The Cuckoo's Calling

The Cuckoo's Calling
Author	Robert Galbraith
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English language
Genre	Crime fiction
Publisher	Little, Brown and Company
Publication date	30 April 2013
Media type	Print, E-book
Pages	464
Awards	Los Angeles Times Book Prize
Followed by	The Silkworm

The Cuckoo's Calling is a crime fiction novel written by Robert Galbraith, a pen name of J. K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, in collaboration with BBC and Warner Bros.. The novel follows a private investigator as he delves into the mystery surrounding the death of a supermodel, Lula Landry, and features a complex web of characters, including Cormoran Strike, Robin Ellacott, and John Bristow. The book has been praised for its well-developed characters, engaging plot, and thought-provoking themes, drawing comparisons to the works of Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, and Gillian Flynn. The novel's success has led to the creation of a television series adaptation, produced by BBC One and HBO, starring Tom Burke as Cormoran Strike and Holliday Grainger as Robin Ellacott.

Plot

The story begins with the introduction of Cormoran Strike, a private investigator and Afghanistan War veteran, who is hired by John Bristow to investigate the death of his adopted sister, Lula Landry, a famous supermodel. As Cormoran Strike delves deeper into the case, he uncovers a complex web of secrets and lies surrounding Lula Landry's life, including her relationships with Guy Somé, Deeby Macc, and Evan Duffield. The investigation takes Cormoran Strike from the streets of London to the fashion world of Paris and New York City, where he encounters a range of characters, including models, designers, and photographers, such as Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen, and Annie Leibovitz. Along the way, Cormoran Strike must navigate his own personal demons, including his amputation and his complicated relationship with his ex-girlfriend, Charlotte Campbell, who is connected to Oxford University and London School of Economics.

Characters

The novel features a diverse cast of characters, including Cormoran Strike, a private investigator and war veteran, and Robin Ellacott, his temporary secretary and assistant. Other key characters include Lula Landry, the supermodel at the center of the mystery, and John Bristow, her adopted brother and the client who hires Cormoran Strike. The novel also features a range of secondary characters, including Guy Somé, Deeby Macc, and Evan Duffield, who are all connected to Lula Landry's life and death, as well as Matthew Cunliffe, Jonah Agyeman, and Alison Crowe, who are linked to University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, and London Metropolitan University. The characters are well-developed and complex, with rich backstorys and motivations, drawing inspiration from the works of William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, and Charles Dickens.

Publication History

The novel was published on 30 April 2013 by Little, Brown and Company in the United Kingdom and United States. The book was initially released under the pen name Robert Galbraith, with J. K. Rowling's authorship not being revealed until several months later, after a lawyer inadvertently disclosed the information to a friend, who then leaked it to the media, including The Sunday Times, The New York Times, and The Guardian. The novel received positive reviews from critics, including The Times, The Telegraph, and The Independent, and has since been translated into numerous languages, including French, Spanish, and German, and published in countries such as France, Spain, and Germany.

Reception

The novel received widespread critical acclaim, with many reviewers praising its engaging plot, well-developed characters, and thought-provoking themes, drawing comparisons to the works of Tana French, Laura Lippman, and Dennis Lehane. The book was praised by critics such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Los Angeles Times, and has won several awards, including the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller. The novel has also been praised by authors such as Stephen King, John Grisham, and Michael Connelly, who have all written for The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and The Paris Review.

Themes

The novel explores a range of themes, including identity, class, and power, drawing inspiration from the works of Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Michel Foucault. The book also touches on issues such as mental health, addiction, and trauma, and features a strong feminist perspective, with female characters such as Robin Ellacott and Lula Landry playing central roles, and drawing comparisons to the works of Virginia Woolf, Simone de Beauvoir, and Betty Friedan. The novel's exploration of social class and inequality is also noteworthy, with characters from a range of backgrounds, including working-class and upper-class individuals, such as those connected to Eton College, Harvard University, and Oxford University.

Adaptations

The novel has been adapted into a television series by BBC One and HBO, starring Tom Burke as Cormoran Strike and Holliday Grainger as Robin Ellacott. The series, which consists of three episodes, premiered in 2017 and received positive reviews from critics, including The Guardian, The Telegraph, and Variety. The series has also been praised for its faithful adaptation of the novel, with many of the original characters and plot points remaining intact, and has been compared to other successful adaptations, such as Sherlock, Downton Abbey, and Game of Thrones. The success of the series has led to the adaptation of subsequent novels in the Cormoran Strike series, including The Silkworm and Career of Evil, which have been published by Little, Brown and Company and have received critical acclaim from The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Los Angeles Times.

Category:Crime novels