Troubled Blood - *Spoiler-laden discussion*

[EllacottObsessive]

Setting this up for Strike and Ellacott fans to talk about spoilery things.

Faulty memory on my part - but I knew I'd 'heard' him say it before!

I actually think that one is fairly easy to explain - I haven't got a link to hand, but I was reading something my best mate sent me about how negative things are much easier to remember and focus on than positive things. One negative comment stays with you, whereas praise needs to be repeated much more to really stick.
It's a psychological thing. Robin has been used to head patting 'good girl' comments all her life at best. And Matt was constantly putting her down. She's in that mindset. So sure, Strike did say that phrase once, and he actually peppers his conversation with her with little praising comments a fair bit. But he's not explicit enough to have built up a bank of positive comments that will fill the psychological deficit she has from all the negative comments and her own lack of self worth.

No, it's a great spot! The faulty memory is all Robin. Maybe she can't quite believe he thinks that so she blanks it out

I think I meant what EO said much more eloquently.

I'm a 'words of encouragement' person (if anyone knows the five love languages stuff) so I would never, ever have forgotten positive words like that, in a situation of great significance and emotion. And actually, I don't think Robin would have either, given how she mentions in TB how important it is that he says it to her.

But who am I to say JKR made a mistake?

Yeah but they're in a different place in TB. And for all our analysis or why it might be, she clearly didn't remember him saying it before, and neither did he. I think we can, at least, be confident that they're in a better place moving forward and they won't forget their first snog

He does remember:
“If I’ve taken you for granted,” said Strike, “I’m sorry. You’re the best I’ve got.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Strike,” said Robin, abandoning the pretence that she wasn’t crying as she snorted back tears.
“What?”
“You just… you’re bloody infuriating.”
“Why?”
“Saying that. Now.”
“That’s not the first time I’ve said it.”

He's right (but unlike me, he doesn't nitpick and go on about it).

Ah, well there you go then. 'Tis Robin's psychological insecurity. And actually, as I've said, he's always making approving comments about her abilities. But then, it's no secret that she has as much healing to do as him.

What he needs to start doing now is making approving comments out loud about how gorgeous he thinks she is.

Hmm.

I took his 'Yeah, I s'pose' to mean that he agreed that he had only said it to other people. But actually he is right that he has said it before to just her.

So either she has not remembered it (psychological insecurity a la EO) or JKR made a mistake.

I think that if she has low self esteem she would be even more likely to remember that he had praised her. She would probably then dismiss it mentally as him saying something he didn't really mean but I don't think she would forget he had actually said it. She's so aware of every nuance of his behaviour towards her.

But it's not a hill I'm going to die on. 😁

Third possibility: JKR knows he'd said it before, but why waste a good line when the scene needed it to be repeated?

Let's blame the champagne!

@EllacottObsessive

What he needs to start doing now is making approving comments out loud about how gorgeous he thinks she is.

Do you think? Part of how safe Robin feels around Strike is that she doesn't have the sense that he's eyeing her up and down all the time.

I'm a little bit obsessed with this plot point, actually - yes, I concur, he has always refrained gallantly from ogling her. This is a good thing, and one that marks him out as different to her, and adds to her sense of being safe around him.

However, there have been moments (Green dress obviously) when his attempt to refrain from looking at her hasn't been un-noticed and when she thinks about that, and that that he might find her attractive (she uses the phrase 'didn't disavow' the appreciative glance) she realizes it doesn't make her uncomfortable, but happy.

My reading of their dynamic is that Strike fancies her and suspects it's mutual, but resists because of his pessimistic view of love and romance. That seems to be shifting in ch 73 of TB, but that's been his perspective for the most part.

Whereas Robin is much more complicated internally. She's certainly got feelings for him, and they're even sexual feelings (see ch53 TB and it occuring to her there is a bed upstairs) but she hasn't quite defined them yet and there are moments she feels guilt about being a sexually alluring woman. Her reticence is based, as Strike, in not wanting to damage their mutual vocation of the business.

But crucially, it's not general pessimism about love on her part, it's her doubt that Strike sees her that way, so that any overtures she made would be rebuffed (because she's not dramatic, interesting Charlotte, which is what she assumes he likes).

The only way out of that particular cul de sac is for her to begin believing that he does see her that way, and as I've mentioned, there's evidence in the text that she doesn't find that an uncomfortable thought.

See E. Obsessive, 'From Vashti to Liberty: Attraction and Desire in the novels of Robert Galbraith', 2021 (forthcoming)

hehehehe. Others have written whole books on Rowling's work. Why not me, eh?

And there's another thing - Strike doesn't single her out for compliments, either, like he's doing her a favour. He praises her in the exact same way he praises Barclay for good work. That seems important to me, too. He's not patronising her.

I've nearly finished this book and I have to say I've struggled with it. I like the characters, but I was expecting a gripping murder mystery.

I'm sure there's a gripping murder mystery in there somewhere!

Am I missing something? I seem to have been reading this book for ever....

Honestly? Not really, no. It's primarily a character study. Even the case, really. I think it's a satisfying murder mystery. But in terms of gripping, thriller tension, nope. Sorry. But it's a cold case, so that would be extremely hard to do. There are some brilliant moments, though. The visit to the secure facility is a highlight for me.

I love it, but I am stupidly invested in the other things JKR is doing.

In the Strike series, I mean. I'm not invested in how often she cleans her loos or dyes her hair or anything like that...

I'm not invested in how often she cleans her loos or dyes her hair or anything like that...

I shouldn't imagine she's cleaned her own loos for years...as for her hair, I'd guess frequently!

Tbf, I haven't cleaned mine for years either, but that's a)because I'm a slattern and b)because I make the teenagers do it.

I like your style!

It's this level of commitment to the lifestyle that means I will be a famous author myself one day.

@EllacottObsessive you should seethe state of my house...clearly I'm going to overtake even JKR of that's the main requirement!

Having tried Narciso when the book came out, I've just had a sample of Narciso Poudre arrive as it was a suggested replacement for my current perfume.

I'm not convinced.

I see R Galbraith is trolling on Twitter and 29% of those polled have the redacted versions of the books with 40% removed so it's plausible Robin and Strike are platonic pals.

Because we all think about our pals seeing our clean bed sheets.

Kerr Logan is on form, though.