The Casual Vacancy
discussion
Ask J.K. Rowling a Question About The Casual Vacancy
Before it came out, you described this book as a dark comedy. Do you still feel it is a comedy? If yes, what makes it so for you? Or if not, at what point did it shift?
In reading a description of your book and the town of Pagford, the death of Barry is hardly casual. How did you come up with this title?
I really enjoyed the Casual Vacancy. I loved the hypocrisy of the council, who wanted the Fields to go to Yarvil because they didn't want to be associated with the drugs, crime, welfare dependency, and unstable families that they thought the Fields represented. Yet, the council members and their families all had problems such as domestic violence, alcohol and substance abuse problems, self mutilation, infidelity, and crime. Did you intend to point out the middle class family similarities to those of the families of the Fields, that they needed to clean up their own backyards before they go after the "backyard" of Pagford? It seemed to me, they all needed a social worker!
If readers could take one message away from The Casual Vacancy, what do you hope that message would be?
Do you have any current plans or ideas for another book, possibly a sequel to "The Casual Vacancy?" What experiences/inspirations did you have in writing "The Casual Vacancy" compared to the "Harry Potter" series? I have not read the book yet, but I am going to add it to my to-read list. Thanks for allowing readers to ask questions and keep up the good work!!
Dear Jo,I found that I liked, and loathed Fats Wall all at the same time, was this your intention and why did Mary Fairbrother seem so wishy washy and selfish? I wanted to like her but simply could not.
What inspired you to write this type of book?
The dehumanization of the poor is a key part of The Casual Vacancy, so why is Krystal's ending an offensive stereotype of the poor?
What inspired you to want to write The Casual Vacancy, and what do you hope readers will learn from it?
WHY did you feel you needed to use foul language --to PROVE you are a grown up? It is jarring.
What gives you more pride as a writer? Writing the Harry Potter series, or to have successfully broken out of the magical world stereotype and written another brilliant novel, much appreciated by everyone who read it?
Your depiction of The Fields shows a stark and unyielding reality reminiscent of that, in the U.S., would be called "The Projects." Such places have their own cultures and motives and language. Did The Fields, and Krystal Weedon's dialect require a lot of research to make it accurate or did you know such people and places from experience?
How long have you been waiting to write a book like this? Is this something you've been thinking about for a while, or did you consider it a bit of a "break" from writing a series geared towards a younger audience?
As a person whose mother and brother both suffer from OCD, I feel (and so does my brother) that your portrayal of Cubby's OCD was spot-on, both from an internal and external perspective. How did you do this? Was there a lot of research involved, and was any of it drawn from personal experiences?
Why would you write something so cynical after displaying such a positive attitude in the Harry Potter books? Why would you abandon your wonderful instinct for storytelling to write something so rambling and plotless? Why wouldn't you give the reader even one living character to sympathize with, let alone identify with?
Dear JK, You kind of changed sides with this book and unsurprisingly in an outstanding manner. That makes me wonder, if Harry Potter was envisioned on a train then how was the Casual Vacancy conceived? Which was the source of the transformation? How were you struck by the muse this time?
Hey this lady is such a amazing writer so give her a break its actually a great book in my opinion and you can't keep judging her because of the success of Harry potter .
What character in Casual Vacancy do you sympathize with the most?
What public office would you consider running for? Why?
How did this story come to be? Was it like with Harry and one of the characters just took a stroll out of your mind or did the exploration of this book come a different way? Also I know you get asked this a lot but do you ever think that you would go back to Hogwarts and write more about Harry and the gang? Or their children and their experiences at Hogwarts?
Did you ever consider ending the novel differently? Why did you choose the ending that you did? From your perspective, what message did you want the ending to have?
The Casual Vacancy is very successful. It proves that you can step up from teen fiction to adult fiction.Have you ever considered about writing mystery or thriller since you are good with it. Seeing from the way you telling story in Harry Potter, I think it is very challenging you to write something like that but for adult.
The Casual Vacancy is very successful. It proves that you can step up from teen fiction to adult fiction.Have you ever considered about writing mystery or thriller since you are good with it. Seeing from the way you telling story in Harry Potter, I think it is very challenging you to write something like that but for adult.
The Casual Vacancy is very successful. It proves that you can step up from teen fiction to adult fiction.Have you ever considered about writing mystery or thriller since you are good with it. Seeing from the way you telling story in Harry Potter, I think it is very challenging you to write something like that but for adult.
The Casual Vacancy is very successful. It proves that you can step up from teen fiction to adult fiction.Have you ever considered about writing mystery or thriller since you are good with it. Seeing from the way you telling story in Harry Potter, I think it is very challenging you to write something like that but for adult.
The Casual Vacancy is very successful. It proves that you can step up from teen fiction to adult fiction.Have you ever considered about writing mystery or thriller since you are good with it. Seeing from the way you telling story in Harry Potter, I think it is very challenging you to write something like that but for adult.
Despite multiple readings of the end, I still can't quite figure out Parminder's motivation in refusing to go with Miles to help Howard. Was it more out of personal spite or professional responsibility? Can you explain it further?
Since you impacted so many lives with Harry Potter, how did you feel about the judgment that came with your first novel after that amazing series? Did you feel the need to please those who followed you throughout your time at Hogwarts? Or did you push aside the critics and write this for you; and if so how were you able to accomplish that? As an aspiring writer myself its a struggle to write what I want with the knowledge of what sells in the back of my mind. How did you do it?
After the magical, indulgent world of Harry Potter, was it difficult to write The Casual Vacancy? Or did the fact it was so different make it refreshing, and not too tricky?
The Casual Vacancy is very successful. It proves that you can step up from teen fiction to adult fiction.Have you ever considered about writing mystery or thriller since you are good with it. Seeing from the way you telling story in Harry Potter, I think it is very challenging you to write something like that but for adult.
The Casual Vacancy is very successful. It proves that you can step up from teen fiction to adult fiction.Have you ever considered about writing mystery or thriller since you are good with it. Seeing from the way you telling story in Harry Potter, I think it is very challenging you to write something like that but for adult.
When did you first think of writing a book like this? Did the thought process start before harry potter or after or in between ?
You show that every family has some problem behind closed doors. Do you feel that it is a flaw or strength in humanity to keep their problems behind closed doors rather than share them?
How come you publish this book after the Harry Potter?
Did the basis for The Casual Vacancy sort of spring upon you when you weren't expecting it like Harry, as a character, did or did you go looking for inspiration with a plan to write something like this? Also, were you a bit relieved to take a break from writing Harry's story or do you miss him and his world?
Why, oh why so much profanity? I simply could not read the book because of it.
Hi JK Rowling!I have heard a lot of talk about the economic and social commentary ingrained in The Casual Vacancy and, seemingly without fail, all of the conversations about the novel tend to lead back to a discussion of your situation raising a child in poverty. While I am sure your past experiences played a significant role in the development of the novel, I am more interested in the sections that were far removed from anything or anyone you have encountered. With which character did you have the most trouble empathizing with? (Do you have to empathize with your characters in order to write them?)
Thank you for everything you have done--both on the page and off!!
Annabel
Hello Ma'am, I'd like to ask if it was difficult to write adjust to writing a book for 'grown ups' after a decade of writing Harry Potter?
I'm sorry if you're tired of questions about Harry Potter, but does it feel incomplete? Because you left it with a cliffhanger ending and have suddenly written a new book (that is utterly brilliant), but do you feel that you could have written another book for Harry Potter?
Where did the idea for the book come from?
I am one of your biggest Harry Potter fans. I just loved Harry Potter and have read them many times to my older kids when they were younger and to my younger kids. While my older kids have continued to read them over and over. I couldn't wait to read your next novel. But sadly, I didn't even get through the first few chapters before I couldn't stomach the language or the content. After such a good clean series that taught so much about fighting for the right and for the good even to the point of being willing sacrifice ones own life to save those around you that you love. How could you even think about writing a book that I wouldn't let my teenagers even crack open? They love you too. But they won't be reading Casual Vacancy while they live under my roof. Anyone can read Harry Potter, young, old it doesn't matter so why would you limit who could even read your next book because of its content?
Reading this book, I saw (maybe I was hallucinating a bit?) a little bit of the HP characters in them. Did you mean for it to have some parallelisms with HP at all?
What would you say to a fan of yours who has read every Harry Potter book and is now intending to read The Casual Vacancy?
I don't know if you've answered this before but, what inspired you to write The Casual Vacancy?
What inspired you to write about a town with problems between political people? Was there any real life events that inspired you to write it?
My question is I loved this book but can we expect more these stories from you JK? Also I'm writing my first novel and what piece of advice could you give me to inspire me to keep on with it .
Did you feel a little guilty while writing The Casual Vacancy? Like you were betraying the Harry Potter Series?
As this is the first book you have written after the Harry Potter franchise, as a Potterhead, there is just one question I would like to ask, on behalf of the fandom."Are there any references, character qualities, type of setting, ANYTHING, that can be alluded to Harry Potter and co?"
It would be an amazing privilage for this question to be answered.
THANK YOU
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Have no desire to read anything further by her or supply her with any more profit from my purchases after the way she treated the Christopher Little Agency.