The Best Book Ever Written (almost)

DiscoZombie

<span style='color:#000000;background:#000000'>It bothers me that the Adem think they're so high and civilized and peaceful, while they're really ethnocentric killers. A mark of civilization is accepting other cultures. The Adem think of other cultures as barbarians or dogs. They have no trouble taking barbarians' money for mercenary work though. They would kill or cripple a man for knowing only vague hints of their teachings, but they claim killing should be the last option in any conflict. From my understanding of the lethani, I would think a people who purport to follow it would be considerably more peaceful and accepting.</span>

Scythe

<!--quoteo(post=1845839:date=May 13 2011, 10:47 AM:name=DiscoZombie)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (DiscoZombie @ May 13 2011, 10:47 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1845839"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><span style='color:#000000;background:#000000'>It bothers me that the Adem think they're so high and civilized and peaceful, while they're really ethnocentric killers. A mark of civilization is accepting other cultures. The Adem think of other cultures as barbarians or dogs. They have no trouble taking barbarians' money for mercenary work though. They would kill or cripple a man for knowing only vague hints of their teachings, but they claim killing should be the last option in any conflict. From my understanding of the lethani, I would think a people who purport to follow it would be considerably more peaceful and accepting.</span><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

<span style='color:#000000;background:#000000'>I'm going to unspoiler random words to make this really confusing for someone avoiding spoilers.</span> yeti <span style='color:#000000;background:#000000'>. The reason they were so averse to an outsider being taught their stuff,</span>gangrene,<span style='color:#000000;background:#000000'> is because their stuff is the only reason they exist as a people.</span> patricide!<span style='color:#000000;background:#000000'> If knowledge of the Adem's fightin' styles became common knowledge,</span>hexagon<span style='color:#000000;background:#000000'>, the entire culture would die out.</span>

--Scythe--

lolfighter

Oh, we all know what their reasoning is. That's stated explicitly, no mystery there. But they're willing to maim or kill someone who didn't know that he was "doing something wrong" - in fact, who was deceived by one of their own (Tempi should've told him that what they were doing was "most forbidden" and could have dire consequences for them both) - merely to protect a sliver of their martial arts. Kvothe had only the most fleeting understand of ketan, and for that they were willing to destroy him. They call other people barbarians, but it is clear that they consider other people little more than animals, with no rights save what the Adem are willing to grant them.

I see the Adem as a subtle and skillful deconstruction of the "warrior poet" trope - that true martial mastery cannot be achieved without wisdom, and that therefore martial prowess is all the proof of wisdom you will ever require. "Am I wise? I can strike you down, therefore I am wiser than you are." The Adem show how a culture of warriors can be highly proficient, yet profoundly ignorant and hypocritical.

remi

<!--quoteo(post=1845833:date=May 12 2011, 02:38 PM:name=lolfighter)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (lolfighter @ May 12 2011, 02:38 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1845833"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->They proved themselves ignorant long before that - willfully even. They are almost entirely ignorant of other cultures, and <i>entirely</i> by choice. They're perhaps the most wandering people in the world next to the Edema Ruh. But where the Ruh learn everything about everyone, the Adem do their damndest to learn as little as possible about anyone. They scoff at other cultures as 'barbarians' even though they know nothing about them. That is ignorance, and the Adem have it in spades. Their ignorance of reproduction is merely the most glaring example, and that's how I saw it - a final effort by Rothfuss to make you realize that, for all their skill and accomplishments, they are a profoundly insular and ignorant culture.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Man. I don't know if you're right, or even if I agree with you; but your perspective is definitely an eye-opener for me.

lolfighter

I'm not sure what to think of that.

remi

<!--quoteo(post=1846218:date=May 14 2011, 03:42 AM:name=lolfighter)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (lolfighter @ May 14 2011, 03:42 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1846218"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I'm not sure what to think of that.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Haha, that's how I feel too.

The purpose of my last post was to compliment you on your analysis because, whether I agree with it or not, it is an insightful perspective which I think you were very successful in both communicating and backing up.

It's rare to see posts of that caliber in forums.

:)

spellman23

<!--quoteo(post=1846315:date=May 14 2011, 05:42 PM:name=Psyke)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Psyke @ May 14 2011, 05:42 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1846315"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->It's rare to see posts of that caliber in forums.

:)<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

lolfighter for president!

Also, my compliments. I totally agree, but wasn't conscious/couldn't articulate what I thought. Then I saw your post and was like "Yes! That's totally what I was thinking!" Kudos.

lolfighter

I'm flattered. Truth be told, I hadn't thought that much about it before I wrote the posts above. I knew that something irked me about the Adem from the beginning of Kvothe's arrival there, but it was hard to point at something specific. Then the whole reproduction sillyness kind of overshadowed the rest, and the arc ended soon afterwards and there were other things to think about.

Feha

I like how people cover text with black fields to protect me from spoilers. I have not read the second book yet (need it in pocket version so it fits in my overstuffed bookshelf ;P).
Extremely thankfull for that.

For those who dont know, just use <!--c1--><div class='codetop'>CODE</div><div class='codemain'><!--ec1-->[spoiler]This is a spoiler[/spoiler]<!--c2--></div><!--ec2--> and it will become
<span style='color:#000000;background:#000000'>This is a spoiler</span>


Just a suggestion, how about adding some info about which book you are spoiling, so that I can read your posts if they are about book #1 xD

lolfighter

Alright alright, I get the hint! :P

puzl

So I finally got around to reading these books. They are light and enjoyable, very easy to read but don't exactly tax the old grey matter. Some of the basic premises of the story are ridiculous, to say the least. Ambrose is the least developed adversary in any book I've ever read, and the plot elements are conveyor belted in front of Kvothe at a silly level of convenience... so 'best book ever written' is stretching it more than just a little, but I'd still be happy to recommend it to anyone looking for an enjoyable and light read for a flight or holiday or something.

TychoCelchuuu

<!--quoteo(post=1846517:date=May 16 2011, 12:22 PM:name=puzl)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (puzl @ May 16 2011, 12:22 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1846517"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->So I finally got around to reading these books. They are light and enjoyable, very easy to read but don't exactly tax the old grey matter. Some of the basic premises of the story are ridiculous, to say the least. Ambrose is the least developed adversary in any book I've ever read, and the plot elements are conveyor belted in front of Kvothe at a silly level of convenience... so 'best book ever written' is stretching it more than just a little, but I'd still be happy to recommend it to anyone looking for an enjoyable and light read for a flight or holiday or something.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I said "best book ever written (almost)." I'm not sure what you mean by plot points being conveyor belted in front of Kvothe: stuff definitely happens to him, sure, but I don't see how it's convenient, because if other stuff had happened to him this would simply be a different story.

remi

I curse the day that my friend ever loaned me a paperback doorstop called Name of the Wind. How could I know that this book and its sequel would sneak up and burrow straight under my skin?

This is on you, people of NS Off-Topic.