From the Bookshelf of 2015 Reading Challenge [Closed]…

The Casual Vacancy

J.K. Rowling

Finish date: March 4, 2015

Discussion: . Week 51: TV Show

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. Week 51: TV Show

* Week 51: Progress Post
By Zaz , Mood Minion · 14 posts · 33 views

last updated Dec 30, 2015 09:43AM

* Week 51: Introduction
By Zaz , Mood Minion · 1 post · 60 views

last updated Aug 29, 2015 03:06AM

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What Members Thought

Mar 11, 2014 Megan rated it liked it

Shelves: own, ebook, fiction

I have to admit that I read it only because of J.K. Rowling, but I knew that it was going to be different than the Harry Potter books.

This book is about how one town reacts after the Parish Councillor (town mayor) has died and who is going to replace him. In the meantime, all of the people in town gossip about each other and someone is spreading all kinds of rumors about the town's residents on the town's government website.

There are way too many characters to keep up with that I didn't feel con ...more

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Dec 16, 2012 Sarah Koehler rated it liked it

Shelves: 2013, favorites

Very interesting read. The story is really more of a series of vignettes about each character that is somehow tied to Barry Fairbrother. The way these folks are woven together is brilliant on Rowling's part, but if you are looking for a story with a lot of exciting plot development, this really isn't it. Truth is, there isn't much of a predominating "story" here; instead, there are a number of small stories about people from all walks of life who are all tied together in some very surprising way ...more

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Jan 02, 2015 Angie rated it really liked it

I may in the minority, but once I got into it, I couldn't put it down. I just had to know what was going to happen with this community and its rather complex residents. It was very hard to get into and the many character intros made it difficult to keep people straight. After I sorted everyone out (without paper, mind) the story settled into one of those case studies you read in psychology, sociology, or ethics courses. With no main character, you experience everyone's drama, which connects with ...more

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Nov 13, 2012 Lisa rated it really liked it

I've heard criticisms of this book that it is hard to figure out what it is about. And those critiques are not wrong. There's not a lot of action here. It's a story of a bunch of deeply unhappy people and what they do to each other, carelessly and with terrible consequences. I was worried, having loved the Harry Potter series, that I wouldn't enjoy this because the writing wouldn't be strong enough. But the characters were very finely drawn and the study of human nature is, frankly, quite brilli ...more

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