Doors of Stonewalling: the Patrick Rothfuss Thread

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Sham bam bamina!: Nov 6, 2012; ƨtupid cat

Go as a lute and respond to all conversation with "Sad."

# ¿ Oct 8, 2017 01:13

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# ¿ May 9, 2024 11:34

Sham bam bamina!: Nov 6, 2012; ƨtupid cat

but did you read homestuck

# ¿ Oct 8, 2017 09:03

Sham bam bamina!: Nov 6, 2012; ƨtupid cat

Kchama posted:

I'm prettyyyyy sure you're wrong there.

Yeah. Bradley thought it was "okay" to "sanction" child abuse (it's not like she raped her daughter or anything), while Card is apparently some kind of serial killer.

Edit: I just love that because pentyne agrees with Bradley's ideology and not Card's, Bradley's goddamn loving vileness has to be downplayed as much as possible and Card has to be the real monster. In a post about being level-headed in spite of ideological differences. :ironicat:

Sham bam bamina! fucked around with this message at 19:32 on Oct 8, 2017

# ¿ Oct 8, 2017 19:21

Sham bam bamina!: Nov 6, 2012; ƨtupid cat

It's true. Thinking spiteful and stupid things about a group of people makes you a monster, just like raping your daughter for years. And three years is a blink of an eye on the Internet, far too short a time for word to get around.

# ¿ Oct 8, 2017 19:46

Sham bam bamina!: Nov 6, 2012; ƨtupid cat

Kchama posted:

Attempting galvanizing people to hurt entire groups DOES make you a monster, even if you aren't successful. It's not like it can't have an affect, like Scott Lively convincing a country to make being gay punishable by death.

Card hates homosexuality because he believes that it is morally wrong. Depressingly misguided as it is, he's at least following his conscience (informed by a lifetime lived in the Mormon faith). When Bradley spent years and years raping her daughter, it was because she had a black, sucking void where a conscience should have been. That is a loving monster, and don't trivialize that by trying to equate Card with her.

Kchama posted:

And it's not like everyone is wired in on every awful thing an author has done, especially someone who has been dead for decades. Hell, you appeared to be as unaware as I was that she molested her son.

The way I remembered it, she got their daughter and her husband got their son. If that's not true, blame it on my reading the news three years ago, although I don't know how much grace that gets me since that might as well have been this morning apparently.

# ¿ Oct 8, 2017 20:04

Sham bam bamina!: Nov 6, 2012; ƨtupid cat

Card is a lovely person because you have to be a person to be a lovely person. Bradley was an exemplary monster.

# ¿ Oct 8, 2017 20:14

Sham bam bamina!: Nov 6, 2012; ƨtupid cat

I apologize for derailing the thread from the engaging discussion people were having about the subtle merits of The Doors of Stone, Rothfuss's greatest work yet.

edit

Kchama posted:

Now we're just arging degrees.

If this had been about "degrees", there wouldn't have been an argument in the first place. My whole point was that there's a qualitative difference.

Sham bam bamina! fucked around with this message at 20:24 on Oct 8, 2017

# ¿ Oct 8, 2017 20:21

Sham bam bamina!: Nov 6, 2012; ƨtupid cat

Ccs posted:

Wait I'm on board with the other stuff but how is putting stuff into chapters obnoxious? Or is there a specific way Rothfuss uses chapters?

Arbitrary Dan Brown cliff-hangers.

Sham bam bamina! fucked around with this message at 04:37 on Oct 11, 2017

# ¿ Oct 11, 2017 04:30

Sham bam bamina!: Nov 6, 2012; ƨtupid cat

Nobody has yet stepped up to Kingkiller's defense in this thread. I cannot take on this task myself, not having read the books, but I can relay the words of those more knowledgeable from Reddit. Please read them as if they were my own.

From "Why do so many people keep recommending The Kingkiller Chronicles?" (formatting in original) posted:

The more literally you read the book, and the more you read specifically for the story-as-written, the less you'll find it a masterpiece. The reason it's a beautiful work is because it's one of symbolism and emotional discourse, and it's not meant to be taken at face value.

And quite honestly, in my experience, some people just don't read in a way that causes the Kingkiller Chronicle to make sense for them. Rothfuss even commented on this phenomenon in The Slow Regard of Silent Things.

Edit: I just want to add this: In many places, the story isn't supposed to make logical sense. It's a story about what people want to believe, not what factually happened. Feel free to ask me questions about what things in this book actually meant in context, and I'll do my best to provide answers given what I remember.

From "Why is The King Killer Chronicle the most popular fantasy series right now?" (OP discounts Ice and Fire for being popular "because of the show") posted:

I think it is because the books are really well written. Actually, 'written' is probably the wrong word for it. These books have been crafted. Nay, shaped.

These books are really some of the best quality writing out there IMO.

Also, it's rare that you find books that reward re-reading as much as re-reading of KKC does.

Same thread posted:

Because other authors wrote less interesting books compared to KKC. Maybe because they were less talented or wrote too quickly not bothering with revisions. Sure there are some things that could be critisized in KKC but there are much more plot holes, not interesting chracters and stupid dialogues in other books. Some authors wrote books for young adults and didnt bother with making their world believable.

Sham bam bamina! fucked around with this message at 23:31 on Oct 19, 2017

# ¿ Oct 19, 2017 23:29

Sham bam bamina!: Nov 6, 2012; ƨtupid cat

Evil Fluffy posted:

That first post is either jivjov or Rothfuss himself. The idiotic arguments Rothfuss and his sycophants come up with to defend Slow Regard are truly something else.

And apparently when Kvothe tells Chronicler the 'real story' about himself he's actually lying and saying what Chronicler wants to here!

Burn reddit to the ground.

Settle down there. I cherry-picked stupid stuff because it's funny. Most of Reddit's appraisals were pretty lukewarm, which I chalk up to Pat's unyielding refusal to goddamn do anything. Of course the fire's gone out by now. Just look at what the old thread here eventually turned into.

# ¿ Oct 20, 2017 05:18

Sham bam bamina!: Nov 6, 2012; ƨtupid cat

The Kingkiller Chronicles have been planted in rich loam that has been tended by a master weaver of words. Epic fantasy with a mystery about it. A feeling like something vital is just out of reach. Much is revealed but there is something missing, something just around the corner. This feeling that there was a glimpse that we should have caught at outside edge of our vision. J.R.R. Tolkien is not alive, but Patrick Rothfuss is still with us. That means even if it takes many years we are likely to see many, many more tales of Kvothe and the crew from the Arcanum.

❖

Prose that cuts like glass
First of all, The Name of the Wind is a beautifully written novel. Rothfuss spins sentences like a worm spins silk. The pages flip past in a blur, the words practically singing off the page. You can tell just how much work and craft went into the making of this book by the sheer, achingly good rhythm of his chapters, the ups and downs of his sentences, the deliberate words used, and the things that are left unspoken. Rothfuss is so good with his words, he even writes bad poetry at one point, in a great way.

❖

Let�s not beat around the bush. I�ve read arguably just as much fantasy as anyone alive (it�s been my job for the last 20 years) and I have never read anything as so totally immersive � and audaciously innovative � as Patrick Rothfuss�s Kingkiller Chronicle (The Name of the Wind and the soon-to-be released The Wise Man's Fear). The saga of Kvothe is a timeless, towering, masterwork. The Kingkiller Chronicle � a projected trilogy � is nothing short of the 21st Century equivalent of The Lord of the Rings and Patrick Rothfuss the next coming of Tolkien.

Think I�m overstating the narrative brilliance and thematic depth of these books? I dare anyone to read this saga and not agree with me 100%.

Rothfuss�s writing style is fluid, rich in detail, and self-controlled; he weaves a labyrinthine plotline effortlessly; his realm-building abilities are subtle and sublime; but the reason I absolutely adore these novels is because in a genre obsessed with size � shelf-bending series spanning eons and featuring a cast of hundreds � Rothfuss has done just the opposite and penned a profoundly intimate story about an unassuming innkeeper recalling the events of his life while working in a tavern. But � trust me � his story rivals that of any epic fantasy adventure�

❖

Firstly, as continuously written throughout the reviews (regardless of rating), Pat's elegant writing compliments the story superbly. It was written numerous times in other reviews that the character lacked depth, was the "sh*t" at "everything," or no emotional connection existed. For these people, and mind you they have their right to feel how they feel, but for these people, I feel tremendously sorry. They clearly lack the emotional depth and intellectual thought required to fully grasp what Mr. Rothfuss has done here. This story has a centralized character from which it extends. If you desire 30 point-of-view characters (which works Very Well for certain storylines ~ GRRM is phenomenal) then this would not be the read for you, at this moment in time. Nonetheless, I would still compel you to Read This Story...Someday. Whether Tomorrow, next year, or in 20, you Must experience what Kvothe has to offer. Frankly, it balances far better than most novels. Many attempt to instigate emotion in the reader whilst a major arc occurs, and unfortunately many fail miserably. This story, which revolves around One man (and his supporting cast mixed throughout), envelopes the reader in his love, his loss, his pain, and overall his passion for the answers he seeks. His drive, though motivated partially by revenge and partially due to his inquisitiveness, will carry the reader from the beginning to the end. If you've ever loved, ever lost, ever suffered, ever smiled, ever Felt something stronger and deeper than "cool story bro," then you must read this book. It's a story of a man, not a glamour show of an army, of a king, or of a country. It's the reality of his world, the severe loss he suffered, and how he manages to survive and overcome it. And simply put, it significantly touches on relevant tribulations in our own lives today. Give it a chance, and you will not regret it. Cheers.

❖

Perhaps one of the greatest reasons for its popularity is that the chronicle itself behaves much like a puzzle for the reader. Now is perhaps the best time to begin reading this series, as the third and final book has not yet surfaced. The sheer amount of detail and mystery wrapped around every element of the story is enough to drive millions of fans to the end of their nerves over the endless theories and possibilities for what has happened in the remainder of Kvothe�s past, and how that has lead to his current, broken present.

Read the books once. Read them again. Look at what people are saying on internet forums, and do some imaginative thinking for yourself. When I began this review, The Kingkiller Chronicle was already my favorite series of books, but it�s doubly moreso now that I�ve begun realizing that this story is more than just a pretty face. There�s something deep and fierce hiding in its characters and narrative. I feel as though I�ve unearthed one of the oldest kept secrets in the world.

If you�re impatient, then wait for the third book before subjecting yourself to this gentle torture. Meet the rest of us at the Doors of Stone. We�ll be waiting to welcome you.

God bless, look for secret things, and always remember to smile.

# ¿ Oct 22, 2017 22:22

Sham bam bamina!: Nov 6, 2012; ƨtupid cat

His entire review would be "BOOK GOOD. LIKE BOOK."

# ¿ Oct 22, 2017 22:34

Sham bam bamina!: Nov 6, 2012; ƨtupid cat

TV Zombie posted:

I'm wondering if he planned out the story to be a trilogy originally or just made the first book, saw that it was financially(if not critically) successful and tried to continue from there, and said it was a trilogy just to say something about his work.

He hyped it from the beginning as a trilogy that he had already written.

# ¿ Oct 25, 2017 20:16

Sham bam bamina!: Nov 6, 2012; ƨtupid cat

It's because no one book could ever do proper justice to the rich worldbuilding that fantasy demands.

# ¿ Oct 25, 2017 21:11

Sham bam bamina!: Nov 6, 2012; ƨtupid cat

Tamba posted:

He'll accidentally kill the king, making Ambrose the next king. Tha't enough to turn anyone into a depressed innkeeper.

I think we have a winner.

# ¿ Oct 26, 2017 20:36

Sham bam bamina!: Nov 6, 2012; ƨtupid cat

Dienes posted:

One of his 5-star reviews is for The Giving Tree. He has a couple sentences on how the boy is a selfish little poo poo but, hey, the tree is happy, life lessons are complex, the book is ambiguous for how we are supposed to take it.

Oh, gently caress this guy.

# ¿ Oct 29, 2017 20:02

Sham bam bamina!: Nov 6, 2012; ƨtupid cat

Old thread's discussion starts here.

# ¿ Oct 30, 2017 23:18

Sham bam bamina!: Nov 6, 2012; ƨtupid cat

Dienes posted:

He also says he's read 200+ books a year from 2011-2014, 149 books in 2015, and a meager 62 books in 2016. This is all on top of the hundreds of re-readings of NotW. To be fair, some are children's books and manga, which would be quicker/easier than a novel, but 2014 he said he read 367, so....

Well, The Doors of Stone still hasn't happened after six years. There has to be something he's been doing.

# ¿ Oct 31, 2017 22:59

Sham bam bamina!: Nov 6, 2012; ƨtupid cat

TheIncredulousHulk posted:

That's not how it works and it will make you insane if you let yourself think about it in these terms

I think the suicide smiley was an acknowledgement of that.

# ¿ Nov 1, 2017 23:13

Sham bam bamina!: Nov 6, 2012; ƨtupid cat

my bony fealty posted:

Yeah Im not gonna pay too much attention to a list that has Eragon above Gormenghast

# ¿ Nov 2, 2017 22:40

Sham bam bamina!: Nov 6, 2012; ƨtupid cat

It's been years, but I remember one really great screw-up where he tried to get into the magical mechanics of "The Ancient Language" ( :allears:

) and it turned out that the relevant grammar wasn't just English but completely misunderstood English. Like, a spell backfired because Paolini thinks that the passive voice is the past tense or something.

Edit: found it, he thinks a noun is a verb

quote:

According to Paolini, when Eragon said: "Atra g�lai un ilian tauthr ono un atra ono wa�se sk�lir fr� rauthr" in the first book, it translated to: "May luck and happiness follow you and may you be a shield from misfortune." He intended to say "be shielded" instead of "be a shield," and Oromis corrects his mistake in a rather puzzling manner. According to the elf, "Atra g�lai un ilian tauthr ono un atra ono wa�se sk�liro fr� rauthr," is the correct blessing and it translates to: "May luck and happiness follow you and may you be shielded from misfortune." His solution was to add the suffix �o to "sk�lir" in order to make it past tense. The only problem with this is that "be shielded" is not a past tense verb; it's a passive voice infinitive instead. Even more troubling is that "shield" in the phrase "be a shield" is a noun, not a verb, which means it can't be conjugated to be past tense anyway. So essentially what the �o suffix is actually doing is turning a noun form into a verb and making it passive by putting it into its perfect participle form.

What happened to not using participles? And why would Paolini include such an incredibly specialized suffix in his language that is capable of so many transformations in a single vowel?! The truth is that Paolini did this by accident, and I strongly suspect he did it because he has only a superficial understanding of the English language.

Sham bam bamina! fucked around with this message at 10:32 on Nov 3, 2017

# ¿ Nov 3, 2017 04:52

Sham bam bamina!: Nov 6, 2012; ƨtupid cat

Laurell, not Lauren. Her Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series is infamous for devolving almost completely into porn.

I don't know why everyone was so insistent on using her initials.

Sham bam bamina! fucked around with this message at 19:50 on Nov 8, 2017

# ¿ Nov 8, 2017 19:46

Sham bam bamina!: Nov 6, 2012; ƨtupid cat

ulmont posted:

The thread needs to see this.

https://www.tor.com/2017/11/08/why-the-name-of-the-wind-still-resonates-ten-years-later/

Thank you for this article! It speaks so much truth in its distilled analysis of what makes this story so grand. My sympathies to all who have not read the art of these novels. The best art takes on a life of its own and spreads and embeds itself into those who are moved to emotional reflection. This reflection is best when shared and spread again as each person�s experiences are their own. This sharing has created a large community of people who have discovered more and more in each reading and each discussion. It is sad that many consume art such as this akin to gluttons who consistently are seeking more to fulfill an appetite never satiated. These stories have a life of their own and no work at this level should be consumed or rushed with an expectation that it end appropriately in an acceptable time frame. I first read the Name of the Wind in the year it was published and I have been spreading the word of its art since that day and will continue to do so until my life ends. I patiently await the next part in this story but have been very pleased to reread the words that Rothfuss has written as each reveals new aspects to me due to the increasing age of both myself and the story. A couple of friends and I had the great honor to spend an evening with Mr. Rothfuss many years ago. This is one of the great experiences of my life. Patrick Rothfuss is a great man who lives to learn and has so much to share. His life has experienced many ups and downs but he continues on with a storyteller�s heart and with the pure intention of pleasing others. My life is better for having read these works and they bring joy in every thought of the experience. If my life or the life of this story is cut prematurely it will still resonate and be considered one of the most literary works of fantasy to ever be written. Its story will continue through the inspiration it provides other authors and many generations will continue to benefit as the genre grows and improves with age. That in its essence is my prediction for the legacy of The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.

# ¿ Nov 10, 2017 03:06

Sham bam bamina!: Nov 6, 2012; ƨtupid cat

Evil Fluffy posted:

I think I've said this before but in a country where Donald Trump was able to be elected president Rothfuss being popular is surprising, it's a perfect fit. Trump makes a bunch of stupid claims that you can see are obviously bullshit with even the slightest bit of thought, and Rothfuss's books are fine if you shut off your brain completely but their wonderful writing quickly reveals itself as horrible garbage if you actually think about it or the story.

Are you saying that it's surprising or not? And where's the link to your HuffPo editorial?

# ¿ Nov 13, 2017 10:17

Sham bam bamina!: Nov 6, 2012; ƨtupid cat

An elegant library, for a more civilized age.

# ¿ Nov 16, 2017 14:07

Sham bam bamina!: Nov 6, 2012; ƨtupid cat

BravestOfTheLamps posted:

But the real magic was friendship from me.

# ¿ Dec 29, 2017 21:28

Sham bam bamina!: Nov 6, 2012; ƨtupid cat

This thread has been scraping along on fumes since the first page because there's nothing left to talk about until Pat drops his next novella about a side character in 2023.

# ¿ Dec 31, 2017 00:21

Sham bam bamina!: Nov 6, 2012; ƨtupid cat

Captain Hotbutt posted:

I also think the third book will come out just in time for Christmas.

Awww.

# ¿ Jan 23, 2018 21:24

Sham bam bamina!: Nov 6, 2012; ƨtupid cat

SpacePig posted:

Also, glad to have you back, Avshalom. You're honestly one of my favorite parts of these threads, and I hope you don't get banned again.

Thirty-third time's the charm!

# ¿ Jan 26, 2018 18:43

Sham bam bamina!: Nov 6, 2012; ƨtupid cat

I'm not interested in reading the book.

# ¿ Jan 29, 2018 17:25

Sham bam bamina!: Nov 6, 2012; ƨtupid cat

branedotorg posted:

Sam Raimi to direct ... is that good? Is it evil dead Sam or transformers Sam?

Do you think that Sam Raimi is Michael Bay?

# ¿ Jan 30, 2018 13:00

Sham bam bamina!: Nov 6, 2012; ƨtupid cat

Well, Meyer wrote and released a fourth Twilight book; it was called Breaking Dawn. The leaked manuscript was for a spinoff called Midnight Sun that would have retold the first book's story from Edward's perspective. She only made it a few chapters in before the leak.

Sham bam bamina! fucked around with this message at 06:03 on Jan 31, 2018

# ¿ Jan 31, 2018 05:58

Sham bam bamina!: Nov 6, 2012; ƨtupid cat

BananaNutkins posted:

Legend of the seeker is amazing. The show never took itself too seriously. You could really tell the actors were having a good time. They also cast people who were basically unknown at the time. And they Didn't shirk at putting them in super Hot leather outfits because of capital F feminism. It was just good old fashion trashy sword and sorcery wish fulfillment fantasy.

What is it with Internet weirdos and completely Random capitalized words in The middle of a Sentence? (Ironically, somehow not including the one that he went out of his way to capitalize.)

# ¿ Feb 1, 2018 01:52

Sham bam bamina!: Nov 6, 2012; ƨtupid cat

M_Gargantua posted:

Read The Emperors Soul, if you don't like it you're forever lost to the world and going to claim "Genre fiction is trash" to your deathbed. You'll exclusively read high brow literature and still be constantly disappointed, but at least smugly disappointed, at it.

Really sticking it to a completely unrelated poster here.

true leftist posted:

killing me shitly with his dong

Welcome back. :unsmith:

# ¿ Feb 2, 2018 23:12

Sham bam bamina!: Nov 6, 2012; ƨtupid cat

PJOmega posted:

To be fair, he's also not bad. Neither his writing or his personal history (afaik) are problematic.

This is pure equivocation. A billion pages of imaginary rules do not stop being bad simply by virtue of not specifically being morally offensive.

As an illustration, my not being a Nazi does not make my posts any less terrible.

Sham bam bamina! fucked around with this message at 06:35 on Feb 3, 2018

# ¿ Feb 3, 2018 06:30

Sham bam bamina!: Nov 6, 2012; ƨtupid cat

A human heart posted:

The joke's on you pal, I exclusively read high brow literature and enjoy every minute of it

But how can you not enjoy the same books that I do unless you're incapable of enjoying anything at all?

# ¿ Feb 3, 2018 07:01

Sham bam bamina!: Nov 6, 2012; ƨtupid cat

PJOmega posted:

You and Sham Bam done sucking each other off in an attempt to prove who is the least original?

When did I ever suck Khizan off? I'll have you know he's the only one doing the sucking here.

# ¿ Feb 3, 2018 08:37

Sham bam bamina!: Nov 6, 2012; ƨtupid cat

Ccs posted:

This is some of the funniest NotW fanart: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/qVQRa

I'd make a Marillion joke if that wouldn't mark me as an even more hopeless nerd than I already am for posting in this thread.

Aw, poo poo. :sigh:

# ¿ Feb 6, 2018 05:23

Sham bam bamina!: Nov 6, 2012; ƨtupid cat

Captain Hotbutt posted:

Rather than start Rothfuss' Kingkiller-whatever I'm reading The Black Company.

I don't know if/when I'll start Name of the Wind and Wise Man's Fear or Book 3.

Quit loving a child and read some real literature.

# ¿ Feb 13, 2018 17:34

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# ¿ May 9, 2024 11:34

Sham bam bamina!: Nov 6, 2012; ƨtupid cat

BravestOfTheLamps is one of the best posters on the forums, and his refusal to couch his statements in redundant, mealy-mouthed hedges like "In my opinion..." is the best thing about him. He is a huge rear end in a top hat, but the way people care so much when he calls their favorite fantasy books bad without going out of his way to explicitly acknowledge their tastes is only a mark of their own insecurity.

Also, he isn't banned. He paid the :10bux:

long ago; he's just waiting for his probation to wind down.

Sham bam bamina! fucked around with this message at 02:06 on Feb 14, 2018

# ¿ Feb 14, 2018 02:01

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > The Book Barn > Doors of Stonewalling: the Patrick Rothfuss Thread

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