The Adventures of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle: The Thing Beneath the Bed by Patrick Rothfuss, Illustrated by Nate Taylor
Reviewed by: Jimi Roberts, Circulation
Genre: Fantasy, Picture Book
Suggested Age: Adult – yes, adult (even though it’s a picture book)
What is the book about?: This is a picture book that you can read cover to cover in 10 minutes. It’s written in the style (both visually and narratively) of a children’s bedtime story. Patrick Rothfuss, who many know from his bestselling novels, The Name of the Wind and A Wise Man’s Fear, takes us into a completely separate world. We go on several adventures with the titular Princess and her stuffed teddy bear Mr. Whiffle, who live all alone in a castle. They go on adventures by day, and deal with the uneasiness of darkness at night. To say more would ruin a perfectly entertaining experience. Please do yourself a favor and give it a read. The narrative structure is a lot of fun and the illustrations compliment it with a nice blend of typical children’s fairy tale scenes and dark comic book imagery.
My review: It’s difficult to really say a lot about this book while keeping it shrouded in mystery. I enjoyed it immensely and if you are into dark humor, I suspect you will like it too. There is obvious influence from Tim Burton and Neil Gaiman, the latter more pronounced, in my opinion. I’m one of those who is a big fan of Rothfuss’s prose, but despite great effort, I’ve not found myself able to relate to The Kingkiller Chronicles that everyone in my social circle seems to adore. From what I’ve seen and read, I do have a great deal of respect for Mr. Rothfuss as an artist and as a person. He seems like a genuinely nice guy who I’d love to hang out with. He’s become something of a figurehead in fantasy and nerd culture, so it was nice to find a creation of his that I could relate to and truly enjoy. After having read this little delight, I’m intrigued about his other similar offerings. I would highly recommend this title for the sheer novelty alone, but he delivers the goods that makes this worth reading several times. This is the type of book I can imagine myself always having a copy of. If I had any nerve whatsoever I would read it to my unsuspecting mother just to see the look on her face. Alas, only time will tell on that one.
Rating: 5/5
About FDL Reads
Welcome to FDL Reads, weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library. Librarians (and possibly some other guest reviewers) review all types of books, from children’s picture books, young adult favorites, to the latest adult thriller, and share their thoughts each week at fondulaclibrary.org. If the book is owned by Fondulac District Library (or another local library), you’ll see a direct link to the catalog entry and whether or not it is available. If it is checked out or at another local library, you will be able to place a hold as long as you have your library card and PIN numbers. As with any book review, these are our opinions…we disagree amongst ourselves about books frequently. We all have different likes and dislikes, which is what makes the world an interesting place. Please enjoy, and keep on reading!