The Slow Regard of Silent Things: A Kingkiller Chronicle Novella

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There is no way I can review this without it looking like I am just piling on and confirming what I ranted about, but let me assure you, despite my wish that he finish the Kingkiller trilogy first, I really wanted to like this. I did enjoy The Lightning Tree, another diversion of his, a great deal. The character of Auri always intrigued me and I was very curious where Pat would go with this story. To claim it was not what I expected would be the understatement of the century, but then again I should have known better than to expect a normal story from Pat, right? *lol* Did I confuse you already? Yes, okay then let’s try to put my thoughts into coherent sentences and words. ps. you may not have realised, but you really love the word ‘coruscant’…or maybe I really love the word ‘coruscant’ and therefore the number of times I noticed it was a matter of attention bias. I don’t know, either way it has been firmly drummed into my vocabulary. Though it has only been out since April 2007, it has already been sold in 26 foreign countries and won several awards.

So what we’re left with here is an entirely pointless and plotless novella about an OCD girl mired in feng shui issues. Having finished the book, I suppose I can see why some people would find it off putting. It's different. But... Auri is different. It took me a while to read this book, not because it was too boring or bland, or I just couldn't get into it for some other reason, but because it was sweet like honey and was something I wanted to savor, like bottled moonlight. The art also really helps to make this book. It's really integral to see what Auri sees so you feel more connected with her doings. Now Pat teaches half-time at his old school as an assistant-sub-lecturer. He is underpaid but generally left alone to do as he sees fit with his classes. He is advisor for the college feminists, the fencing club, and, oddly enough, a sorority. He still roll-plays occasionally, but now he does it in an extremely sophisticated, debonair way. While it's not BOOK 3, Pat definitely slipped some information in here if you're paying close enough attention. If you're somebody who reads between the lines and is interested in what's going on behind the scenes in Temerant (man + tree ?), this is worth your time.

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People are going to read this and be pissed.”Why yes, Pat. But amazingly his friend advises, “Let those other people have their normal stories . . . This story isn’t for them. This is my story. This story is for people like me.” Auri drew a breath and opened up her eyes. Auri was urchin small. Her tiny feet upon the stone were bare. In general, the book does not care for a plot, being all about the main character, Auri, trying to convey the way her mind works and her feelings and views of the world of Temerant and Kvothe, while also giving the reader a demonstration of her powers and magic, which is exposed on the very end of the book, when she uses her magic to create the candle she gives Kvothe as one of her three gifts. She knew. She should have moved more gently with the world. She knew the way of things. She knew if you weren’t always stepping lightly as a bird the whole world came apart to crush you. Like a house of cards. Like a bottle against stones. Like a wrist pinned hard beneath a hand with the hot breath smell of want and wine. . . . I hate the thought of disappointing people. And this is something that I didn’t understand until I was a parent. The more someone loves you, the more you have the ability to disappoint them. I love my little boy, and I get so irritated with him sometimes. Oot loves me beyond all reason and sense, and when I tell him no, I have hours of work to do, I can’t play, his face falls. Then he smiles a fake smile at me and tells me it’s okay. He’s only five and he already knows how to fake a smile to hide his disappointment. It breaks my heart.”

I hate the thought of disappointing people. And this is something that I didn’t understand until I was a parent. The more someone loves you, the more you have the ability to disappoint them. I love my little boy, and I get so irritated with him sometimes. Oot loves me beyond all reason and sense, and when I tell him no, I have hours of work to do, I can’t play, his face falls. Then he smiles a fake smile at me and tells me it’s okay. He’s only five and he already knows how to fake a smile to hide his disappointment. It breaks my heart.

Patrick Rothfuss

You see, when I listen to your d&d podcasts with penny arcade, I read your blog, or look at your interviews, I get the sense that there’s this Pat that doesn’t get to be in the books. It’s the Pat that improvises and is on his feet, takes chances, is more in the moment and doesn’t worry about Eternity’s Judgement. It’s the rustic cook, not the toiling chef. When I first promised that, I thought it would be easy. But at this point, I think we all know that I can be terribly naive…. Still, I can understand you not wanting to let people down. You’re only human, and a guy who just wants to be the best he can be for those who depend on him to be good.

I do love that Rothfuss gives readers a closer look into Auri’s world. It’s sad, lonely and truly incredible. THE SLOW REGARD OF SILENT THINGS is a perfect little story, so much like Auri herself. While the author might note that the book isn’t for everyone, it’s for those who have read and enjoyed his works and want a glimpse into the silent world Auri inhabits. It’s a lovely tale. But the more I roll this around in my head, the more it troubles me. Ulysses was one of those books that I was supposed to read for class but I never did. All I really know about it is that it’s one of the all-time front runners for pretentious, literary self-indulgence, right? ETA: Rothfuss is bad at math. He has Auri think that 9/10 of alchemy is chemistry and 9/10 of chemistry is waiting. But that tenth of a tenth of a part is . . . . That's not how the fractions combine. There is actually 19% unexplained. 81% of alchemy would be waiting. Another 9% is something else from chemistry and 10% is something alchemy specific. Rothfuss introduced the story to his friend and illustrator Nate Taylor and asked him to create illustrations for the book. Rothfuss was specific about having no explicit pictures of Auri or any of the rooms in the Underthing. It took about two months to finalize the illustrations. [4] The story was eventually published as the standalone novella The Slow Regard of Silent Things in November 2014. [2] Reception [ ] This breathtakingly epic story is heartrending in its intimacy and masterful in its narrative essence.”— Publishers Weekly (starred)

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On the other end of the spectrum we have my mom, who has cooked for me for longer than I can remember, and when I visit her and she makes a mash or some other easy rustic meal, it’s absolutely delicious and it leaves me wanting nothing more in a meal. I have, of course, been called many other things. Most of them uncouth, although very few were unearned. On the other hand, if you’d like to learn more about Auri, this story has a lot to offer. If you love words and mysteries and secrets. If you’re curious about the Underthing and alchemy. If you want to know more about the hidden turnings of my world... I know you were nervous about reading this book for us, and truthfully I had my doubts as well. But your voice was superb…a rich and weighty baritone, perfectly suited to tether the light airiness of Auri’s story. I felt like a child listening to a lullaby. I just wanted to say with all sincerity: well done. I hope you read for us again.

during that earlier first WMF meeting she serves Kvothe with a teacup. In SRFST she refers to a teacup as "his teacup." Also, please pass along my compliments to Mr. Nathan Taylor. His illustrations of Auri completely captured her true, distilled essence. They were a wonderful addition to the story, and for me, as true a part of this portrait as the words themselves.I just went online to find a copy of the US cover to post up, and I found this. This sort of thing warms my heart. Y’all are so enthusiastic and encouraging and kind. It makes me smile. It makes me think that things will be okay. My readers are up for something a little different. They’re geeks. They’re smart. Unlike (apparently) every other right-thinking fan of fantasy literature, I wasn’t the biggest fan of ‘A Wise Man’s Fear’, for I thought Rothfuss had tried too hard to create a similarly ‘lovingly crafted’ book and instead provided us with a book that only appeared lovingly crafted.