Patrick Rothfuss: Technical Difficulties

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MarshallX: Apr 13, 2004

Guys...I don't want to alarm you. But I have a copy of Wise Mans Fear sitting on my desk.

Literally, it is sitting there.

I cannot even contain my excitement.

# ¿ Mar 3, 2011 17:13

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# ¿ Apr 28, 2024 13:52

MarshallX: Apr 13, 2004

vegemitesandwhich posted:

I'm pretty certain something must have happened to delay the Canadian shipments. Went out to buy it last night in Edmonton - nothing in Chapters, and nothing in any other Chapters in the city. I just want to read it, that's all I ask.

I got mine in Canada - no issues.

# ¿ Mar 4, 2011 17:02

MarshallX: Apr 13, 2004

Can anyone go into a bit more detail about rings in Vintas?

I had thought it was like this:
Higher sends Request to Lower: Iron
Equal to Equal: Silver
Lower to Higher: Gold

Is this correct?

MarshallX fucked around with this message at 16:33 on Mar 7, 2011

# ¿ Mar 7, 2011 14:34

MarshallX: Apr 13, 2004

Lyon posted:

That looks right to me... what were you wondering beyond that?

I guess it just seemed weird to me that Kvothe would only have one of each, considering he was keeping the ones that were given to him. One would assume he would almost always have to give away his gold ring.

# ¿ Mar 7, 2011 14:52

MarshallX: Apr 13, 2004

Lyon posted:

If you remember they always offer back the rings to their visitors. Because the rest of the nobility is wealthy they leave them around as status symbols. Visiting nobles always look through the ring collection to see who has visited you, how they ranked themselves compared to you, etc. Almost none of them actually take back the rings, but they're always offered. Kvothe just actually takes them up on it, most of the nobles probably assume it's because he's a foreigner rather than because he's poor as hell.

Gotcha, makes more sense.

Serious note, book 2 is loving awesome.

MarshallX fucked around with this message at 15:57 on Mar 7, 2011

# ¿ Mar 7, 2011 15:01

MarshallX: Apr 13, 2004

Liesmith posted:

So I'm not going to use spoiler tags because those are retarded, but I just want to say that the Felurian part was hilariously bad, like one of the worst things ever in a book. Patrick Rothfuss has really hosed up ideas about human sexuality and healthy relationships, and while those hosed up ideas sort of infuse all of his writing, the Felurian bit is the worst. To anyone who hasn't read the book yet, I recommend that you skip any page on which Felurian appears. You really won't lose out I promise.

Also I love how Kvothe goes from ladder theory nice guy to Internet PUA. I guess one of the books that he found in the library was The Game.

I also just got to the Felurian part...I figured it would be over in a chapter, browsed ahead 20 pages or so and saw it was still happening. It seems like a terribly stupid addition to the book....

# ¿ Mar 8, 2011 17:01

MarshallX: Apr 13, 2004

Campbell posted:

Anyways, I can't wait for my wife to hit the Felurian part just to see her reaction.

*Read 3 pages*
*Flip ahead 3 pages*
*Flip ahead 10 pages*
*Furiously flip ahead 60 pages*
*Deep Sigh*
*Flip back and continue reading*

# ¿ Mar 9, 2011 18:02

MarshallX: Apr 13, 2004

Campbell posted:

The thing is, the whole bizarre sex thing continues throughout the remainder of the book. Even aside from the Felurian, the whole Adem treatment of sex was basically like something out of a GBS thread. The next book will be that much better for having zero getting it on.

I mean, is the statement supposed to be: People don't mind gratuitous violence but oh no writing about sex makes people crazy? Because I don't mind either, as long as they don't read like an 11th grade creative writing assignment.

The problem I have is that a good bit of the book was wasted on the Felurian stuff (~60 pages), and it didn't seem to contribute at all to the story. I got bored of it really, really fast. It wasn't the sex stuff at all, it was the Fae/Felurian storyline altogether. 5 pages, sure. A chapter, sure. But 60 pages?

It almost seemed like the dream sequence at the end of 40 Year Old Virgin:

# ¿ Mar 9, 2011 18:21

MarshallX: Apr 13, 2004

OxeHunden posted:

Lastly I don't think Kvothe couldn't handle the two soldiers in the inn. It feels like he gave up during the fight to prove a point of being an innkeeper. There's so much emphasis on him trying to downplay himself to the innkeeper he is today. Bast is pissed at the outcome and takes care of the soldiers. No need to really so why do it unless he thinks they tipped Kvothe off without even knowing it.

Just finished the book and had to re-read that part a few times to figure out what was going on.

Makes sense now. Bast hired them to try to spark Kvothe.

I also agree the box in Kvothe's room is the one from Lady Lackless, I just wonder after their falling out/wood ring incident why she would possibly give it to him. Her being his Aunt is definitely a huge possibility and I'm assuming her sister that ran off with a troupe and was presumed dead = Kvothes mother. Very interested to see how this is discovered and develops.

I also think something to do with Kvothe losing his real name (Would it be Maedre, or a different name we haven't learned yet?) is what stripped him of any real power he has. I don't think for one minute that he was faking it with the soldier attack, which is why he started laughing manically.

Agh, too many questions. Now all I want is the third book.

I don't have any problems with Rothfuss's writing styles, other than the Fae/sex induced 60 page part.

Sure, the kid is always broke and when he does have money he spends it like a mother fucker, but who doesn't. So far we are hearing the stories of a 16/17 year old boy who has some up and down on his luck moments.

# ¿ Mar 10, 2011 05:53

MarshallX: Apr 13, 2004

onefish posted:

I think Chronicler observed that Kote/Kvothe should only have been about 25, but "seemed a lot older." Time spent in Fae probably had something to do with that, in addition to all the other stuff Kvothe must have gone through to end up where he is.

Don't forget the soldiers at the end call him young, I think it's safe to assume that Fae aged his mind quite a bit.

# ¿ Mar 10, 2011 06:08

MarshallX: Apr 13, 2004

just_a_guy posted:

On the subject of the fight scene. It seems to me that Bast was getting what he intended, which is to say Kvothe was getting is grrove back on and joyfully kicking rear end. Suddenly he was like "Woops i'm a poor innkeeper better get my rear end kicked" It is quite conceivable that he lost is magic by name-changing or whatever, but, if he is not just a poor sap riding his overly exaggerated reputation his physical proesse should be unchanged. My point his: He's a liar and can't fight for poo poo nor is he a great hero or he was faking it. and the book did not yet answer that

Also entirely possible. Hrmph.

But what about the box that he couldn't open? Long standing problem or new problem? He seemed very sure of how it was to be opened, like he had done it before successfully.

# ¿ Mar 10, 2011 14:34

MarshallX: Apr 13, 2004

It's funny how a bunch of goons have taken it from "This part was way too long and the scenes were a bit awkward" to "he is incredibly creepy as far as women go".

He is no more creepy to women than 90% of the men posting here.

Honestly, it wasn't that bad it was just way, way too long for such an irrelevant part of the story. Can we move on?

# ¿ Mar 16, 2011 16:48

MarshallX: Apr 13, 2004

Funny, this thread is becoming more and more like the GRRM threads! Replace Lemon Cakes with Alar that is like Ramson Steel.

# ¿ Mar 25, 2011 13:52

MarshallX: Apr 13, 2004

Mahlertov Cocktail posted:

NO. One Bad Thread is enough.

Precisely my point

# ¿ Mar 26, 2011 02:04

MarshallX: Apr 13, 2004

Decius posted:

Something interesting I've read, to move away from all the bitching about the shortcomings of the book:

These three passages connected:

"Making something like that is called artificing," I said. "Sygaldry is writing or carving the runes that make it work."
Denna's eyes lit up at this. "So it's a magic where you write things down?" she asked, leaning forward in her chair. "How does it work?"
I hesitated. Not only because it was a huge question, but because the University has very specific rules about sharing Arcanum secrets. "It's rather complicated," I said. Luckily, at that moment there was another knock on the door...

Denna looked embarrassed as she asked, "What if someone told you they knew a type of magic that did more than that? A magic where you sort of wrote things down, and whatever you wrote became true?"
She looked down nervously, her fingers tracing patterns on the tabletop. "Then, if someone saw the writing, even if they couldn't read it, it would be true for them. They'd think a certain thing, or act a certain way depending on what the writing said." She looked up at us again, her expression a mix of curiosity, hope, and uncertainty...
"Sounds like fairie-tale magic," I said. "Storybook stuff that doesn't exist. I certainly never heard about anything like that at the University."
Denna looked down at the tabletop where her fingers still traced patterns against the wood.

[Kvothe discovers the Yllish braid that says "lovely"]

Denna finally untied the blue string and began to unfurl the braid, her quick fingers smoothing it back into her hair.
"You didn't have to do that," I said. "I liked it better before."
"That's rather the point, isn't it?" She looked up at me, tilting her chin proudly as she shook out her hair. "There. What do you think now?"

So Denna tries to make her own magic (regardless if it works or not)? Also, anyone else who thinks Bredon is Master Ash? Both carry a walking stick, both dance... - why else introduce Bredon without using him?

I believe the working theory is that Master Ash is Cinder, and has taught Denna some Yllish braiding.

Kvothe sees Master Ash with Denna at the Elorian in NotW, so I would assume he would recognize him if it was Bredon.

# ¿ Mar 31, 2011 13:54

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# ¿ Apr 28, 2024 13:52

MarshallX: Apr 13, 2004

I posted this:

MarshallX posted:

How do you feel about the love it/hate it praise/criticism of the Fae/Felurian chapters?

Pat Rothfuss posted:

I don't know much about it. I don't spend a lot of time trolling around, looking for online discussions of my work.

I knew some people weren't going to like it, because fantasy readers are mental about having sex in their books. I swear, it's like they're 12 year old boys who still think girls are icky. And kissing them is extra icky.

It stems from the Tolkien tradition, of course. Pretty much no women. No sex. Just a bunch of guys questing and slapping each other on the back. With VERY rare exception, nobody ever talks about a girl (or guy) they might have left at home. Nobody is in love. For all you know, Gandalf is smooth as a ken doll under those robes.

It worked pretty well with Tolkien, because he was following along in this ancient tradition of the Saga. But I'm telling a different sort of story, it's the story of a young man's life. How can I tell the true story of a seventeen year old boy and not have mention of sex in it? Am I supposed to pretend he's been neutered?

Meh. So yeah. As a writer, you get used to the fact that some people are going to hate what you write. You can't live in fear of that. If you do, you'll never get anything done.

# ¿ Aug 6, 2011 23:48

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > The Book Barn > Patrick Rothfuss: Technical Difficulties