Rowling Tweets on Strike Psyche Profile
This too brief but fascinating look at Strike’s psychological make-up by Robert Galbraith herself came at the end of an equally intriguing thread about Hannah Arendt, Eichmann, and the banality of evil “transgender” fellow-travelers. That longer effort of Rowling’s deserves its own post; today let’s look at the one-off response to someone who engaged Mrs Murray about Arendt. Three thoughts?
(1) Strike Laid Bare: Rowling-Galbraith tells us point blank Strike’s strengths and weaknesses, and, in that exposure suggests strongly the direction of his transformation. “One of the reasons I enjoy writing him is that while he’s fairly honest with himself, he can still be blinkered about his own motivations and the extent to which the past is influencing his present behaviour.” Strike is about to be confronted in inescapable fashion, I think it safe to say, with “his own motivations” which will reveal to him the “extent to which the past is influencing his present behavior.” His ability to change in that crucible will be critical to his relationship with Robin.
(2) Strike and Rowling Agree: “Character is destiny” but… (Strike) “strokes of unearned good fortune and bad luck may hit anyone, irrespective of character” and (Rowling) “accidents of birth, chance and mischance shape all of our lives, too, and may overwhelm the strongest personalities.” Rowling’s artistry is depicting the morality of archetypal characters when challenged by “past and present context,” depictions of behavior for our reflection, empathetic identification, and cathartic experience. Again, Strike is about to be hit betwen the eyes with all that he has neglected in the “accidents of birth,” Strike’s being a supposedly ‘accidental birth,’ and perhaps by the “chance and mischance” of losing Robin to another man. I for one can’t wait.
(3) A Lake Point? Joanne Rowling was not born with a silver spoon for her porridge but “character” and writing genius as well as “chance and mischance” have brought her to the heights of fame, fortune, and notoriety coupled with adulation, albeit in different spheres. I think it is credible, as a reflective woman experienced in Cognitive Behavior Therapy and one who has studied psychology as an amateur, that Rowling thinks about her life, its twists and turns and tumbles and triumphs, more than most. And that this reflection on the tension between “character” and the “context” of “past and present” circumstances informs her Strike novels as something like an axis.
Hence the importance of this seeming off the cuff or throw-away look at Strike’s psychological perspective. Footnote it for reading before and after Hallmarked Man!
Fans are now able to pre-order The Hallmarked Man, 
My personal record for a late pre-order is N. A. M. Rodger’s The Price of Victory, volume three of his A Naval History of Britain. First available for pre-order in 2013 (volume two was published in 2006), delivery was made in October 2024. In this case, due to Dr. Rodger’s illness, publication was delayed for more than a decade. Achieving almost mythical status among fans of his work, the delivered book was well worth the wait.
Episode 4 opens quite literally with a bang… Sarah, not knowing what was coming, was literally shocked. “You can’t go in there. Half the ceiling has come down” said Strike. A further crash. “There goes the rest of it” says the stalwart, but shaken Pat.
The Jago Ross subplot is progressed this time by Robin rather than Midge rushing to his daughter rescue and judo throwing the ghastly Ross to get away.
Adaptations necessarily leave out much of our best loved dialogue. When my favourite line from the book was used, I had to fight the urge to rewind and play it again. Robin and Cormoran are having their final interview with Vernon Dursley… sorry.. Grant Ledwell. “Might need a bit of good cop / bad cop.” said Strike. “How bad do you want me to be?” Robin replied.
From a book reader’s point of view, this season delivered in spades with the pacing and character introductions improving as the series progressed. This must have been the most challenging of the series so far, and could easily have descended into a confusing mess. The story climax was tense and exciting, but the clue progression did not make Sarah feel cheated that the villain was only briefly seen in episode 1. We both agree that the acting, particularly from Tom and Holliday was first rate, with the closing scenes moving both of us very much.