The Name Of The Wind - Patrick Rothfuss

This is quite possibly the best fantasy novel I have bought in years.
ISBN: 0756405890
format: Paperback
pages: 736
publisher: DAW
pub. date: 2008-04-01
started reading: 2009-01-16
finished reading: 2009-01-24

This novel spoke volumes to me.

From the moment I read the inside cover I was captivated. It is the story of a hero of epic proportions, told by himself.

I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the
town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my
sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than
most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to
speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written
songs that make the minstrels weep.

You may have heard of me.

I think it is the 'You may have heard of me' that does it for me. It is a statement at once both cocky and egotistical, and yet when you hear it said in your head, you get right away that the character is not egotistical, but is simply stating a fact. Similar to how Superman might say 'I'm pretty strong' or how Michael Jordan might say 'I can play basketball'.

The story flashes back and forth between the present and the main character's retelling of his life. The flow is expertly done and at no point did I, as the reader, feel lost or confused with the changing time frames.

The development of the character though is what sets this book apart. It tells the story of a hero as a person. Not quite a full on anti-hero, but you get a glimpse of a character who is at once great, and at the same time internally conflicted, prone to doubt and despair, who is not always honourable - though he'd like to be, and so on. In short, a character who is like you and me. A good person who does not always do the 'right' thing because, like us, he is learning as he goes through life... as much from his failures as from his successes.

The story is about take a hero of legend and unravelling the person within... and perhaps the greatest joy of the book is discovering that when you take the hero and strip away all the idolized imagry and add in all the untold bits... that though you are left with a man... there is a heroic element there still.

It's also a romance novel. Oh, and one of the best epic fantasy novels of the last few years. And... hmm.. actually, Patrick says it better himself

So what *is* the structure then? Fuck if I know. That's part of what's taking me
so long to figure out. As far as I can tell, my story is part autobiography,
part hero's journey, part epic fantasy, part travelogue, part faerie tale, part
coming of age story, part romance, part mystery, part
metafictional-nested-story-frame-tale-something-or -other. - Patrick Rothfuss

Ya... exactly that Patrick.

On a personal level, many of the internal struggles that the character goes through mirror thoughts of my own. Like the main character, I have held many names in life, and paid in different ways for each one.

Whether or not you like 'fantasy' this is a book that I think anyone could pick up and enjoy.

One word of caution though... this is the first in a trilogy and Rothfuss is an extremely talented writer who believes in quantity and quality. Meaning... you may end up like me and waiting a while for him to complete the series. But I promise you, it will be worth the wait.