The Name of the Wind is …wow….

 

This is an amazing book, but I was initially put off by the name…. “The Name of the Wind” is such a …I don’t know… sort of “classic fantasy title/trope” that I was really skeptical how it could be unique and interesting. There are sooooo many fantasy books out there that have mined the same old tropes and territories for years. How could this be any different  – especially with such a trite name.

Also, the guy who told me about it was wearing Google Glass at the time and didn’t like “Mr Penumbra’s 24 Bookstore” . Made me question his judgement ( to be fair, he worked at Google, so perhaps too much inside baseball). But, based on feedback from a friend and also on the Amazon reviews,   I took a chance.   A good bet. Wow.

First person narrative. Always my favorite although you never know because if you don’t like the person, well there you are in his head. But this guy… I like.

This is a huge long book (although in the Kindle format, you don’t notice that quite as much as if it were a meat space book). It doesnt matter, it sucks you in and you don’t want it to end. It does end, but there is a second one – equally huge and engrossing.

This is the tale of Kvothe, who relates his tale to a “chronicler “.  The telling of Kvothe’s tale is supposed to take 3 days, and this is the first day. Kvothe is now a “seemingly” mild mannered innkeeper, but once upon a time he had a very colorful and mysterious life (and perhaps still does).  The tale starts from his childhood as an “Edema Ruh” (traveling performing artists), through his existence as a street urchin and then on to his education at the University of the Arcanium. To say more of the occurrences in the book would be to give away the tale, but much of the pleasure in the book is the telling of the tale, not just in the events.   The style of the writing, the voices of the characters, the plot. Well, it just sucks you in to a wonderful tapestry of a tale that is very easy to visualize and feel. Hard to put down. Definitely want to grab the next one: “The Wise Man’s Fear”.  There will eventually be a third book (3 days…right) and we are all desperately waiting for it based on how good the first two have been.

So definitely check it out. The tale of a smart young boy/teen/man who comes of age while facing enormous challenges, intrigue, pain, magic, music, love and mystery. Full of humor, wit, intelligence.