JK Rowling on Twitter

You've put it really well. I've read them all and loved each and every one. I read a fair amount of crime fiction, and watch a lot of police procedurals, so I'm very familiar with the genre, but she outclasses the rest. One of the things she does is make you care about the characters - you become really invested in Robin and Cormoran. She also has these fiendishly complicated plots (and in that respect, they are like the Harry Potter books) with lots of red herrings and twists and turns. There is a fair bit of social commentary and plenty of undiluted feminism - but it doesn't feel as if you're being preached at. And then, being JKR there is a lot of humour too. Not laugh out loud, but enough to make you smile.

Thanks @babyjellyfish

There's an article in the Critic about the 'hatred' of JKR. Worth a read, good summing up of it all.

🎯

I think the twitterer has posted another tweet (twitter kicks me out before I can read it properly) but it's something like, 'well she must have said something, her followers are so mean'. I think people are posting bad reviews in their editing business (?), which does seem a bit unnecessary.

Well, it's free publicity for their book. Perhaps they'll shift a few copies off the back of it.

I don't think I'll bother, doesn't seem my cuppa tea. I'm intrigued by JK's new one now though. What was the first one called....?

To anyone wondering whether to read the Cormoran Strike series - it is a huge endeavour and overwhelmingly worth it. She's amazing: the series is a masterclass of 'in plain sight' technique - each book is an agatha christie type mystery novel, but the red herrings are all doing double duty as social commentary, the major plot lines are also an exposé of male violence and misogyny, and the meta narrative across the series is masquerading as a romantic plot but is, really, radical feminism 101.

I can't even imagine how much planning has gone into this series. JKR is phenomenal

Think of 'receipts' as 'receipts = evidence' and you'll not go far wrong.

Right, thank you. I've seen the strike series on TV, but I'm not sure which one it's up to.

Which is why I haven't started the books. I don't know where I am with it!

I might start from the beginning. I almost wish I hadn't watched the series now, I'd rather have read the books to be honest.

The Cormoran Strike books are completely different to Harry Potter, but I really enjoy them. Hope you and your husband do too!

I noticed one thing that the Strike and Potter series have in common- how often the characters say "I'm fine" when they are actually anything but...
(How many times have I done that...)

He’s asked her if she believes trans women are women, and that’s what it comes down to. If you don’t believe that then you’re “hateful”.

Notice how Ramey backed up into asking for examples of "ugliness" instead of "transphobia" or "hatefulness" but still can't get no satisfaction...

I was tempted to "helpfully" reply that Rowling/Galbraith's latest work does mention a cartoon worm which is deemed transphobic by some characters in the book.

I'm about halfway into "The Ink Black Heart," I think it's the best in the series so far- the way she works social media (including a fair bit about Twitter, nothing about Mumsnet so far, though) into the story, blending it with the "real life" characters, which one is which online persona coming slowly into focus through hints and revelations... One theme she weaves in is an artist being turned on by her fans, even though they are still interested in her work, sound familiar? But so different... And some bits are so funny...
It's driving me a little crazy because I haven't had time to get through it as fast as I'd like to, but I'm dying to see how it's going over on social media, but I don't want to see any spoilers...

@Theundertaker I was tempted to read the Twitter thread posted earlier but didn't want a spoiler from the TRA, if I can help it.

I hope it's as good as I'm imagining! I know that feeling of seeing someone enjoy something afresh.

@babyjellyfish I don't doubt it. I think if you like a writers style though, you can stick with changes (too many self published with lots of errors or no deep storyline which frustrate me!)

Husband likes a variety of genres and is just a huge JK fan so I think he will get enthralled in these. He loves a good book series.

And helping JK earn a bit more and know she has a dedicated fan base out there, after all she's going through publicly- that's just the icing on the cake!

Yep. Didn’t one try it on with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie too?

Not a great tactic it seems.

No I haven't. Is it part of the series? Or is it a one off?

I'm so jealous of you getting to start the series fresh!

All these people. And all the things they are saying. Wonder what would happen if she wrote another Harry Potter book. They would buy that in a heart beat

To JK, since I can't put this on my personal Twitter! didn't realise there was a whole series of books. I'm going to order when I finish my current book and my husband is going to order today (we read differently, think two of hard copy/kindle/audible)

We support you! (My husband is actually really excited that JK has a series out that he didn't know about, not one for modern news!) so already got a reignited fan

I like the way the receipts argument is countered by ‘dog whistle’ in the comments. A concept that used to have some useful meaning, but which has now been stretched to the point where it can be pressed into service to insist someone is lying about what they’re really saying despite a lack of any other evidence. Seems to be used more in bad faith than anything else these days.

Logical, persuasive, respectful argument that you disagree with? Pah. Just write it off as a dog whistle. Job done.

I’m gonna have to buy the book aren’t i

i don’t usually buy hardbacks….i read in the bath and nearly drowned reading Troubled Blood 😩

ill buy it though…I’ll just wear armbands

I'm increasingly convinced that a lot of the attacks on Rowling are just pure jealousy from (wannabe) writers who can't bear the fact that they will never have anything like her success. They resent her talent, her hard work and her very fortunate timing in a way that they just can't get past. While obviously some are Potter fans who hate that she's a 'heretic,' I think more are people who may or may not have loved Potter but hate that she has had an unprecedented and probably unrepeatable level of success.

This tweeter has recently released a clearly self-published book. And without sarcasm, well done to them for putting the work into writing a book. That takes dedication and hard work in exchange for no guarantee of a reward. However while I don't want to be mean, "Dust of a Moth's Wing" strikes me as a genuinely awful title. And the summary of the book, the type that would traditionally be on the back cover, is all over the place and incoherent. This person is never going to have Rowling's success and instead of looking inward to work out why, and if they can make changes to improve their own writing, they choose to lash out at someone who has the success they want, instead. Perhaps on some level hoping that starting a twitter spat would encourage JKR's former fans to become R. Ramey Guerrero fans instead. But also to punish her for having what they want, as it's Rowlings fault that they aren't her.

Thank you 🙏