Patrick Rothfuss

[Shaggy]

Many of us are aware of the up-and-coming master author, Patrick Rothfuss. His debut novel was The Name of the Wind, which was an immediate hit. On the website http://www.bestfantasybooks.com/top25-fantasy-books.php, TNotW is actually listed as the 3rd best fantasy book (I'm assuming) in the world.

I, myself, am very interested about Mr. Rothfuss's thoughts concerning his novel; it's not quite like anything else I've ever read–perhaps that is part of what makes it so incredible. Anyway, I found this youtube link to an interview with him and thought it was pretty interesting, so: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRpBpSW6eKU.

[NB: This thread is for anyone who wants to comment/discuss the video, any ideas expressed in it, Mr. Rothfuss's writing, TNotW, or anything else along those lines.]

[Reaves]

The man is awesome. 'Nuff said.

[Skar]

I read The Name of the Wind, and I enjoyed it.  From watching the video, however, it seems to me that Rothfuss thinks he's broken far more "new ground" than he actually has. 

Name of the Wind actually felt faintly derivative to me, aside from the framing device, which is simply a little more elaborate than your run of the mill framing devices.

[Peter Ahlstrom]

Too long; didn't watch. I'd read a transcript if there is one.

Yes, Name of the Wind is quite derivative. However, that's not a problem. Rothfuss's storytelling is what sells the book. Honestly, after reading it, I am disinclined to read an eternal apprentice book ever again, because I don't think any is going to measure up. This book is just awesome and does everything I could want in an eternal apprentice book.

Not everyone wants to read the standard eternal apprentice story, so this book won't be on everyone's top fantasy books list. But if you're going to read just one eternal apprentice story in your life it should be this one.

Also, Pat is a cool dude. Quite entertaining at panels.

[Bookstore Guy]

Many of us are aware of the up-and-coming master author, Patrick Rothfuss. His debut novel was The Name of the Wind, which was an immediate hit. On the website http://www.bestfantasybooks.com/top25-fantasy-books.php, TNotW is actually listed as the 3rd best fantasy book (I'm assuming) in the world.

Keep in mind that the list you are linking is just some random dude's list of favorites. It isn't an official list by any stretch of the imagination. For example, he says that the vast majority of fantasy-reading public agrees with him based on the comments attached to his picks - his picks have just over a dozen comments each. I didn't realize there were less than 20 fantasy readers in the world...

Personally, I like Patrick a lot. I think he is a cool guy who writes well. But I think it is a bit early to say that he is one of the best fantasy authors out there. If his whole series ends up being incredible, then we can say, "Yay he's in the top 5!" But until we see more than 1 book of his, I think we need to withhold making him a deity.

[Skar]

Yes, Name of the Wind is quite derivative. However, that's not a problem. Rothfuss's storytelling is what sells the book.

Couldn't agree more.  Like I said, I enjoyed it.  Perhaps not to the degree that I never want to read another 'eternal apprentice' book ever again for fear of the comparison, but it was good.

I've never met Mr. Rothfuss but I hear he's a nice guy from lots  people.  The video probably didn't do him justice.  In it he spends A LOT of time explaining that because he's spent 14 years, (pretty much his whole adult life, which, incidentally, is actually a bad thing in my book) in academia, 9 years to get a bachelor's and so forth, he was uniquely qualified to write something really great and NEW in the fantasy genre. 

He did write something great, but it certainly wasn't capital N E W new.

[Peter Ahlstrom]

I may have been exaggerating, but it was how I felt after I read the book and I'll probably keep saying it until I read another eternal apprentice book that's remotely good. The only one I've read post-Rothfuss was Peter V. Brett's The Warded Man (called The Painted Man outside the U.S.), and it was sooo mediocre.

Brandon has only written two, Dragonsteel and Mythwalker. Dragonsteel was better once it got past the typical apprentice stuff. And Mythwalker turned out bad, never got finished, and was thoroughly cannibalized into more interesting books (Mistborn and Warbreaker). I'm glad that Brandon writes different stories than the eternal apprentice story because he's really good at coming up with different stuff.

[Shaggy]

(@ Bookstore Guy) Oh, I know. I was just putting up there as another viewpoint. (Also, it was just talking about the books, not the authors.)

I hope it takes him less than 14 years to come out with the next book in the series, though!

One thing that really, really amused/annoyed me was at the end of the book…that was an ENORMOUS cliffhanger (which I don't want to spoil for anyone who hasn't read it yet). It was annoying, but I bet that cliffhanger ensured that A LOT of people are gonna buy the next one haha.

[Peter Ahlstrom]

Pat turned in the second book a couple weeks ago. http://www.patrickrothfuss.com/blog/2009/05/when-in-rome.html

[EDIT: Not exactly. See my post in a couple pages.]

[Shaggy]

OMG that's so exciting!!!

Hey, Ook, how long do you think before it's actually published?

Wow. That thing is HUGE. Anyone have any idea hwo logn that would be in normal book-sized pages??

He sounds like a really funny guy, actually. And I totally associate with what he's saying. I'm gonna have to follow his blog more often.  Thanks, Ook.

[Peter Ahlstrom]

It's coming out sometime in 2010. Sorry the news is not better.

If it took more than 3 reams of paper, let's say it's 1600 manuscript pages. That could be 320,000 to 350,000 words. Or a lot more depending on font and spacing.

[Shaggy]

Ah, well, I should've guessed such a thick manuscript would take time to proofread and stuff.  I just hope it'll be worth the wait.

[Bookstore Guy]

It'll be the size of a Jordan novel (think Shadow Rising) if it stays as is. Impressive size. I wouldn't be surprised if if gets cut down quite a bit however. This was a draft after all. My fear is that it will get the "middle book in a trilogy" treatment. I don't think Patrick will let that happen, but I'm paranoid.

[Peter Ahlstrom]

Well. This is Pat's revised draft. He had finished the first draft of all three books before the first one got published. It's revision that he's been working on for the last couple years—though that revision likely involves adding quite a bit. His blog mentions some of what got added into the revised draft of the first book.

[Shaggy]

Bookstore Guy–what exactly do you mean? (I'm not familiar with the treatment that you are talking about.…)