Contents — Студопедия

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Synopsis Edit

This is the riveting first-person narrative of Kvothe, a young man who grows to be one of the most notorious magicians his world has ever seen. From his childhood in a troupe of traveling players, to years spent as a near-feral orphan in a crime-riddled city, to his daringly brazen yet successful bid to enter a legendary school of magic, The Name of the Wind is a masterpiece that transports readers into the body and mind of a wizard. ^[1]

Plot summary Edit

The Name of the Wind begins in the frame story, the setting of which is The Waystone Inn located in Newarre. It is owned by a man named Kote, soon revealed to be an alias of the legendary figure Kvothe. The frame story occurs several years after the beginning of the narration, which addresses the man's lifetime as an adventurer and student of The University, being written by the Chronicler over a period of three days.

The first day of the narrative begins when Kvothe is eleven years old, being raised by his parents who lead a troupe of Edema Ruh entertainers. Shortly after this introduction, his troupe is slaughtered by the folkloric group known as The Chandrian, leading to his childhood as an orphan on the streets of Tarbean.

Approximately three years later, Kvothe meets the storyteller Skarpi whose tales spur him to attempt to enter the University, a dream he'd toyed with as a child. Kvothe then sells his meager possessions, gaining just enough to travel to the institution where he makes admissions on a scholarship.

The remainder of the novel chronicles his time here when not alternating to the present day in interludes. It encompasses approximately five years of his early life. At the conclusion, Kvothe uses the name of the wind against his nemesis, Ambrose Jakis; while in the frame story he is accosted by a skin dancer who kills one of his patrons before being bludgeoned to death by another.

Reception Edit

The book debuted at number eleven in the New York Times Best Seller list.^[2] It received much critical acclaim from critics and fellow authors.

The London Times compares the writing style of Rothfuss to that of other great authors of the fantasy genre, like Ursula LeGuin, George R. R. Martin, and J. R. R. Tolkien, stating that "he’s an old-fashioned storyteller working with traditional elements, but his voice is his own." Ursula LeGuin expressed that “It is a rare and great pleasure to come on somebody writing the way (Patrick Rothfuss does), not only with the kind of accuracy of language that seems to me absolutely essential to fantasy-making, but with real music in the words as well.... Oh, joy!”.^[3]

Michael Berry of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote that The Name of the Wind is "No ordinary fantasy full of pointless quests and overblown drama. Rather, it is a finely tuned coming-of-age story, full of humor, action and the occasional dose of magic."^[4] Publishers Weekly gave the book a starred review, stating that "The originality of Rothfuss's outstanding debut fantasy, the first of a trilogy, lies less in its unnamed imaginary world than in its precise execution." and claimed that the book is "the type of assured, rich first novel most writers can only dream of producing."^[3]

Awards and honors Edit

Year	Award	Awarded by	Place
	Quill Award for Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror	Quills Foundation	Winner^[5]
PW Best Books of the Year for Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror	Publishers Weekly	Winner^[6]
Amazon Best Books of the Year for Science Fiction & Fantasy	Amazon	Winner^[7]
	Alex Award	Young Adult Library Services Association	Winner^[8]
SF Site Readers' Choice	SF Site	Winner^[9]
Compton Crook/Stephen Tall Memorial Award	Baltimore Science Fiction Society, Inc	Finalist^[10]
Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice for Best Epic Fantasy Novel	Romantic Times	Winner^[11]
Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel	Locus magazine	17th^[12]
Locus Award for Best First Novel	2nd^[12]^[13]
	Deutscher Phantastik Preis for Bester internationaler Roman (Der Name des Windes)	Phantastik-News.de	Winner^[14]
Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire for foreign novel (Le Nom du Vent)	GPI	Finalist^[15]
	Xatafi-Cyberdark Literary Awards for Foreign Book (El Nombre del Viento)	Spanish Science Fiction Convention	Finalist^[16]
	Tähtifantasia Award for Best translated fantasy book (Tuulen Nimi)	Helsinki Science Fiction Society	Finalist^[17]
	Geffen Award for Best translated fantasy book (שם רוח)	Israeli Society for Science Fiction and Fantasy	Finalist^[18]