The Griffin or the Agate

    Sometimes a book comes in to The Griffin's offices with a large deal of advance hype. Such was the case with Patrick Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind, which was preceded with great word of mouth and bore quotes from some big-name authors. Impressive for a first-time author, but this wasn't exactly virgin area being trod down, and more than once in the past the text hasn't lived up to the build-up. What would be the case here?
    To put it simply, The Name of the Wind delivers the goods and then some. It does so by eschewing the usual method of the 'Fat Book' series. There's no different, original concept being introduced by Rothfuss, such as a school for wizards or the insanely complicated machinations of a kingdom up for grabs with threads following various characters, all richly detailed and woven together. No, Rothfuss goes for a much more straightforward approach and relies on the strength of his writing to carry it through. A recorder of tales, known as Chronicler, finds his way to an inn located in a small town, purely by chance. Inside he finds not an ordinary innkeeper but the disguised hero Kvothe, so legendary he's almost mythic. With an outside threat looming he agrees to tell his life story to Chronicler.
    And that's the nuts and bolts of it. Rather than a gimmick, the hook is Rothfuss' skill, which turns The Name of the Wind into a very quick 662 pages. It doesn't matter that most of the supporting cast and surroundings seem familiar when they're presented with such depth and care. Rothfuss is a very deliberate writer, and he's not going to be rushed in the telling of Kvothe's tale. By book's end the protagonist is still in his mid-teens and making the sort of mistakes that young men usually do. Before that Kvothe suffers through tragedy, shock, poverty, brushes with death, bullies, and a host of other setbacks, but yet the gifted and tenacious boy manages to stay afloat. Well, it seems likely that a woman may do him in at some point, as the apple of his eye is somewhat repugnant, something he can't see. One of many very nice touches by the author.
    The Name of the Wind is a book long overdue, a work of style and substance that displays true flair and craftsmanship. The blunt, straightforward approach enhances Rothfuss' skill and provides one hell of a read. Highly recommended.   §

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