The Casual Vacancy

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling's new adult book The Casual Vacancy is a brilliant and powerful novel that is incredibly difficult to read. Rowling proves in this book what a skillful writer she is. She is able to create characters so complex, so multi-faceted, that it's hard to remember they aren't real. Contrary to what the publisher promised in its promotional materials, The Casual Vacancy is not a "black comedy." It is a grim, honest, realistic slice of life, populated by troubled, deep, and interesting people. There are a lot of important characters in The Casual Vacancy. It takes determination and patience to learn about each one and keep them straight. Despite the grim and depressing circumstances outlined for so many of the characters, I could feel myself drawn into the world of Pagford, the small town in England that serves as the book's setting. It didn't seem that different in many ways from the city in which I live. The themes are relevant to life in the United States as well as England. Some of the people of Pagford resent the people who live in a place referred to as the Fields. It lies between Pagford and the larger city of Yarvil. Yarvil pays for the provision of many services to the Fields, but Pagford bears part of the burden. To their dismay, this includes allowing children of the Fields to attend their school, which they feared "would be overrun and swamped by the offspring of scroungers, addicts, and mothers whose children had all been fathered by different men." Some of the arguments are depressingly familiar. At one point two characters are discussing whether the addiction clinic does any good, and the subject turns to "principles." "Yes, well, principles are sometimes the problem, if you ask me," said Miles. "Often what's needed is a bit of common sense." "Which is the name people usually give to their prejudices," rejoined Kat. Rowling has a great talent for making her readers care for the characters she creates. In this novel, there is no main character. Instead, we are inside the heads of many people through a narrator. Rowling will introduce a character in such a way as to provoke a negative reaction, and then let us see the character's life from a different standpoint and stir up great sympathy. She first introduces a promiscuous, ignorant, and belligerent girl through the eyes of a teenaged boy and a school administrator; later we see the girl skipping school to clean up her filthy home in desperate hopes of persuading a social worker not to take her little brother from her addict mother. Another teenaged girl is being bullied, and at one point I was reluctant to read ahead because I was afraid the bully would not be the obvious candidate but another character, and I really did not want that other character to be a bully. The plot is relatively straightforward, but it moves steadily toward a terrific and terrible climax. Even though I wasn't able to predict what was coming, I felt a mounting sense of dread over the last fifth of the book. I am not easily moved to tears, but I cried at the end of The Casual Vacancy. I keep thinking about the events in the book and how they could have been changed for the better through action by some of the characters, and I marvel at how I feel real grief. I wonder how the characters are getting on; then I have to remind myself that they aren't real people. In the end, my sadness is not only for the unfortunate characters in the book but for the many real people whose lives are just as unfortunate. I'm guessing that was one of Rowling's objectives. I will not say that I enjoyed this complex and heartbreaking book. It's too grim and real. But I am very glad that I read it, and I highly recommend The Casual Vacancy to any reader who likes realistic fiction, exceptionally well-drawn characters, and excellent writing.

Ok, maybe it is because I have been really tired when I am trying to read this. Maybe it is because a lot of the stuff in this book is in reference to what I assume is and are English places and things. But, I can not comprehend this book at all. I mean, I read a chapter and instantly forget everything I've read. No, I do remember key parts. But the rest just leaps from my mind. I got to page 30 or so and decided to start over. She spends a lot of time telling things about characters right away. Just little things. I just have not gotten into it yet. I guess I need a dictionary. My eyes kind of pop out. I will try again though. I mean, it's on my iPad, so I own it for good. I get the feeling that it is written well, just a lot of stuff that is above me, words, phrases, places and things. I just read another chapter of this book. What the hell? I mean, it just seems to ramble on with pointless information again and again. It tells you so much about so many characters. Are they main parts of the story? Hell if I know. There are so many things happening that really have nothing to do with each other, that it makes it even harder to follow the story (if their is one.) All these characters, by the time I've read 8 chapters, I have forgotten who the hell the people are. A name comes up and I think to myself who the heck is that? This book is a mess. I was going to rewrite the entire book in a language that I understood. But that would take far to long. I wish they would re release this book for the American audience. It's just so confusing. I said this a bit ago, but maybe it's because she tells so much about random things that happen. When doing so, she gives SO much personal detail, which it may turn out really isn't that personal at all. It's like I'm reading the diary of a 15 year old girl who is in an English class. No matter how hard I try, I just can not get into or follow this story at all. But I will continue until I am finished the book. Obviously, there are people who can follow and like this book. I wish I knew them so they could read the damn thing to me. I feel like I'm reading a book that is teaching me french. I'm just lost. The last chapter or two I read were fine, then the one I just read, about the boy at school with his teacher telling the school about something that happened, was a loss for me. I have no clue what I just read. Come on publisher, fix this thing. I just switched this from a 3 to a 1 out of 5. This book is awful. You get SO many pointless details about something in every chapter, that is makes it almost impossible to remember the important things. When I read and finish a chapter, the only way I can have any clue what is going on is to sum up what I've read. Like 8 pages and I will say to myself "the boy wants to be honest and genuine." That is all I can do for this book to make any sense. She spends to much time rambling on about nothing. Not every character needs to tell their life story. I will finish the book, but it is awful. I am conflicted with what to give this book. I gave it a 3, then a 1 and now I am just going to give it a 4. Confused? Yes, as am I. While the books has far to much going on for it's own good and it is hard to remember stuff like peoples names and stuff people have done, I can not wait to read the next chapter. I get so excited when I am about to read it. As far as I know, that means it is a good book. So, a 4 out of 5 it is. Knowing that this book has so many things happening, I was thinking about it yesterday, I think this story would make a good mini series. Theres a lot happening and seeing it all on TV would make it even more interesting.

(2.5 stars) Focusing on life in the very small community of Pagford, perhaps similar to the small communities Rowling herself knew as a child in Gloucestershire, Rowling emphasizes the pettiness, the rivalries, the back-biting, and the cruelties of "ordinary" life as people try to cope with the messiness of existence as it unfolds. There is no magic here to offer any hope of change, no wizard to sweep down and offer aid, either to the characters or to the reader, and as the action progresses, with its focus on the unpleasant and often violent aspects of many lives, the reader is forced to examine the elements of chance which can devastate everything that one might dream of. Barry Fairbrother, a banker in his early forties, dies of an undiagnosed aneurism at the outset of the novel, a victim of a genetic defect. He leaves behind a wife and four children- and creates a "casual vacancy" on the Parish Council, which governs the community. Sixteen Council members deal with a variety of community issues, including the proposal to separate an area of Pagford called the Fields from the rest of this picturesque community and make it the responsibility of Yarvil, the more industrialized community which is its neighbor. A second issue involves the closure of a drug rehab facility located near the Fields, from which most of its clients are drawn. These clients are a financial and social burden for Pagford, since they vandalize bus stations, streetlights, footpaths and public seating, all of which must be maintained by Pagford. Inhabiting low-cost housing, these residents are also viewed as belonging to a completely different social class - lower economic level, less education, less sense of social responsibility, and somehow less worthy of the efforts by Pagford's citizens. Rowling introduces over thirty characters in the first fifty pages of the book, providing enough brief but specific descriptions for each character to participate in the plot, which quickly unfolds on several levels of simultaneous conflict. Husbands and wives fight, spouses fight with their lovers, children and parents fight, teenagers fight with each other (sometimes resorting to bullying on the internet), teenagers fight with teachers, and two children fight simply for survival. The issues relating to the "casual vacancy" on the Council create even more conflict. The style which was so effective for Rowling when she was writing Harry Potter is less effective in this "adult" novel. Some characters are memorable for some aspects of their characters without being unique, while on the level of plot, the conflicts and crises, based on real life, are already familiar to devoted readers of contemporary fiction and often feel trite. At five hundred pages, this novel gave Rowling many opportunities to introduce broad themes and develop them with sophistication and attention to universal values. Instead, she gives us a long novel which is sometimes exciting on the limited level of plot, but which remains on that limited level, never soaring into broader realms of wider scope. The characters here sometimes feel like paper dolls, limited by their rather stereotyped depictions, while their sheer numbers prevent the author from developing subtleties that make them come alive. What starts in Pagford stays in Pagford, unfortunately.

And here we thought we'd never get to this point. The review of The Casual Vacancy. I've posted a few things en route on this book, because reading it was like a journey and on a journey, you make pit stops from time to time. Really, all books are a journey, but this one in particular expanded my horizons. Much like that cross-country drive you take to save money by not flying; there's that mid-drive lull when you wonder 'why on earth did we drive?' until that moment of spectacular view and you tell yourself, 'that's why...' The Casual Vacancy has a spectacular view. As most people know, The Casual Vacancy is written by super-selling Harry Potter author, JK Rowling. She's the author with the million-dollar idea of a bespectacled magical boy. Literally, a multi-million dollar idea. With such a platform already built, branching out into a new genre, adult fiction, was a leap someone with her status was able to take without fear of failure. I'd like to believe as an author, she does worry if her work will be accepted or rejected by the masses, but that worry does not include her financial status. The Casual Vacancy is a triumph for Rowling. Keep writing. Please. The Novel: The premise of the novel centers around the death of Barry Fairbrother, who dies unexpectedly in his early forties. Being all of this takes place in the very small town of Pagford, the little idyllic English abode is in shock (apparently, small towns are the same everywhere). Barry was every man's man, and every woman's secret crush. He had a way of ingratiating himself upon people be it with fine talk, a cajoling laugh, or a kindred spirit. He was noted as the living embodiment of a self-made man that harbored no arrogance about it. And his death reveals all the vengeance that has been swept under the rug for years in Pagford because his death leaves an open seat on the council, and political battles reveal the deep demons festering in the hearts of every citizen existing among the cobbled streets and ancient abbey. This empty seat soon becomes the catapult of a full-blown town war. Awaiting with baited breath who will fill this seat takes the reader into the minds of Pagford's citizens from the rich to the poor, the educated and uneducated, and the self-proclaimed high to the very, very low. The book is thought-provoking with regular twists and turns. A solid read. The Review: For me, the book started strong. I felt an immediate connection to the characters and even though Barry Fairbrother's death occurs early in the novel, I felt sadness for his departure. This is a testament to the brilliant writing style of Rowling. Too often, authors kill a character early on without establishing a real connection with the reader, and consequently it leaves the reader feeling like they lost only a stranger. Fairbrother's death establishes a thread that winds throughout the novel. The town of Pagford is well depicted. I can still see it in my mind's eye. It's quaint and charming, but at the same time, cold and gray. Rowling does an excellent job developing the backdrop for the story to include how this backdrop intertwines with the plot. Her characters are so visceral. She explores the lives of not only the adults in the town, but also the teens and the very real affect they take on the lives of their parents, their teachers, the headmaster, and the counselors. She exposes the viscous cycle of the educated and the uneducated, and blows the roof off the hypocritical alliance the rich people of Pagford have for the poor they "are trying to help." Her portrayal of the high school students I found to be expertly written as it captured the way I often view the students I teach everyday; and sadly this was not a good thing. I think, as a teacher, it gave me some comfort to know that across the ocean, teenagers are the same. I was beginning to think we only had true pricks in America. It is certainly true this book is not for children. There is the foulest of language and horrible, depraved depictions of sex. The context of the book really requires you to examine marriage, friendships, and acquaintances in a new way. It causes one to think about trust and how very fragile this is, and it plays to the fantasy life both men and women desire to have amidst the reality they are living in. This book is not for the faint of heart. The Casual Vacancy is a literary read. It is not fast paced nor action packed, but it is deep. I found there was a lull mid-way for me, but as I pressed on I understood the intentionality of this choice by the author. Real life is not always in fast-forward, and this book is a snapshot of real people, of real life. In the end, I would give this book 5 out of 5 stars, a rating I rarely establish upon any book. I know I will continue to think about the lessons and depth of emotion created by Rowling in this novel for years to come. That, my friends, is the mark of a good book.

I wanted to write a review on this book after the first 50 pages and not finish reading it but after reading reviews by people condescendingly declaring that they actually read the whole book before writing, I decided to gag it down and eventually write one. If I can spare just one person this distracted and ill-conceived tome, it will be worth it. I love and adore the Harry Potter series. I believed that Ms Rowling showed a true gift for story-telling for young people in a way that also entertained older people, as well, but they were most definitely geared toward kids. I read and re-read them to my son. I edit books for a friend and am very alert to typos and misspellings that are easy for an author to make and the Harry Potter was so clean and free of those. Not so for Vacancy. It was undertaken so carelessly, as if Ms Rowling felt she must churn out something to placate her reading public, turning her back on the audience she was so suited for and targeting adults, for whom her writing is not suited, causing her editor to fail to find the mistakes, as that would require reading all of that book. The book was dreary, depressing, and focused on the nasty, back-biting traits of small-minded, petty people to a huge degree. I was starting to wonder if that is just how the British generally behave as a whole. That is certainly not my experience as an American, and it was depressing and disheartening through and through. Where people in many communities here rise up to help those in need in their communities, and to help those in other countries as well, the characters in this book treat people with disdain, disrespect, unkindness, or indifference, and this kind of behavior was the norm, not the exception. It painted a picture of whole communities of snobby, petty people always looking for weakness in others to exploit in some way, whether for gain, entertainment, or comparison to bolster some kind of pride, even when in the act of so-called helping them. It was sickening to live for any length of time with those people. Ms Rowling's portrayal of the sexuality of the young people in this book seemed, to me, to be inappropriate, graphic, and disgusting. Her omniscient writing style - which bounced us unmercifully, sometimes confusingly, and often randomly, through the minds of all of her characters - gave the expression TMI (too much information) new meaning. It seemed over the top, disgusting, and inappropriate to be focusing so deeply and graphically on what those teens were doing and why. As one who works with abused and neglected teenagers, I found it disturbing for an adult to be so focused in such a graphic and disgusting way on this aspect of those teenagers, both on their actions and their thoughts. I also kept thinking that this was just another book written for kids disguised as a book for adults, as the main characters focused on were the teens, with the adult dramas related to the teens secondary in importance; In fact, it was as if the adults were only there to prop up the appearance that this is a novel for adults. I guess if you are an adult who wishes to be forever a teenager then maybe? Overall, I simply could not believe this is the same person who wrote the Harry Potter series. It's so foreign to her former work that I have to wonder who actually wrote either Harry Potter or this book. I do not recognize her style at all and I believe she utterly failed in her attempt to transition as a writer for adults. If she wants to write for adults, she needs to write about adults. If she has such disturbing fantasies about teenagers and this was, in her mind, the only socially acceptable way to write about it, then that explains this work a bit better. Personally, as an adult I have no interest whatsoever in the private thoughts and behavior of random teenagers. I had enough of it with my own passage through those challenging times, which were in no way remotely like Ms Rowling's teens' experiences. If you like depressing, poorly written, confusing, random writing that offers no redeeming hope, value, or goodness and ends badly for all involved, then this is the book for you. I never read books like this and it was only because of my love for this author's previous books that I slogged and suffered through this mess. I will not bother with reading her work ever again unless she returns to writing for kids and makes sure she has the same quality editing that the Harry Potter books had. I have learned from reading reviews here that I can't trust the reviews, either, as there were several who highly praised this garbage. All I can say is it is people like that who allow bad writers to thrive. Don't waste your money or your time.

Ms. Rowling, I adore you. Your HP books were just so amazing and have provided me with about 12 years of entertainment. So when I saw you were releasing a new book, I honestly felt I owed it to you to purchase it and try it out, in thanks for the years of enjoyment of your writing. I was truly excited about it. I counted down the days to the release. I in no way expected it to be a Harry Potter-level masterpiece. I did, however, expect your novel to be interesting and enjoyable. I regret to say that, though I go typically through books with enthusiastic fervor, it took me over a month to finish your book. I can finish just about any book in two days flat if I'm enjoying it. I soak up the written word like a very thirsty sponge. But I just could not get into this book. I could not in any way get excited for what would happen next. It seemed to me to be an overall aimless plot, topped off with a sad and dramatic ending that in no way matched the pace of the rest of the book. It was like boringboringboring, then BAM- dramatic, tragic ending. I really cannot understand what possessed you to write it. The petty happenings of small town life simply do not strike me as engaging subject matter. I feel there were too many characters (boring ones, at that). It took me at least until halfway through the book to even differentiate between them all. Overall, this book gave me a sad face :( At the least, I expected an entertaining read. This book was, simply put, a drag that I had to force myself to finish. I also felt your writing was needlessly crude. It was as if you were trying to force your way out of the YA genre by being vulgar (and I am by no means prudish or sensitive), and it honestly added nothing to your book. Why, though? You're such a great writer! I can forgive your mistake in writing this novel, though lol. I loved your other books so much that it more than makes up for this horrid flop. Just please don't do it again! :( And let me make it clear that it pains me to have to write this kind of review for you. The book just was not good, love. I very much regret having to write this! But I had to be honest about my review. P.S. This book was far too overpriced. Yes, Ms. Rowling's name carries much prestige ... but this book was not worthy of the price tag by a long shot.

Update: finished the book. Not really my kind of fiction, I read fiction to STOP thinking about the depressing inequalities and unhappy endings in real life. (Slight spolier) I knew there was going to be a suicide in the book from reading reviews. I found myself wondering which character it would be (there are over 20 characters whom we get point of view from, maybe over 30) but not particularly caring too much. It was one of the top 5 I suspected, tho the triggering event was a bit of a surprise it was predictable many pages before the triggering event happened. Folks DO need to go in prepared, one thing I didn't see mentioned in reviews was that one of the characters is a cutter. This, plus the POV portrayals of spousal and child physical abuse and rape could be very triggering for some folks. Being inside the mind of a character while they are slicing up their arm with a razor blade if you are a recovering cutter (or other self-mutilation behavior) could be a very bad thing is my concern. I finished the book feeling like I had just sat through a really rough time with a friend who was just really awakening to the horrible disparities in society and hadn't really found their footing & hope for the future yet. It is not an optimistic book, and there weren't any characters I really connected with - none of them felt at any point like people I would really want to sit & have a cuppa with if I knew even as much about them as the other characters did. Might be a really good book for folks thinking of going into social work or community activism to read though. Depressingly accurate portrayl of that from my experience. I suspect a lot of this was JKR trying to process & come to terms with her own kids being teens/young adults in the socioeconomic situations she's been in, etc, and her trying to understand why some of these horrible things happen in the world where she doesn't see any humans as pure saints or pure evil. Original review was titled "20% of the way in, it's holding my interest but not as a Potter fan" and is below NOT going to be letting my kids read this anytime soon, that's for sure. LOTS of swearing and other NC17 type stuff in here(annoying as I'm switching between the Audible version and the Kindle version while puttering around the house and have to turn off the audio if one of the kids comes near). As a social scientist, I am enjoying her delving into the inner workings and motivations of very different characters. It DOES make it hard to follow the audiobook version at times, though, as the perspective character switches FREQUENTLY, and inner dialogue isn't necessarily obviously such in the audio (the audiobook reader is no Jim Dale). Also rather annoyed that Amazon/Audible didn't do the audio whispersync thing with this that they're promoting so heavily. Really challenging to figure out what chapter I'm on in the audio when I switch to it with the way the chaptering is done on this one (more difficult than dong the same thing with the Harry Potter books - the chapters in the Audible one are just numbered sequentially without the way they're done in the table of contents of the print book, and they don't have chapter names, and the book restarts the chapter number count with each of the "days"... it's a pain). I took off half a star for that, and half for it not being, thus far, up to my "draw from all kinds of literary/mythology references to send me scurrying for an encyclopedia to learn more about something new" like the Harry Potter books did (and still do, after repeated rereads, so maybe I'll catch some references that send me off to learn more in a reread of this too). It's gritty and very realistic, sometimes depressingly so. It feels like Ms. Rowling might be giving a bit of personal commentary on the types of people who would be in the cafes when she was writing the early Harry Potter books in towns that I suspect were similar to this one, and giving us a little insight into the kinds of neighbors she's had herself going from the "living on the public dole" types after growing up very middle class and now finding herself very wealthy. If nothing else it will give you a lot of insight into how a very powerful woman perceives the inner workings of people she's been around throughout her life. She's not necessarily kind to many of them, there are lots of warts in here.

Because my mother was a huge Anglophile and I have seen a ton of British comedy films, I understood this genre and fell right into the world of this tiny town with its tiny-minded inhabitants. Pagford is the center (centre) of their existence, and everyone knows everyone else's business. But, once the doors are closed, families are hiding secrets that are crippling. Children are abused, mental illness rules, dissatisfaction and sadness. Small meanness keeps some hearts forever closed. Add to this, the fear we in the US see when we talk about poor people, drug abuse, welfare concerns. As a deeply-involved character study, this book looks at politics and the lengths people will go to avoid having to let go of preconceived notions of others. The Council of Pagford is gearing up for an ugly battle over The Fields -- a neighborhood that is legally a part of Pagford, a neighborhood of poor people with few prospects and few champions on the Council -- especially since Barry Fairbrother, a Fields success story, dies in the first scene. Barry is one of those stories 'reformers' love to tell...he grew up without much hope, but he fought for opportunities and he made something out of himself. His mission in life, before his unfortunate death, was to give a hand-up for others in the Fields, to show others they can do it too. This is not a welcome message for Howard, Barry's principal rival on the Council. He wants to shut down services to the people in the Fields and cut them loose from any support. With Barry's death, an opening in the Council becomes the prize for pro-and anti-Fields townspeople. We see the machinations behind the scenes and men in Pagford begin considering their own run. One of the criticisms of the book is the fact there are so many characters. I found it hard at first to keep track, so I made a chart to refer back to. This is one of those elements that reminded me of the old films Mom and I watched...SEEING the actors would be much easier than reading the names. If there was a character Rowling should have cut, I'd love for someone to give me that name. Every one added authenticity to this town. Every one contributed to the shattering climax. I found myself drawn to the young people...friends and classmates in the school the Pagford community wants to keep 'pure', code for 'free of Fields' kids.' Simon decides to run...but will his horrendous abuse, temper, and illegal dealings come out? His son Andrew hopes so. Colin decides to run...the assistant headmaster of the school...but his wife seems to brood on a secret she fears will come to light. Their son "Fats" is a walking time bomb, aimed in his parents' direction. Miles, Howard's son, has the inside track and seems to be blithering toward the office. Gumming up the works for everyone is Krystal Weedon. Krystal is a posterchild for what's wrong with the Fields: addict mother who turns tricks, anger issues, mouth of a sailor. She's also a shining example of a Fields child who can be saved: a good heart, devotion to her little brother and great-grandmother, smarts, and athletic ability. We see the pettiness of prejudiced people...their fear of people who are difference, their meanness, their back-stabbing. Their inability to see from someone else's point of view. Their eagerness to throw away people who are different. The Fields are inhabited by the 47%. People who ARE struggling, people who have (some of them) given up. Rowling does a masterful job of showing how hard it is to nurture hope when the world seems to be against you. Exactly how often is a person supposed to get back up when the world beats you down, and there's no one with a helping hand? But she shows us there is much worth saving...if the policymakers will have the Christian courage to love their neighbors. I found the parallels to our own country uncomfortably compelling. I was fascinated by her young people and their internal struggles...every one, despite the home he or she might live in, lives an internal life of fear and pain, of anger and revenge. They learn revenge hurts everyone, but I have the most hope for the teens. I fear for their parents...I'm not sure much has been learned. The community's indifference and self-centeredness contribute to the ultimate tragedy. I loved this book...the complicated characters, every one a full-drawn, rounded character, the relationships, the DALLOWAY-like crossing of the characters as she draws us from one scene into another. The glimpse into British politics. The lesson that humans are more alike than we're different. flag

Una novela maravillosa con unos personajes muy bien definidos y complejos.

Excelente

Fab story. Got involved in the first few pages.

I bought this book last year on amazon.uk. At first I must confess I bought it just because it was written by JK Rowling (I had loved the Harry Potter novels as a child and teenager and wanted to read another book by Joanne). I fell in love right away with this masterpiece! It's very well written and..... realistic, which might be a drawback for some people as some parts of the book are really dark (you won't find Harry Potter's magic in this book). I loved Pagford and the Fields and the majority of the characters. The style is very pleasant, so pleasant I read the book in less than two days (just like when I used to read Harry Potter) BUT it's dark, the novel begins with the death of a character and many serious themes are developed in this novel. In short, liking Harry Potter doesn't mean you will enjoy this very realistic novel.

I appreciatee this book from the start to the end. Hope to read it even translated in my language, italian