Cormoran Strike

A few weeks ago, I saw that one of our TV channels was showing a short drama series about a private detective in London, so I decided to record the series 'on spec': if it's not good, then I can delete it, and if it's good, then I'll have something to watch. I admit that at first my interest wasn't particularly deep, but as the series continued (there are seven episodes, where the first three cover one story; the other two stories required two episodes each), I found myself more and more drawn into the series. The book cover on the left is obviously from a post-tv edition; earlier editions were suitably vague.

Some fuss was made of the fact that the executive producer was J. K. Rowling of Harry Potter 'fame', although this by itself shouldn't mean that much. It transpires that the series is based on three books written by Rowling under a pseudonym. I found these on the Internet along with two more books (apparently the fourth book will constitute the second series, over four episodes) and I've been reading them on and off over the past few weeks.

First of all, I give a nod of recognition to the Television Tropes and Idioms site that has made me aware of all kinds of things. There is a page devoted to this series on the site, but it doesn't say that much. First, I will note that the series is fairly faithful to the books: obviously a great deal has been left out, but nothing has been added (something that always annoys me). A few tropes that I've noticed in the books are unresolved sexual tension (UST) between the eponymous Strike and his work partner Robin Ellacott, especially in the light of the latter's failing marriage (this is stronger on the written page than on the screen); Robin often plays the part of 'The Watson': Strike explains things to her, and so author Rowling achieves the story's exposition; the first meeting between the two protagonists is an example of 'Meet Cute', that happens in the first pages of the first book, but is delayed somewhat in the first tv episode.

As for the books: maybe it's the lack of a new DS Banks this year (maybe he or his author was ill with Covid-19), but I find myself comparing favourably Strike to Banks. True, Strike doesn't have his music or his books (things that I find charming with Banks) and is also younger (not yet 40, meaning that we don't read memories of the 60s) but he is an intriguing character. Like the younger Banks, he drinks and smokes far too much, despite the occasional attempt at a diet. 

Strike is a private detective, meaning that his job is sometimes easier and sometimes harder than a policeman's. Whilst a policeman can interview people and detain suspects, no one has to speak to a private detective if they don't want to. On the other hand, not being a policeman allows Strike opportunities that are semi-legal and thus denied to the police. Strike also has a varied, though not meaningful, love life, as per Banks at one stage.

I am definitely reading these books too fast, or at least, in not a sufficiently concentrated form. I especially want to revisit the first book (both the written word and its screen translation) as there is a motivation that I missed.

One final note (for the time being): being somewhat prudish or old-fashioned, I find the language unnecessarily strong and coarse. Maybe standards have changed. I note that Robin restricts herself to mild cussing in the first three books, but gives as good as she gets in the fourth book.

I also (briefly) considered writing a song lyric based on Robin's view of her husband, but I've decided against this as I've already written two recent lyrics on a similar basis, and one more would simply be overkill. But it does reiterate the notion that we love the image that we make of our partners, and not the partner themselves.