Kvothes childhood… I honestly don’t know wether to sum it up as good or bad. Most would say bad but with the beginning he got I can’t really say so.
As he starts his story it seemed as it was a happy one and I really couldn’t understand how the cheerful little boy became such a closed-up, mysterical man as he is.
Kvothe the boy is truly a genius. At the mere age of eleven he can play the lute and had started the education most don’t until they’re 18, if they ever do so. The fact that he’s so good at everything he does sometimes feels like a small diamond in the shoe you wear – it’s painful but you don’t want to throw it away.
Now, I’m not about to do a long list of everything his teacher and friend Abenthy thought him as it would take far more time than I have at my disposal.
Now, the one big occurrence that changed his life was his parents faith. The faith of death. And how come? Because his father sings songs about things and people long forgotten and meant to be forgotten.
They and the rest of the troupe are killed when Kvothe are off in the woods to gather firewood and he is left all alone to survive in the wilderness with only a knife, a piece of rope and a lute to help.
This, not so surprisingly, goes rather well. He’s already got a extensive knowledge of plants, knots and how to find water. Sure, he’s getting thinner but he survives, something most eleven-yearolds would not at this day and age.
Between getting food and sleeping he plays on his fathers lute until his fingers bleed and the strings break.
As the third string break it’s no longer possible for him to play and ha decides to try and get to a town to acquire replacements for the broken ones.
On the way the boy meets a farmer and his son who offers to give him a ride and, after realizing that Kvothe has no parents, also to live with them and their families.
At the marketplace he’s told to meet them before sundown if he wishes to take them up on their offer.
As he is walking away to find strings for the lute he’s thinking of accepting the mas offer.
Now, that would be destroying the story. Instead he gets lost, a group of boys beat him and takes the precious lute. As he finally finds his way back both father and son are long gone.
This, horrible as it is, makes me happy. No, not because I wish to se him in pain but because it’s interesting reading and no doubt the true life of manny orphans through time.
As for his time in the city, it’s dark. Poverty, crimes and cruelty rules the downside and to survive means to break the laws. Thus, he becomes a pickpocket, learns how to pick locks and beg.
The leader of the gang that robbed him his first day there becomes his archenemy and they meet a few times.
As the last of there pages comes to an end a festival quite like our Halloween is ongoing and he’s been beaten badly. Found by a pair in costumes he is given more than he’s owned for years. A silver coin and a pair of good gloves. Last time he held something like that was before his parents death.
So what will he do with all that money? Well, I’ll just have to keep on reading to find out, don’t I?
Much love from you book-loving Matilda.
