Patrick Rothfuss' The Slow Regard of Silent Things was published by DAW Books (USA) and Gollancz (UK) in October 2014.
Information about Patrick Rothfuss:
Patrick Rothfuss is an American fantasy author. He's the author of The Kingkiller Chronicle (The Name of the Wind, The Wise Man's Fear and the forthcoming The Doors of Stone) and The Adventures of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle (The Thing Beneath the Bed and The Dark of Deep Below).
Click here to visit the author's official website.
Information about The Slow Regard of Silent Things:
Deep below the University, there is a dark place. Few people know of it: a broken web of ancient passageways and abandoned rooms. A young woman lives there, tucked among the sprawling tunnels of the Underthing, snug in the heart of this forgotten place.
Her name is Auri, and she is full of mysteries.
The Slow Regard of Silent Things is a brief, bittersweet glimpse of Auri’s life, a small adventure all her own. At once joyous and haunting, this story offers a chance to see the world through Auri’s eyes. And it gives the reader a chance to learn things that only Auri knows...
In this book, Patrick Rothfuss brings us into the world of one of The Kingkiller Chronicle’s most enigmatic characters. Full of secrets and mysteries, The Slow Regard of Silent Things is the story of a broken girl trying to live in a broken world.
A REVIEW OF PATRICK ROTHFUSS' THE SLOW REGARD OF SILENT THINGS
This is a short review of Patrick Rothfuss' The Slow Regard of Silent Things. Because The Slow Regard of Silent Things is a novella that must be read, felt and experienced personally by readers, I won't write much about the story.
I think it's good to mention that every reader should read the author's foreword before reading the story. The author explains in his foreword what kind of a novella The Slow Regard of Silent Things is and what it isn't. As the author points out, this novella is not a story about Kvothe or a continuation of Kvothe's storyline, because it deals with Auri. In other words, this novella is Auri's book.
The Slow Regard of Silent Things is one of the best and most charming fantasy novellas I've read this year, because it's a beautifully written fantasy story for adults. It's a story of a young woman called Auri who lives deep below the University in a dark place. It tells of how Auri prepares for a visit from someone whose name is not revealed to the readers. It's a brief yet enchanting, insightful and a bit mysterious glimpse into Auri's life.
After I finished reading The Slow Regard of Silent Things, all I could think of was what a beautifully written story it was, because everything was perfect in it. This kind of novellas are - unfortunately - rare and difficult to find, because only a handful of modern authors are capable of writing this kind of fairy-tale-like stories for adults.
I was impressed by the the author's prose in this novella, because he wrote elegant and evocative prose. I've always loved nuanced storytelling and words, so this novella was my kind of a fantasy novella. In my opinion this novella must be read by all who appreciate lyrical and beautiful prose, because the author knows how to write beautiful prose (if you're like me and love well written prose, you won't be disappointed by this novella).
When I read this novella, it was easy for me to see how much Patrick Rothfuss loves storytelling. He writes elegantly about Auri and what she does, and his descriptions about the happenings are graceful, fluent and beautiful. This is one of the reasons why I consider Patrick Rothfuss to be one of the finest modern wordsmiths.
Although this novella is relatively short when compared to the author's novels, it's well worth reading, because it offers fantastic entertainment to fantasy readers. It's a skillfully written companion novella to The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man's Fear.
This novella left me wanting more, because I enjoyed reading the story. I sincerely hope that the author will someday write more stories like this, because he writes excellent short fiction.
The illustrations by Nate Taylor are beautiful. They highlight the tender and bittersweet nature of the story in a charming way.
If you've read Patrick Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man's Fear, you should read The Slow Regard of Silent Things, because it's a real treat for all readers who have read the novels. It's a satisfying literary fantasy novella that will most likely please fans of Patrick Rothfuss.
Highly recommended!