The Silkworm
Ratings280
Average rating3.9
I didn't like this one as much as the first one. It got sidetracked and lengthy for no reason. I'm hoping the next one is better.
Strike and Robin are still great characters, the mystery was sort of dumb and hamfistedly yucky.
Wanted to pick this up since forever.
Was alright. Would have liked to see a bit more on strike's past life.
Just found out they've made a series on it.
Murderstyles of the rich and famous is back looking at the politics and jealousy of the writing world.
One of the things that sells this book is the performance of the reader. The story is compelling, though it has elements I don't look for in my reading. It's a fun mystery and I find that I like the main characters.
3,5 ster, naar boven afgerond. Het lezen van de cormoran strike serie is gewoon achterover leunen en genieten hoe het boek zich ontvouwd. Continue word je op verkeerde gedachten gezet en blijft het tot het einde een mysterie. Het zit weer briljant in elkaar en ook zijn de dialogen in al die restaurants, pubs en theehuisjes soms lang. Het draagt allemaal bij de ontwikkeling van het boek. Aanrader!
After having a hard time reading the first book because of its excessive length I decided to consume this book with a different route. I decided to listen to the audiobook while following the words on the book. This allowed to to keep track of the chracters much better and following the plot much easier.
And honestly the plot and plot twist where much better than the first book. Carefully hidden but still there. In the context of being a book in the mystery genre I feel that if faired much better than the first book. This might also have been due to the fact that the chracters themselves had been established and they where not being brought up in between the murder suspects
It's an improvement on the first book. The characters that were already introduced are more rounded and the new ones are original and interesting. The plot is also less contrived. Somehow I'm still not able to give 4 stars. I was not taken enough by the reading, but it was a close one definitely at least a 3.5. I look forward to read the next in the series.
Executive Summary: I thought this started out strong and fell off a bit before finishing strong. I'll probably continue on with the series at some point.
Audiobook: Robert Glenister does a fantastic job. He's an excellent fit for Strike in particular. It helps when the book got slow that I enjoy the narration so much.
Full Review
I thought the first book in this series was fine, but I found the pacing on the slow side. The pace of this book seemed better, at least in the early going. Over time I came to be annoyed at the subplot with Strike and his assistant Robin. It just got to be tedious after awhile.
The mystery itself was fine but nothing spectacular. I probably enjoyed the stuff with Strike's brother the most. Much like the last book I thought things really picked up at the end.
I find the deliberate hiding of details from the reader an annoying technique. I don't mean not revealing all, but essentially showing the characters discussing things in a way the reader is not privy to.
Overall much like the last book I enjoyed this enough that I'll probably continue on, but I'm not going to rush off to pick it up.
I enjoyed this one more than I did the first book in the series, but at the same time it was kind of all over the place. There was a bit more tension here and mystery, but I still feel like I'm not really invested in Strike yet.
Masih sama seperti buku pertama, alurnya lambat, fakta2 dibeberkan dgn byk obrolan & narasi serta deskripsi yg panjang sekali. Tapi setdknya buku kedua lebih baik sedikit dibanding buku pertama. Pendapat ini krn terbiasa dl baca Agatha Christie yg hanya 250-350 halaman, sedang novel ini hampir 600 halaman.
Disini Cormoran mengusut hilangnya seorang penulis yg walau gk terkenal tapi fenomenal. Juga yg membuatku menanti2 buku ini adlh interaksi antara Cormoran & Robin. Salahkah aku apabila berharap Cormoran & Robin pd akhirnya bersama?
Cormoran Strike mmg tdk spt Hercule Poirot yg super OCD & hampir tanpa cela, namun tetap cerdas & semua fakta yg dikumpulkan terorganisasi dgn baik. Robin juga cerdas & menarik.
This was another page-turner, like the former, and had an ending I did not expect. I found myself wanting to continue on the adventure alongside Strike to figure out who did it, learn more about each of the potential suspects, and see if there would be more opportunities for Robin to play a larger role. In essence, I enjoyed it and was gratified upon finishing the novel, although it did happen quickly and felt somewhat rushed. All that being said, I give this book 3 stars in part due to the aforementioned rushed ending as well as the language and some of the graphic subject matter because it's frankly not my cup of tea. I don't plan on re-reading or keeping my copy of the book either for this reason. I recognize the rawness and details such as what may be found in the book (particularly regarding Bombyx Mori) may draw many a reader further into the mystery or others may not think twice about it, but it's not what I prefer in what I read. I'd like to see how the story moves forward and may end up reading the next novel, but we shall see. Perhaps it is naive of me to expect writing for the same audience as the HP series when Rowling used a pen name and appears to want to separate this work from HP, but I think it's also fair for readers to have their own preferences when it comes to reading anyhow.
I usually don't read contemporary mystery/crime/thriller books, so it took me some time to really get into the book. Once into it, I happily shadowed Strike and Robin as they hunted down the culprit.
I haven't read the first Cormoran Strike book, The Cuckoo's Calling, but I don't think that necessarily took away from my reading experience. The characters were fleshed out and seemed real, and this is what kept me reading. Most the characters were definitely not likable, but I appreciated that Galbraith's writing made me ‘know' them and dislike them on so many levels. Some parts of the book were disturbing, and Galbraith successfully made me horrified and a little ill.
I appreciated that the relationship between Strike and Robin wasn't completely cliche, and Robin wasn't flat or unlikable. Strike had a keen insight into people, and that didn't exclude himself. I enjoyed his sense of self-awareness, or as Terry Pratchett would say, his second and third thoughts. While some parts of the novel seemed contrived, I feel like the latter half of the book made up for it. The Silkworm wasn't an excellent novel, but it was a good read. I hope my local library has the other books because I think they'll be worth the read.
While I think it might be a 3.5/5 for me, I don't think it deserves a 3 on Goodreads.
4/5 it is.
Satisfying mystery, though I found it a bit slow at times. I love the characters of Strike and Robin and am jumping into the next book right away. I recommend it for mystery lovers that don't require a fast paced plot.
Short Review: In general I thought this was a better book that the first in the series. The sexualized violence of the murder scene and the murderer I could have done without. But the story itself was good and I like Strike and Robin and I look forward to reading more about them.
my full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/silkworm/
Excellent, like [b:The Cuckoo's Calling 16160797 The Cuckoo's Calling (Cormoran Strike, #1) Robert Galbraith https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1358716559s/16160797.jpg 22002305]. I just love these characters, Rowling does great work with her characters. The relationship between Strike, Robin and Matthew is bristling with delightful tension, and as the murder plot is pleasantly complicated and intriguing, this book is a winner. Really looking forward to reading [b:Career of Evil 25735012 Career of Evil (Cormoran Strike, #3) Robert Galbraith https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1434419930s/25735012.jpg 43699375].
This was a marked improvement on the series debut [b:The Cuckoo's Calling 16160797 The Cuckoo's Calling (Cormoran Strike, #1) Robert Galbraith https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1358716559s/16160797.jpg 22002305], which did not wow me. Book one hooked me on Cormoran Strike, but not the storyline itself. Book two, hooked me on the storyline, and I became extremely excited by the burly, brow-beating, Cormoran Strike. The writing was far improved, the development was continuous, and the crime was more vile. The ending was not altogether satisfying. However, it was sufficient for my needs and I will certainly be reading the third book when I get the chance.
BLUF: I'm not a fan of this book, but will likely read the next one anyways.
Cormoran Strike and his steady sidekick are back! After solving the Lula Landry case, Strike has become quite famous. On the plus side, the fame has resolved all traces of the debts Strike used to have. On the flip side, it's a complete bore working for the rich and entitled. When the eccentric wife of a narcissistic artist comes in, urging Strike to help recover her husband from wherever he is pouting, Strike takes the case simply to shake the boredom. As always, the case isn't as easy as it seems.
I just couldn't get into this one. The case was intriguing, but all the characters were written to be awful. I'm certain this is a play on reality or a critic of the publishing industry or elitist groups, but I didn't find it appealing, insightful, or interesting. I will likely find my way into the third book when it comes out, but I'm hoping for something more.
I really, really love this series. Robert Galbraith (or JKR) has created two amazing characters in this detective series. I absolutely love both Cormoran and Robin. They are a great team and I enjoy how seamlessly they work together.
As for the plot of this one, I love how the story unfolds with it first being a missing person's case and then turning into something so much more. Especially when the contents of Owen's unfinished book are released and everyone becomes a suspect.
For me, this book was stronger than the first. I think the writing is better and Robert has settled into the genre. There were so many aspects of this book that were downright creepy and disturbing, but it was highly enjoyable nonetheless. I cannot wait for more of these books! Hopefully we get a title and a release day soon for the third.
Another excellently crafted detective novel from Galbraith. Tightly plotted, barely a spare word anywhere, vivid descriptions abounding, great dialogue, dark humour too in places. Also, I am really enjoying seeing the wonderful relationship between Strike and Robin develop, and hearing about Strike's old school and army buddies.