Scan barcode
bennylee's review against another edition
3.0
3.5*
March 2019
Writing = great
Characters = great
Plot = wandering (at least seemingly, things could still come together in a significant way in book three)
I think my biggest issue with this book is that Kvothe is the only consistent part of the entire book. In the first book he puts down roots at the University after a turbulent youth. In The Wise Man’s Fear, he doesn’t spend enough time in any place — or with any other characters — for long. Just when I start to get comfortable and understand the people he is spending time with, he goes somewhere else and the characters fall completely out of the story. I get that hero’s journeys are often like this, but I kept wishing someone would travel with him. WMF is a collection of stand-alone short stories.
——
4th read through. If I accept that this book furthers the series not at all, then maybe I won’t have as many criticisms. He is a fantastic writer, so if I let go of the missing plot . . . We will see.
March 2019
Writing = great
Characters = great
Plot = wandering (at least seemingly, things could still come together in a significant way in book three)
I think my biggest issue with this book is that Kvothe is the only consistent part of the entire book. In the first book he puts down roots at the University after a turbulent youth. In The Wise Man’s Fear, he doesn’t spend enough time in any place — or with any other characters — for long. Just when I start to get comfortable and understand the people he is spending time with, he goes somewhere else and the characters fall completely out of the story. I get that hero’s journeys are often like this, but I kept wishing someone would travel with him. WMF is a collection of stand-alone short stories.
——
4th read through. If I accept that this book furthers the series not at all, then maybe I won’t have as many criticisms. He is a fantastic writer, so if I let go of the missing plot . . . We will see.
bennylee's review against another edition
3.0
First read 8/18-8/27/2015
Second read 2016
Third read 1/2017
Second read 2016
Third read 1/2017
maxslug's review against another edition
2.0
There was some great writing in this book, but the story line is ridiculous.
Example (from Kvothe's point of view):
- I just happen to get sent on this errand where I happen to kill 20 armed soldiers
- The leader of which happens to be the mystical creature I'm searching for
- Then 10 seconds later I happen on the most mystical of sex goddesses. We're transported to fairy land and we bone for months on end.
- Oh wait, THEN I happen to have to go and become a KUNG FU expert. Keee-Ya!
It reads like a 12 year old boy's wet dream.
Example (from Kvothe's point of view):
- I just happen to get sent on this errand where I happen to kill 20 armed soldiers
- The leader of which happens to be the mystical creature I'm searching for
- Then 10 seconds later I happen on the most mystical of sex goddesses. We're transported to fairy land and we bone for months on end.
- Oh wait, THEN I happen to have to go and become a KUNG FU expert. Keee-Ya!
It reads like a 12 year old boy's wet dream.
mycouscous's review against another edition
3.0
Holy moly is this long. I feel like I should be able to enter at least three titles into my library's staff summer reading contest for this one, but alas, this 1,000 page tome only counts for one!
Length is definitely an issue for me with this book. I don't mind long novels when they're paced well. However, once the chapters with Felurian started, the book started to drag for me. I understand the need for development to have the reader believe that the char uacter came by skills in an honest or authentic manner. But between Felurian and Kvothe's extremely detailed exended stay with the Ademre in which he lists every martial arts-like move/position he learns, my interest began to wane.
Kvothe himself can be a pompous narrator, though Rothfuss presents him in his storytelling mode to be a humble everyman.
Why do I give it three stars, though? Because the ideas behind it all are fascinating. The process of learning names, the University, the mythic Chandrian compel me to keep going. Rothfuss has created a setting that rivals the greats in fantasy. You become immersed in the world and somewhere in all the piles and piles of details are exciting, interesting detailed bits. It's a pity Rothfuss couldn't prioritize, though. In the end, I don't know if this book earned the half a month of my time.
Length is definitely an issue for me with this book. I don't mind long novels when they're paced well. However, once the chapters with Felurian started, the book started to drag for me. I understand the need for development to have the reader believe that the char uacter came by skills in an honest or authentic manner. But between Felurian and Kvothe's extremely detailed exended stay with the Ademre in which he lists every martial arts-like move/position he learns, my interest began to wane.
Kvothe himself can be a pompous narrator, though Rothfuss presents him in his storytelling mode to be a humble everyman.
Why do I give it three stars, though? Because the ideas behind it all are fascinating. The process of learning names, the University, the mythic Chandrian compel me to keep going. Rothfuss has created a setting that rivals the greats in fantasy. You become immersed in the world and somewhere in all the piles and piles of details are exciting, interesting detailed bits. It's a pity Rothfuss couldn't prioritize, though. In the end, I don't know if this book earned the half a month of my time.
dennisfischman's review against another edition
3.0
This is a difficult book to rate. It's too long and moves too slowly: several times in the course of the book I wanted just to get to the end of it and turn to something else I could finish in a night and a day. Yet I never wanted to leave it unread, and while I'm not eager to jump into the next of the series, I can't imagine not reading it eventually.
It's a boy book. It's such a boy book. But then, Kvothe for all the troubles he's seen and the powers he's gathered is still a boy throughout this part of the narrative. Of course, figuring out what to do with women takes precedence over everything else, including finding out about the Chandrian and the Amyr and avenging his parents. But "you remember Alice? This song is about Alice," as Arlo Guthrie would say. I hope Kvothe gets back to the song he set out to sing.
It's a boy book. It's such a boy book. But then, Kvothe for all the troubles he's seen and the powers he's gathered is still a boy throughout this part of the narrative. Of course, figuring out what to do with women takes precedence over everything else, including finding out about the Chandrian and the Amyr and avenging his parents. But "you remember Alice? This song is about Alice," as Arlo Guthrie would say. I hope Kvothe gets back to the song he set out to sing.
christylj's review against another edition
3.0
I still love the protagonist of this series but in this book, in contrast to the first, there were several complete venue and character shifts which I did not enjoy. Plus there was a lot more storytelling that didn't engage me the way the main story did. In fact, I skimmed through a fair amount of that, which is something I almost never do. If I hadn't cared about the protagonist, I would have abandoned the book. I highly doubt I'll read the third book in the series.
wamainon's review against another edition
4.0
Really entertaining. The romance I don't understand, but the characters and adventures are extremely satisfying. I can't wait until the last book.