The Sword and Laser discussion

In a recent S&L, Veronica and Tom were talking about various book picks (I think in conjunction with the list of best book series), and they mentioned reading The Name of the Wind. Now in April of 2024 we know that (whatever the reasons may be), Rothfuss seems to be in the GRRM camp of "Can't Finish my Fan-Beloved Series".

However, I've read a fair number of book series where book 1 works pretty well as a standalone - whether because the author wasn't famous enough to sustain a series yet or a series wasn't planned or some other reason.

So I was curious if my fellow S&L book club members thought NotW could be enjoyed if I never read another book in the series or if it ends on a cliffhanger.

Thanks

I have also been waiting for the series to be complete before starting this.

Eric wrote: "In a recent S&L, Veronica and Tom were talking about various book picks (I think in conjunction with the list of best book series), and they mentioned reading The Name of the Wind. Now in April of ..."

It's very enjoyable to read on it's own, but there are no conclusions to any of the plot threads that I can recall. The second book doesn't finish them either.
It's kind of like The Empire Strikes Back; lots of greatness but not a complete story.
I still think it's worth reading. I guess it depends on if you can enjoy just one movement or you need the whole symphony. Sorry for mixing metaphors.

Didn’t Rothfuss say one time it was conceived as a series?

Trike wrote: "Didn’t Rothfuss say one time it was conceived as a series?"

Not just a series, but a single book. What became 3 books was originally envisioned as just the opening act of a series that would expand much further after. At this point, that is a bit harder to imagine. But it seemed to be part of the reason he spent so much time thinking about other things in the world.

As far as the original question. That is a bit of tough one. I think it would be OK as a stand alone. There is a bit of a small conclusion at the end of the first book, but it would be more about the journey then the destination. Now, I think the journey is a pretty good one, and one I enjoyed. But I understand that that type of story is not for everyone.

I think it's probably better to disappoint fans with a best-you-can-do ending than to leave them hanging. I disliked the afterword of the 5th Incarnations of Immortality book, then expected as the finale, with "we are all children of God." Oh, fucking duh, Anthony. But it was at least a statement. Then he went on to do the absolutely stellar deep dive in Satan with For Love of Evil...and then the mediocre at best actual series end, And Eternity. (We won't talk about his much-later not-really-related continuation, because bleah.) But it was an end.

Or for that matter, Heinlein's "capstone," To Sail Beyond The Sunset which "wove together" his various storylines into a sea of mediocrity featuring Lazarus Long's mother as the MC. But at least we knew how Heinlein wanted the story to end.

I think Rothfuss was done for once his momentum lagged and the doubts set in. Nothingh matches the perfection of the unwritten book.

I expect to see Book 3 of "The Kingkiller Chronicles" before we see "The Winds of Winter"

Ready, set…

I personally don’t think The Name of the Wind works well as a standalone. With so many great completed series out there, why read something that will probably never be brought to a satisfying conclusion?

Thanks everyone who's commented so far. Seems like the consensus is slightly in the direction of "avoid for now". I'm leaning that way for now.

I also don't think it works well as a standalone, but on the other hand I certainly don't regret reading it. In the same way, I don't regret reading the first three Song of Ice and Fire books. Hopefully that makes sense. It's a series book, certainly, but there's the overall plot, and there's the "stuff that happens." Most of the stuff that happens in Name of the Wind is good and interesting and the world is cool and there are good passages about music and learning magic and living in poverty that I still remember.

In contrast, the second book feels more like Danearys struggling in the slave cities and Tyrion travelling east and Bran travelling north, but not really much of what's going on is memorable. The "stuff that happens" doesn't have any independent impact other than the idea that maybe it serves the story of the series.

So, I'd read The Name of the Wind just because it's good, even knowing it would never be finished. Does that make any sense at all?

Yeah, makes perfect sense. The first book works better standalone than the second. Nearly every series I've read where the first book works fine alone has the same problem. But knowing (based on comments above) that this was originally one book, that makes even more sense.