THE
NAME OF THE WIND
By Patrick Rothfuss
Reviewed by
Kenny Brechner
We like our opinions to be rather
like roofs, supported by one central beam to which all other crossbeams attach.
When dealing with a complex book such as The Name of the Wind, by
first time author Patrick Rothfuss, the reviewer is found to have compiled a
varied collection of reasons for a favorable opinion, and finds himself
sifting through them, deliberating as to which is worthy to be the central roof
beam¹ to which all the other observations may be attached.
To help us sift and select the right roof beam, we must turn to ask what The
Name of the Wind's greatest strength is. The answer is found in the
characteristic of conviction itself, the author's strength of belief in the
world of his creation, and in the central character of his story. The strength
of Rothfuss' sense of conviction is easily seen in the final entry in The
Name of the Wind's Acknowledgments section. “And lastly, to Mr. Bohage.
My high school history teacher. In 1989 I told him I’d mention him in my first
novel. I keep my promises.” The same conviction Rothfuss had in becoming
a published author both strengthens The Name of the Wind as a
narrative, and informs the book's central character Kvothe, a very
confident character indeed.
The Name of the Wind follows the life and career of Kvothe, the
most notorious and powerful magician his world has known. Now middle aged, and
hiding from the world, disguised as a rural innkeeper, Kvothe agrees to dictate
his story to a Chronicler over a period of three days. The Name of the
Wind is the first day of his account to the Chronicler. The fact
that Kvothe will take three days to tell his story does indicate that The
Name of the Wind is the first book of a trilogy. Yet the telling of the
story is not a static event. As Kvothe's apprentice, Bast, tells the Chronicler,
"people saw him as an innkeeper a year ago. He took off the mask when they
walked out the door. Now he sees himself as an innkeeper, and a failed
innkeeper at that...But you're perfect. You can help him remember what it was
like. I haven't seen him so lively in months."
Returning now to the question of central supports, most works of fantasy depend
upon an omnipresent peril requiring a quest to negate said peril, relegating it
to the scrapheap of failed fantasy villainy. The Name of the Wind
does not contain any such world endangering peril around which all other
endeavors take shape. It is the story of Kvothe, his character and his history.
This gives The Name of the Wind an immediacy, depth, and a sense
of realism not often found in epic fantasy. Most importantly Rothfuss manages
this without compromising either the fantastic elements or the integrity of his
imagined world.
This is not to say that some elements of The Name of the Wind
aren't derivative. Kvothe's university experience bears more than a passing
resemblance to a sojourn at Hogwarts. It may also be fairly said that some of
the story's plot elements are a bit over opportune, such as Kvothe's chance
encounter with Denna, the elusive love of his life, in the middle of nowhere.
Nonetheless, Kvothe's university experience is an exceptionally interesting
portion of the book, and Denna is a sufficiently engaging and intriguing
character that we are glad Kvothe conveniently runs into her at a backwater inn,
however improbable the encounter.
The Name of the Wind succeeds due to the compelling nature of
Kvothe's story and personality, upon which, indeed, Rothfuss has made his entire
enterprise depend. Moreover, as Rothfuss wrote the entire trilogy during a nine
year stint in graduate school, we need not worry about the story falling off due
to the pressures of a success that is certainly his due.
¹Knowing how many builders and artisans inhabit the Farmington area the
reviewer feels compelled to state that he is in fact aware that roof beams are
usually called ridge poles or rooftrees, and that crossbeams are often referred
to as rafters.
