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aceinit's review
3.0
On one hand, ye gods, this novella is beautifully written. Beautifully. Masterfully. Mesmerisingly. A lot of other fancy and flighty and wistful and often alliterative words that Auri is much better at finding and arranging than I am.
On the other hand, the bulk of the story is nothing more than Auri finding and rearranging things, assigning them quirks and personality traits, and then rearranging them again to ensure everything is in its proper place. And then doing it again. And again.
And though Auri and her journeys are written with the kind of superb eloquence and characterization most writers would sacrifice body parts for, the truth of the matter is that, after the first 90 minutes or so of listening to the audio version, it started to sound like the universe’s most well-written account of OCD.
Though it is obvious that Auri holds all of her treasures dear to her heart and considers it her duty to ensure their happiness, watching her go back and forth, back and forth, doing her daily chores (which are admittedly much more interesting than “I got up, I took a shower, I brushed my teeth, I got in my car, I went to work, I played solitaire, I worked on the word processor, etc etc until the entire day is recounted), what we are getting here is a 100+ page chronicle of Auri’s daily routine that grows repetitive and frustrating as the pages keep turning. After a while, even her own reminders that she must not force her will on things, and that something is willful or stubborn or happy or restless have a ring of “been there done that... at least twice already now.”
So, in truth, I’m at a bit of a loss for how to rate it. Rothfuss is a master with words, yes, but a masterfully-written step-by-step recount of someone’s day is still a step-by-step recount of someone’s day, and what the story has in characterization and imagination, it loses due to the repetitive feel of its content.
On the other hand, the bulk of the story is nothing more than Auri finding and rearranging things, assigning them quirks and personality traits, and then rearranging them again to ensure everything is in its proper place. And then doing it again. And again.
And though Auri and her journeys are written with the kind of superb eloquence and characterization most writers would sacrifice body parts for, the truth of the matter is that, after the first 90 minutes or so of listening to the audio version, it started to sound like the universe’s most well-written account of OCD.
Though it is obvious that Auri holds all of her treasures dear to her heart and considers it her duty to ensure their happiness, watching her go back and forth, back and forth, doing her daily chores (which are admittedly much more interesting than “I got up, I took a shower, I brushed my teeth, I got in my car, I went to work, I played solitaire, I worked on the word processor, etc etc until the entire day is recounted), what we are getting here is a 100+ page chronicle of Auri’s daily routine that grows repetitive and frustrating as the pages keep turning. After a while, even her own reminders that she must not force her will on things, and that something is willful or stubborn or happy or restless have a ring of “been there done that... at least twice already now.”
So, in truth, I’m at a bit of a loss for how to rate it. Rothfuss is a master with words, yes, but a masterfully-written step-by-step recount of someone’s day is still a step-by-step recount of someone’s day, and what the story has in characterization and imagination, it loses due to the repetitive feel of its content.
guykat's review
2.0
At its best, it inspires curiosity about the world in which it exist and is wonderfully imaginative, but at most times "The Slow Regard of Silent Things" is an odd, uninteresting exercise in creative writing, that simply could not interest me as a reader and a Rothfuss fan.
wander_er's review against another edition
1.0
More of a character study than a story, per se, but it was still enjoyable. It's a glimpse into Auri's world underneath the university. There are also some hints of her past towards the end.
Definitely didn't satiate my need for Door of Stone!!!
Definitely didn't satiate my need for Door of Stone!!!
charfaust's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
ladapin's review
2.0
Unfortunately this one just didn't click for me. I think understand what Rothfuss was going for, but in the end I just wasn't entertained (which is something important to me while I read). There is no plot and no character interactions, while the text is disjointed and repetitive. That sounds more negative than it really is though, because that's actually meant to be the essence and charm of the book in my opinion. I wish I liked the book more, but as Rothfuss mentions in the outro - it just isn't for everyone.
bdamokos's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
cindinaude's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
art3mis9's review
1.0
Reading/Listening to the author’s note at the end is very insightful, actually. He basically describes how he felt like it was a train wreck but after drunkenly meeting a woman in a bar and letting her read the story, she told him to “fuck them” [the readers].
No, it is a train wreck. It was certainly poetic in the writing. The descriptions were just not as good as the previous two books. I read this with the intent to finish it quickly. I read the other two hoping it would never end.
Did it help me understand who Auri is more? Maybe? I would say she’s a young autistic person with OCD that just wants to rearrange her living space often based on her perceptions of the feelings of the inanimate objects. That’s this book in a nutshell. I will mark this as “spoilers” but I feel as though there can be no spoilers when there is no plot.
No, it is a train wreck. It was certainly poetic in the writing. The descriptions were just not as good as the previous two books. I read this with the intent to finish it quickly. I read the other two hoping it would never end.
Did it help me understand who Auri is more? Maybe? I would say she’s a young autistic person with OCD that just wants to rearrange her living space often based on her perceptions of the feelings of the inanimate objects. That’s this book in a nutshell. I will mark this as “spoilers” but I feel as though there can be no spoilers when there is no plot.
khobb's review
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
mandyw58's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0