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The Casual Vacancy

3.26 of 5 stars 3.26 · rating details · 77,156 ratings · 15,322 reviews

A BIG NOVEL ABOUT A SMALL TOWN ...

When Barry Fairbrother dies in his early forties, the town of Pagford is left in shock.

Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.

Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at...more

Hardcover, First Edition (US), 503 pages

Published September 27th 2012 by Little, Brown and Company (first published 2012)

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Nov 15, 2012 Nina ♥ marked it as to-read

So I won't be able to read anything until Christmas break. I have so many exams. Fml.

(view spoiler)...more

760 likes · like · see review

Oct 08, 2012 Mith rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned, absolutely-spiffing, slice-of-life

How (not) to read The Casual Vacancy :

1. DON'T read it just because it's written by JK Rowling.
2. DON'T expect it to be like Harry Potter - i.e, magic stuff. (Read the blurb, nimrod)
3. DON'T expect a murder mystery - it isn't one.
4. DON'T read it if you are not comfortable with the fact that the woman who might have moulded your childhood, is writing about drugs, teen sex, prostitution, rape etc. - this book isn't for you.
5. DON'T compare this with her previous works, for the love of God!

When it...more

577 likes · like · see review

Oct 05, 2012 Nataliya rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads

J.K.Rowling gave a whole generation of kids an amazing fantasy to dream about (*).

Then she wrote this book that has many of the same elements, only without the safe haven of magic (**). Basically, this is a real world where a strange man showing up at your family's doorstep at night is less likely to be a magical school groundskeeper but more likely your family's drug dealer who, by the way, may not be adverse to beating and raping you for good measure.(***)

It's the world left for Dudley Dursl...more

584 likes · like · see review

May 24, 2013 Krys rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: english-setting, long-length-book, fiction, own, third-person-narrative, read-in-2012, stand-alone

The Casual Vacancy = Mind Blowing.

There is a quote in J.K. Rowling's newly released book, The Casual Vacancy, that sums up the tone of this novel perfectly.

"The mistake ninety-nine percent of humanity made, as far as Fats could see, was being ashamed of what they were, lying about it, trying to be somebody else. Honesty was Fats' currency, his weapon and defense. It frightened people when you were honest; it shocked them. Other people, Fats had discovered, were mired in embarrassment and preten...more

283 likes · like · see review

Oct 02, 2012 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: wish-list, fiction, twas-good, adult, drama, my-own-my-preciousss, group-reads

28 Sept. '12
I have to start by saying, that if you're expecting a (murder-)mystery novel; a plot submerged in conspiracies and political maneuverings, you will be sorely disappointed. If you're hoping to be transported to another magical adventure, you'll receive an even greater plummet back down to earth.

Look. If you're going to read this just because it has JK Rowling's name splattered on there, I strongly advise you to sit back, take a look at your computer screen, and read that book descri...more

443 likes · like · see review

Mar 05, 2013 Nilesh Kashyap rated it 4 of 5 stars

6.11 A casual vacancy is deemed to have occurred:
(a) when a local councillor fails to make his declaration of acceptance of office within the proper time; or
(b) when his notice of resignation is received; or
(c) on the day of his death …
Charles Arnold-Baker
Local Council Administration,
Seventh Edition

Barry Fairbrother, local councillor of Pagford lay dead on the ground in pool of his own vomit. His death creates a situation called ' casual vacancy '. A lot of people of people are willing to fill Ba...more

162 likes · like · see review

Mar 19, 2013 Scott Pilgrim marked it as did-not-finish

Shelves: big-disappointments, contemporary

Find more of my controversial reviews at Scott Reads It

Updated: 3/19/13

This is the cover for the Casual Vacancy's upcoming paperback release (July 18, 2013). Personally I like the paperback's cover better than the original cover.The original cover was extremely disappointing and I believe that the paperback's cover is more visually appealing.

Original Post:
After rereading my review of The Casual Vacancy I realized it sounded sloppy and very unprofessional. I decided to edit my entire review and start from scratch.

I had such high expectations for The Casual Vacancy and I was extremely letdown. I'll admit that the only reason that I read this book is because I adore J.K. Rowling and her Harry Potter series. I was so excited to read a new J.K. Rowling book that I didn't care that The Casual Vacancy was nothing like her Harry Potter series. (That's not to say that I secretly wished that The Casual Vacancy was some sort of spin off or sequel to Harry Potter.)

Though J.K. Rowling's writing style is evident in The Casual Vacancy, nevertheless reading The Casual Vacancy felt like a form of torture. I lacked any emotional attachment or connection with the characters in The Casual Vacancy. The only emotions towards the characters in this book were repulsion and extreme distaste. The political structure of this book was portrayed in a manner that was unappealing and tedious.

I felt like The Casual Vacancy unnecessarily dirty and vulgar. I believe that J.K. Rowling was trying to differentiate from her children's books by adding rape, pedophilia, sex scenes, and adult content. How many times can you drop the f-bomb before it becomes irritating?

It is truly alarming how 5 star reviews I have seen that were written by people who have never even read The Casual Vacancy. It truly defeats the purpose of Goodreads to review and rate a book you have never even read.

I wish I had a better experience reading The Casual Vacancy. The Casual Vacancy was very dull and I struggled to read a few chapters. One day I hope I will attempt to finish The Casual Vacancy but for now I'm marking it as DNF. (less)

169 likes · like · see review

Sep 30, 2012 Haleema marked it as to-read

Shelves: can-t-get-you-off-my-mind, get-released-or-else, my-emotions, omigosh

WOAH. Why didn't I know about this before? Rowling is writing another book?!

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Oh my Rowling.
I AM GOING MAD!

Like this...

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Then this... (ahem...)

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Then this...

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And then this...

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Then this...

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This is incredible, considering I'm still experiencing PTPD. (Post Traumatic Potter Disorder). *stuffs her face with chocolate frogs* BUT! Listen, people. I'm not extrememely excited for this book because it's not fantasy. And I don't mean Harry Potter's continuation. Please, as much as I loved HP, I don't need to read...more

267 likes · like · see review

May 31, 2013 Bonnie marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-thriller, adult, library

Update 7/3/2012: Well... I can't lie. That is one seriously disappointing cover.

A 2012 release date?!?!?!? SO EXCITED.

Enough said.

112 likes · like · see review

Sep 28, 2012 Sam added it

Shelves: did-not-finish

Read up to page 51 (Olden Days section).

Okay. Where to start?...

First of all, there was one - and only one - reason that I had even considered reading this book. J.K. Rowling had written it. Had anyone else presented me with a story about a small English town rocked by the death of a councillor named Barry Fairbrother, I'm positive I wouldn't have even blinked its way. This story? So not for me. I knew that, of course, before I had even picked this up. I only hoped Rowling's superhuman abilitie...more

160 likes · like · see review

Apr 30, 2013 Richard rated it 3 of 5 stars

Rating: 3* of five

The Book Description: When Barry Fairbrother dies in his early forties, the town of Pagford is left in shock.

Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.

Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils ... Pagford is not what it first seems.

And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soo...more

45 likes · like · see review

Sep 11, 2012 Palice Pottle marked it as to-read

Uh, hi, I think I might read this when no one is reading it, so that I can read it without thinking, "Oh, I'm reading a JKR book! Her writing is perfect! OH THIS IS NOT HARRY POTTER!"
I have a feeling I'm going to be biased, because I've always liked Rowling, so I think it's best to wait when not everyone is reading this book, and I don't feel any pressure... and when I can think it's just an ordinary book by whatever author...

AH I DON'T KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN!

Does anyone understand what I'm trying...more

47 likes · like · see review

Oct 24, 2012 Martha added it

Shelves: most-coveted, literary-fiction, satire

I have never wanted something more in my life.

46 likes · like · see review

Nov 11, 2012 Manon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: the-fuck-is-that-ending

February, 23th 2012: I'm totally going to read this, even though it is about a cat learning to fly or a slug eating leaves (even though I'm sure it won't).
If J.K. Rowling writes it, it will be a great book.

April, 12th 2012: WE HAVE ITS NAME!
AND ITS SYNOPSIS!
OH MY GOD.
I AM TOTALLY EXCITED.
That's great, right?

November, 1st 2012: Okay hmm this book was clearly not what I was expecting.
It was greatly written as usual, and I did like it, but really, when they said this was for adults I wouldn't have imagined that they r...more

46 likes · like · see review

Oct 04, 2012 Hannah marked it as did-not-finish

I didn't have any giddy expectations for Rowling's first foray into the world of adult fiction, but will admit to being curious as to how she would approach it. Now with 64 pages under my belt, my personal verdict is in: Did not Finish.

It's not a badly written book, but what little I read I found dull and pedestrian, which surprised me more then anything given Rowling's richly imaginative mind. In addition, the crude language seemed more forced then natural, almost as if Rowling needed to drive...more

70 likes · like · see review

Oct 26, 2012 Ashley rated it 4 of 5 stars

SO EXCITED!! I really hope it's a mystery/thriller/suspense novel!

4/12 Edit:
AHHH! A title and a release date! And a synopsis!! I want, I want, I WANT!

description

34 likes · like · see review

May 02, 2013 Megan Baxter rated it 4 of 5 stars

Well, crap. I just wrote a review for this, forgot to copy it, and for the first time, Goodreads has lost it. Okay, let's see if I can remember what I said.

I was startled by how much I liked this book. I tried to go into it without expectation, without expecting it to be good or terrible, or like Harry Potter, or anything. But it grabbed me almost immediately and didn't let go.

There is, of course, very little in common with Harry Potter. But that doesn't mean there is nothing in common. That str...more Well, crap. I just wrote a review for this, forgot to copy it, and for the first time, Goodreads has lost it. Okay, let's see if I can remember what I said.

I was startled by how much I liked this book. I tried to go into it without expectation, without expecting it to be good or terrible, or like Harry Potter, or anything. But it grabbed me almost immediately and didn't let go.

There is, of course, very little in common with Harry Potter. But that doesn't mean there is nothing in common. That strong sense of plot, the ability to hold a million aspects of her story in her head at the same time, the interesting characters, and the deft touch at dropping in details without signposting "This here is important!" Some mystery writers don't have that talent. Rowling has it in spades.

Barry Fairbrother is dead. Sounds like it should be a cozy mystery, huh? Except there's no mystery. There's no crime. There is only death, and the absence it causes. And because Barry was who he was, there is the aftermath, as friends try to cope with his death, as his wife resents the issues he spent his life campaigning for instead of spending time with her, as his adversaries on the local parish council try to take advantage of the ensuing election to push through some local legislation that could have a devastating effect on some of the inhabitants.

Who gets to call themselves a Pagfordian, anyway? That's one of the core questions of the book. How do we draw those lines? What do we do when people cross those lines? How can we keep undesirable people from infringing on our pleasant existence? How can we make it someone else's responsibility?

So many issues of modern family life are raised in this book, but The Casual Vacancy centers around poverty. How we romanticize it. How we demonize it. How we treat it, how we alleviate it, how we punish it. Those who merely want the poor to go away. Those who want to help. The fucking complexity of the issues, and the inability of simple band-aid solutions to address anything.

And I loved the characters - they jumped off the pages at me. I loved how complex they were, and the way the story wove in and out of different families, different experiences, and layered on information that continually made the story more complex. This is not a straightforward narrative. If you're looking for that, this may drive you crazy.

I loved Krystal Weedon, the person who stands to lose the most from Barry's death, but is seen as one of the least deserving to mourn him. I loved how complex she was, how the story showed her from so many different people's perspectives, and let you understand why each person felt the way they did. I ached for her, wished I could come up with a solution.

There aren't easy solutions. But there are material things we can do to not make life worse. J.K. Rowling looks at those things, and how people justify being on different sides of the same issue. How they're motivated by personal issues, personality conflicts and history.

This is a difficult book. But a really good one, and I'm so glad I read it, for all the gutwrenching.

Crossposted at Smorgasbook (less)

41 likes · like · see review

Oct 20, 2012 Mafi marked it as asap · review of another edition

Shelves: pt, ebook

New book?

Oh my god!

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The original cover?

Is hurting my eyes!

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I will wait for the portuguese version, it's impossible to be the same, impossible!!

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the portuguese cover comes out:

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it's the same.

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41 likes · like · see review

Oct 08, 2012 Anachronist rated it 2 of 5 stars

Synopsis:

When Barry Fairbrother dies suddenly of aneurism in his early forties, leaving his family and a lot of unfinished issues behind, the town of Pagford is in shock. He was a well-known councilor and a coach of the local female rowing team. He was also a man with a mission. Who will fill his shoes? Will his death benefit his allies or his enemies?
Surprisingly there are more than one or two token candidates. Pagford, seemingly an English sleepy town like many others, with a cobbled market sq...more Synopsis:

When Barry Fairbrother dies suddenly of aneurism in his early forties, leaving his family and a lot of unfinished issues behind, the town of Pagford is in shock. He was a well-known councilor and a coach of the local female rowing team. He was also a man with a mission. Who will fill his shoes? Will his death benefit his allies or his enemies?
Surprisingly there are more than one or two token candidates. Pagford, seemingly an English sleepy town like many others, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, becomes a war zone and, like in every war, there will be casualties. Who will prevail? Is it important at all?

My impressions:

First of all let me state the obvious: hearing the name of J.K. Rowling you will immediately think ‘Harry Potter’ even if you haven’t read any of the books or haven’t seen the movies. But HP series was finished some time ago and now Ms Rowling decided to branch out. I am far from criticizing her for that, let me just say it was a very bold move, rejecting a genre which made you famous, renowned and super-rich, trying something entirely new and different. I grant it, she could afford that little experiment without breaking out into a financial sweat, a rare luxury among authors. My question is rather why it was done the way it was done especially that it could have been done practically any way?

My first surprise: the new book was still published under the name of J.K. Rowling. Let’s face it – whether the author likes it or not that name belongs firmly to Harry Potter. Using it to market a contemporary fiction novel for adults is like trying to sell e.g. BMW shoes or Manolo Blahnik computers. Of course it has its short-term advantages: plenty of people have bought the book out of sheer curiosity or loyalty so I suppose the publisher and the author will make a nice, fat profit, no problem. Still most of those casual readers will be confused and disenchanted at best, getting not exactly what they have expected or used to expect. I suppose next time they won’t fall for the magic name alone.

The novel itself is a solid piece of writing, planned and executed decently well, but the topic isn’t either fresh or original, let alone ground-breaking. I am not an especially well-read person in English literature and even I have read many similar position by Kate Atkinson or Sue Townsend; I can even add Agatha Christie to the bunch here, and I must say their books were actually better – funnier, more edgy. Do not expect in The Casual Vacancy any magic, even of the metaphorical kind, or fireworks of humour and wisdom. While reading it I didn’t feel that intense urge to find out what happened next, or to devour the book as soon as possible. It was a tepid story set in a banal, industrial-grey world; after finishing it I could shrug my shoulders and move on. I related to none of the characters, I didn’t hate anybody in particular, I am not curious what will happen to them in the future. If I have to be honest I could live without meeting them at all.

I suppose I would be far more comfortable if the book was published under an alias. Now it seems to me that Ms Rowling decided to minimize any risk and to capitalize shamelessly on her previous success, selling readers something which is supposedly connected to the HP series but in reality as far away from those books as it can only be. Only after the lecture of reviews or the book itself you see you have been conned. . Had this one been penned by a debut author, without all that glamour of a world-famous name, it would have still been published but I am sure it would have also passed unnoticed and would have been forgotten soon.

By the way would it be such a bad idea to write something new (heck, even starting a new series) for adults but with fantasy elements included? Do only kids deserve a bit of fun? Taking into account how many mature readers have enjoyed the adventures of Harry and his friends, not to mention his enemies (yours truly among them) it seems like a completely rhetorical question, right?

Final verdict:

A decent novel about contemporary Britain but nothing outstanding you must or should read or you miss out on an important book. Rowling has said pre-emptively: ‘ I'm a writer and I will write what I want to write.' Ok, fine. I am a reader and I will read what I want to read. Not something like this one, though.
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view all 113 comments

Anachronist Tracy wrote: "Maybe I am a romantic but still makes me happy to think that not all the books are product of a market research, that there are books ou...more
Apr 29, 2013 05:36am

rameau Tracy wrote: "O well! Back into the book, I finished it yesterday and I am still not sure what the moral is. We got Pagford getting rid of the Fields...more
Apr 29, 2013 08:38am

Sep 29, 2012 Tatiana marked it as lost-interest

Not sure I am really into this synopsis, but I guess I still HAVE to check this book out.

9/29 Well, after reading early reviews of this I am pretty certain I won't be reading it.

36 likes · like · see review

Oct 02, 2012 Gemma marked it as to-read

UPDATE 10/2:

Wow. A lot of negative reviews for The Casual Vacancy thus far, and an interview with Rowling in Entertainment Weekly bragging that yes, her book has sex scenes and other forms of adult content.

I dunno. I don't want to judge The Casual Vacancy prematurely because that's not fair of me, but I don't know that I want to go out and spend thirty bucks on a copy if it's as dirty (and... non-engaging) as people are saying it is.

I will read it. Or try. Because no matter how bad the reviews...more

26 likes · like · see review

Oct 10, 2012 Kara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: bestseller, lit-fiction, big-issues, owned

Gritty, realistic, layered portrait of a small town in crisis. In the fallout of parish councillor Barry Fairbrother's death, the stories of a diverse cast of unhappy people are woven together: some likeable, most not. The upcoming election for Barry's empty council seat fuels a sea of pettiness, gossip, and self-interest, and long-simmering resentments come to a head.

Let me start off by mentioning, as everyone else has, that this is not Harry Potter. Muggles only. In addition to the conspicuou...more Gritty, realistic, layered portrait of a small town in crisis. In the fallout of parish councillor Barry Fairbrother's death, the stories of a diverse cast of unhappy people are woven together: some likeable, most not. The upcoming election for Barry's empty council seat fuels a sea of pettiness, gossip, and self-interest, and long-simmering resentments come to a head.

Let me start off by mentioning, as everyone else has, that this is not Harry Potter. Muggles only. In addition to the conspicuous dearth of wizards, it lacks the kooky charm, sentimentality, and optimism of the other series. Rowling is pretty unrecognizable. That said, as an adult novel that tackles sobering subjects like drug addiction, child abuse, and rape, it's bound to be a bit denser. I didn't find it as shocking as some people did, though. Yes, there is profanity. Yes, there is violence. Yes, there is sexuality. But it is never excessive or graphic or gimmicky. I got the sense that Rowling just wanted a no-holds-barred look at life in Pagford from all angles. Omitting swear words or the more disturbing events would have seemed far less raw and honest.

Multiple perspectives can be hard to pull off (jarring, choppy, etc), but the transitions are executed smoothly. The realistic, distinctive internal dialogue is the strong point of the novel, creating fully-realized and 3D characters you come to know very well. Some you wish you didn't - the small-minded and pernicious Mollison clan remind me of the Dursleys + Umbridge, and it was hard to read through their prejudiced and self-satisfied small talk. But there are also some fundamentally well-intentioned but flawed folks that I enjoyed following around and seeking to understand (Andrew, Parminder, Fats, etc). All the characters feel, as Fats would say, authentic.

The novel is slow-paced (and drags sometimes), but it carries a sort of slow burn. You detect certain tensions building and building and wonder what the culmination of those tensions will mean. Every action has consequences that echo through the rest of the book.

Ultimately, it's a fairly dark novel, but all the same, I felt reluctant to let the characters go at the end. Which is always a good sign.(less)

62 likes · like · see review

Feb 02, 2013 Regina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorite-authors, audio-also-listened-to, listened-to-audio-only, only-listeneed-to, favorites, literature, narration-is-great

Check out this review and others like it at BadAssBookReviews

Casual Vacancy is a beautifully written work of art. Nothing has been missed in the story. No storyline was neglected. Every character and every scene is perfectly orchestrated to completion. Reading Casual Vacancy is like eating that perfect meal. It starts off with an explosion of flavor, akin to a beautifully prepared appetizer and from there Rowling guides the reader through a perfectly told story that is nicely sustained. A good...more Check out this review and others like it at BadAssBookReviews

Casual Vacancy is a beautifully written work of art. Nothing has been missed in the story. No storyline was neglected. Every character and every scene is perfectly orchestrated to completion. Reading Casual Vacancy is like eating that perfect meal. It starts off with an explosion of flavor, akin to a beautifully prepared appetizer and from there Rowling guides the reader through a perfectly told story that is nicely sustained. A good story is one that the reader does not want to put down, but is not forced to rush through. It is a story that once over, its characters will be missed. And once completed, the storyline line and messages are still being contemplated in the minds of its readers. This is the brilliance of Casual Vacancy.

What about the bad reviews? What about all the readers who put it down out of what they said was disappointment and boredom? I was not dissuaded or discouraged when I read the very first publicized negative reactions to Casual Vacancy or heard from various friends and other reviewers, “My friend started this and was bored so she put it down”. Harry Potter had such huge wide spread appeal that it makes sense that many of her former fans would give this a try or think about giving it a try, but Casual Vacancy – while nearly perfectly written in my opinion – is not a book that will have wide spread appeal. Despite my opinion on this, Casual Vacancy does have staying power and it has its own beauty. The thing about Harry Potter is that all sorts of readers consumed it. And all sorts of non-readers read it. To please that type of audience would take something like, well the Hunger Games to satisfy everyone. But that is not being fair to Harry Potter and its fans, Hunger Games (in my opinion) while fun and very good, does not come close to the brilliance of the Harry Potter series (and if you have only read the first one or two in the series, then you have no idea what I mean … read the later ones!). My point – Casual Vacancy is not a repeat of Harry Potter in terms of having wide spread appeal.

At the risk of being confusing and contradictory – Casual Vacancy is very similar to Harry Potter. Whaatttt????

For readers of the entire series of Harry Potter, I am confident what remains with them even years after reading the books are the characters – the depth of the individuals developed, their struggles with moral dilemmas, the depiction of how absolutely horrible human beings can be to others when given the opportunity, their personal losses and their small victories. That is what I remember, more than any complicated mythology behind wands and horcruxes – I remember the characters. The Harry Potter books are immense in length and the story takes 7 books to tell, because it is the characters’ stories that filled the pages.

Casual Vacancy appears to be set in a nearly perfect setting: a small town where people know each other and have for generations. This is a town that is not war torn, is not fighting a famine or dangerous gangs and is not facing a spiraling out of control crime rate. This book does not have an external pressure affecting its characters or a complicated plot line each is struggling through. What this story comes down to is just the people appearing on the pages of the book and how people live their lives, how people treat each other, and what motivates them to act. The story is told from the alternating third person point of view a large number of characters. At first, keeping track of each character is task. I actually kept a cheat sheet. However, after about 10% of the book each character was solidly embedded and I no longer needed my notes. In the beginning of the story, it first appears that all of the characters are somehow involved with one main character that has died. And yes, while that is true they have that in common, that is not really the point – the point is not their connection but their own individual stories.

The characters in Casual Vacancy are each trapped in their own universe of interests, surrounded by their own self focused motives. They cannot seem to see beyond their own pain and struggles and because of this, they don’t see those who truly need help. There are heartbreaking scenes in this book, but they are essential to go through because it is a forcing of the reader to notice the pain of others – in a way that many of us probably do not in real life. This book provides an amazing lesson to each of us and is inspiring. Stop, open our eyes, help those around us, see people from their perspective instead of judging.

Who would enjoy this book? Readers that enjoy literary fiction, character studies or societal observations . This book is not an adventure tale nor is it a story with a beginning, middle and end. It is a window into the lives of a small town – the readers get a glimpse and then it is over. Readers looking for a tight resolution, a beautiful and satisfying end, and the triumph of good over evil should not attempt Casual Vacancy. They will be disappointed. This is not a book to be skimmed, but instead it is one to be immersed in and it takes awhile to get through. So patient readers are needed as well. I plan on re-reading this book and I anxiously wait for Rowling’s next effort.
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May 01, 2013 Keertana rated it 2 of 5 stars

In all honesty, I would have NEVER picked up this book. Ever. BUT then I saw that The Queen, J.K. Rowling, had written it and I KNEW I had to read it. I should make a few things clear before I continue: (1) I am a HUGE Harry Potter Fan...it's changed my life and I doubt I'd be who I am today without it. (2) The Casual Vacancy can't be compared with Harry Potter at all...it's simply too different.

You see, TCV contains Rowling's signature writing style and within the first fifty pages or so of th...more In all honesty, I would have NEVER picked up this book. Ever. BUT then I saw that The Queen, J.K. Rowling, had written it and I KNEW I had to read it. I should make a few things clear before I continue: (1) I am a HUGE Harry Potter Fan...it's changed my life and I doubt I'd be who I am today without it. (2) The Casual Vacancy can't be compared with Harry Potter at all...it's simply too different.

You see, TCV contains Rowling's signature writing style and within the first fifty pages or so of this book I've read, it's clear that she IS a phenomenal writer...there's no question about it. She manages to capture human emotion in an incredibly realistic manner and show us so many shades of gray that I'm in awe of her skill - once again.

Yet, while Harry Potter made us feel for Harry from the onset of the novel and made us realize there was an ultimate goal of defeating Voldemort, there is no feeling or goal involved in TCV. We, as the reader, have been introduced to dozens of characters already but haven't been given the opportunity to feel for them yet. I suppose this may happen eventually, but with all the characters in this, I doubt it. Furthermore, I don't see where this book is going. So far, I've heard what dozens of people think about Barry's death...great! Now what?

I think, to put it simply, this book just isn't for me. I'm not interested in Barry, I don't care that he died, and frankly speaking, I don't understand the whole furor over this casual vacancy. I'm not British...is that the problem? Or maybe I'm not adult enough? When we think of adults when we are children, we think of large, boring people with spectacles and boring jobs. At least, that's what I thought of adults as when I was a kid. Similarly, I feel as if this book is for those types of adults. Not me.

Will I go back to this? Probably. Yes. I simply don't have the time or patience to devote to this one now. I still love Rowling, but maybe it's time to accept that more than the author of the Harry Potter books, it's really Harry, his journey, and how his journey changed US that we love. It's also probably time to accept that this novel is targeted towards the small group of people who haven't read anything by Rowling yet and by the end of this, perhaps we'll all be united in a life-long appreciation for her...whether it was through a magical train to Hogwarts or a countryside walk in Pagford. (less)

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Oct 05, 2012 Issy rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is utterly heartbreaking, but real, gritty, and slightly sickening.

I had no idea what this novel was going to be about when I bought it yesterday. Being 17, I have grown up living and breathing Harry Potter. It is correct to assume that this novel is an utter contrast to the Harry Potter series. But I think it is a most naive error to try to compare the two works. It goes to JK Rowlings credit that she can produce such varied pieces, and write them so well!

I love this novel. I find th...more This book is utterly heartbreaking, but real, gritty, and slightly sickening.

I had no idea what this novel was going to be about when I bought it yesterday. Being 17, I have grown up living and breathing Harry Potter. It is correct to assume that this novel is an utter contrast to the Harry Potter series. But I think it is a most naive error to try to compare the two works. It goes to JK Rowlings credit that she can produce such varied pieces, and write them so well!

I love this novel. I find that I am attracted to it for the same reasons I am attracted to Steinbeck's novella Of Mice and Men: it is fast paced, never boring, develops characters well, and most importantly regularly sheds truthful insights into the workings of the human mind, and how we perceive life.

Basically, it cuts through the bullshit. It doesn't matter how pretty the prose one may read in a novel today, if you can find a book like this, one that will rip your heart open and expose it for the world to see, making you consider who you are as a person, you are lucky.

Rowling is a brilliant writer, and with such fluency and articulation she shows her characters to be three-dimensional, giving the reader no reason to hate any of them, but no reason to love them either. My favourite character would probably be Krystal, although I grew to love both Tessa Wall and Sukhvinder Jawanda increasingly. Rowling produced such strong characters in these three women, writing them so non-stereotypically, giving them unique viewpoints it's hard to believe that they were strictly fictional. In Samantha Mollison you found a 'Emma Bovary' type, types that I often have love/hate relationships with (a women so bored of her conventional married life, that she acts outrageously to fill the void inside of her.)
The only male character I had any fondness towards was Andrew Price and perhaps his poor younger brother. I found them both endearing, and could relate to their struggles.
What I like most about how she wrote her characters was the way she saved judgement; she let readers weigh up each characters strengths and weaknesses, to make a decision on how they felt about them theirselves.

Living on and off in a country town for 10 years, I found that Rowling's portrayal of country life was extremely accurate. The narrow-mindedness that is often expressed, the idea that there is no life that matters outside the town, the loyalty and defensiveness around it, the nosy community, the hunger for gossip, the rebellious adolescents.

In the end, I don't think this book as a particular agenda. I think in its brilliant 500 pages, its sole purpose is to portray life as it is. It's direct truthfulness stuns me. Those who criticise this novel for its 'dark themes' or 'foul language' simply remind me of Howard and Shirley Mollison, who don't believe terrible and dirty things actually happen in their own little universe and if they do, they are more than happy to write them off.

Bad things happen. So do good things. If you're unable to stomach this, and want Harry to defeat dark wizard after dark wizard without failure, this novel isn't for you. If you're able to accept that life isn't always sunshine and lollipops, I guarantee you will be able to relate to, and even enjoy (what a thought!) this novel.

(less)

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Dec 16, 2012 Jane rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

Where I got the book: my local library.

It took me a while to decide to read this book; I had really enjoyed the Harry Potter books but would not go so far as to call myself a fan of JK Rowling, and why would I be interested in her as an adult-novel writer anyway? I'd seen a fair amount of negativity on reader loops; people didn't like the swearing, the book was too different from Harry Potter, there were too many characters so the story was confusing, etc. And then when this novel won the Goodre...more

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Nov 03, 2012 B0nnie rated it 3 of 5 stars

‘Umbrella’: Written by Terius Nash, Christopher ‘Tricky’ Stewart, Shawn Carter and Thaddis Harrell © 2007 by 2082 Music Publishing (ASCAP)/Songs of Peer, Ltd. (ASCAP)/March Ninth Music Publishing (ASCAP)/Carter Boys Music (ASCAP)/EMI Music Publishing Ltd (PRS)/Sony/ATV Music Publishing (PRS). All rights on behalf of WB Music Corp. and 2082 Music Publishing Administered by Warner/Chappell North America Ltd. All Rights on behalf of March Ninth Music Publishing Controlled and Administered by Son

...more

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Oct 03, 2012 the scarecrow rated it 5 of 5 stars

When I found out this was being released, I screamed like someone getting crucio'd and now my mother probably thinks I've finally lost the plot, but I DON'T CARE. I don't care what this book is about, because this woman is a brilliant writer and I have all the faith in the world in her talent.

<3

I can't accio it because I'm apparently a muggle (broke my heart when I didn't get my letter, I tell you), but be STILL, my aching heart, the time for wish fulfilment will come soon enough.

21 likes · like · see review

Oct 31, 2012 Raeleen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, 2012, favorites

*4.5*
I went into this book expecting to hate it, and I'll admit, it started off pretty slow. However, as the story progressed, each character grew more and more, and I became emotionally attached to a couple of them, Krystal Weedon in particular. This is one of those books that I know I'll fully enjoy the second time I read it, since now I know all the characters it'll be much easier to follow. Overall, amazing book.

I also get sad whenever I listen to Umbrella now, which I keep doing for some re...more

34 likes · like · see review

Oct 20, 2012 ~Tina~ rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2012, struggled, mystery, adults, own

2.5 stars

Had a really hard time with this book and it's not because I was comparing it to HP. I just don't think it was my kind of read.
I love J.K Rowling. She's the reason I became a reader, but I think I'm gonna stick with her YA /middle grade books instead.

24 likes · like · see review

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About J.K. Rowling

Although she writes under the pen name J. K. Rowling, pronounced like rolling,her name when her first Harry Potter book was published was simply Joanne Rowling. Anticipating that the target audience of young boys might not want to read a book written by a woman, her publishers demanded that she use two initials, rather than her full name. As she had no middle name, she chose K as the second initia...more Although she writes under the pen name J. K. Rowling, pronounced like rolling,her name when her first Harry Potter book was published was simply Joanne Rowling. Anticipating that the target audience of young boys might not want to read a book written by a woman, her publishers demanded that she use two initials, rather than her full name. As she had no middle name, she chose K as the second initial of her pen name, from her paternal grandmother Kathleen Ada Bulgen Rowling. She calls herself Jo and has said, "No one ever called me 'Joanne' when I was young, unless they were angry." Following her marriage, she has sometimes used the name Joanne Murray when conducting personal business. During the Leveson Inquiry she gave evidence under the name of Joanne Kathleen Rowling. In a 2012 interview, Rowling noted that she no longer cared that people pronounced her name incorrectly.

Rowling was born to Peter James Rowling, a Rolls-Royce aircraft engineer, and Anne Rowling (née Volant), on 31 July 1965 in Yate, Gloucestershire, England, 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Bristol. Her mother Anne was half-French and half-Scottish. Her parents first met on a train departing from King's Cross Station bound for Arbroath in 1964. They married on 14 March 1965. Her mother's maternal grandfather, Dugald Campbell, was born in Lamlash on the Isle of Arran. Her mother's paternal grandfather, Louis Volant, was awarded the Croix de Guerre for exceptional bravery in defending the village of Courcelles-le-Comte during the First World War.

Rowling's sister Dianne was born at their home when Rowling was 23 months old. The family moved to the nearby village Winterbourne when Rowling was four. She attended St Michael's Primary School, a school founded by abolitionist William Wilberforce and education reformer Hannah More. Her headmaster at St Michael's, Alfred Dunn, has been suggested as the inspiration for the Harry Potter headmaster Albus Dumbledore.

As a child, Rowling often wrote fantasy stories, which she would usually then read to her sister. She recalls that: "I can still remember me telling her a story in which she fell down a rabbit hole and was fed strawberries by the rabbit family inside it. Certainly the first story I ever wrote down (when I was five or six) was about a rabbit called Rabbit. He got the measles and was visited by his friends, including a giant bee called Miss Bee." At the age of nine, Rowling moved to Church Cottage in the Gloucestershire village of Tutshill, close to Chepstow, Wales. When she was a young teenager, her great aunt, who Rowling said "taught classics and approved of a thirst for knowledge, even of a questionable kind," gave her a very old copy of Jessica Mitford's autobiography, Hons and Rebels. Mitford became Rowling's heroine, and Rowling subsequently read all of her books.

Rowling has said of her teenage years, in an interview with The New Yorker, "I wasn’t particularly happy. I think it’s a dreadful time of life." She had a difficult homelife; her mother was ill and she had a difficult relationship with her father (she is no longer on speaking terms with him). She attended secondary school at Wyedean School and College, where her mother had worked as a technician in the science department. Rowling said of her adolescence, "Hermione [a bookish, know-it-all Harry Potter character] is loosely based on me. She's a caricature of me when I was eleven, which I'm not particularly proud of." Steve Eddy, who taught Rowling English when she first arrived, remembers her as "not exceptional" but "one of a group of girls who were bright, and quite good at English." Sean Harris, her best friend in the Upper Sixth owned a turquoise Ford Anglia, which she says inspired the one in her books.(less)

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Books by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter, #1)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter, #7)

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter, #3)

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter, #4)

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter, #6)

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Quotes from The Casual Vacancy

“You must accept the reality of other people. You think that reality is up for negotiation, that we think it's whatever you say it is. You must accept that we are as real as you are; you must accept that you are not God.” — 205 people liked it

“It was strange how your brain could know what your heart refused to accept.” — 163 people liked it

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