J.K. Rowling
has had difficult time getting away from her ‘Potterdom’ image when she wrote
‘The Casual Vacancy (2012)’ with the same name, critics framed her and readers
were literally shocked to see her changed colours. Though ‘The Casual Vacancy’
was not accepted like a potter book, well it confirmed that Rowling has found
her new creative groove in mystery writing.
So, she came
back with different trick – pseudonym of Robert Gailbraith. First she wrote
‘The Cuckoo’s Calling’ featuring fictional detective Cormoran Strike and it
worked well. Readers found Strike as striking as Harry Potter. Now the second
in the series is ‘The Silkworm’. This book delves deep into the dirty politics
of book publishing industry of London that has long snubbed J. K. Rowling until
she became the Potter Queen.
It is a
mystery. Strike, the lead character, here has to find the reasons behind the
murder of Owen Quine. Rowling has intentionally placed this writer character
snobby and an utter failure. Though he is a failed writer but his last
manuscript, before his death, had something nasty to reveal. Probably it was
meant to publicize a horrific scandal that involved the big names from the
city. However, before things could materialize for him and his book sees the
light over the shelves, he is brutally murdered and his body thrown in the
ditch as of any animal.
The onus of
solving his case is on Strike, as he is of the opinion that he didn’t deserve
such bad state of death. More than the murder mystery, the book builds the
characterization of Strike and literally takes big sweeps, his past story of
Strike in Afghanistan where he almost lost his one leg.
The Silkworm
is not a whodunit mystery, rather a fast-paced with credible casts of villains
and of course incredible sweeps of Strike. The book takes a politically firm
stance on the publishing industry of London. It would be tough to predict why
Rowling chose writer and publishing industry as the concurrent backdrop for the
novel, probably she wanted to vent out her struggling days frustration on
arrogant establishments. Overall, the character of Strike is something that you
will love carrying with yourself, the way we do for Hollywood movies. Rowling’s
acerbic tone adds the overall substance to the novel.
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