shes so mysterious, there are flaws yes but I believe that these main flaws were written in on purpose by Patrick Rothfuss for a much bigger turn at the end.
I think what’s cool about Kvothe is that he represents what can be possible through sheer drive and willpower. He’s experienced great tragedy in his life, and yet somehow he has achieved certain victories in spite of it. In terms of his flaws, I would argue that they aren’t quite as apparent (since he’s telling the story) but they are there. Pride is probably his biggest flaw, and it has lead to as many hardships as it has victories for him. I will agree that the narrative does stretch out a bit thinly at times, since he has many varying motives (revenge against the Chandrian, Denna, his studies at the university, etc.) and they only get longer in The Wise Man’s Fear. But in a way I think it’s more realistic to read about a character that has multiple things driving him/her, albeit fantasy-related topics as opposed to more grounded real motives. I also think that it becomes easier to get attached to Kvothe because you experience his tragedy at a young age and that trauma that he endured is always with him, and subsequently with the reader. Even when everything is going well for him for a time, you’re still intrigued because of all the conflicts that surround him, conflicts that he can’t really escape. But so still appreciate your take on it.
Used to love this book. Also ripped through it the first time round. Was very addictive and love the mystery of The Chandrian, but after re-reading a couple times while waiting endlessly for the 3rd book. I’ve come to really unlike a lot about it. Kvothe comes off as woefully arrogant and self absorbed. Denna is the absolute worst character. My eyes roll every time she comes up. I reckon part of it was I was a young man when I initially read this. 10 yrs later, it really doesn’t hold up for me. Anyway enjoyed your unbiased review and analysis. Cheers!
My fiance read it as a teenager and reread it a couple of years ago and had the same experience. And I just read it and unfortunately didn't enjoy it at all.
@@saltyitalianguy3243 The V is pronounced actually, but it rhymes with quothe. Here is Rothfuss pronouncing it for us: ruclips.net/video/MPEB6NAGoYk/видео.html
What I didn't like about the characters of this book is that all of Kvothe's friends are not actual friends but groupies and admirers and everyone who doesn't admire Kvothe just hates him. Just as the teachers either love and admire him or hate him. That bully at university is just a cheap Draco Malfoy parody. Plus, it gets even worse in the sequel. So much that I have zero interest in the third book, should it ever be published.
Will you be reviewing the second book? In my opinion, it is much better in terms of structure. This is my favorite book, and I agree with all points of your review, however the parts of the books I liked were so good in my opinion that I give it 4.5.
Can't agree more with you. By the way, are you planning to do a video about your thesis content? As a physics undergraduate I would really appreciate it.
I think it is exactly right that Kvothe is an unreliable narrator, although that may not be obvious unless you've read the book multiple times or read fan theories. I don't think he is lying, but rather that his story is kind of colored by his perspective and interpretation of the events that happened. The story he tells is what he thinks was so, not necessarily what was so. Some people might not like that, although judging from his interviews and blogs, Patrick Rothuss writes very meticulously, so I anticipate a reason for it will be revealed in book 3.
I will have to respectfully disagree in that Kvothe is flawless. He is superficially flawless which yeah in a way is flawless but in what actually matters in life he is very flawed. 1.) A flaw the pissed me off the whole time, he doesnt have health relationship with Denna 2.) Unable to move on. 3.) Doesn't believe in himself (outlined by Bast in the last chapter). All three of these are more important to Life than being good at the small things. His flaws are so deep rooted that you can see he is unhappy which is the most important aspect to growth as a character. feel free to disagree
You should read "The Dresden Files". Harry Dresden, the protagonist, is an answer to everything that you dislike about Kavoth. He is neither the strongest, nor is he the best wizard in existence. But he makes up for his short comings with hard work and determination. I think that you will like these novels, they are currently 15 books and counting.
I got this book recommended to me for similar reasons and I completely agree with your interpretation of Kvothes personality. The second book does take this to an extreme degree and he becomes an absolutely intolerable character during his sex adventures in fairy land and ninja village. Rothfuss is good at telling stories of places and creating interesting struggles within his world, but his main character came of to me as some sort of perfect example of humankind. I think Simon hit the mark with his review, its a well written story with a bad main character.
@@curtiswfranks He's not intolerable because he's perfect, but because he an egocentric, egotistical, arrogant brat. It wasn't outright stated here, but it was implied. If this is not what the op meant, then sure.. he was wrong. My point about Kvothe stands though. :)
Not all books need a villain overhanging all the time. I appreciated that he's going through his life, and knowing that he's just an innkeeper now, seeing how he got there.
The whole story is built around the concept that Kvothe messes everything up. He has major flaws such as arroagance, a vengeful streak, etc. I grant that he is a prodigy, but this is established early; his skills often relate to one another too (Naming and music, for example).
NeverLace How is he a mary sue? You as a reader know since the begining that the world went to shit, the book is a story of HOW the world went to shit. I don't really understand why people say he is a mary sue, for me it just shows a lack of reading comprehension.
Currently halfway through the second book and I'm gradually finding kvothe unbearable for all the reasons you stated. I enjoy this book but kvothe seems incapable of error. Any problems that happen aren't really his fault...
SIMON! hey! :D I just wanted to give you some of my opinions of what you said :D 1, You make great points when discussing how you feel regarding some aspects of the book, such as how you didn't really like the writing. I Loooove the writing myself, but truly appreciate you showing that it is your subjective opinion, which everyone should have. And I love how you like the "magic" system! So do I, it's brilliant. 2, actually, I'd argue that he does have major flaws (A LOT OF THEM! no fan that has analysed the book argues with this!). At first I didn't, but reading it and others comments on it really makes it clear. I mean, he's stupid. really stupid. Sure he's intelligent, but that doesn't make one not stupid. He has great capacity to be smart, but is to eager (one major flaw) and wants to cut corners (which we see him do over and over again). He makes rash and dumb decisions which puts him in a bad spot a lot of times. And you can't forget how dumb he is regarding women throughout the book. This is first improved in the WMF, but still the social part is lacking. He's a loner most of the time, and only knows how to talk with some people he's very close friends to (like Simmon or Wilem). This isn't something we normally see in a book. So yes, he does have flaws. I'm sure I could think of more, but you get the point. And of course talent dominates a lot. It does in the real world as well. A 120 IQ man has a way easier time learning physics than a 80 IQ man, normally. You are born differently, raised differently (kvothe was raised in a family where you make a living by remembering things, literally). + I would like to add, let's assume this whole world is real. Now would a book about someone not interesting be famous? No, ofc the scribe would choose someone who is a legend. And of course there is one of those in world (in this case Kvothe). Also, we cannot actually know what he says is true (which I love that you mention a bit). It's him telling the story. If you told a story about what you've done, I'm certain you'd make it a bit more "glorious" than it actually is. 3, the most important one imo. The overarching story is really not something you should look for. This is not a regular book, if you haven't noticed. This is a story about a man, which we believe is the real story of said man and legend. There doesn't have to be an overarching story! Can you find an overarching story in your life? Can you find a main "villain"? This is so much more than a fantasy book. You said it was like "this happened, then this happened, then this happened." Now isn't that life? Isn't that how a "realistic" or good book should be? It's a philosophical life story of a man who became famous. How he became famous and how most rumours aren't true. "The best lies are the ones i've told myself" -Kvothe. So don't look for a big bad in a book like this. Example; world politics do exist. It's just that Kvothe isn't interested in it, and therefore we only get the limited information we get. 4, This is part of 3, but I feel like people often view this book from the wrong perspective. Don't go into it expecting just another epic fantasy book. This is a one of a kind. 5, If you are more curious, I recommend "The Crockery" discord, where a ton of fans discuss KKC, but also play tak together, play dnd together, discuss memes, books, games, movies/tv, music, pets (yes, pets xD), anime and much more. You're more than welcome to join :D discord.gg/S3D437 (if you have any questions at all, please feel free to ask) THANKS FOR READING, hope you have a wonderful day //Serpentizer aka Master Sympathist
My dude - great video. The wise man's fear isn't any better... I think this book is a book I loved reading at the time, because it's so damn entertaining, but it actually isn't very good... Either way, i had a lovely time listening to the book on a huge travel trip and it made 60+ hours of planes and trains and buses much more bearable. 3/5 stars seems fair.
Oh my god. I finally feel like I'm not crazy. I actually felt that you were really light on your critiques to the book. I've had the same problem, everyone I asked about this book was so hyped that it totally fell flat for me. I hope to construct somewhat of a review for it but my main complaints allign with yours exactly! Doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it, I enjoyed it to an extent, but it definitely isn’t the High Fantasy Next Game of Thrones I was promised and I don’t get that rating in Goodreads. Usually I guess I'd give it a 4 star? 3/5? But I'm downgrading it to 3 exactly because it is so hyped and I feel like that also blew it for me x-x it was just eh, ok.
I realize it seems like Kvothe never makes any mistakes but you have to note that he is a very clever person who is actually also narrating the story, meaning for any mistakes he does make, as the narrator, he also has the chance to put readers in his place and see the rationalization for his ( eventually erroneous) decision from his point of view and then its only natural that you won't think him flawed for it. For instance, he actually leaps of the tower when Elodin tells him to. From his pov, we can completely understand how he thought that and so you won't hold it as evidence of an imperfect character but in actuality he just jumped of a tower cause someone asked him to which is ridiculously stupid of him. I can think of a few more examples too but I don't want to make it a super long comment. All I can say I'm not sure how many of these instances are from book 1 ( which you read) and not book 2 (which explains why you don't know of them at the time of review)
All that said, I agree with you on the description of the Chandrian so far. In a story world that goes out of it’s way to create a unique, largely believable analogue to dragons, that makes sure it’s magic feels natural and a part of daily university life (to a degree), that is constantly saying things like ‘if this were a story this would happen, but since it’s not this happened instead’, it’s downright jarring to have Voldemort, Sepiroth and Emperor Palpatine as villains
Hey, loved your review and I have to say that Kvothe is not flawless. He is very intelligent and witty but his pride and ego gets the better of him. But yes his intelligence is quite high and might I say he is gifted in that sense and I can see why you see him flawless. If anything he is so powerful and yet he is an innkeeper in a small town and he cannot use his magic so there can be more to the story in the third part. P.S. I was so furious that you gave it only 3 stars. It atleast deserves a 4, or maybe the trilogy will tie everything into a coherent story and will explain everything.
My favorite book, but completely undestand your problems with it, and this is a good critique, no hate present, just well fundamented all round criteria, in my opinion, well done.
I started reading _The Name of the Wind_ book years ago but soon got bored so didn't finish it, but I think I might give it another try now. Fantasy Book Recommendation: *Legend By David Gemmell* (now deceased) It's considerably shorter and concisely written but equally engrossing. As one of his earlier novels the writing isn't his best and the love scenes are cringeworthy (Gemmell doesn't write good romance) but the characters and the story are solid and entertaining. I'd be interested in what you think of it.
I'm going to start a Wise mans fear and I had read the name of the wind a long time before. Can you put a video of all the important things that happens in the book. To get into the KVOTHE world again. Thanks
I loved the book! Really well written with a really fleshed out and interesting world, but I totally agree. The flawless and good at everything characters really get on my nerves. But I brought up that point to a friend and she told me we start to see a lot more of his flaws in the sequel, so I'm hopeful for that!
I also got kind of annoyed with Kvothe. Every time he'd worm his way out a situation I'd think, "oh of course he'd get away Scott-free". It got old after awhile. He needs to fail. Big time. I think we'll see that in book 3 (if it ever comes out).
Finding the book entertaining even though it lacked a standard storytelling format was a big plus for me. I think maybe we are too attached to the standard three act delivery. I agree the unreliable narrator is perhaps the greatest weakness of the Chronicles, but you also hit on why it might be it's greatest strength. Kvoth's perspective and embellishments are so obvious that I feel they are part of the greater narrative. I'm trusting the author that in the end how Kvoth told his story will become important. Because in the end the only skill we can be sure Kvothe is as good at as he says he is is his storytelling. As a bonus figuring out exactly what we can be trusted what can't is why I've done so many re-reads. Finally what do you mean Kvothe isn't flawed. The boy drives me crazy with his bone headed decisions.
I was confused at first but you have good arguments sooo... this is my favorite book and I believe that you’re a little wrong saying that Kvothe is flawless, he’s not, you’ll understand that by reading the second book ~no spoilers~ just wanted to let you know. I’m currently re-reading the name of the wind in my native language: Romanian. I would totally love to see your opinion on The slow regard of Silent things which is a novella about Auri. I loved it so deeply and completely. ⭐️❄️
this is my favorite book too....absolutely love the charecter of auri....wasnt the biggest fan on slow regard though cant remember why... i should give it another listen
I actually enjoyed the fact that he was so so smart, i dunno i saw him as a dear friend of mine, not gonna ignore his flaws but I found him so complex and wild. Many things to learn about life
I also have problems with Denna - his love interest and whatever is building up between them. She’s so...convenient. A beautiful young lady, who is smart and sly enough to trick her pursuers into showering her with (expensive) gifts and be able to leave without paying back, has feelings for no other than our Kvothe in return to his affection for her. In short, a pure and perfect love interest. The fact that she remains untouched whereas our Kvothe has slept with quite a few ladies including Felurian herself really affects my reading experience. It’s rather unfair, come to think of it. I kept pausing or skipping pages whenever she made an appearance and also when her name was mentioned. And just like you, I don’t really enjoy the fact that he masters every field of study or everything he does. It shows more clearly in the next book’s adventure. But I still enjoy the book. The part that I love the most is when he’s in shock wandering around the roads and then fights to exist in Tarbean. It touches me on so many levels. I’m waiting for the last volume and we’ll see how it ends.
I think a lot of comments have pointed out that Kvothe is far from a flawless character. I find it odd that you have read and enjoyed the book and have missed a slew of ridiculously obvious character flaws. The overarching goal is to find info on the big bad. How have you missed this, too?
If that is the goal, why did day one end with him defeating a dragon that is in no way related to the plot and is never mentioned again and taking care of his high school bully, rather than making a breakthrough with the villain's secret.
Generally agree with your main complaints but none of them were exceedingly irritating to me. I like a character I can relate to, but it's also interesting to imagine someone who literally became a legend within his own lifetime because he's basically superhumanly awesome.
The book is definitely overhyped. I kept hearing it was the one of the best fantasy books ever and how the world building and magic system was so great. But after reading it, I just felt like "Is that it?". I will give credit, on technical ability the writing is superb. It's really easy to follow and describes scenes very well. And yes it does well at building a world. That being said, nothing really happens in regards to the traumatic event he goes through. It's just his day to day life and I'm just waiting for moments that tie to the big baddies or the ancient lore that was mentioned. And of course on top of all that Kvothe is annoyingly perfect and literally no other character gets developed besides Denna.
I only agree with your last critique of the book. The rest I dont think even exist. I agree strongly with your last point, however that doesn't ruin the book or make it any less entertaining. But yh ur definitely right about that last one
I loved this book series because Kvothe is so arrogant and flawed but believes himself to be this one true hero and yet here he is hiding in an inn, in the middle of nowhere, from this chaos he has created. The world building for me is what ultimately saved the series for me and the others in the books like Sim and Elodin. I can't wait for the final book.
I actually like Kvothe...while Einstein types are extremely rare they do exist. He is clearly a hyper intellectual. A person of below average intelligence might feel intimidated by that though.
6:25 I believe that is kind of the point but also, he is describing himself as others will describe him and the stories that swirl around his name. Also he does have major flaws, sure he is good at what he does but, he is severly flawed.
What's the point on focusing if he doesn't have any flaws, I think he's just amazing, his background, the sadness that he holds, the insecurities. I love Kvothe, I see myself refleted on him
I agree that there are some problems with Kvothe as a character, mainly that to some extent he doesn't seem realistic. Still, I really liked The Name of the Wind. I think it's very unique. The story has many parts, each one felt , for me , completely different from the other and I found it great. The plot is not complicated, but the depth of Rothfuss' writing is felt in each word. The magic system is just awesome, the world building feels real. All in all I really liked it. 4/5 stars for me. I Recommend it for everybody.
I'm about 400 pages in and I'm not enjoying it at all. Edit: (spoilers) Okay I finished it and I won't be reading the second, at least not for a long while. I rolled my eyes so often towards the end when kvothe just knew everything about horses and just identified the raw unrefined drug by eye and all the girls were just swooning over him for no reason. Surprise, surprise he just says the name of the wind because of emotion, all his money troubles are sorted then he's expelled. HAHAHA Just kidding no he isn't he's staying AND he's promoted. Jesus christ.
The magic system and Kvothe's time at the university is what made me enjoy the book. I agree with your comments about Kvothe, and I look forward to your reaction to the chapters in the next book with Felurian aha
The flaw I saw with Kvothe is that he seemed to have no concept of how to save money. There were multiple times in the book where he'd talk about how strapped he was for cash, but then would go and buy expensive, unneeded shit. Every time he complained about being broke I wanted to reach into the book and smack his dumb ass. For a character who is supposed to be this super-genius, almost all his financial decisions struck me as childish.
Totally agree with this. People of below average intelligence can save 10 times better than this super-genius. Maybe younger or problem free readers can get past this, but I couldn't get over him coming out difficult situations and not being more cautious.
![The Name of the Wind [Animated]](/img/1.gif)
You are far from the only person to feel this way about Kvothe. For lots of people, he is a dealbreaker for these books (which he doesn't seem to be for you, since you said that you will be reading the next one).
Here is why I do not feel that way: I see Kvothe is a Tragic Hero in the tradition of Ancient Greece. He is near perfect at the things he does, but he has fatal flaws. How do we know that his flaws are fatal? Well, he is living as a humble innkeeper in the middle of Newarre (nowhere) under an assumed name. He seems to be unable to access his magic. He no longer plays music. A war is raging that he may have started. Hostile fey beasts are loose on the land, and it is probably his fault.
The hook for the character of Kvothe is not a desire to see how an imperfect character overcomes their shortcomings and succeeds, but rather, a desire to see how this nearly perfect character manages to fail on such an epic scale.
That being said, to each his own. :)
Really interesting interpretation. I never really thought about it that way. Now it makes perfect sense :O
It's not even gonna be a satisfying fall because for 2k pages he has shown that he fails not of his own fault in virtue or character but from opposition and coincidence. Like, he finds the most dangerous tree to have existed by accident and interacted with it before he even knew what it was, thereby sealing his fate as a fallen hero.
Exactly! The over arching theme is understanding how he went from near perfect with everything going for him to a unless innkeeper.
HELL YEAH
His could be a story of manipulation, and he fell for it over, and over again. Denna’s benefactor could have her lead our not so humble protagonist down this path without him being able to understand the grand scale of his mistakes until things are far outside of Kvothe’s ability to fix them. And now he’s living with ‘something’ that is slowly stripping away at his very soul. Maybe the box holds Denna’s patron, and he is eating away at Kvothe’s memories. That would explain why he can’t fight, or use sympathy. There’s a large number of explanations. Maybe it’s a box made by the Lackless family to store the Chandrian, which could explain the seven puzzles. What do I know? I’m just theorizing.
Giving this book 3 out of 5 stars is the biggest click-bait I've seen in a long time.
He explains his reasons well, and dont even pretend like this story gets any better or goes anywhere.
@Gabriel Elio Agree
He a God amongst men who just happens to work at a pub!! Yea I got the feeling that he's flawless in all things and everything he turns his hand too he's perfect at and It gets tiring fast. I started reading it but am finding the audio book alot easier to deal with thanks to the awesome voice actor. I should also mention I haven't finished it yet.
This is boring as fuck
I am already half of the book but it is so slowwwwwwww,there is no much interesting,magic system is smart but least badass magic system i ever seen
I was thinking?what the fuck is this?fucking david copperfield story in magic world?
@@noelwright1165 Yeah, he is very clever and good at a lot of stuff but he clearly has flaws. If he didn’t he wouldn’t be hiding away in a backwater inn.
It's my favorite book.
Someone make a GIF of 0:52 please.
When my friend asked me how good is this man’s writing, my response was always simple...
“This is the man who can describe the *sound of silence.* The man who let’s you *see the music* other than just hear it. The man who can make you *hear and know* the human struggle.”
EDIT: Yes, it’s an exaggeration, but Patrick certainly made me wanna say it this way.
He is a good author but that is an overstatement.
Jaqen H'ghar Fair enough. A man disagrees. A man is displeased.
Lmao ok, he's got good prose, but he's not Shakespeare.
I didn't like his prose. Seemed overindulgent to me and focused on the wrong things and beats to me.
Not that last line
I think that Kvothe is telling his story as it really happened. I believe that he is flawed : he is cocky, arrogant and he has a temper. I also got tired of the fact that he was the best at everything. However, I read both books because they are entertaining and I enjoy the writing style !
I agree. I just read it... I always thought it was funny when the story went "well that's how it goes in only books and tales" when something mundane happens. But, then he is miraculously good at everything else. It was entertaining though.
But none of those flaws were considered such nor did they have negative consequences…sort of how it goes with all privileged people. Irritating.
It would be funny to hear people who knew him while he was at the university and everyone would be all, "oh that guy was a real a$$hat. He kept picking fights with Ambrose for some reason"
And we find out that nobody really liked him and thought he was obnoxious, including his friends.
Interesting. I’ve always considered Kvothe very flawed (impulsive, short tempered, massive pride that makes him quick to judge/make mistakes/say things before thinking). It’s his character flaws that led him to his current situation (a tragically fallen lowly inn keeper). I could see if you just don’t like him (he’s got lots of things about him to dislike), but I certainly wouldn’t call him flawless.
That said, Rothfuss leans into Kvothe’s “perfection” in book two in a way that gets pretty ridiculous (especially when it comes to his new found experience with women). So if you had problems with this in book 1 I imagine book 2 only made it worse. (I’m gonna go check to see if you have a review of that book shortly...)
Thanks for the review!
Agreed. I enjoyed the first book but by the second I felt it got a bit on the more incredulous side. Especially his entire interactions with falorian.
If Kvothe's ceaseless simping wasn't portrayed in such a positive light, he'd probably be a much more likeable character.
It would have also helped if his main rival/enemy wasn't such an ultra cliche mean rich boy who no one likes. Honestly, the story would have only gained from dropping both Ambrose and Denna entirely.
The main antagonist being a schoolyard bully that nobody likes was so irritating. I usually skip through any parts that he was in
I didn't dislike Denna though. She is a huge tease which is irritating. She is more interestimg if just slightly, i was very suspicious of her
My issue was how everything else gets dropped the minute she appears. Also this book is only setup with almost no progression or payoff.
I think almost all of Kvothe’s problems after getting to the University are of his own making. Like the Archive thing wasn’t just because he was tired. It was because he’s just been whipped and rather than go home and rest he’s just got to go check out the archives, even though he knows he won’t really be getting anything done. He’s also tired because he’s drugged himself for a bit of a better reputation, a drug he knows causes fatigue. So of course instead of going to rest and let that wear off he goes to match wits with the guy he’s made an enemy of. That animosity, which he insists on continuing despite his friends telling him to drop it, later costs him his financial stability. Also there’s the thing with the roof.....
Kvothe’s main flaw is that even though he is smart he lacks wisdom, which is pointed out by several characters throughout the book. It’s an easy flaw to miss because he is so smart and he can cover for most of his mistakes. I suspect that the state of the world in the frame is largely his fault. Some foolish course he pursued that cost him everything and put the state of the world in the crapshoot.
It actually seems to be a very large element of the story- How genius is squandered and impulsive self gratification leads to irreparable self sabotage.
Sure, we keep hearing about how talented Kvothe is, but far more often we learn about his mistakes and poor decisions.
I liked how the author portrays the difficulties and pride of poverty. He seems to get the gist of it.
I was born poor in a third world country, and the depiction of Kvothe early life in tarbean, the abuses the he suffered, his distrust of authority and the feeling of superiority and arrogance that comes with viewing yourself as a self made man. All too real.
He would never ask for a shirt or help from his friends, he would prefer to go for a money lender, cheat of he has too.
All the characters decisions feel natural due to his background.
Pride of poverty? That's probably the dumbest thing I've ever heard being defended about this book.
Poverty is not something to be proud of. Lemme tell you a personal example. In school, I didn't have money to buy myself food and I was too shy to ask my colleagues for their leftover food so i just watched them throw it away. I am now in my late 20s, I am employed, I can buy myself however much food I want, but I cannot stand to go to my workplace's cafeteria because it hurts me personally to see how much unwanted food people leave behind. I have PTSD because of poverty.
@@elrilmoonweaver4723 I was going to write a long comment about how being ashamed to ask others for help is prideful but I am glad that you are doing okay now. Which is all that should matter!
@@paragonexperience Being ashamed does not involve pride, but it does save you from the self-loathing that comes if you overcome that shame. It happened to me when I last went to the cafeteria 2 months ago. I overcome my shame and asked a woman for her leftover meat ball cuz I thought it a waste to that she should throw it away. After that, I rushed back to my desk and cried, hating myself and thinking of myself a lowly begger. So, no, it has nothing to do not pride.
I'm better now since I stopped going and thinking about the cafeteria and all the wasted food.
@@elrilmoonweaver4723 I understand completely, I've had to be dressed for several years with clothes from friends of ours, church clothes etc.
And this is not even the most shameful event in my life but the antonym of pride is shame by definition. You didn't want people to perceive you as a lowly beggar so you were ashamed but also too prideful being prideful is not a bad thing, having dignity is not a bad thing either.
@@paragonexperience What bothered me truly was the idea that pride can be associated with poverty particularly in the Name of the Wind. In the story, Kvothe is SO patronizing that he talks down to the reader. He HAS skills that can help him overcome his "poor" status, but he will not use them because "personal gain is bad" and he just loves to milk the reader's sympathy. Thus he keeps hammering to the rme that I cannot possibly know what it feels like to be poor, unless I experienced it myself. I DID experience poverty, but I will not go out of my way to patronize people who've been more privileged than me, just because they have no idea what it's like! I really, really hate Kvothe, btw. I 100% agree with what Simon Clark brings as criticism for the Name of the Wind, because Kvothe was the main reason I couldn't even finish this damn story.
One of the arguments that was made against this notion( Kvothe is perfect) is from the beginning of the book it was heavily implied that Kvothe is an unreliable narrator, with him being a "fall from grace hero" telling his story.
A stronger argument in my opinion is that the whole thing was set by Bast(by terrorizing the Chronicler) so that the story telling aspects will focus on the highlights of Kvothe life and not dwell on the falier. I wholeheartedly belive it was done by the author on purpose so that we think Kvothe is unblemished and ideal.
And that is why it's easy to dismiss Kvothe's character as perfect and flawless, if you don't take into consideration where and who he is when the story start; a small village innkeeper, and is responsible for this big war upon the land. How did he get there? How did he fall from that legendary figure people told stories about? He is a con artist who built a legend around his name that he couldn't live up to. Kvothe is reckless, and" thinks "he is flawless which makes him so interesting and unlike any other characters I've read about in fantasy.
I don't really agree with you on the topic of Kvothe being flawless. He may be abnormally smart but e.g. he can get carried away by his emotions/hurt pride and get into some real trouble because of that.
But I definitely agree that Kvothe is not the typical likeable protagonist, but weirdly that makes me like the books even more. But I can understand that may be something other people really dislike about the Kingkiller Chronicles.
That's why I liked the books. He was a dick most of the time but he got punished for it. He thought he was smarter than nearly everyone but got proved wrong by some. It's been a while since I read it but I remember him not being good at everything and having to spend time studying even though he was smart.
I read it as Kvothe having once been a precocious kid and then a cocky teenager, and now having become a mostly defeated adult who recounts his past with the same attitudes he held at whatever age he was in each part of the story.
He was really bad with women, then he met a fucking fairy that brought him to a magical fairy world and taught him how to be a sex god, after he returned he was charismatic as hell, he got thaught dignity and physical combat by the Adem so after that he barely has any fucking weakness left.
Yeah he isn't flawless, just highly capable. I think it's a story about consequences rather than challenges alone
@@thorsten8790 hes still bad with women. Theres an entire chapter where fela tells him about the women he has slept with and how hes too distant so they lose interest. She tells him they see him as a person to sleep with but not to be with.
Wow, this is unexpected. It's my favourite book of all time!
Check out The Wheel of Time. It's big.
Same here! I read it first in the 5th grade but I've re-read it and the second book about 8 times. Uzubat taste is subjective. Everyone has different opinions and interests. While in your eyes you might hate a book and therefore see anyone who likes it as below you but that is pure opinion. If you stated more reason as to why you disliked and discussed it people might care about that opinion but just saying "Book bad, you dumb" isn't doing anything for anyone. Unless you just want to show how superior you are to those you see as weaker than you, or you just want to see someone get angry when you mock something they like.
@UZUBAT ?? He just dont habe YOUR taste
@UZUBAT what does GRRM have to do with this? Yes he praised the book, and that may be the reason that a lot of people read it, but that isn't the only reason most people started to read it.
People don't go saying "I liked TNotW because GRRM liked it!". No, that's stupid of you for thinking people just do that. Having an author that you like praise a book that you haven't read has a lot of chances of making you read that book but that won't make it the only reason you like said book
Also, OC doesn't have bad taste, he/she just doesn't have *your* taste, likes something that you don't, it's not that difficult to understand
@UZUBAT lol I didn't even know that GRRM gave a review of this book but it's still my favourite fantasy book of all time 😂 and to be honest I haven't even read the entire Song of Ice and Fire series just the first two.
YES. Kvothe's lack of flaws was my biggest complaint about the book. I disliked him as a character so much that it took me out of the story. I think it had elements that were good - the magic system was fascinating, and there were sections where I was entertained, but overall I think the worldbuilding was lacking and there seemed to be no real plot besides lots of stuff happened.
Honestly this review came across as really honest, and made absolutely valid criticisms, not pandering or "difficult for difficults sake". Thank you Simon
@Manly Palmer he portrays himself as flawless
@@oscarchavezavellan2738 In what way? He talks about his mistakes constantly
Whenever i read the book the only part that always gets me and bothers me is when Kvothe goes "and just like that, i knew what i had to do"
Just read this book and I totally agree with you. Moreover, I can't find a reason to the events of the story at all. So he went looking for the Chandrian, found a lizard and destroyed trebon, but he didn't name to wind until ambrose broke his lute? I've read autobiographies that's more exciting this is.
If you think Kvothe is flawless, you didn't read the book.
I'd definitely recommend that you finish the series at some point (possibly wait until the last book is out). A lot of the things that bothered you are tropes that are being deconstructed throughout the books, especially the fact that Kvothe is a Mary Sue (potential spoiler alert: it seems to me that that will be his greatest downfall in the end). I also feel like the structure is pretty natural since the book is supposed to be an autobiography, but a lot of the things that seemed trivial, or not interconnected, do tie together as you continue reading. The structure emerges retrospectively, which is why I enjoyed re-reading the first part after I'd read the second one.
Well said.
"(possibly wait until the last book is out)" Hopefully it will be out before he or I die.
Let's hope that the last book comes out at SOME POINT
I had the exact same experience, pretty much. There was a decent critique of the book that I read online a couple years back. I understand it was TAKEN DOWN due to the backlash against it. Hilarious and soured me against the books, the author, and the fandom.
I see where you are coming from with Kvothe (check the pronunciation btw :p) and other details. First off, with the narrative structure, this tale is brought to us as an account of someone's life. And that I think is why the narrative structure probably bothered you a bit, this is not an epic tale, not really, not quite, it's a bloke recounting his life, not just telling a story.
When it comes to Kvothe though, I agree with most of what you said, but others will point this out as well. Kvothe is flawed, for one he is a total prick (you said this yourself), he is arrogant and thoughtless (a certain scene involving Ben and the Wind should come to mind). These things get him into trouble all the time. Most notably with Ambrose, Simmon and Willem warn him time and time again that Ambrose shouldn't be trifled with, and yet he managed to always put himself across from him. Another example is how he jumped off a bloody roof because he was "so clever" and figured out Elodin "was testing his resolve". Ultimately, more often than his wit, I feel that his luck gets him out of tight places. And yes, he is awful, but I do not think we are supposed to like him, not really, not the way we like Frodo, or Bilbo.
That being said, brace yourself for his meeting with Felurian, there are important and marvellous things that happen there, but it's also the worst of his character.
Ultimately, the reason I read these books over and over again is the world building, the side characters he meets along his journey, the adventures, and most importantly, the mythos. Sprinkled throughout this and Wise Man's Fear are bits and bobs of mythology, and I suggest paying more attention to them. These paint a world with a history and an existance outside of the main character. A wonderful world.
Edit: As a last year master's student in physics I also loved the way sympathy was portrayed!
He's also not afraid to cheat when he needs to. Not exactly an endearing characteristic. I can understand why some people will shrug this off though because we're always led to believe that his situation demands it of him.
i like the way you explained it, he is a prick, but even though he is a prick he does it in a sort of way, like 'i would have loved to use his words on the bully at my school' type way
I Love sympathy aswell, but maybe not for the same reasons as you. It almost feels like it could be real.
Oof, the Felurian part is hotly contested for the worst part of the series, maybe that or the matriarchal society that somehow doesn't understand how reproduction works. Are you fucking kidding me? These lady ninjas never even watched animals? Don't they have sheep or cows? Sex doesn't make babies, what garbage.
I've been all over the map with this book... i read it in highschool and loved it unconditionally, i thought Kvothe was super cool and thought Denna was stupid to keep him at an arms length. Then i went online and started discussing the book with others, and the topic of Denna came up and i found myself actually defending the character from this incredible barrage of vitriol (probably by frustrated young guys who see themselves in Kvothe). I realized that really from her perspective Kvothe is doing to her exactly what he complains about her doing to him. Then it suddenly hit me: Kvothe is super cringey, and his whole attitude to Denna is written almost like the book is trying to show you the corrupting power of a subjective perspective... and that's really the point where the books took on a different tone for me, and going into Wise Man's Fear i started reading Kvothe as this deeply traumatized kid who, sure, is talented, but full of himself, with a chip on his shoulder, and completely unable to see others' perspective. I must admit i am still not sure if Rothfuss wrote him like this intentionally, because he can be a bit of a smarmy dick himself (and he's open with taking a lot of inspiration from his own college experience), but if the third book will explore this concept further this could really turn the whole critique of Kvothe as a mary-sue on it's head, which i would love. I want nothing more than this to be a 2000-page lesson in unreliable narration, and the paradox of the main character who can "do no wrong".
All that being said, i still love the books because of their fantastic prose, and the wonderful depictions of music, which is very dear to my heart. The system of magic is also fantastic, a beautiful merging of the "wizard" vs "sourceror" archetypes, letting us have scientific magic and esoteric magic all in the same world.
wow this is the best take actually
+
I completely agree with everything you said Simon! I found it difficult to read mostly because Kvothe was so pretentious.. which is unrealistic and boring.
I've enjoyed Kvothe as a charater even as flawless as he portrays himself, however I get why this could make you roll your eyes. The story itself tightly follows the hero's jurney, but I didn't mind and got submerged into it regardless. The writing is just damn excellent and the story keeps gripping you and overwhelming you with awesome scenes. Funny enough I didn't like the one thing you praised, that is the structure, because to me the interludes got interesting somewhere around the middle of the book when shit started going down (or was it near the end?) and before that I always had to check how many boring pages were left before the fun part could continued.
You'll be pleasantly suprised with the sequel as Kvothe starts to develop a darker side to himself. One thing I absolutely hate about The Wise Mans Fear tho is that he basically turns into a Casanova and even fucks a literal Goddes of Beauty, as alluded by himself earlier. Those chapters with Felurian are great, but unfortunately it doesn't end there. I just don't like too many sex scenes in my books (nearly had to kms reading Ringworld sequels) so if you don't mind that, the story will only get better with the second book.
Overall I'd give The Name of The Wind 4,5/5 and TWMF 4,8/5. Hopefully my grand children will be able to enjoy the last book when it comes out.
Kvothe literally only has sex for like.... 10 pages? 9 of them being with felurian.
@@jairusstrunk94 i miss the old kvothe straight virgin kvothe.
Joshua Woods hit the nail on the head. His primary character flaw is his pride. The story is more compelling/interesting than any normal life would be, solely because it isn’t entirely true. I think that makes it better.
I agree with the reasons you didn't like the character, but I despised the book, not because of Kvothe (whose major flaw is that he has none to speak of), but because this is not a story, it's just a bunch of stuff that happened. A story has a beginning, a middle, and an end. It has characters other than the main character who are more than one dimensional. And It has a conflict that is resolved *by the end of the book*. What a mind-blowing concept, I know. What is the central conflict of the story? Is it the demonic spiders that are infesting the land? Is it the Chandrian? Is it the scoundrels at University? By the end, we still have no idea. If your epic is so complex that you cannot fit a full explanation of the central conflict in one 700 page novel, then, 1. don't split your book up or 2. don't tell that story. I was 95% done by the time I had allowed myself to realize that there would be no fleshing out of the conflict or anything approaching a resolution. After I finished the novel... well... let's just say whenever someone brings up this "cornerstone of modern fantasy" I begin to foam at the mouth.
This is a beautiful collection of stories within a story, I didn't even notice that the story didn't fit the typical literary expectations until you said it. I think you have a critic's disease, When your head is set up with "how it should be", which interferes with perception. If you throw away these self-created frameworks, the story can sparkle with completely different colors
I agree with you. I liked the world that Patrick built and how he wrote about it, I really like the "three silences" interlude. But I hated how perfect Kvothe is.
You think the character doesn't have any flaws? He lights up his enemy in Tarbean with liqour and a match. It was a bigger kid who bullied him. I think that is pretty brutal.
How is that a character flaw..?
@@skyt8327 you mean ruthlessly burning another human being?
Gábor Király yes? That’s not a character flaw that’s just something he did. He’s good at literally everything
I'd say his arrogance is a flaw though, and I thought that was kinda obvious, no?
I see your point about kvothe but that’s honestly part of why I like him. He is not the typical #relatable normal guy kind of protagonist that I was a bit bored of when I read name of the wind. I like that he is this super awesome hero figure and that the book is the backstory of a legendary hero.
I have been an avid reader for most of my life. This is one of the VERY BEST books I have ever read. I lived in it for weeks after finishing.
Kvothe being poor was a major flaw in my eyes. Sure the tavern owner looks back with rose tinted glasses and never admits to any negative behaviour but i always saw the flaw that kvothe had to overcome was survive his finacial situation. Not as flashy as but for me it was really compelling to read about the risks of him not being able to cover his fees.
Being poor is not a character flaw, its a state of being. Kvothe was poor not by any fault of his own, he was a victim. So very far from being a character flaw
@@epiccthulu Being poor in general isn't a character flaw, but there are definitely times when Kvothe basically says "I had so much money I was going to be able to survive for months, and it was a huge relief" and then a couple pages later he's buying himself some (good to have but not strictly necessary for survival) things and he's out of money again.
Of course, it's passed over so lightly within the plot that it seems more like a convenient way for the author to give the character big successes at getting money without then having to set aside money troubles as a way to drive the plot, similar to the way Ambrose gets involved to prevent working as a musician from turning into a comfortable living.
I disagree about Kvoth. He is a great character, yes he is very successful at what he does but mostly because of his dedication and hard work. Also, his numerous skills didn't bother me because they were well earned through hardship and well developed early life experiences.
ps: You're saying Kvothe wrong
I found him increasingly creepy. The whole, "They can have her body, but I will own her heart," stuff was a dealbreaker for me.
I pretty much agree with this. Especially about how annoying Kvothe's perfections were. I think I could have lived with that part (at least held off on judging until a future book) if the story telling didn't tank so horribly in the last third. I was so immersed in the story until about the point where he and the love interest go off to solve that bizarre mystery involving a tree-eating dragon. I mean... why?! How does that serve the plot or develop the characters? I felt the author lost a lot of steam at the tail end and just had to muscle through the ending. I do hear the second book is pretty good, so I'll give it a shot. Nice review!
I believe Kvothe is a Mary Sue character on purpose. He is the narrator so he can embellish his accomplishments. I am confident in book three that we will see Kvothe the Bloodless fall and because hes been portrayed as a "Mary Sue" this will make the revelation so much more of a shock to us fans. I love Kvothe and the way it is, like how I love Denna and how shes so mysterious, there are flaws yes but I believe that these main flaws were written in on purpose by Patrick Rothfuss for a much bigger turn at the end.
I think what’s cool about Kvothe is that he represents what can be possible through sheer drive and willpower. He’s experienced great tragedy in his life, and yet somehow he has achieved certain victories in spite of it. In terms of his flaws, I would argue that they aren’t quite as apparent (since he’s telling the story) but they are there. Pride is probably his biggest flaw, and it has lead to as many hardships as it has victories for him. I will agree that the narrative does stretch out a bit thinly at times, since he has many varying motives (revenge against the Chandrian, Denna, his studies at the university, etc.) and they only get longer in The Wise Man’s Fear. But in a way I think it’s more realistic to read about a character that has multiple things driving him/her, albeit fantasy-related topics as opposed to more grounded real motives. I also think that it becomes easier to get attached to Kvothe because you experience his tragedy at a young age and that trauma that he endured is always with him, and subsequently with the reader. Even when everything is going well for him for a time, you’re still intrigued because of all the conflicts that surround him, conflicts that he can’t really escape. But so still appreciate your take on it.
Definition of word at 2:50 please because I can't find it but I love it so much.
Used to love this book. Also ripped through it the first time round. Was very addictive and love the mystery of The Chandrian, but after re-reading a couple times while waiting endlessly for the 3rd book. I’ve come to really unlike a lot about it. Kvothe comes off as woefully arrogant and self absorbed. Denna is the absolute worst character. My eyes roll every time she comes up.
I reckon part of it was I was a young man when I initially read this. 10 yrs later, it really doesn’t hold up for me. Anyway enjoyed your unbiased review and analysis. Cheers!
My fiance read it as a teenager and reread it a couple of years ago and had the same experience. And I just read it and unfortunately didn't enjoy it at all.
Listening to him mispronounce Kvothe for 10 minutes in a row.... yikes
is it quothe? idk if i remember correctly
@@saltyitalianguy3243 yeah, it is im pretty sure. He explains the pronounciation early on in the story.
@@saltyitalianguy3243 The V is pronounced actually, but it rhymes with quothe. Here is Rothfuss pronouncing it for us: ruclips.net/video/MPEB6NAGoYk/видео.html
@@fullyimmersed8578 oh thanks!
well, kvothe doesn't understand how alchemy works... neither do I
What I didn't like about the characters of this book is that all of Kvothe's friends are not actual friends but groupies and admirers and everyone who doesn't admire Kvothe just hates him. Just as the teachers either love and admire him or hate him. That bully at university is just a cheap Draco Malfoy parody.
Plus, it gets even worse in the sequel. So much that I have zero interest in the third book, should it ever be published.
KVŌTH
Will you be reviewing the second book? In my opinion, it is much better in terms of structure. This is my favorite book, and I agree with all points of your review, however the parts of the books I liked were so good in my opinion that I give it 4.5.
Had the same issue with the main character. I need flawed protagonists so I can relate to them.
This book was a ton of fun to read and I realized why afterwards, it feels like you're in a video game.
Can't agree more with you. By the way, are you planning to do a video about your thesis content? As a physics undergraduate I would really appreciate it.
Yes I plan on doing a video on the thesis in the new year!
@@SimonClark that's awesome
I think it is exactly right that Kvothe is an unreliable narrator, although that may not be obvious unless you've read the book multiple times or read fan theories. I don't think he is lying, but rather that his story is kind of colored by his perspective and interpretation of the events that happened. The story he tells is what he thinks was so, not necessarily what was so. Some people might not like that, although judging from his interviews and blogs, Patrick Rothuss writes very meticulously, so I anticipate a reason for it will be revealed in book 3.
I will have to respectfully disagree in that Kvothe is flawless. He is superficially flawless which yeah in a way is flawless but in what actually matters in life he is very flawed. 1.) A flaw the pissed me off the whole time, he doesnt have health relationship with Denna 2.) Unable to move on. 3.) Doesn't believe in himself (outlined by Bast in the last chapter). All three of these are more important to Life than being good at the small things. His flaws are so deep rooted that you can see he is unhappy which is the most important aspect to growth as a character. feel free to disagree
You should read "The Dresden Files". Harry Dresden, the protagonist, is an answer to everything that you dislike about Kavoth. He is neither the strongest, nor is he the best wizard in existence. But he makes up for his short comings with hard work and determination. I think that you will like these novels, they are currently 15 books and counting.
I got this book recommended to me for similar reasons and I completely agree with your interpretation of Kvothes personality. The second book does take this to an extreme degree and he becomes an absolutely intolerable character during his sex adventures in fairy land and ninja village. Rothfuss is good at telling stories of places and creating interesting struggles within his world, but his main character came of to me as some sort of perfect example of humankind. I think Simon hit the mark with his review, its a well written story with a bad main character.
If you do not see Kvothe's flaws, then you are not reading.
@@curtiswfranks Obviously he sees the characters flaws, or he wouldn't have written what he has written.
Being intolerable because he is perfect is not really a 'flaw' because it presupppses perfection. Luckily, Kvothe is far from perfect.
@@curtiswfranks He's not intolerable because he's perfect, but because he an egocentric, egotistical, arrogant brat. It wasn't outright stated here, but it was implied. If this is not what the op meant, then sure.. he was wrong. My point about Kvothe stands though. :)
@@Ashgarify OP literally says "some sort of perfect example of humankind" as the source of their complaint.
Not all books need a villain overhanging all the time. I appreciated that he's going through his life, and knowing that he's just an innkeeper now, seeing how he got there.
I think Kvothe is a bit of a mary sue is a valid argument. I hope you enjoy the 2nd book better!
No, it really is not.
@@curtiswfranks wow u completely changed my outlook on it thanks.
The whole story is built around the concept that Kvothe messes everything up. He has major flaws such as arroagance, a vengeful streak, etc. I grant that he is a prodigy, but this is established early; his skills often relate to one another too (Naming and music, for example).
Oh, and he is usually wrong.
NeverLace How is he a mary sue? You as a reader know since the begining that the world went to shit, the book is a story of HOW the world went to shit.
I don't really understand why people say he is a mary sue, for me it just shows a lack of reading comprehension.
Currently halfway through the second book and I'm gradually finding kvothe unbearable for all the reasons you stated. I enjoy this book but kvothe seems incapable of error. Any problems that happen aren't really his fault...
The first two stories are him learning how to be a hero; The university, Felurian, The Adem.
how did you guys say his name in your heads? i always read it as 'qu-oh-th'...
SIMON!
hey! :D
I just wanted to give you some of my opinions of what you said :D
1,
You make great points when discussing how you feel regarding some aspects of the book, such as how you didn't really like the writing. I Loooove the writing myself, but truly appreciate you showing that it is your subjective opinion, which everyone should have. And I love how you like the "magic" system! So do I, it's brilliant.
2,
actually, I'd argue that he does have major flaws (A LOT OF THEM! no fan that has analysed the book argues with this!). At first I didn't, but reading it and others comments on it really makes it clear. I mean, he's stupid. really stupid. Sure he's intelligent, but that doesn't make one not stupid. He has great capacity to be smart, but is to eager (one major flaw) and wants to cut corners (which we see him do over and over again). He makes rash and dumb decisions which puts him in a bad spot a lot of times. And you can't forget how dumb he is regarding women throughout the book. This is first improved in the WMF, but still the social part is lacking. He's a loner most of the time, and only knows how to talk with some people he's very close friends to (like Simmon or Wilem). This isn't something we normally see in a book. So yes, he does have flaws. I'm sure I could think of more, but you get the point.
And of course talent dominates a lot. It does in the real world as well. A 120 IQ man has a way easier time learning physics than a 80 IQ man, normally. You are born differently, raised differently (kvothe was raised in a family where you make a living by remembering things, literally).
+ I would like to add, let's assume this whole world is real. Now would a book about someone not interesting be famous? No, ofc the scribe would choose someone who is a legend. And of course there is one of those in world (in this case Kvothe). Also, we cannot actually know what he says is true (which I love that you mention a bit). It's him telling the story. If you told a story about what you've done, I'm certain you'd make it a bit more "glorious" than it actually is.
3, the most important one imo.
The overarching story is really not something you should look for. This is not a regular book, if you haven't noticed. This is a story about a man, which we believe is the real story of said man and legend. There doesn't have to be an overarching story! Can you find an overarching story in your life? Can you find a main "villain"? This is so much more than a fantasy book. You said it was like "this happened, then this happened, then this happened." Now isn't that life? Isn't that how a "realistic" or good book should be? It's a philosophical life story of a man who became famous. How he became famous and how most rumours aren't true. "The best lies are the ones i've told myself" -Kvothe.
So don't look for a big bad in a book like this. Example; world politics do exist. It's just that Kvothe isn't interested in it, and therefore we only get the limited information we get.
4,
This is part of 3, but I feel like people often view this book from the wrong perspective. Don't go into it expecting just another epic fantasy book. This is a one of a kind.
5,
If you are more curious, I recommend "The Crockery" discord, where a ton of fans discuss KKC, but also play tak together, play dnd together, discuss memes, books, games, movies/tv, music, pets (yes, pets xD), anime and much more. You're more than welcome to join :D discord.gg/S3D437
(if you have any questions at all, please feel free to ask)
THANKS FOR READING,
hope you have a wonderful day
//Serpentizer aka Master Sympathist
My dude - great video. The wise man's fear isn't any better... I think this book is a book I loved reading at the time, because it's so damn entertaining, but it actually isn't very good... Either way, i had a lovely time listening to the book on a huge travel trip and it made 60+ hours of planes and trains and buses much more bearable. 3/5 stars seems fair.
I had very similar experience but it got better as time goes by.
soooo does anyone have anything to say about Denna??
I love how people forget that he grew up in an acting troop. He was taught how to act in any situation and a lot about music.
Oh my god. I finally feel like I'm not crazy.
I actually felt that you were really light on your critiques to the book. I've had the same problem, everyone I asked about this book was so hyped that it totally fell flat for me. I hope to construct somewhat of a review for it but my main complaints allign with yours exactly! Doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it, I enjoyed it to an extent, but it definitely isn’t the High Fantasy Next Game of Thrones I was promised and I don’t get that rating in Goodreads. Usually I guess I'd give it a 4 star? 3/5? But I'm downgrading it to 3 exactly because it is so hyped and I feel like that also blew it for me x-x it was just eh, ok.
I completed 60% of book ...not sure if i should continue
Can you read the book
THE LAST MOONDANCER
I realize it seems like Kvothe never makes any mistakes but you have to note that he is a very clever person who is actually also narrating the story, meaning for any mistakes he does make, as the narrator, he also has the chance to put readers in his place and see the rationalization for his ( eventually erroneous) decision from his point of view and then its only natural that you won't think him flawed for it.
For instance, he actually leaps of the tower when Elodin tells him to. From his pov, we can completely understand how he thought that and so you won't hold it as evidence of an imperfect character but in actuality he just jumped of a tower cause someone asked him to which is ridiculously stupid of him.
I can think of a few more examples too but I don't want to make it a super long comment. All I can say I'm not sure how many of these instances are from book 1 ( which you read) and not book 2 (which explains why you don't know of them at the time of review)
All that said, I agree with you on the description of the Chandrian so far. In a story world that goes out of it’s way to create a unique, largely believable analogue to dragons, that makes sure it’s magic feels natural and a part of daily university life (to a degree), that is constantly saying things like ‘if this were a story this would happen, but since it’s not this happened instead’, it’s downright jarring to have Voldemort, Sepiroth and Emperor Palpatine as villains
I wonder what is your opinion on Denna.
Hey, loved your review and I have to say that Kvothe is not flawless. He is very intelligent and witty but his pride and ego gets the better of him. But yes his intelligence is quite high and might I say he is gifted in that sense and I can see why you see him flawless. If anything he is so powerful and yet he is an innkeeper in a small town and he cannot use his magic so there can be more to the story in the third part. P.S. I was so furious that you gave it only 3 stars. It atleast deserves a 4, or maybe the trilogy will tie everything into a coherent story and will explain everything.
My favorite book, but completely undestand your problems with it, and this is a good critique, no hate present, just well fundamented all round criteria, in my opinion, well done.
I started reading _The Name of the Wind_ book years ago but soon got bored so didn't finish it, but I think I might give it another try now.
Fantasy Book Recommendation: *Legend By David Gemmell* (now deceased)
It's considerably shorter and concisely written but equally engrossing. As one of his earlier novels the writing isn't his best and the love scenes are cringeworthy (Gemmell doesn't write good romance) but the characters and the story are solid and entertaining. I'd be interested in what you think of it.
I'm going to start a Wise mans fear and I had read the name of the wind a long time before. Can you put a video of all the important things that happens in the book. To get into the KVOTHE world again.
Thanks
I loved the book! Really well written with a really fleshed out and interesting world, but I totally agree. The flawless and good at everything characters really get on my nerves. But I brought up that point to a friend and she told me we start to see a lot more of his flaws in the sequel, so I'm hopeful for that!
I also got kind of annoyed with Kvothe. Every time he'd worm his way out a situation I'd think, "oh of course he'd get away Scott-free". It got old after awhile. He needs to fail. Big time. I think we'll see that in book 3 (if it ever comes out).
Kvothe's most glaring flaw was, to me, his arrogance. And I really agree with this review; he was very unlike able to me though I loved the book.
I think it would be a lot better if we cut Auri, and 80% of Denna's scenes.
I loved dennas part the day they go dragon hunting
Do you read one book at a time or multiple?
Generally I have two different books on the go at once. Normally one science/humanities and one fiction!
Finding the book entertaining even though it lacked a standard storytelling format was a big plus for me. I think maybe we are too attached to the standard three act delivery.
I agree the unreliable narrator is perhaps the greatest weakness of the Chronicles, but you also hit on why it might be it's greatest strength. Kvoth's perspective and embellishments are so obvious that I feel they are part of the greater narrative. I'm trusting the author that in the end how Kvoth told his story will become important. Because in the end the only skill we can be sure Kvothe is as good at as he says he is is his storytelling. As a bonus figuring out exactly what we can be trusted what can't is why I've done so many re-reads.
Finally what do you mean Kvothe isn't flawed. The boy drives me crazy with his bone headed decisions.
Kvothe with the o pronounced "oh", because of the e on the end. Did you say, Oxford?
I was confused at first but you have good arguments sooo... this is my favorite book and I believe that you’re a little wrong saying that Kvothe is flawless, he’s not, you’ll understand that by reading the second book ~no spoilers~ just wanted to let you know. I’m currently re-reading the name of the wind in my native language: Romanian. I would totally love to see your opinion on The slow regard of Silent things which is a novella about Auri. I loved it so deeply and completely. ⭐️❄️
this is my favorite book too....absolutely love the charecter of auri....wasnt the biggest fan on slow regard though cant remember why... i should give it another listen
This is also my favorite book and I really liked the slow regard to silent things. It was a light read and it made me very calm
I actually enjoyed the fact that he was so so smart, i dunno i saw him as a dear friend of mine, not gonna ignore his flaws but I found him so complex and wild. Many things to learn about life
Have you read the magicians
Damn, thank you. I loathed Kvoth but still enjoyed both books, the second one more so.
I also have problems with Denna - his love interest and whatever is building up between them.
She’s so...convenient. A beautiful young lady, who is smart and sly enough to trick her pursuers into showering her with (expensive) gifts and be able to leave without paying back, has feelings for no other than our Kvothe in return to his affection for her. In short, a pure and perfect love interest.
The fact that she remains untouched whereas our Kvothe has slept with quite a few ladies including Felurian herself really affects my reading experience. It’s rather unfair, come to think of it.
I kept pausing or skipping pages whenever she made an appearance and also when her name was mentioned.
And just like you, I don’t really enjoy the fact that he masters every field of study or everything he does. It shows more clearly in the next book’s adventure.
But I still enjoy the book. The part that I love the most is when he’s in shock wandering around the roads and then fights to exist in Tarbean. It touches me on so many levels.
I’m waiting for the last volume and we’ll see how it ends.
I think a lot of comments have pointed out that Kvothe is far from a flawless character.
I find it odd that you have read and enjoyed the book and have missed a slew of ridiculously obvious character flaws.
The overarching goal is to find info on the big bad. How have you missed this, too?
If that is the goal, why did day one end with him defeating a dragon that is in no way related to the plot and is never mentioned again and taking care of his high school bully, rather than making a breakthrough with the villain's secret.
@@KamuiSeph Someone is triggered lol
This absolutely encapsulates my thoughts on it!!!
Generally agree with your main complaints but none of them were exceedingly irritating to me. I like a character I can relate to, but it's also interesting to imagine someone who literally became a legend within his own lifetime because he's basically superhumanly awesome.
Oh god, I'm so happy I'm not the only one who liked the story but didn't like Kvothe. He's annoyingly perfect
The book is definitely overhyped. I kept hearing it was the one of the best fantasy books ever and how the world building and magic system was so great. But after reading it, I just felt like "Is that it?". I will give credit, on technical ability the writing is superb. It's really easy to follow and describes scenes very well. And yes it does well at building a world. That being said, nothing really happens in regards to the traumatic event he goes through. It's just his day to day life and I'm just waiting for moments that tie to the big baddies or the ancient lore that was mentioned. And of course on top of all that Kvothe is annoyingly perfect and literally no other character gets developed besides Denna.
I only agree with your last critique of the book. The rest I dont think even exist. I agree strongly with your last point, however that doesn't ruin the book or make it any less entertaining. But yh ur definitely right about that last one
I loved this book series because Kvothe is so arrogant and flawed but believes himself to be this one true hero and yet here he is hiding in an inn, in the middle of nowhere, from this chaos he has created.
The world building for me is what ultimately saved the series for me and the others in the books like Sim and Elodin. I can't wait for the final book.
Would love more single book reviews. I like having a more detailed description of your thoughts on books.
I actually like Kvothe...while Einstein types are extremely rare they do exist.
He is clearly a hyper intellectual. A person of below average intelligence might feel intimidated by that though.
It's not a story about an ordinary man, why can't people just hear that, the prologue out to make that clear.
6:25
I believe that is kind of the point but also, he is describing himself as others will describe him and the stories that swirl around his name. Also he does have major flaws, sure he is good at what he does but, he is severly flawed.
Beware of folly
What's the point on focusing if he doesn't have any flaws, I think he's just amazing, his background, the sadness that he holds, the insecurities. I love Kvothe, I see myself refleted on him
best book ever! even better: the audiobook
I agree, and suspect you may have a new interpretation after book 2. I perceive the narrator as unreliable, and under duress.
I agree that there are some problems with Kvothe as a character, mainly that to some extent he doesn't seem realistic. Still, I really liked The Name of the Wind. I think it's very unique. The story has many parts, each one felt , for me , completely different from the other and I found it great. The plot is not complicated, but the depth of Rothfuss' writing is felt in each word. The magic system is just awesome, the world building feels real. All in all I really liked it. 4/5 stars for me. I Recommend it for everybody.
I'm about 400 pages in and I'm not enjoying it at all.
Edit: (spoilers)
Okay I finished it and I won't be reading the second, at least not for a long while.
I rolled my eyes so often towards the end when kvothe just knew everything about horses and just identified the raw unrefined drug by eye and all the girls were just swooning over him for no reason.
Surprise, surprise he just says the name of the wind because of emotion, all his money troubles are sorted then he's expelled. HAHAHA Just kidding no he isn't he's staying AND he's promoted. Jesus christ.
The magic system and Kvothe's time at the university is what made me enjoy the book. I agree with your comments about Kvothe, and I look forward to your reaction to the chapters in the next book with Felurian aha
i agree with the review. it is not a layered text. pretty flat, though entertaining. i wouldn't compare it to the song of ice and fire or the lotr
I cant help to notice the RUclipsr Fairy Lights at your back 😂
The flaw I saw with Kvothe is that he seemed to have no concept of how to save money. There were multiple times in the book where he'd talk about how strapped he was for cash, but then would go and buy expensive, unneeded shit. Every time he complained about being broke I wanted to reach into the book and smack his dumb ass. For a character who is supposed to be this super-genius, almost all his financial decisions struck me as childish.
Totally agree with this. People of below average intelligence can save 10 times better than this super-genius. Maybe younger or problem free readers can get past this, but I couldn't get over him coming out difficult situations and not being more cautious.