The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith (Cormoran Strike #2)

In the last month, my book club read a crime/mystery novel called The Silkworm. Written by one Robert Galbraith, The Silkworm told a story of a disabled English detective called Cormoran Strike.

Who is Robert Galbraith? Who is this author? It turned out, this author is one of the most famous authors of our time, and I am pretty sure a lot of people have read this author's books. You see, Robert Galbraith is in fact, J.K Rowling's pseudonym.

Ah, J.K Rowling, surely you have heard of her, yes? Indeed, a lot of people would have heard of J.K Rowling, the author of Harry Potter books. Hang on a minute, did I just say Rowling wrote crime/mystery novels using a male pseudonym? Yep, that is right. In fact, The Silkworm is the second book in a series of detective novels featuring Cormoran Strike. The first book in the series is called The Cuckoo's Calling. Meanwhile, here is another fact; Galbraith's (Rowling's) detective novels are quite successful and BBC has adapted these books into a TV series called Strike.

The question, is this book any good?

The short answer, I opine that The Silkworm is a very good book. The long answer? If you are interested, then feel free to read on as I expound my thoughts about this book.

Synopsis:

A middle aged woman, grey haired and slightly plump, walked from the snow ridden street into Comoran Strike's office. The lady introduced herself as the wife to Owen Quine, a novelist whose writing career has seen better days. Owen, it turned out, was missing, and she was hiring Strike to find him and bring him home.

It sounded as if Strike found an easy employment – find a missing man and bring him home. However, as Strike investigated the case, a realization dawned on him that this is more than just a missing person case. The mystery surrounding Owen's disappearance is entwined with a manuscript called Bombyx Mori, where it told a grotesque and macabre story in which Owen attacked everyone he knows with a venomous portrayal. While Strike was pondering on the significance of this bizarre manuscript, he made a haunting discovery in an abandoned house..

My thoughts on the book:

Admittedly, prior to my book club's introduction to The Silkworm, I was not aware of Rowling's endeavor in writing crime/mystery novels. Instead, my previous impression of Rowling was confined to her Harry Potter books. The Silkworm, however, made me realize Rowling's versatility as an author. She is just as good at writing crime novels as she is good at writing Young Adult books.

The Silkworm is not, however, an action-packed "thriller". While the story centred around a gruesome crime, but it doesn't have fight scenes nor the car chases typical in the many books in the genre. No, this book is not a thriller at all. One is bound to meet disappointments if he/she comes to this book expecting octane-driven actions such as the ones in Lee Child's Jack Reacher books. Yet, I like The Silkworm precisely for this reason; instead of explosive action scenes, this book treats its reader with well rounded characters and an intricate plot, one of suspense and tension.

Firstly, let's talk about the book's protagonists, Cormoran Strike, and his assistant, Robin. The book explored the emotions, on how their past history affect their characters in the present. The Silkworm has good character developments, and it is something that other books in the genre do rarely, if at all. The in-depth characterization made Strike and Robin impressionable and likable characters, and their relationship was interesting. Meanwhile, Galbraith/Rowling invested an equal amount of details into portraying her support characters, where she skillfully fused every character's background story with the book's central mystery. The book invites its reader to do some deductive works of their own to solve the mystery. Yet, this book is also packed with twists and turns to surprise you and throwing your expectations off the course. As a mystery novel, The Silkworm is a success and a fun read, and it also has an interesting theme about the book publishing world.

Due to its complex plotting, however, the Silkworm may feel convoluted at certain places. I had to re-read some paragraphs to remind myself of who was who, and who did what. However, this was a minor inconvenience and it did not hamper my enjoyment of the book. Furthermore, for those acquainted with the crime/thriller genre, this book may feel slow paced. This is because The Silkworm is character-driven instead of being action oriented. However, as I discussed earlier, I like The Silkworm precisely for its well-rounded character development. Make no mistake, The Silkworm does possess the "page turning" quality that made the books in this genre addictive reads. This book's suspense and the tension will compel you to keep reading until the very end.

After I read The Silkworm, curiosity drove me to watch the BBC TV series and comparing the two. Which one was better? The book or the TV adaptation? I think they are different mediums for telling a story, and so each one has its own merit. However, I do prefer the book. Perhaps my preference for the book is influenced by the fact that I read the novel prior to watching the BBC series. However, I thought the TV adaptation felt rushed and the narratives incoherent. Therefore, for those who have yet to experience the story of The Silkworm, I would recommend reading the book first. My bookclub did me a great service by introducing me to the world of Cormoran Strike, and from the local library I have already loaned the next book in this series. I recommend this book to my fellow readers who are fond of crime and mystery novels.

Until the next time, happy reading.