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cljohnson8's review against another edition
5.0
The amazingness continues!
Rothfuss' saga is not without burrs (pacing for one), but taken as a whole, this truly is a literary masterpiece.
Rothfuss' saga is not without burrs (pacing for one), but taken as a whole, this truly is a literary masterpiece.
marsius's review against another edition
5.0
First the good: the prose! Oh the prose. There's no denying Rothfuss has a talent for words, and it is truly wonderful to discover that The Name of the Wind was no fluke—his writing is simply that compelling. There's an inventiveness in the storytelling as well that survived the transition to sophomore novel, and that is wonderful as well.
That said, the bad: Rothfuss could really use a heavy-handed editor sometimes. Diversions which, while interesting, often run far too long (I was flat-out bored throughout much of the Felurian chapters). Worse, a writer who, in his first book, had a seemingly innate understanding of the precepts of storytelling like Chekhov's Gun here sometimes abandons them not just within the same book bury within the same chapter. We spend paragraphs reading about preparations or reasons for something only to have everything fall by the wayside without rhyme or reason except that they never should have been there in the first place. There are abrupt jumps in the story as well, the sorts of things that make a reader flip back a few pages and then a few chapters certain that he has missed some transition or segue to get him to this point in the story. A protagonist who is supposedly telling you his life story has a habit of introducing people, concepts, or events he met or discovered along the way only weeks or months after they were introduced. In short, an editor would be appreciated indeed.
The ugly: The Name of the Wind felt like it was only a part of a story and not much of a standalone novel. This takes that to a whole new level. The Wise Man's fear cannot stand on its own. There's a bit of a hero's journey arc, but it's a diversion in the already-existing hero's journey arc. The net result is that, really, you should avoid reading this (and The Name of the Wind) until the final book finally comes out.
This comes across like a negative review, and it is in many ways. It's still a five-star book, though. The prose is just so good. The story, while often pointless, is at least fun. And, while you should probably wait for the third book to finally come out, when it does, you should take a few days off of work and burn through them all in as close to one sitting as possible, because, at least in the first two, they simply are that good.
That said, the bad: Rothfuss could really use a heavy-handed editor sometimes. Diversions which, while interesting, often run far too long (I was flat-out bored throughout much of the Felurian chapters). Worse, a writer who, in his first book, had a seemingly innate understanding of the precepts of storytelling like Chekhov's Gun here sometimes abandons them not just within the same book bury within the same chapter. We spend paragraphs reading about preparations or reasons for something only to have everything fall by the wayside without rhyme or reason except that they never should have been there in the first place. There are abrupt jumps in the story as well, the sorts of things that make a reader flip back a few pages and then a few chapters certain that he has missed some transition or segue to get him to this point in the story. A protagonist who is supposedly telling you his life story has a habit of introducing people, concepts, or events he met or discovered along the way only weeks or months after they were introduced. In short, an editor would be appreciated indeed.
The ugly: The Name of the Wind felt like it was only a part of a story and not much of a standalone novel. This takes that to a whole new level. The Wise Man's fear cannot stand on its own. There's a bit of a hero's journey arc, but it's a diversion in the already-existing hero's journey arc. The net result is that, really, you should avoid reading this (and The Name of the Wind) until the final book finally comes out.
This comes across like a negative review, and it is in many ways. It's still a five-star book, though. The prose is just so good. The story, while often pointless, is at least fun. And, while you should probably wait for the third book to finally come out, when it does, you should take a few days off of work and burn through them all in as close to one sitting as possible, because, at least in the first two, they simply are that good.
rajs's review against another edition
4.0
While I still have problems with some of Rothfuss' characters, I still really enjoy his writing. I'm not heartbroken as I was told that I would be, but I am a little sad that it's "over" (who knows when #3 will ever be announced, much less published).
riorda15's review against another edition
5.0
Liked it more than the first. I know it's been said millions of times but I can't wait for Doors of Stone.
terezam's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
stephikarp's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
3.75
brennanat's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
rebeccaalice93's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5