A growing trend in the world of Speculative Fiction is the tendency of publishers to hype something as the best début novel of the year. It's a tough billing to live up to. More than once I've bought into the hype as a lover of the genre, only to be disappointed.
So imagine my trepidation upon picking up a début novel in 2007 which DAW books president Betsy Wollheim called the best Fantasy début she's read in over thirty years. Big, big call. Let me rattle off some Spec Fiction débuts which were released during this period of time. Lord Foul's Bane by Stephen R. Donaldson, Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin, Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, Neuromancer by William Gibson, The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan, Magician by Raymond E. Feist - I really could go on, but I imagine you get the point.
Now whether or not The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss lives up to such high praise, suffice to say that it is an impressive début which set the genre alight upon its release. So rather then tackle the question of its supremacy when matched against the seminal works listed above, I'd like to tackle the content of Rothfuss' début in a different light.
In the same year The Name of the Wind was published by DAW books (2007), Filmmaker J.J. Abrams stood before an audience in Monterey, California and delivered a TED talk which gained a lot of attention - The Mystery Box. His premise was actually quite simple. Referencing a magician's mystery box he'd received as a child, Abrams spoke about how his love of mystery meant that some thirty years later, the box remained unopened. The theme of his talk was how the idea of the mystery box is something that continually influences Abrams as a filmmaker.
And it's in this light that I want to examine The Name of the Wind. Why? Because curiosity is one of the main reasons people pick up a book. What lies between the front and back cover is a mystery. What keeps the pages turning is the mystery of needing to know what happens next. And the sense of mystery which pervades The Name of the Wind is undeniable. Mystery Boxes abound.
Who is Kote? It becomes apparent right from the start that the seemingly ho-hum proprietor of a backwater inn is more than he seems. This is something we need answered. And when a travelling historian recognises the true face of the man, alluding to tales of legend? Well, we simply must know more.
Who is Kvothe? Okay, so Kote the innkeeper is really the Kvothe of legend. The Kingkiller. Kvothe the Bloodless. A figure of almost mythic status who can speak the name of the wind. From the blurb: 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 the day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that will make the minstrels weep. My name is Kvothe. You may have heard of me.
These are stories of legend. But what is the real story? The true tale of a man who could rise to such notoriety? This is not only a mystery box, but the premise of the book itself, if not the series. At the heart of every legend there is truth. Legends are things devoid of motivation and emotion. People - and therefore the real stories which seed legends - are not.
Who are the Chandrian? When we learn very early on, that Kvothe's family and travelling community of performers were slaughtered by a horde of bogey-men straight out of legend and myth, we discover some of his motivations. It's a vital impetus in his personal journey, driving him forward in his search for knowledge. But who are the Chandrian? Rothfuss does a wonderful job of continually weaving what little we know about them with the history and legend of his world. It suggests depth. It raises the overarching stakes of the larger story. It leaves us wanting to know more.
With The Name of the Wind - and the Kingkiller Chronicles to which it belongs - Pat Rothfuss has attempted something daring. He has written a story about stories. About how they grow beyond the telling.
Does it work? Absolutely. Right from the opening passage, it is apparent that Rothfuss is a master of the English language. His prose it effortless and unobtrusive. His ability to tell a story is second to none. His use of the mystery keeps the reader turning pages obsessively. The Name of the Wind is one of the best début Speculative Fiction novels I've read. The best début of the last thirty-odd years? I'll let you decide.
My score - 9/10
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