A Review of a New Novel" The Cuckoo's Calling"

Review of ‘The Cuckoo’s Calling’ by Robert Galbraith a Pseudonym of JK Rowling

“The Cuckoo’s Calling’ is a book by Jk Rowling, the famous author of the Harry Potter series under a pseudonym. She has chosen the name of Robert Galbraith and for a time fooled many in the publishing world.
One is immediately reminded of George Eliot who wrote classics likeSilas Marner, Adam Bede and many more. Her real name was Mary Anne Evans, but she adopted a man’s name to write. Perhaps this analogy may not be entirely correct as George Eliot wrote at a time when women as writers were frowned upon. In JK Rowling’s case this is not the matter, but a conscientious attempt to create a mystery. Like Mary Evans she also adopted a man’s name. One reason for the pseudonym could be that JK Rowling wanted to make a clean break from her Harry Potter stories. Whatever it is the mask was soon off and people realized who the true writer was.

The Cuckoos Calling

All said and done ‘The Cuckoos Calling’ is a wonderful tale by itself. A reader can forget about the author being JK Rowling and still relish the book. There is no doubt that Rowling is a gifted writer. She can write anything and it will entertain. There is a magical quality about her pen and this is reflected in the Cuckoos calling which has her stamp all over. She writes simple and excellent English which showcases her newest book as well.

The Plot

The story starts with the death of a supermodel named Lula Landry, who was also known as Cuckoo. The media, as is the case most of the time plays up the death of the model as a suicide. JK Rowling or Robert Galbraith now gets under the skin of the reader. The writer concentrates on the real story behind the death of the girl.

JK Rowling now introduces a private detective named Cormoran Strike. He is a man with a mission, but he has lost a leg in the war in Afghanistan. He doesn’t have much business and is hard up on cash. All the same the private detective pairs up with an assistant named Robin Ellacott, a beautiful girl. The private eye now gets cracking as he begins to unravel the death of the super model with Robin by his side.

JK Rowling weaves an exciting tale and as a standalone ‘first’ novel it holds its own. Rowling touches on many issues for which she is famous like racism, celebrity privileges and a police force that could have performed better. The story line is excellent, but at places the reader can detect that the writer is feminine. Her descriptions and thoughts of the heroine clearly convey that the writer is perhaps not a man. The descriptions where Robin is acutely aware that her breasts attract men are beautifully written. This is the clue that the writer is a woman for only a woman can describe how attractive her breasts are to a man.

Assessment

Jk Rowling has written an excellent detective story. She could be tempted to write a sequel after the success of this book, but modern fiction has hardly any private detective tales. It appears that the era of Hercule Poiret and Dame Marple may be over. But nobody could have forecast the success of the Harry Potter books and one cannot say whether a similar success awaits the detective hero of this novel. After all even Sherlock Holmes caught on only after some time. As far as this novel is concerned, it must rank among the best books by Rowling. It is sure to enthral her fans.

Personal Life

JK Rowling was born in 1965 in England. She adopted the pen name JK Rowling. Her real name is Joanne ‘Jo’ Rowling. She is an arts graduate from the University of Exeter. She married twice and has two sons and a daughter. Rowling had a daughter from her first marriage. Rowling’s’ first marriage lasted from 1992-95 and she married Neil Murray in 2001.

In 2009 Rowling was awarded the Légion d’honneur by French President Nicolas Sarkozy. She is famous as the creator of Harry Potter which at conservative estimate has sold over 11 million books in many languages and appears in over a 100 websites.