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"All the truth in the world is held in stories, you know." - Patrick Rothfuss
Stories are the best medium to convey truths.
They say 'Truth is bitter '. They are right. Well, stories are a cup full of sugar. People easily relate to stories. We can empathize with a protagonists' inner turmoil, struggle, and reactions to what experiences the world throws at him/her, more than we can with cold, dry truths, conveyed distantly. Thus, the bitterness of truths is almost neutralized when we pass them through the "cup full of sugar" that stories are!
One of the best stories that I've read till now, is The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss. The book in consideration here is "The Wise Man's Fear", which is the second book in the "UNFINISHED'' (looking at you, Patrick James Rothfuss! 😒) trilogy. Although the first book - "The Name of The Wind" has its own highlights, this blog talks about the second book.
"The Wise Man's Fear" is enriched with a lot of deep philosophical ideas, quotes, and truths. But, Rothfuss has also sprinkled some typical teenager stuff throughout his story, which makes it a lot more relatable. After all, it IS a coming-of-age story. What I love about the book is the significance of prose. It's almost as if Pat has written each and every word in the whole story with extreme precaution. Every line in the books seems to hint at a past or future reference, giving rise to "court loads" of fan theories.
I have categorized my highlights and favorite quotes into two parts :
1) Generic ideas and philosophies true in the real world
2) Contextual, really important for this particular story
In this blog, I have listed the 1st category of ideas/quotes from the book. This one is free of spoilers, so you can engage and ponder over the various hidden meanings in the quotes even if you haven't read the book. ( Whaaatt!! C'mon! I know you have read it 😏 )
So here we go.....
1) "It had flaws, but what does that matter when it comes to matters of the heart? We love what we love. Reason does not enter into it. In many ways, unwise love is the truest love." - Kvothe (you know him obviously, he is the hero! )
2) "Anyone can love a thing because. That's as easy as putting a penny in your pocket. But to love something despite. To know the flaws and love them too. That is rare and pure and perfect." - Kvothe
3) "Secrets are the cornerstone of civilization, and I know you have a few more than most folk."
-Simmon (one of Kvothe's 2 best friends)
4) "Books are a poor substitute for female companionship, but they are easier to find." - Kvothe (teenage vibes here 😆)
5) "Clothes do not make the man, but you need the proper costume if you want to play the part." - Kvothe
6) "All explicit knowledge is translated knowledge, and all translation is imperfect." - Elodin (Master Namer, my favorite character)
7) "This is a significant absence. Sometimes finding nothing can be finding something." - Kvothe
8) " All the truth in the world is held in stories, you know." - Elxa Dal (Master Sympathist)
9) " Sometimes falling teaches us things too. In dreams you often fall before you awake." - Elodin
10) " Again you have to think in terms of shoes. You don't want the biggest pair. You want a pair that fits. If your shoes are too big, your feet chafe and blister." - Kvothe
11) “You need to decide what you want for yourself. You want to go home? There’s a price. You want control over your life? There’s a price. You want the freedom to say no? There’s a price. There’s always a price." - Denna (she's strange and mysterious, that's all I can say)
12) "For without hope what do any of us have? " - Denna
13) " So much depends upon where you stop a story." - Kvothe
14) " Nothing in the world is harder than convincing someone of an unfamiliar truth. " - Teccam (a great philosopher in the world of Temerant)
15) " It’s the questions we can’t answer that teach us the most. They teach us how to think. If you give a man an answer, all he gains is a little fact. But give him a question and he’ll look for his own answers. " - Kvothe
16) " I briefly entertained the notion that I was insane and didn’t know it. Then I considered the possibility that I had always been insane, acknowledged it as more likely than the former, then pushed both thoughts from my mind. " - Kvothe ( so relatable!! :))
17) " Pride and folly, they go together like two tightly grasping hands". - Kvothe (so wise 😮)
18) " No man is brave that has never walked a hundred miles. If you want to know the truth of who you are, walk until not a person knows your name. Travel is the great leveler, the great teacher, bitter as medicine, crueler than mirror-glass. A long stretch of road will teach you more about yourself than a hundred years of quiet introspection.” - Teccam
19) " No story can move a thousand miles by word of mouth and keep its shape." - Kvothe
And my most favorite..........
20) "Half of seeming clever is keeping your mouth shut at the right times. '' - Kvothe
Did I miss any of your favorite quotes? Is there a particular one that you liked the most?
Let me know in the comments below!
Thanks for reading! And as always....
"Ivare Enim Euge"
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