The Name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss

Published as an audiobook by Orion Publishing Group, 2012.

Originally published 2007.

Narrated by Rupert Degas.

Book 1 of 'The Kingkiller Chronicle.'

This audiobook was a mixed bag for me. It takes a little while to get going, but eventually becomes a very interesting look at the development of a hero, told from the perspective of the now-jaded-and-retired hero narrating his story to a famous chronicler (who calls himself Chronicler).

Kvothe (pronounced Quoth), begins life as part of a travelling troupe of entertainers. He is also trained in mystical arcanist arts by his mentor-figure Abenthy, who Kvothe witnessed harnessing the name of the wind, and calls him 'Ben' - like a certain other famous mystical-mentor figure. When tragedy strikes, Kvothe flees and undertakes a number of journeys and adventures as he grows: he lives a beggar for a few years, he learns to play the lute beautifully even with missing strings, he joins the arcanist university at a young age, he saves a damsel or two, he fights off assassins, he even defeats a dragon! There seems nothing that Kvothe cannot succeed in eventually, even if at times obstacles temporarily arise. In a way Kvothe is one of those annoying 'flawless' heroes who are madly skilled at everything. However, Rothfuss also allows Kvothe to be insecure and uncertain, and also incredibly naive when it comes to women.

This final feature is where the book is a little mixed for me. There are moments when it feels as if Kvothe is accidentally gathering a harem around him, even though he remains utterly fixated on one particular girl, the mysterious and flighty Denna. It feels authentic to the story, but if it went that way it would also be a story I wasn't so interested in reading. Fortunately, this first book avoids going too far in that direction.

The framing device of the story also makes it interesting - we get little 'interludes' where Kvothe interacts with Chronicler and Kvothe's Fae friend Bast, and in these interludes parts of the story can be questioned, or brushed over. We also, eventually, find a reason behind the story being told, and are promised that the whole story will take three days to tell. As we only get day 1 in this book (it is planned that this will be a trilogy to tell all three days), the story is free to simply 'wrap up' at a certain point, while leaving a lot of plot threads dangling. 

In terms of an audiobook, Rupert Degas is a good narrator. He is able to differentiate between characters well, and even has some pretty impressive accents when required - although they can be hard to understand in patches.

I enjoyed The Name of the Wind overall. It is well thought through and gives an interesting take on a part of the classic hero narrative. Because of certain questionable elements, I am unsure whether I will return to the world, however.

Interesting, with some reservations.

Completed 1 August 2024.

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