Hi Guys,
After finishing the first two books in The Kingkiller Chronicle, I was told that I had to read Rothfuss’ novella about Auri. Like most Rothfuss fans, Auri is one of my favorite characters in the series and we hardly get enough of her, so I was happy to jump on this novella bandwagon–something I don’t often do.
The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss takes us inside The Underthing, a series of long neglected and forgotten tunnels deep beneath the heart of The University. The Underthing is a mystery; it twists and turns and there are whole rooms and buildings buried beneath The University–it is a city unto itself. A city lost buried beneath one of life.
Only one person tends to The Underthing. Auri, a wisp of a girl with a mysterious and obviously awful past, calls this world of pipe work and lost things home. In this novella, we follow Auri through The Underthing for almost a week. We see how she lives, how she thinks and we glimpse what was.
This lovely little novella was fantastic. It was so beautifully done and it was unlike anything I’ve ever read before. This story speaks to all the little quirks and broken pieces of our hearts that don’t fit neatly into society’s mold. It is strange and wonderful and I felt a connection to Auri that hardly touches the surface of some 500 page books. This little 140 page book has more heart then books 3 times its size.
One of the things that really captured me was how lyrical the book was. There was a flow, a rhythm to the writing that, at times, had me reading in time. It wasn’t just the rhyme, although there was some of that too, there was a meter and a pulse to story that gave even the most mundane acts life. I am truly amazed and can only imagine how one writes like this.
As I said early, we gain greater insight into the mysterious creature that is Auri. We glimpse the broken parts of her, the compulsions and obsessive behaviors. But we also see her strength, her will and (I think) a power all her own.
For those readers of The Kingkiller Chronicle, this book also acts a snack to sate the hunger for book three. There is a bit of foreshadowing and hints of whats to come. We see a familiar face and anticipate others. All that being said, I am not sure this novella would have struck me as much if I hadn’t read the series. I’d be interested to see what a new reader thinks.
Overall, this one gets five stars from me! It was wonderful and weird in just the right amounts and it was beautifully done.
That’s all for now!
-M-