It’s a long-standing custom at Hogwarts Professor to put up posts for Serious Readers to share their finds on specific topics in the week following a new Rowling book’s publication. This Quiet week of little posting — because most folks are trying to find time to finish a ginormous tome while working a day job or studying for papers and exams and are staying away from online discussion of the books — merits an alternative outlet for those who read straight-through and want to share their first thoughts.
I have put up ten posts on the day of publication with specific subjects of interest to our global audience and an index post for easy access to each of those subjects. None have spoiler alerts because the comment threads of every one will be loaded with Hallmarked Man content and conversation. Caveat Lector.
At the end of Nick and my Kanreki birthday project in July, a month-long Lake and Shed review of Rowling’s work in celebration of her life and oeuvre, we ran down another Golden Thread, one even more ubiquitous and typical of Mrs Murray’s stories, that of the ‘Lost Child:’ A Lake and Shed Look at the Lost Child ‘Golden Thread’ in J. K. Rowling’s Work — A Conversation about What is Perhaps Her Most Important and Persistent Plot Point. It turns out there are four types of ‘Lost Child,’ those who lived, positive and negative, and those who died, caretaker responsible or not responsible. If Hallmarked Man doesn’t feature a living Lost Child or a mother or caretaker grieving a dead or missing one, it will be the first book of its kind on the Rowling bookshelf (consider that less a prediction than a Safe Bet guarantee).
Share all the Lost Children you spot, living and dead, mourned or unlamented, that pop up or go under in Hallmarked Man.
Have only read part one so far, but we already have multiple lost children. There’s Robin’s ectopic pregnancy and Rupe Fleetwood who was both orphaned and is now lost himself…
So many lost children. I’ve just finished my first read through. Now to do it again more slowly with these themes in mind.
I do have to say that I figured out the big reveal at the end with the relationship between Decima and Rupert fairly early.
I kept thinking that maybe Rupert’s boarding school in Switzerland was the same one Al Rokeby went to and it would circle back to Strike and Rokeby that way. But alas there were other good ways to bring Rokeby into the story. I like where she is going with Strike and Rokeby’s relationship arc. Growth for both of them.