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Post by jnr on Aug 22, 2016 2:20:18 GMT
I've been advised to read, and biased against, this book for quite a long time. Finally decided to get around to it.
It's good stuff. Structurally quite unlike both traditional epic fantasy and GRRM's revamp job, and actually, much more like an lengthier version of an old fantasy novel by Lawrence Watt Evans. But where that was light and fun, this is darker and more complex.
I'm about a third of the way in and don't particularly want to stop reading, which is an unusual thing in my life. I'm also aware of the flaws. Hmmm; I suppose I'll update this thread fairly soon, when I'm two-thirds in or so.
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Post by Maester Flagons on Aug 23, 2016 0:18:39 GMT
Never heard of it. Not that I recall. Will have to add this to the list of to do.
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Post by jnr on Aug 25, 2016 0:54:51 GMT
2/3rds in: Still good, in the sense that the writing is fairly careful and the magic system is not a sloppy one, but has to be the slowest fantasy novel I've read, including AFFC.
Unlike AFFC, though, this is by design. The author is basically telling an autobiographical Dickensian tale ala Great Expectations, and the emphasis in any such book is not on the riveting plot, but on the hero's development as a person.
This does, however, seem problematic given that the hero has a clear motive to be doing much more plotty things... is prevented from doing them by an authorial stunt... and then conveniently forgets about that whole side of his life for many consecutive chapters.
But presumably, he'll have remembered by the end of the book.
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Post by snowfyre on Aug 25, 2016 13:51:21 GMT
has to be the slowest fantasy novel I've read, including AFFC. Ironic. The title of the book says you should be able to read it in just one day.
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Post by jnr on Aug 25, 2016 14:50:02 GMT
The title reflects the narrative superstructure: a guy is telling the story of his life to a biographer, a process that takes three days.
How this is going to play out for the series is unclear to me; in the present day, things are about to get plotty (think: Gandalf dumping the Ring in Frodo's fire).
So at some point, the author'll have to stop the autobiography angle and shift into the traditional fantasy story angle and that's going to be an awkward transition.
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Post by jnr on Aug 27, 2016 13:57:53 GMT
This book ended as I expected -- at a more or less arbitrary point. Pat is a talented guy, but he's even more a gardener than GRRM, by which I mean he seems to be writing in a very serial, make-it-up-as-you-go sort of way. There isn't much structure in book one and I doubt there will be in the series as a whole, and if you're the kind of reader who can sense that, it will be a constant thorn in your foot. A couple of interesting quotes: -- The Name of the Wind -- George R. R. Martin I will say that I've never doubted for a second that GRRM does have a master plan, including a final endgame, mystery resolution with satisfying and complex answers, etc. I'm not so sure that's true of Rothfuss. His main interest appears to be writing lines or chapters, not designing complex series in a larger sense, and the primary mystery from the first book seems not very difficult to figure out (even though the brilliant narrator hasn't managed yet). Also, "And now you know everything about my life so far... look out!!" said Kvothe, as the Ringwraith kicked in the door and swung a morgul-sword at the Chronicler. Chapter 88 of the first book involves such a close recreation of this that I laughed out loud. And from the fact that there are 88 chapters, you can probably deduce another similarity with GRRM. Still, I'm not sorry I read it. I just don't think this book comes close to living up to the intense hype.
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