Rothfuss

Book #24 – The Slow Regard of Silent Things, by Patrick Rothfuss

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Alright folks, batten down the hatches, I’m going rogue!

Okay, not really, but I AM jumping ahead. I can’t wait…seriously…it’s not happening on this one folks. I know my last review was book #17, but I seriously just finished book #24 in my year of reading, and I can’t put off talking about it…especially since there is a Worldbuilder’s Indiegogo campaign going on for JUST THIS WEEK! Geeks Doing Good FTW!

Patrick Rothfuss has been warming my heart all over this year.  His short little novella, The Slow Regard of Silent Things certainly is no different. I know, I know. The diehard fans all cried a little when it came out..”What?! It’s NOT Kvothe?! It’s not BOOK THREE?!!! GAH!”  Still, most fans are also excited just to have more of Rothfuss’ work, and personally, this novella is just a treasure trove of joy. Plus, the artwork by Nate Taylor is not to be missed.

First of all, you need to know, obviously this book has almost nothing to do with the main storyline of The Kingkiller Chronicles.  It’s a short character development piece on Auri, one of the more mysterious, odd characters of the series and also one of Rothfuss’ favorites (and mine). He doesn’t hide the fact that this is very different. He’s not shy about the fact that he knows his fans are impatient for book three.  In fact, in his introduction he seems to almost warn people away in a, “be ready, you may not like it, but I like it…and these other people like it…so here it is…maybe you’ll like it” kind of way.  I’ve seen the reviews, I’ve heard the mixed reception.  In fact, two of my friends who read Rothfuss way before me each had what were probably common reactions. One basically said “It’s okay, but come on, just write the next damn book!”  The other, “It’s not what I expected, it’s alright, but you…you’ll love it.”

He. Was. Correct.

I’ve loved Auri from her first introduction. A story entirely her’s is long overdue, at least for my wandering, word heavy, poetry hungry mind.  Rothfuss weaves his magic in a strange yet simple third person narrative of Auri’s life in The Underthing.  Auri is preparing for a visit with Kvothe (rather, for a visit with him).  She has seven days until his arrival, and the Rothfuss invites the reader to follow along, to discover how Auri fills her days, the challenges she faces, how she survives, and simply, to experience a taste of how she sees things and really lives them.

Is she a bit off-kilter? Yes. Is the Underthing a beautiful dream-home. No. Does this story have a typical plot structure (beginning, middle, end…etc.). Also, NO.  Does it work. YES.  Auri seems to dance through life, not let it drag her down. And yet, this dancing is not always lighthearted or safe or even a dance of joy. It is something like dancing on the edge of the darkness, living in that space between dream and awake…where you don’t know which way you would rather turn.  Auri lives constantly in that space, and Rothfuss creates that space here. From what I’ve seen,Taylor’s artwork also helps to flesh out this almost-shadow reality where Auri seems to gleam and glint in her own light. Yes, like many of my books, I listened to the audio (I’ll get there in a moment).  But, I’ve already broken down and ordered my own (autographed) edition…yes, I really do love it that much.

However, getting to the audiobook, it honestly probably couldn’t be better! Of course, it helps that it is read by none other than Rothfuss himself (though Nick Podehl reads both The Name of the Wind & Wise Man’s Fear and I am kind of in love with him as a reader… seriously…I just purchased my fourth book with him as the narrator).  Usually, I am hesitant of author readings. Sometimes they are amazing (this is a case in point), but let’s be honest, to make an audio book come alive, sometimes there also needs to be a level of distance from the creator.  In this case, Rothfuss’ love of Auri shines through, and he makes the 3.5 hour audiobook an incredible experience where the poetry simple slips in and out even more clearly! It might also be that he just has a great reading voice (despite the second thoughts he expresses on his blog).  I actually wonder if some people who couldn’t handle reading this book would do better listening to it. The words and phrasing are so fluid that the book almost begs to be heard.

If you haven’t gotten it by now, I have a love for beautiful words and phrases and poetic sensibilities…and strangeness.

I can’t recommend this book enough (though, yes, you might not like it). Even if you haven’t read the other books, you may find yourself gloriously surprised here.  The Slow Regard of Silent Things stands alone as its own little work of art.  Jason Heller over at NPR sums it up nicely:

“Slow Regard is its own defense, a charming, lyrical meditation on the meaning of home: how we define it, how we carry it with us, and how we deal with the lure and fear of what lies beyond.”

Whether you are a fan or not, I urge you to go look at the Geeks Doing Good 2015 Campaign on Indiegogo. Three days in, and they’ve already raised over $100,000 for Heifer International. Rothfuss has declared it “The Year of the Gear“ in honor of Auri and The Slow Regard of Silent Things (it makes sense if you read the book).  There are all sorts of lovely wonderful things, and it’s all for a good cause.  I’m trying not to dump my entire wallet over there actually…because yes…I am having an obsessive moment.

“When all the world was a palimpsest, it was a perfect palindrome.” ~The Slow Regard of Silent Things, by Patrick Rothfuss.

Book #3-The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss

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It should be stated somewhere that you can tell how much a book has gripped you by how fast you power through the audiobook version.  42 freaking hours!!!! Yes, that is the length of the audiobook version of my third book for 2015. Usually, listening is reserved to drive time (about 1 hour/day) and sometimes cooking.  So, a 42 hour book should take me over a month to complete…obviously, this is NOT the case here. I started it after Christmas and could not stop listening which lead me to finish it in about 3 weeks!  This phenomenal book is, of course, Patrick Rothfuss’ The Wise Man’s Fear.

wise_mans_fearThe Wise Man’s Fear is Day Two of The Kingkiller Chronicles, the first in the series being The Name of the Wind which I finished back in November. I’ll try to limit the spoilers in the following review.

cover_277The series follows the the story of Kvothe (pronounced quothe with one syllable).  As an adult, he is hiding as Kote, a simple innkeeper, but his life is legendary.  Chronicler, a scribe, uncovers who he is and requests to hear the entire true story.  Kvothe obliges, promising to tell his story over the course of three days. Each book is therefore set as ONE day of the story, and occasionally shuffles back and forth between the past (narrated by Kvothe) and the present period in the “quiet” inn.

The Name of the Wind follows Kvothe’s boyhood as one of the Edema Rue (troupers that perform plays and music) into his turbulent youth after the slaughter of his family and his eventual admittance into The University a couple of years later, where he studies arcane magics, science, letters, etc.  His talent and quick wit are as great at getting him into trouble as they are at getting him out of it.  The story is one of an impatient and clever boy making his way in a world where he normally would have little access.

While book one is very much a coming of age story, The Wise Man’s Fear steps into the realm of adult problems (even if he still is only a teenager throughout).  Kvothe continues studying at The University, only to have problems cause him to leave.  He adventures into Vintas, another nation, to work for Maer Alveron, the man who is richer than the King of Vint.  What follows are several adventures: chasing bandits, entering the Faen Realm, learning the secret art of the Adem mercenaries, and his eventual return to The University.

My vague and stilted summary aside, this series not only contains magic, it is magic.  Rothfuss creates a world that is comprehensive, alive, and teaming with possibility.  Kvothe is believable both in his likeability as well as in his obvious faults.  The author does not shy away from making his hero real and imperfect.  After all, he is still just a boy, a young man, and we know from the start that there must be a truth behind the legends.

I’ll admit that in Book One, I struggled with the lack of a strong female character. For as long as I can remember, I’ve focused in on the female-centric stories (I blame my mother…and Jane Yolen).  So, I started to assume Rothfuss was the stereotypical fantasy author focusing on a male hero.  Book Two proved to me why I should not be so gender specific in my literary choice.  Though Kvothe is the central character, Rothfuss supports him with a wide cast, and many of his teachers, leaders, mentors, and friends are women.  For me, I enjoy seeing such believable characters, treated primarily as people, not just as gender specific stereotypes.  We don’t need an “Amazonian Princess” to have strong women and we don’t need a “Hercules” to have strong men (yes, I’m simplifying things here, but you get the point).  Rothfuss’ world is the way I wish most people created characters (especially on TV and in Film): As primarily, verily, HUMAN.

Besides this incredible character creation and vibrant world, Rothfuss spoke to my heart with one other aspect: music.  Kvothe’s deepest love is song. He plays the lute like it is his very soul, and the tender detail in which Rothfuss describes the feel of the music, the joy and pain in playing, shows that the author is a musician himself, or has immersed himself in music enough to understand.

I’m a sucker for language, and it is this experiential phrasing that has me hooked on Rothfuss. Now, like the rest of his fans, I have to wait for Day Three and whatever remains beyond.