Below is a list of our epigraph discussions from our episodes on The Cuckoo’s Calling, taken from our notes.
Please be warned that there are MAJOR SPOILERS for The Cuckoo’s Calling below, including the identity of the killer!
Opening Epigraph
“Why were you born when the snow was falling?
You should have come to the cuckoo’s calling,
Or when grapes are green in the cluster,
Or, at least, when lithe swallows muster
For their far off flying
From summer dying.
Why did you die when the lambs were cropping?
You should have died at the apples’ dropping,
When the grasshopper comes to trouble,
And the wheat-fields are sodden stubble,
And all winds go sighing
For sweet things dying.
Christina G. Rossetti, “A Dirge”
Kenz:
Wow, what a great poem. To give some context, this poem was written after the author’s sister-in-law died of an opium overdose after having given birth to a stillborn child…it’s very sad. Essentially, the poem describes mourning an early, untimely death. There’s a really great analysis of it that I found while looking into this that I’ll link in the show notes. Basically, it’s very thematically appropriate for the book. Lindsay, I feel like now would be a great time to talk about that murder case that you found and wrote about for The Rowling Library that was eerily similar to the Lula Landry case in this book.
Lindsay:
Yes, so JK Rowling has said that CC was somewhat inspired by a real life murder case but she didn’t want to say which because it would spoil the ending so, of course, I had to google it and try to find the case! I think it’s the Sheila Caffell case! There are a lot of similarities. We’ll link to the issue of The Rowling Library for anyone who wants to read more about it but Sheila Caffell was murdered by her adopted brother, she had worked as a model, the police originally dismissed it as a suicide because she had a history of mental health issues and her brother’s girlfriend eventually changed her statement, which we know happens with Alison in CC. There’s also some reports of a strained relationship with her adopted mother and it seems like the motive was money, which is PART of John Bristow’s motive. It’s a really sad case- when I say police dismissed it as a suicide, I actually mean they dismissed it as a murder/suicide because there were other victims including her young children but despite that difference, if I had to guess, I think it’s probably the case she was talking about. Nothing else really hit as many points as this one did.
Pools:
The choice of Christina Rossetti – it’s very out of step with the other epigraphs in the book, who are all Roman (male) poets/philosophers/authors. Christina herself was a Victorian poet, the sister of Dante Gabriel Rossetti (who was a founding member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood). There are fewer epigraphs in this book too – I think as the series goes on, we see the development of Rowling’s “epigraph skills”; she starts to have more and more fun with them with every book, doesn’t she?
Lindsay:
I do really miss the epigraphs in this book and I’m so glad she chose to do more of them because they’re so rich and full of insight and clues! Also, isn’t Christina Rossetti buried in Highgate Cemetery? Not that I think that means anything, but I do think it’s a fun coincidence.
Kenz:
She is! She’s buried there with her mother and father towards the front of the cemetery, if any of our listeners around London want to go poking around Camden and check it out.
Pools:
The meaning of the poem – it acknowledges that death is part of the natural world, but shows the pain that unexpected, unnatural death – death that doesn’t fit with the rhythms and patterns of nature and life – causes… Strike says at one point that “unnatural death” is the only thing that’s ever exerted more fascination for him than Charlotte, or something along those lines – and that’s really what this poem says to me, that death can be at the same time natural and profoundly UNnatural, and that we are about to spend a whole series diving into the second aspect and trying to set it right.
The title of the book! It is such a brilliant title on so many levels. Lula herself as the Cuckoo – out of place with her adopted family, mental health problems meaning her death is dismissed as suicide, her literal nickname being “Cuckoo”, the way the “ghost” of her calls out for justice. But it’s literally!! Pointing out!! The murderer of the book!! John Bristow, the literal cuckoo in the nest who pushes BOTH of his siblings off of a high place out of jealousy and greed for parental attention. He CALLS Strike to the case!
There’s also the connection to the poem, where the cuckoo’s calling symbolizes spring and rebirth – it’s a new start for both Strike and Robin, the proper birth of their agency and relationship.
Prologue
“Is demum miser est, cuius nobilitas miserias nobilitat.
Unhappy is he whose fame makes his misfortunes famous.
Lucius Accius, Telephus”
Kenz:
This is likely about Lula and her struggles with her mental health that the press speculated on, right?
Lindsay:
Yeah, her struggles with mental health is definitely part of it but also her relationship problems with Evan Duffield, her family issues with her adopted and biological family…Problems that a lot of people go through but because of her fame, her misfortunes are famous, as the epigraph says. And of course, I think her most unfortunate misfortune is her murder. And THAT will probably be the most famous thing about her.
We see throughout the entire book how Lula struggled with fame and the burden she felt from it. It’s a theme not only through the Strike books but also in HP. Harry has to deal with this, as well. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that some of this could be a commentary on how JK Rowling feels about fame. We see with both Lula and Strike a lot of plus sides but also a lot of downsides, too. So I think there’s a lot to think about and dissect when it comes to fame and how it relates to these characters that we’re about to meet.
Part One
“Nam in omni adversitate fortunae infelicissimum est genus infortunii, fuisse felicem.
For in every ill-turn of fortune the most unhappy sort of unfortunate man is the one who has been happy.
Boethius, De Consolatione Philosophiae”
Kenz:
Ouch. Poor Strike. This speaks so well to his feelings in the aftermath of his breakup with Charlotte.
Lindsay:
This is a sad epigraph and is really preparing us for the kind of pain Strike is in when we first meet him. I think it’s very easy to dismiss or not realize just exactly how low he is when we meet him. Actually, in the beginning of the SW (chapter 5) it says that Robin had stuck by him when he was at his lowest ebb and helped turn the business around… We know in TB he also describes the loss of his leg and Charlotte coming to him in the hospital as his lowest ebb so 1) these two times of his life seem to be equally devastating to him and 2) it’s another parallel between Charlotte and Robin coming to him and providing hope of a life turned around.
Pools:
The text this epigraph is from – Boethius, The Consolation of Philosophy – is an important work (specifically in regards to Medieval and Renaissance Christianity), written by a Roman statesman. There were a couple aspects of this text as a whole that I found interesting:
“Philosophy consoles Boethius by discussing the transitory nature of fame and wealth (“no man can ever truly be secure until he has been forsaken by Fortune”), and the ultimate superiority of things of the mind, which she calls the “one true good”. She contends that happiness comes from within, and that virtue is all that one truly has, because it is not imperiled by the vicissitudes of fortune”
I guess I just feel like this really speaks to Strike’s approach to life, his values – he doesn’t care about wealth, or fame. He cares about Justice, about “doing the job and doing it well”, about doing the right things for the right reasons. Although for him happiness really comes from finding a partner who shares those same values.
Another interesting part:
“On justice, he says criminals are not to be abused, rather treated with sympathy and respect, using the analogy of doctor and patient to illustrate the ideal relationship between prosecutor and criminal.”
We’ve noticed before that these books take a lot of time establishing the ways in which childhood experiences impact who someone becomes, especially in terms of criminality – but it does this without ever excusing criminals for their choices (especially by showing people with bad childhoods who became moral and goodhearted adults.)
Part Two
“Non ignara mali miseris succurrere disco.
No stranger to trouble myself, I am learning to care for the unhappy.
Virgil, Aeneid, Book 1”
Lindsay:
My first thought is that even though he has his own troubles, he’s turning his attention towards the case and helping other people. He does interview a lot of people in Part 2, and he also deals with Mrs Hook and Lucy in this section and both women are pretty unhappy when we meet them. So I think this is Strike turning his focus towards doing what he does best and helping others in the process.
Kenz:
That’s a great interpretation!
Pools:
Oh interesting! My first thought was that this was about Robin – the beginning of her journey towards Strike. It reminded me of the line from her previous POV, where she’s disposed to feel sorry for anyone with a more unhappy love life. She’s getting to know Strike a bit more, and we get the first hints of trouble with Matthew because of her interest… Can it be both at the same time?
Lindsay:
Yeah, I always love when an epigraph can be applied in more than one way or when we can each read a different meaning to it.
Part Three
“Forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabit.
Maybe one day it will be cheering even to remember these things.
Virgil, Aeneid, Book 1”
Kenz:
Have I mentioned before how much I miss the straightforwardness of TB’s epigraphs? The epigraphs in this one for me at least take a little effort to get. I wonder if this has anything to do with the progress he’s making on the case. In this part, Strike makes some breakthroughs, like when he and Robin go to Vashti, he interviews Tony Landry, and when Robin finds Rochelle. So maybe it has something to do with that? These breakthroughs help bolster the case that ends up making his name, right?
Pools:
Is it paranoid of me to think this is some kind of super-foreshadowing signal that some of the stuff that happens in this section will later be VERY fond memories for Strike and Robin? Like, that they’ll look back and the events will take on even greater significance than they had at the time? I’m thinking particularly of The Green Dress, and also maybe Corm playing with Jack in the next section?
Lindsay:
I think it could be both! It could totally be, like you said Kenz, just about the case because what you said makes sense, but I do think there might be something more general going on. So, like you said Pools, the green dress and Jack, but we also get Strike reflecting a bit more on Robin after the green dress and later some more thoughts on how he met Charlotte and how he begins to tell people of their split through Spanner so I don’t think super-foreshadowing is too out there.
This feels like a ‘big picture’ epigraph that might even go beyond just this first book. It could be talking about the case and how once it’s solved, it will be cheering to look back on the difficult parts of the investigation and know it was all worth it. However, Part 3 also gives us the Vashti chapter and some painful reflections on Charlotte- it doesn’t seem like too much of a stretch to suggest that one day, when Strike and Robin are living happily-ever-after, that it will be cheering to look back on the early days of their partnership and remember how their lives began to change after they met.
Part Four
“Optimumque est, ut volgo dixere, aliena insania frui.
And the best plan is, as the popular saying was, to profit by the folly of others.
Pliny the Elder, Historia Naturalis”
Lindsay:
This is the second to last Part of the book and it’s the longest. So it’s really building up to the final confrontation and conclusion. Everyone he interviews, and there’s a lot of people, he’s benefitting from them because we know he’s going to solve the case and it turns his whole life and business around!
Pools:
Maybe we should keep this epigraph in mind as we read the part, so we can point out bits where other people are being foolish? Really though it’s mostly Bristow’s folly in hiring a genius private detective to investigate the crime he committed that Strike’s about to profit off of! What an idiot Bristow is.
Lindsay:
Oh yes, definitely Bristow! We also have the best chapter in this section where he gets drunk because Charlotte is getting married! It seems to me that even though this is extremely painful for him, he’s still benefiting from Charlotte’s foolishness because it does place a barrier between them that hasn’t ever been there before. She’s now going to be someone’s wife and as far as we know, he’s never crossed that line. So he might not see it as a benefit yet, but it really is and we ALL benefit from that, right?
Pools:
I love this!
Lindsay:
In just looking this up and learning a little bit about Pliny the Elder, I saw another quote in this same book that says “that in wine there is truth” and it’s not used anywhere in the book but boy does it fit with that chapter!
Part Five
“Felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas.
Lucky is he who has been able to understand the causes of things
Virgil, Georgics, Book 2”
Kenz:
How appropriate is this epigraph for the last two chapters where we finally learn who killed Lula?
Lindsay:
Super appropriate! Very straightforward and I like it in contrast with the last epigraph that speaks of profiting off the folly of others because it’s not just that Strike benefits from other people being foolish but because he is someone who can find the answers- It speaks to Strike’s abilities.
I also like that it’s telling us that we’re finally here, at the end, where those things will be explained to us.
Pools:
Lucky us!
Epilogue
“Nihil est ab omni
Parte beatum.
Nothing is an unmixed blessing.
Horace, Odes, Book 2”
Kenz:
I’m going to make an educated guess that this is related to both Jonah (who’s now 10 million pounds richer,) and Strike, whose fame on his merit is skyrocketing in the aftermath of catching Lula’s killer.
Lindsay:
It also makes me think of the fly in the ointment line towards the end. Her staying is a HUGE blessing to both of them but we all know it’s also going to cause some heartache along the way, right? Worth it, of course! Also, Strike is now dealing with ‘becoming a name’ and Jonah with confusing and complicated emotions in the wake of Lula’s murder. So yeah, I agree with you that this can be applied many ways, which makes it a really good epigraph!
Pools:
I agree with all of these!