Review: The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith

Book Review: The Cockoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (Pseudonym)

Let's see, I'm sure by now everyone knows Robert Galbraith is a pseudonym of J.K. Rowling, right?

*Please note that the version I'd read is the Chinese translation of this book. I went into The Cuckoo's Calling with low expectation and I didn't expect to find Harry Potter here. Plus I read a lot of detective novels, be them classic or hard-boiled, new and old; written by authors from America, British, European countries as well as Japan.*


Things you need to know: I always think Harry Potter series is grossly overrated and I have not much good opinion on Rowling's writing in general.

Rating: I give The Cuckoo's Calling two stars out of five because honestly, this book isn't as terrible as The Casual Vacancy. Oh yes I managed to read from start to end, and the ending is actually descent; sadly said descent ending still isn't good enough to cover up Rowling's insufferable mediocrity in creating a detective novel/crime mystery, her bland characters (Robin, the assistant being the only saving grace among the crew) and how terribly the story is excised. I also found it quite unforgivable for the murderer to turn out acting so illogically. It reeks so damn much of Deus ex machina and shock value.

Dear Miss J K. Rowling, it really isn't how a detective novel should be done, be whatever sub-genre it is supposed to be put under.

Did I mention that after reading the whole book, I know more about Cormoran Strike's ill fortune love life, his unpredictable ex-girlfriend and the entire history between those two than I have ever learnt about how the dead supermodel was as a person before she was murdered?

Before I actually read the book: I was informed by newspaper's article that when The Cuckoo's Calling first came out, Amazon.com sold 1500 copies of it, only when it was discovered that J K.Rowling is the one who wrote this book, the selling rate shook up rocket high.

Well, now after I finished reading The Cuckoo's Calling, I think 1500 copies are quite a lucky catch, given the book's below-average quality.

Here're my problems with this novel:

(1) Cormoran Strike: I have no love for this man's troubled love life and the drama with his famous rock star old daddy who didn't bother to look his way more than twice.

Ain't nobody got time for that!?

Plus is it just me, or was it Rowling actually using the Harry Potter old trick of I HATE BEING FAMOUS/BEING RELATED TO FAMOUS PARENTS! again?

To those who think Strike is oh-so hard boiled because he was once in the army and lost a leg during war, don't make me laugh. I had never seen a hard-boiled detective spending so much time complaining about his legs, being miserable, feeling sorry for himself and barely did anything but talk, talk and talk throughout a book.

Mind you, I usually would like to read about a hard boiled detective working out his issues and/or struggling to make ends meet, but it's a pain in the ass to hear Cormoran Strike moans about his unstable childhood, his irresponsible mother and how sucks his adult life currently is.

(2)Lula, the uninteresting messed up victim: I never feel very sorry for her even though she is the murdered victim, and just as I'd already mentioned, I know Lula's personality a lot less than Cormoran Strike's ill-fated love life. Supposedly Lula is a troubled girl with a messed up family background, but that's just it; throughout the book she remains to be this messed up, spoiled girl and nothing more.

(3) All the rich and famous people in the novel: the same like Lula, they are not very interesting as characters, these celebrities, supermodels, fashion designers and businessmen in the high-end circle had no depth aside from being 'the self-important famous people' stereotype. But I must tell you these supporting characters are still in fact more interesting than Cormoran Strike.

Plus I don't believe for a second all these rich people and celebrities would just pour out their stories and reveal their relationships with Lula (a dead supermodel) to a lowly detective so easily, not even when they are requested by Lula's older brother to do so.

(4) Tell, not show: For too many times we are being told a character is supposed to be what type of person instead of we being showed how he or she is like as a person.

(5) Random reference:It looks very foolish for the author to randomly mention the dead supermodel used to be refereed to as 'Cuckoo' in the 300 or so pages of the book instead of this nick name being addressed at the very beginning. It looks like it's a last minute attempt to relate the dead girl to the book's namesake.

(6) The boredom: This book has the most boring murder investigation in my recent memory to offer. Strike did nothing but Googling and doing a lot of talking. He talked, talked and talk, and then talked some more with different people, and many of them are unbelievably cooperative when they had hardly any reason to.  

(7) The ending: The ending would has been great and finely constructed if only

massive plot spoiler



Lula's brother didn't turn out to be the murderer, even though he was also the one to hire Strike to investigate his sister's death when the police had already ruled the case as suicide and Lula's friends mostly suspected it was her boyfriend who had killed her.



end of spoiler

It makes zero sense.

Conclusion: With her Harry Potter series, J K. Rowling had already proofed that she can't create a halfway descent mystery (I always rolled eyes when I read to the so-called Big Revealing part of her books), so it's foolish of me to bother with her 'mystery novel' for adults.