From the Bookshelf of Nothing But Reading Challenges…

The Casual Vacancy

J.K. Rowling

Start date: November 22, 2012

Finish date: November 30, 2012

Discussion: Books of the Month

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What Members Thought

Oct 29, 2012 Cindy rated it it was amazing

A story of how individual lives overlap and intertwine to create something incredibly complex. Like a row of dominoes; one slight movement and they each tumble, one into another into another. Rowling has created a world as real as any other, populated by a unique, and yet still ordinary, set of individuals, to form the collective whole of the town of Pagford.

Do not read this book looking for Hogwarts. The lives of the people of Pagford are not touched by magic. Do not read this book expecting t ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Dec 30, 2012 Joyce rated it liked it

It took me until the last 30 pages to get (I think) what Rowling intends in this novel. The biggest problem I had is that there was no one to identify with until almost the end of the story. I think the author spent a bit too much time writing about what everyone was thinking about everyone else - and most of the thoughts were pretty ugly. She did an excellent job capturing the heartbreak of having a drug-addicted mother - the portrayal was pretty accurate. But for all of that, it was hard to ca ...more

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Feb 02, 2013 Sarah Sledge rated it it was ok

This book started slow, continued slower, and ended like a train wreck. I know the majority will disagree with me especially the goodreads community. I disliked the characters and could not connect with any of them. Not even Nana Cath! I hope this tremendous author who opened new worlds for me and millions of other readers of all ages will go back to what she does better than anyone else.

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Nov 24, 2012 Amanda rated it liked it

Shelves: 3-stars

Sadly, this one is demoted to a 3. While the characters are amazingly multifaceted and very individualistic, any book that I spend the middle half, maybe third of chanting "It's by Jk Rowling, It's by JK Rowling, It's by JK Rowling" to keep myself going and invested and reading has some problems.

That aside it's an interesting enough Fiction books, and I'm still baffled by how THAT CHAPTER (you know which one I'm talking about if you've read it) is suddenly SuperFast, and SuperJamPackedWithAction ...more

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