Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Although JK Rowling's The Casual Vacancy will only hit shops on Thursday, it's already spent 95 days in Amazon's top 100 chart and has achieved the highest number of pre-sale orders on Waterstones.com this year. But we always knew it would be a best-seller, writes Simon Edge, what we don't know is how it will impact on the reputation of the UK's most famous author.
"She herself once said it might be easier to issue her first post-Harry work under a pseudonym so that people could judge it without any burden of expectations."
Her vast success presents a series of literary problems, adds Edge. "Merely by adopting a different subject and style she risks disappointing the legions of readers who want more of the same. And if she tries anything too different she risks showing up her own limitations."
The literary editor of the Daily Express warns that Rowling "needs to be wary of jumping on a political bandwagon and thinking that just because she’s a successful writer she has political clout. She’s not a chronicler of the zeitgeist, she’s a very good storyteller."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments