September 19, 2016sarahylockwood

The Slow Regard for Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss

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Rate: 3.5/5

Medium: Kindle

Overview (No Spoilers): The first thing you should know about The Slow Regard for Silent Things is that it is a fantasy companion novella to my beloved, The Kingkiller Chronicle. It must be said that I missed the memo regarding the nature of this book, as such when I finished The Wise Man’s Fear, I eagerly picked up this next book believing the series was continued, but alas I failed to read the fine print. The only character detailed in this story is mysterious Auri. While we glimpse the strange OCDish patterns that swirl in an organized, haphazard manner, throughout her day, she remains an enigmatic character to be puzzled out another tale, another book. It took me longer than I anticipated to fall back into this world that I am already deeply comfortable in and a writing style I am familiar with, due in part to Auri’s short attention span. Overall, The Slow Regard for Silent Things is well worth the read to get a peak into the deliberate mind of the perplexing Auri, as well as the art of Naming, and setting up for what I believe are bigger things to come.

Additional Insight:

  1. Who is Auri and how did she end up in the Underthing?
  2. How did Auri learn the names of thing so well?
  3. How does she keep finding new places/rooms? What is behind the door she is so scared of?
  4. How does she know Kvothe will need a safe place to stay?
  5. I kept finding myself wanting to know the story of each little place she visited. Key example: Who’s vanity did she find? Where did this person go? Why did they leave everything a mess? Why didn’t they take their belongings with them?
  6. Will Auri ever be able to leave? Where is her family? Where is she in the current story?

PS. Go Green! MSU has a big game against ND today!

23 comments

  1. Just curious, as a fellow huge fan of this series, did part of you not think, “Jesus, Patrick, let’s not spin out little tales WRITE THE NEXT BOOK PLEASE?” I loved it, but I also don’t want him fiddle-faddling away time he should be using to finish the next one. I am apparently needing to be his writing dominatrix.

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  2. I thoroughly enjoyed this book though it, too, took me longer than I’d expect for what I’d consider a “half novel” (I suppose novella is the operative word, but Slow Regard was around 150 pages, which is about half a short novel). I can’t wait for Doors of Stone to come out. Rothfuss and Martin are my two most anticipated writers for 2017. I really hope to see both their new books come out.

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  3. I, too, ordered this book thinking it was the end of the series. I haven’t read it yet, so glad to read that you liked it. Not sure what I think about so many series throwing a novella out there when we just want to finish the series. I’m more careful about reading that “fine print” now.

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    • I’m glad I wasn’t the only one! I’m torn about the novella too. Sometimes I find it worth while, others it just seems like the authors just want to publish something, anything in a realm that readers seem to like.

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    • Agreed! In the context of the book I we find out at the end that she is just more in tune to the names of everything making her different, however it is so relatable from the perspective of someone suffering from a mental illness.

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  10. Loved this book to the moon and back! (the long way round!)
    Such writing and a story with no story that far outshines many storied stories!!

    Haven’t read any of Pat’s other books, but managed to get completely submerged without even a bubble of confusion popping up! If he does more about Auri, I will be there with me reading slippers and marshmallows, eyes ready for a feast!

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