SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

It's been a fairly quiet discussion, I guess the majority of people have already read and discussed it before. So let us know how you feel about this book? Was it everything it was said to be or did you feel it was overrated?

Love this book! My sister didn't like it, she found Quothe to be too arrogant. But she didn't finish it either. After reading in the "First thoughts" thread, I'm wondering if she just read the innkeeping part and didn't make it to the "real story."

In my mind, what sets this book apart is how well the author is able to set up unfulfilled longing. The broken strings...the broken lute...expulsion from the archives - I felt these things down to my very marrow, heartbreaking!

I read it a few years ago, i did like it a lot, i hope to see how the tale scale

PS The part when Elodin tell Kvothe to jump and what Elodin says after actually made me laugh a bit out loud

i thought it was very poor and ive not disliked the main protagonist as much in any book as i have this. The scene towards the end with the Draccus/Dragon had me cringing for the author, that was bad.

I think it's a good book, but way overhyped at this point, which may color expectations for new readers.

I actually enjoyed The Wise Man's Fear better, but I know many people feel the opposite.

Some of the events at the school felt tired to me, and Kvothe can be very unlikable at times. However I enjoy his writing style and the world he's building.

Pickle wrote: "i thought it was very poor and ive not disliked the main protagonist as much in any book as i have this. The scene towards the end with the Draccus/Dragon had me cringing for the author, that was bad."

That ending with the draccus was really the only part I didn't like. Felt very out of place compared to the rest of the story.

Other than that, I enjoyed the hell out of this book. Loved getting the perspective of the legend telling the true story of his achievements, especially considering we have the present day moments with people talking about him, making it all sound better than it really was. I thought it was an excellent and original premise.

Enrique wrote: PS The part when Elodin tell Kvothe to jump and what Elodin says after actually made me laugh a bit out loud"

There were a few really funny moments, but that was definitely my favorite. Elodin and Auri were probably my favorite characters even though their parts were small compared to others. Loved the interactions between the two of them with Kvothe.

I thought it was an ok book. It's not that I disliked Kvothe's background story but I was more interested in the present day storyline and that never went anywhere. Does anyone know if the next book continues in the same vein?

Spiegel wrote: "I thought it was an ok book. It's not that I disliked Kvothe's background story but I was more interested in the present day storyline and that never went anywhere. Does anyone know if the next boo..."

The sequel is the same structure. You get a little more of present day, but it's mostly Kvothe's past.

I finished yesterday and after thinking about it for a while, gave it 4 stars. There is a lot to like, but I do agree that perhaps this book is a little over-hyped.

The Name of the Wind is a long book and it took a while for me to engage, partly because nothing of substance seems to happen for a while. In retrospect though, the beginning of the book does do a fairly good job of setting the scene and tone for the story to follow, though leaves many unanswered questions.

One of the reals strengths of this book is the sense of depth to the fantasy world that the author is creating. One feels that there is a lot of back story, and Patrick Rothfuss does a good job of weaving the fables and myths into the history as the book progresses.

Even so, as the story gradually unfolds the author leaves much unexplained in this book. He teases us with hints, making us want more, no doubt setting us up for the upcoming books in the series. What of these scrael who are introduced at the beginning of the story? And what are we to make of the hint at the end that Kvothe himself has brought all of this evil upon the world? What about the significance and history of Underthing? Who is Bast, and how does he fit in? And then of course there are the Chandrian to ponder. So many questions.

Hvothe seems a little too heroic and legendary, and not in keeping with some of the more flawed heroes we have seen in fantasy literature of late, but in some ways this is refreshing. He is just a little too witty, too talented, and too virtuous, and because of this, comes across at times as officious and sanctimonious. I can see how other readers don’t especially like him as a character. I did though enjoy the chapter towards the end when Cob restarts his tale of Kvothe, retelling the story we have just heard chronicled, now seen through the patina of myth and legend.

There were weak points in the story-telling as well. The whole yarn about the draccus and its addiction to denner resin, I agree, seemed a little ludicrous. But in all, I think The Name of the Wind is a very solid and engaging first book by this new author, and I look forward to the upcoming books and to watching more stuff to come.

3 different reactions
- the beginning 58 pages seemed more the style of fantasy than the substance and almost didn't continue
- the long middle part was great and enjoyed it very much

- but the all-important last 100 or so pages
The take on the dragon blew me out of the story. He turned it into a fire-breathing sauropod, a vegan, contentedly rolling in the embers. Even the dragon rider stories that I have read don't do that. It came off as re-inventing the genre and weakened my tie to the whole story -
- Kvothe continually talking and giving his version of everything so the closer he got to danger the less dangerous it seemed
- Kvothe's condescending attitude toward the swineherd seemed more like Ambrose, so in retrospect his sensitivity seemed not to extend much beyond himself
- 1st person perspective - if the author is going to brag it may be better to not be in first person because it can get to be a bit much
- Denna coming and going, coming and going, more flighty than woman of mystery
By the time he called the wind it didn't matter too much. The end reverted back to the silence after Kvothe being pretty gabby through most of it.
It left me as the reader somewhat puzzled, not sure what to think but in the end did not throw the baby out with the bathwater, so still like the middle part and think he crafted a marvelous but in ways very flawed connection.

Flash Beagle wrote: "Denna coming and going, coming and going, more flighty than woman of mystery."

I got pretty frustrated with this as well, but decided that her tale was yet another of the myriad of things unanswered in this book and that it too will hopefully be addressed somewhere in the next two books.

I loved the book when I read it (for reference, my review is here). It was a fresh face, which seems to have enchanted some and pushed away others.


Enrique wrote: "PS The part when Elodin tell Kvothe to jump and what Elodin says after actually made me laugh a bit out loud"

That was a brilliant moment, as it's not what any would expect at all!! Elodin has to be one of my favourite characters, despite his obviously predatory nature towards women.


Flash Beagle wrote: "The take on the dragon blew me out of the story. He turned it into a fire-breathing sauropod, a vegan, contentedly rolling in the embers. Even the dragon rider stories that I have read don't do that. It came off as re-inventing the genre and weakened my tie to the whole story -"

That's, actually, one bit I really liked. It seemed to give some realism to the story. One thing I liked about the magic, too, was that there was an element of realism to it. It made it achievable, that almost anyone could train hard to get there. Yes, Kvothe is brilliant and picks it up better and easier than most, but half the story would be gone if he weren't exceptional.

Edwin wrote: "Flash Beagle wrote: "Denna coming and going, coming and going, more flighty than woman of mystery."

I got pretty frustrated with this as well, but decided that her tale was yet another of the myri..."

He may -- but maybe not - it may be a teaser for a long time.

I think this is the beginning of a long fantasy. I totally agree he set the stage in the first part for what is to come. The demon spider pods are hard to kill and they were there in numbers. My guess is that the story will continue on/after day 3 - something may happen - the inn could be destroyed or whatever - and the next phase begins. That would be great for fans of the series, it's a good world to be in. I do hope he gets to whatever it was that scared the Chandrian away - that should be a good battle, but I see glimmers of Wheel of Time! :)

Flash Beagle wrote: " but I see glimmers of Wheel of Time! :)"

Heaven forbid, I had to give up that series at book six.

I'm pretty sure it's only a trilogy, but don't quote me on that!

Susie wrote: "I loved the book when I read it (for reference, my review is here). It was a fresh face, which seems to have enchanted some and pushed away others.


Enrique wrote: "PS The part when Elodin tell Kv..."

I loved the fact that Kvothe was good and knew a lot, especially music - the lute, breaking a string and playing short of one - the court lute, 24 strings and the guy taking all day to tune it. Singing the last part and knowing/hoping someone would join in - fantastic!
It was the timing of talking so much when he is getting closer to what he has been after through the whole book, the Chandrian, a great evil, thought of as myth but he knows they are real. The trek up and down the hills sounded more like they were on a field trip. By the time they got to the dragon I had stopped suspending disbelief (sitting back and thinking why did the author do that, you know the story has hit a bump) and that was sort of the last straw. But yes, knowing how to do things - the way Harry just knew he could ride a broom - that's great.

Edwin wrote: "Flash Beagle wrote: " but I see glimmers of Wheel of Time! :)"

Heaven forbid, I had to give up that series at book six."

I didn't finish it either - too much time between my favorite characters, Perrin and Matt - looking for the confrontation between Rand and the Forsaken or getting back to the Aiel. But maybe I'll go back and start over. While I like following one character through a story there is also the world, that's a good reason to read it, and I think this story reminded me of that.

DavidO wrote: "I'm pretty sure it's only a trilogy, but don't quote me on that!"

I think it is a trilogy, but since I'm thinking of Wheel of Time, I was fortunate enough to have Robert Jordan autograph some of the series and I asked him how long it would be (maybe you are not supposed to ask authors that question but I did!) - he said probably eight books. As they say, the rest is history. Anyway I'm glad it was longer, what a legacy.

Since this story is so far all in the past, and the demons are still in the world and dangerous, I would like to see how it plays out.

Flash Beagle wrote: "I loved the fact that Kvothe was good and knew a lot, especially music - the lute, breaking a string and playing short of one - the court lute, 24 strings and the guy taking all day to tune it. Singing the last part and knowing/hoping someone would join in - fantastic!
It was the timing of talking so much when he is getting closer to what he has been after through the whole book, the Chandrian, a great evil, thought of as myth but he knows they are real. The trek up and down the hills sounded more like they were on a field trip. By the time they got to the dragon I had stopped suspending disbelief (sitting back and thinking why did the author do that, you know the story has hit a bump) and that was sort of the last straw. But yes, knowing how to do things - the way Harry just knew he could ride a broom - that's great."

Oh, I loved all the music stuff, too! He didn't hold back on details as he explained each instrument, which was better. Being a musician myself, it was great to read (I wonder if Mr. Rothfuss plays any kind of stringed instrument? I don't, but he certainly put some research into it). Makes him quite a Mozart!

I read this a couple years ago. It's actually back on my to-read this. I was going to read it with the group, but got backed up on books.

I loved the book. I think the worldbuilding it great, the writing is well done, and I like Kvothe's attitude. He had everything taken from him, he has a grudge that drives him. That mixed with his exceptional capacity for learning are what make him great. Remember, before the Chandrian attacks the caravan, he was pretty modest...I think, it's been a couple years, feel free to call me out :}...and the night changed him.

I did not like Denna's character, or any of the story surrounding her. I found nothing redeeming in that part of the book...at all. That didn't change with the second book either. I have a pretty strong feeling that she will have a HUGE impact on the story, I just hope it's worth the rest.

The present day stuff is very interesting. I do wish there were more of it...and there is in the second book, though not a whole lot...They he gives you just enough to keep me intrigued, while not being frustrated. Really looking forward to see where it goes. Bast, and Chronicler are both good characters...and I can't wait to see how Kvothe and Bast meet!

I liked the second book even more. If you're on the fence I'm going to try to nudge you to the side of giving it a shot. There's more "adventuring" in the second book.

I'm really looking forward to the 3rd book. I've read its due out in 2015 sometime, I don't know when though. If the 3rd book is as enjoyable as the first 2, I would have no problem reading more in that world...especially if it were after the 3rd day.

I'm one of the few people who preferred the earlier parts of the book. I don't mean the framing story - though I did like the present-day story, in general, better than the other stuff - but I mean Kvothe's early years.

I started losing interest in the University years.

I'm also in the club that didn't like Kvothe. Again, present-day Kvothe seems ok, but main story Kvothe borders on Gary Stu territory with being so wonderful at everything.

Also didn't like Denna, and the whole dragon thing at the end was terrible.

I think I gave the book 2-stars. From what I've heard of the second book, I never bothered to read it.

I don't remember disliking the dragon part, however, I also don't really remember the dragon part...probably not a good sign seeing as I remember the book pretty well.

i think of 'name of the wind' like stereotypical westernized chinese food: it's good while you're eating, but an hour later, you realize how empty it was.

Colleen, i think i'm in about the same camp you are. i liked the setup of this book a whole lot more than it's ultimate execution. i find bast to be the most interesting character here, being as how he has hints of otherworldly magic, yet is ok with hanging out in the middle of nowhere with this random barkeep. kvothe is a big ol special snowflake, better and smarter than everyone at everything, and that gets kinda old after a while.

but the chicks in this book, hoooo boy. bast actually remarks about 1/3 of the way in that what the story is missing is women at all. and when one finally does show up, she's a flighty object of unrequited desire, not an actual character. why is it that all the elders at the magic college are men? why is it that most everyone in the magic college (other than an occasional damsel in need of rescuing by said special snowflake) are all men? and apparently the gender/sex politics get even more overtly icky in book 2.

the long & short of it - it's fun, but only if i don't think about it at all.

Agree, Michelle. What a great way to put it--that it's fun, but only if I don't think about it. And it doesn't stay around very long.

Are yous trying to say that the only book with fewer female characters is the Sword of Shanarra?

It has been a while since I read this, but I have read it multiple times. I really enjoy the writing style and the layers of story telling (a tale of a man telling a tale that has myths and stories told by others...). It's enchanting.

I also agree that the depth-of-knowledge about music fascinated me. Made up drinks to receive tips, simple melodies that are actually extremely complex etc... These things are an insight into a small part of a complex world but things that we can relate to.

@Michelle: I do not think that there is a lack of women in the books. To name a few from memory: Denna, Auri, Fela, Devi, Mola. And it is at least alluded to that Devi was/is very skilled, however, she did something to get kicked out of the University... As to why all of the Masters at the University are men? It's probably because this is set in a Medieval age. That never struck me as odd at all. The majority of Fantasy novels seem to follow this pattern.

Jacques wrote: "@Michelle: I do not think that there is a lack of women in the books. To name a few from memory: Denna, Auri, Fela, Devi, Mola. And it is at least alluded to that Devi was/is very skilled, however, she did something to get kicked out of the University... As to why all of the Masters at the University are men? It's probably because this is set in a Medieval age. That never struck me as odd at all. The majority of Fantasy novels seem to follow this pattern."

It didn't appear odd to me, either. In fact, there seemed to be the usual surprise in there, somewhere, that women were allowed into the university in the first place! It felt like a medieval age trying to come to terms with changing times. There is even mention of the fact that, due to superstition, it wasn't long ago that they were burning arcanists. So you cannot expect, in such a world, for women to be treated fairly. If it tried to attempt that, it wouldn't be realistic (depending on what sort of realism the author was aiming for).

First of all--it's fantasy. If you have dragons, mythical evil that can appear and disappear, and conjuring, using the 'realism' concept as justification is a poor stretch. The medieval setting is usually what people imagine it to be, based on fantasy tropes. So it becomes a circular justification. It tends to short-cut a lot of world-building for the authors, because the reader intuits so much of the setting logistics without the author having to describe it (agriculture, trade, family structure, child-rearing, etc).

I'm not saying I hate it, but i am saying that it is one of those characteristics I look at when I differentiate "outstanding" from "average/above average." This was average in conception, above average in detail.

Sure, there are some women in the book. Sort of. Except Denna is the trope of the good girl using her feminine wiles to get ahead, and honestly, I don't remember most of the other women Jacques mentioned, except the one that worked as a healer/child welfare worker. They really are quite incidental. But I'd make the argument that most people in the story are incidental--Kvothe is extremely self-centered.

On the music, when Kvothe is grieving the loss of his family and stops playing songs/melodies and instead plays the lute to imitate sounds of nature - that is the first time I have read of musical improv in fantasy or any genre that I can remember - music expressing feeling that can't be expressed otherwise.

I googled court lute - pretty impressive instrument. Some drawings of Kvothe popped up as well - if I knew how to add them I would; good artist renditions.

Carol. [All cynic, all the time] wrote: "First of all--it's fantasy. If you have dragons, mythical evil that can appear and disappear, and conjuring, using the 'realism' concept as justification is a poor stretch. The medieval setting is ..."

@Carol: I see your point to a degree. It's unfortunate, but it is "normal" to view that genre in those terms. This book was already long, and having to detail differentiated roles would add even more girth to a story that some think is too long already. I have to imagine it is extremely difficult as an author to balance what *needs* to be present in a story to achieve the author's desired goal/ending. I view it in the same way that I would not expect to see a male-centric world depiction in an Urban Fantasy series, and if I did, it would need to be explained well as to what happened to make it that way.

Also, on that point. In the second book you are introduced to different areas/cultures and things are not quite the same everywhere in the four corners.

I don't necessarily see Kvothe as self-centered, I don't know what to call it though. He technically has no-one else to center on, except Denna, who he does. Everything he had and/or knew was ripped away from him at a young age. I believe it makes sense that he thinks of himself first, and yet he saves (I think Fela) from the fire in Kilvin's lab at great risk to himself.

I think this book is clearly overrated, and I didn't finish it. First of all, the story wasn't that exciting, at least not the 200 pages I read. To me, Kvothe just isn't that interesting - he is too perfect - and I didn't feel anything for him nor the other characters. There are also some cliches in the book - which become even more cliché to me because I think the book in general has too many flaws. I almost laughed when his parents got killed - a little bit too obvious. It only made me even more uninterested in poor, victimized Kvothe and the book.

I also have some problems with Rothfuss' language (I read the Swedish translation I must admit). The quality of the prose isn’t that good, according to me. He often has a tendency of telling instead of showing, which is annoying and it ruins some of the reading experience.

I found this story to be ok. I liked it. I'm sure I will read the next book, but I didn't love it primarily because of inconsistencies. In example, Kvothe was brilliant at surviving in the forest, but stays in the city barely staying alive? Why did he stay so long? He had fledging magic while touring but then it just disappears for several years? I just don't get that part.

One of the things that drove me batty was the waffling morality. A kid can walk into an apothecary to pick up a high potency painkiller before a public beating, but a master freaks over what amounts to a flashlight because it might be used in burglary?

Overall I liked the story. I disagree with Kevan though. Mistborn was better in my opinion. But I'm now looking back on the story after having read it two or three months ago. It was good, but I no longer remember many of the specifics. The magic system was pretty cool and well-developed. Maybe it makes me something of a loner here, but I liked the superheroic qualities of Kvothe. Anyway, it was a good read.

Matthew wrote: "Maybe it makes me something of a loner here, but I liked the superheroic qualities of Kvothe. Anyway, it was a good read."

I liked the superheroic qualities of Kvothe in that he ended up incidentally saving people rather than going out of his way to be a hero. One reason I'm looking forward to the second book is that I'm interested to see how he deals with all the growing attention this is getting him.

I enjoyed The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. I will purchase the 3rd book when it appears if only to find out how he met Bast and gained such profound loyalty from a non-human character. I thought the author did a good job setting the scene. His description of the silence of the inn allowed us to transfer the mood to the innkeeper, a man held in suspended animation, a man who had been betrayed and had given up on life, a man we find worthy of redemption.

I don't prefer the flashback/story telling format, but I can live with that. It works in this case. I don't expect to like all the characters in a novel. The author rounds most of them out very well. The main character has some flaws, but they are understandable considering what we learn of his background. Kvothe is dynamic. We watch him grow and adapt but keep his sensitivity and his sense of purpose. If his moral standards waver a bit, he still lands on the positive side by a wide margin.

I don't like how Kvothe clings to Denna. Apparently his intelligence has its limitations. I liked Devi, the loan shark, and hope the author develops her more. I thought the back-and-forth with both Denna and Ambrose Jackis was redundant, and it detracted from the first third of the second book. His editor should have advised him to cut much of that.

The author takes us to some interesting places. Kvothe interacts with a wide variety of people, and he gets himself out of situations in clever ways. I'm drawn to the musical portions and I enjoyed the inventions. I would recommend this series.

This is an enormous epic of a book exploring every aspect of mythology.

Loved it.

Some years ago, I tried to read it,but was too bored. I tried to read it now - and I love it!
But, this book ia only brief opening of Quothe´s story. I wish to read much more!

I tried to read this book few years ago, but it is was too boring to me.
I read it now and I love it.
But it is only brief opening of the story. I wish to read much more!

Read it and enjoyed it a lot. How (and why) did such a talented magician turn into an innkeeper unable to perform any spells? Who is his fae sidekick Bast, and what is his story? He didn't come up in the telling so far. Why is the bad guy Lord Haliax so allergic to anyone mentioning his story that they must be killed? Where is Denna now? I'd start on book two now except it's probably better to wait until book three is available.

I read this several years ago, and then again a few years ago before Wise Man's Fear came out. Really enjoyed it, thought it was a lot of fun, I like the whole idea of Kvothe as a possibly unreliable narrator - how much of the story he's telling is true, and how much of it is tall tales? I also really enjoyed Wise Man's Fear.

The thing is, though, very little of it has stuck with me. Some novels fill you up and change the way you see the world a little bit and the characters are like your new imaginary best friends. They stay with you sort of like the holiday dinner where you pack on 10 pounds all at once and regret nothing. For me, Name of the Wind and Wise Man's Fear were more like the cliche about Chinese food; tasty while you're eating it, but then it's gone and you're hungry again. I'll probably read the 3rd book when it comes out, but I won't re-read the first two.

And yeah, I understand it's supposed to be a trilogy. I think Rothfuss is going to have a LOT of work to do in the third book to make that happen and end the series in any kind of satisfying way. Unless the 3rd book is like 5000 pages long or something.

Kyra wrote: "I like the whole idea of Kvothe as a possibly unreliable narrator - how much of the story he's telling is true, and how much of it is tall tales?"

i feel the complete opposite about unreliable narrators.. i just don't see the point.

Kyra wrote: " Some novels fill you up and change the way you see the world a little bit and the characters are like your new imaginary best friends. They stay with you sort of like the holiday dinner where you pack on 10 pounds all at once and regret nothing. For me, Name of the Wind and Wise Man's Fear were more like the cliche about Chinese food; tasty while you're eating it, but then it's gone and you're hungry again. "

Now that you say it, I realize I can't recall much of either book either. I wonder if it is because it feels like a series of connected short stories than it does one long story.

Pickle wrote: "Kyra wrote: "i feel the complete opposite about unreliable narrators.. i just don't see the point. "


For me it sort of depends.

I've read some books that had unreliable narrators, but you find out, by the end, that the story you've been told isn't quite kosher and you find out the truth of it. These, if done well, can provide a cool twist.

For this story, though, I agree with you that I don't see the point and, even moreso, the idea that Kvothe is an unreliable narrator sort of pisses me off, because the whole premise of the story is that he's going to tell the "true story" behind his legend.

We know that he embellishes at times, because Bast calls attention to it - but the idea that we don't know how much is embellishment, when we're meant to be getting a truer memoir account of reality, just puts more off an already annoying character.

Kyra wrote: "And yeah, I understand it's supposed to be a trilogy. I think Rothfuss is going to have a LOT of work to do in the third book to make that happen and end the series in any kind of satisfying way. Unless the 3rd book is like 5000 pages long or something."

A novella bridging the 2nd & 3rd books has recently been announced, for release this autumn/winter.

I wonder how many pages the novella will be - sounds suspiciously like squeezing in a 4th book! :)

OldSchoolScholar says:


I've been reading the Name of the Wind concurrently with Battlefield Earth (second time) by L. Ron Hubbard. I'd read about 250 pages of LRH and then 200 of PR. Back and forth. I usually read 2 long books of different genres at the same time and alternate because I get bored trying to plow through 700 or 1100 pages without a break.

Anyway, and I very rarely do this, I stopped reading about halfway through. Just a few hours ago, I couldn't take it anymore, and gave up. Usually if I make it that far, I press on. I skimmed the last 350 pages in a single sitting.... and am I glad I did. I cut my losses.

The only thing that stayed my hand from throwing TNOTW into the fire (I routinely burn books that I find an affront to good writing. Honest, I do) was that this book was loaned to me by a friend. Thank God I did not pay money for this.

I did not review this book in the review section so I'll give you my impressions of it here.

First person narrative. OUCH!!! True fantasy novels are not first person. It's a lazy way to write, best left to Young Adult novels.

It's not fantasy. It would be more at home in the romance section of the Walmart YA shelf. It could easily be set in 2018 at the local University just down the street. Substitute Tankard for Pitcher and Lute for Guitar and you got yourself TNOTW. There are zero fantasy elements. Ok, a voodoo doll--you got me there. That's it, though.

Just 62? chapters of occurrences slapped together. It's as if Rothfuss free-form spoke into a dictating machine of how his day went at school, changed a few words, and called it a novel.

Pacing? Plot? Theme? Fantasy Setting? Non existent in this book. These elements are essential to good writing. Jeez, if all it took to be a great writer was writing great sentences or prose or description, then all of us would do it. Dime a dozen.

If I were an editor (I'm not sure there was one on this novel) I'd say this, "Mr. Rothfuss somewhere in these 700+ pages are about 200 that would serve as a good starting point. Pare it down. Drop 500 pages and give it back to me. I'll see if R.A. Salvatore is available to write some great actions scenes and create a plot to drive this forward. This has the potential to be a great Forgotten Realms novel."

And that is a compliment.

and I loved the book so much I read it 6 times one summer (it was one of two books I had on my trip to Vichy, France, so there wasn't much choice. To me, without all the descriptions and world-building, this book would indeed be a Forgotten Realms or game based book or the Harlequin equivalent of a fantasy novel.

Comparing it to the other wizard going to school to learn his craft book, it's world's ahead in character development and has a more mature story line. Better written too.

As far as first person not being "true fantasy", I beg to differ:

Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos series
Robin Hobb's Farseer trilogy
Roger Zelazny's Chronicles of Amber
Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid series
N.K. Jemisin's Inheritance Trilogy
Jennifer Roberson's Tiger & Del series

and many other good fantasy series are written in first person

Well, we'll agree to disagree on the first person vs. third person.

I didn't see any effort at world building. Describing the interior of a bar or an alley at night or a town or a school, even if it is described masterfully (which Rothfuss did not do) does not constitute world building, even in the loosest sense.

Here are a few different definitions: World-building emphasizes that the world being created is entirely new. World-building is the process of constructing an imaginary world, a setting with coherent qualities such as a history, geography, and ecology. The construction of entirely fictional universes, found primarily in fantasy genres.

For me, Rothfuss put zero effort and took zero chances. At all times, I felt I was sitting at my local bar or sitting in a lecture hall at my old Alma Mater or walking down any street of any town. Tolkien, Jordan, Weis and Hickman, Stephen R. Donaldson should be required reading for all fantasy buffs if they truly wish to be taken to another place and time.

Many fantasy authors are now resorting to dialog heavy novels. There is no balance with descriptive writing or narrative exposition. Why? Because dialog is ridiculously easy to write and can fill up pages quickly. And when the novel is in first person, it becomes even easier. Dan Brown and Stephen King are Masters of Description and could teach the best sci-fi fantasy authors a thing or two.

What didn't bug me at all was that Kvothe was so perfect. So many people had a problem with that. In fact, I commend Rothfuss for creating him so. I would bet $$ that that was what he intended. No one wants a flat character that doesn't stir up any emotions. That would be a failure. Stephen Donaldson did it with Thomas Covenant. Readers despised Covenant. Donaldson even made him rape a woman to make sure you hated him. Now that's good writing. As they say, there is no such thing as bad publicity, because ANY publicity is good publicity.

In the pre-Amazon days, this novel would have never seen the light of day.

Perhaps I know TOO much (the back-story of Rothfuss, the road this novel took to publication, the publishing industry, the shady underworld of internet marketing/publicity/ratings, and what truly masterful novels are).

Ignorance is bliss, they say. I am not a very blissful person.

If you look at many other posts over the years this book has had many a rave, favourable . All I can say is thank god ( or person in the sky) that someone else hasn't loved this book.

I tired, I really tried to read it, and like you I ended up skimming to see if it got any better.

Thankfully we all like different types of books

I wont get into all the subtleties of creating a good story or building a fantastic world. Rothfuss' writing style impressed me. He made playing a lute the epitome of suspense which to me was crazy.

I have never been so excited to see the conclusion of a song being played on stage.

I did however grow very tired of his financial struggle. I get enough of that in my day to day life. I don't want to read about it in my fantasy worlds. I didn't mind it at first, but all the obstacles he faced seemed to revolve around money.

Even at the end of the book after defeating the monster (forgot what it was called) he was more worried about what the body was worth than if people were ok.

Having given my criticisms I have to compliment him on his magical system. "Sympathy" seemed very grounded in a set of rules like chemistry or alchemy. I really liked it.