The Wise Man’s Fear and The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss
As I wrote the first time I did
one of these reading roundups, I was a big fan of Patrick Rothfuss’ The Name of the Wind. In his follow up, The Wise Man’s Fear, he expands upon the world of legendary wizard
Kvothe. Told through more flashbacks,
Kvothe recalls a series of adventures that take him from The University through
the four corners of the world, sowing the seeds of his own legend. The quality from the first one is maintained,
although the one complaint I have is that like the first book, they stand
better as parts of a whole rather than as individual books, which a little
disappointing with the third book still in the pipeline.
While waiting for the next book I
checked out the additional material set in this world. The
Slow Regard of Silent Things, his most recent work, didn’t really satisfy
my need for more. It focuses on Auri,
the girl living in the ruins below The University Kvothe attends. This book features no dialogue, minimal of
anything that could be described as plot and only one character: either you’re
on board with it or you aren’t. Even
Rothfuss acknowledges it may not be the story fans are looking to occupy the
time until the third book’s release.
Unfortunately it didn’t work for me, but I wouldn’t be opposed to giving
it another try later. If you’re curious,
I say give it between 20-30 pages. If it
hasn’t gripped you by then, it may not be for you.
Rogues by Various
This anthology edited by Gardner
Dozois & George R.R. Martin (the latter of whom contributes a story set in
the A Song of Ice and Fire world)
offers a great variety of tales about people who follow their own codes. Dozois and Martin offer tales from some of
the best writers working these days, from Neil Gaiman to Patrick Rothfuss
(Rothfuss’ offering, about Kvothe’s fae right hand Bast, goes down easier that The Slow Regard of Silent Things). Like a lot of anthologies, the quality can
vary from story to story, but as a whole it is solid, and a good sampler of
writers. The high point is “A Year and a
Day in Old Theradane” by Scott Lynch, about a group of retired thieves who are
hired by a witch for one last job. Based
on that story, I started Lynch’s Gentlemen Bastards series.
The Good Nurse: a True Story of
Medicine, Madness and Murder by Charles Graeber
Full disclosure: I listened to
the audiobook for this one. This
meticulously researched true crime story about serial killer Charles Cullen is
one compelling read/listen. Cullen is
suspected of being the most prolific serial killer in American history, with
upwards of 400 victims—patients he deliberated overdosed—potentially tied to
him. The book jumps from various points
of view, from Cullen’s supervisors, the investigators, Cullen himself and one
of his work friends who helped bring him to justice. The story is so crazy and filled with many
interesting twists and turns that it will keep the reader on edge
throughout. Darren
Aronofsky has been named director of the upcoming film adaptation, and if
the film is half as crazy as the book, it should be one compelling film.
Euphoria by Lily King
This novel, loosely based on the
life of Margaret Mead, has been getting a lot of acclaim and even has been
included on some best of 2014 mentions.
The story is about a suicidal anthropologist named Andrew Bankson who
comes between Mead stand in Nell Stone and her sometimes abusive husband Fen as
all three study the natives of New Guinea in 1933. At only 261 pages, King’s melodrama is a
quick, but memorable read. It seems like
material Hemmingway would’ve covered.
While the story lacks many surprises, it is still hits those notes in a
satisfying way.
Southern Bastards, Volume 1: Here
Was a Man by Jason Aaron and Jason Latour
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