Odds are you’ve read Harry Potter and probably J. K. Rowling’s other novels revolving around Hogwarts. But have you read her other stories for more mature readers? Rowling’s first published post-Potter novel, The Casual Vacancy, was released in 2012 to mixed reviews. This past spring, The Cuckoo’s Calling was released under the penname Robert Galbraith, gaining increasingly positive reviews when over the summer it leaked that J. K. Rowling was behind the crime fiction novel. The sequel, The Silkworm, will be released this summer on July 24. With your Potter reading days nearly six years behind you (where has the time gone!), you may be looking for new books to read. Why not pick up some of Rowling’s recent stories for adults? Spring Break is right around the corner and if you’re looking for a new book to read, you’re in luck!
What’s the story Comoran?
This summer, on July 13th, it leaked that J. K. Rowling had penned a crime fiction novel under the penname of Robert Galbraith called The Cuckoo’s Calling. As you probably guessed, there was a huge outpouring of newspaper articles, tweets, speculation and of course mad dashes to buy the book. I woke up on July 14th to see it all over the good book (Facebook…come on) and of course had to get it. Immediately. I got the last copy of it in a 60-mile radius and did not have to wait for the backorder on Amazon to come in. My boyfriend drove me to Valparaiso to get it and then put up with my need to finish it ASAP. (Does that sound like true love? Yes, yes it does.) But was it worth the mad dash? Absolutely. Sure I could have waited a few days but it’s J.K. Will I be picking up the sequel, The Silkworm, the day it comes out? Not even a question — the second book’s plot sounds even better than the first!
The Cuckoo’s Calling, despite being well-reviewed (it had nearly a 5 star rating on Amazon before the news broke), was not an extraordinary book, although certainly enjoyable. The book tells the story of a failing private investigator, Comoran Strike who is a veteran from the Afghan war, broke, recently dumped and living in his office. Along comes John Bristow, sister to legendary model Lula Landry, who is unsatisfied with the police’s verdict of suicide for his sister’s death. Strike teams up with his new temporary secretary, Robin, who he can’t afford, and together they investigate the people who came into contact with Lula. I won’t spoil the ending for you, but needless to say, Strike and Robin solve the case.
My take: It’s one of those crime fiction novels that keeps you guessing and is enjoyable in that respect. I would argue, that despite its mixed reviews, The Casual Vacancy is the superior novel. It was released before The Cuckoo’s Calling, but was actually the second novel Rowling wrote after completing Harry Potter. Her writing skills are even better honed in The Casual Vacancy and if you like portrait novels (books that tell the story of numerous characters in a very in-depth and compelling way), pick up this book first.
The Casual Vacancy is a realistic and gritty portrait of town politics, growing up, poverty, sexuality, relationships, the influence of technology, and the struggle for power. The chapters are told from the perspectives of different characters, while advancing the story at the same time. Rowling takes everything she learned about character development and detailed plot planning from Harry Potter and does it one better in this divisive book. If you loved Harry Potter, there’s no guarantee you’re going to like this book, because it is so different. However, if you’re looking for a great work of realist fiction and are open minded to a totally different kind of story, The Casual Vacancy is incredibly well-written.
J. K. Rowling’s newest book, The Silkworm, will be released on June 24th of this year. The Hachette Book Group’s website says that in the second installment of this series (at this time still unnamed): “When novelist Owen Quine goes missing, his wife calls in private detective Cormoran Strike. At first, Mrs. Quine just thinks her husband has gone off by himself for a few days–as he has done before–and she wants Strike to find him and bring him home. But as Strike investigates, it becomes clear that there is more to Quine’s disappearance than his wife realizes. The novelist has just completed a manuscript featuring poisonous pen-portraits of almost everyone he knows. If the novel were to be published, it would ruin lives–meaning that there are a lot of people who might want him silenced. When Quine is found brutally murdered under bizarre circumstances, it becomes a race against time to understand the motivation of a ruthless killer, a killer unlike any Strike has encountered before…”
Considering this is Rowling’s 10th major book (13th overall if we include the other Hogwarts Library books), I feel confident saying that this has the potential to be one of her best books yet. The Silkworm is sure to be another portrait book and one that sounds even more compelling than the first book following Strike’s investigations. This one is only 384 pages (The Cuckoo’s Calling was 464), so by and far one of Rowling’s most readable books lengthwise.
The book is available for preorder on Amazon and Barnes and Noble for $21.21. Rowling will also be making a rare appearance to promote the book at the Harrogate crime-writing Festival on July 18. This will be her first public appearance as Galbraith and is sure to be exciting and insightful.
I know you’re busy and probably bound to argue that you don’t have time to read (I’m reading Feast for Crows currently, because I couldn’t wait for the next season of Game of Thrones, so I promise you can find the time if you really want. It’s a great way to pass the time on the elliptical!), but Spring Break is coming! If you want a light and engaging read, why not pick up The Cuckoo’s Calling? Mystery, suspense, tension and intrigue—what more could you want? If you’re up for a little heavier book, with easy pick up, put down readability, I highly recommend The Casual Vacancy. Either way, there’s plenty of time to read one (or both) before The Silkworm is released this summer. If you’re missing J. K., these are both good reads! And if I still haven’t convinced you, “Whether you come back by page or by the big screen, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home,” just as Rowling promised. Re-reading a Harry Potter book is never a poor choice for vacation!