The Name of the Wind
Author: Patrick Rothfuss
Release: March 27, 2007
Publisher: DAW
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure
ISBN-10: 075640407X
ISBN-13: 978-0756404079
Synopsis: My name is Kvothe.
I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep.
You may have heard of me.
So begins a tale unequaled in fantasy literature—the story of a hero told in his own voice. It is a tale of sorrow, a tale of survival, a tale of one man’s search for meaning in his universe, and how that search, and the indomitable will that drove it, gave birth to a legend.
Declassified by Agent Palmer: Name of the Wind is simply magnificent modern fantasy
Quotes and Lines
Kote sighed. “They took it to the priest. He did all the right things for all the wrong reasons.”
“I can tell the whole thing in one breath.” He cleared his throat. “ ‘I troupe, traveled, loved, lost, trusted and was betrayed.’ Write that down and burn it for all the good it will do you.”
“Did you learn the whole language?”
“No. Of course not,” Kvothe said rather testily “Only a portion of it. A large portion to be sure, but I don’t believe you can ever learn all of anything, let alone a language.”
Perhaps the greatest faculty our minds possess is the ability to cope with pain. Classic thinking teaches us of the four doors of the mind, which everyone moves through according to their need.
First is the door of sleep. Sleep offers us a retreat from the world and all its pain. Sleep marks passing time, giving us distance from the things that have hurt us. When a person is wounded they will often fall unconscious. Similarly, someone who hears traumatic news will often swoon or faint. This is the mind’s way of protecting itself from pain by stepping through the first door.
Second is the door of forgetting. Some wounds are too deep to heal, or too deep to heal quickly. In addition, many memories are simply painful, and there is no healing to be done. The saying “time heals all wounds” is false. Time heals most wounds. The rest are hidden behind this door.
Third is the door of madness. There are times when the mind is dealt such a blow it hides itself in insanity. While this may not seem beneficial, it is. There are times when reality is nothing but pain, and to escape that pain the mind must leave reality behind.
Last is the door of death. The final resort. Nothing can hurt us after we are dead, or so we have been told.
Fear tends to come from ignorance. Once I knew what the problem was, it was just a problem, nothing to fear.
“Clean, quick, and easy is lying. We know how it ends practically before it starts. That’s why stories appeal to us. They give us the clarity and simplicity our real lives lack.” – Kvothe
“Sometimes my mouth just starts talking and it takes my mind a little bit to catch up.” – Kvothe
“You can’t argue your way out of this one! She’s obviously stupid for you. And you’re just plain stupid, so it’s a great match.” – Simmon
“You see, there’s a fundamental connection between seeming and being. Every Fae child knows this, but your mortals never seem to see. We understand how dangerous a mask can be. We all become what we pretend to be.” – Bast