The Casual Vacancy
Description
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 war with their pupils...Pagford is not what it first seems. And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity, and unexpected revelations? A big novel about a small town, The Casual Vacancy is J.K. Rowling's first novel for adults. It is the work of a storyteller like no other.
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Community Reviews
4.5 stars!
I wasn’t sure if I would like this book given that I’ve heard very mixed things about it, but I actually really loved it! I only took so long to read it because I haven’t been reading as much (been listening to podcasts instead), but it’s definitely not because of the book itself.
I always love books that are essentially character studies, and that is exactly what this book is. It takes all the people in a small town and explores all o...read more
I wasn’t sure if I would like this book given that I’ve heard very mixed things about it, but I actually really loved it! I only took so long to read it because I haven’t been reading as much (been listening to podcasts instead), but it’s definitely not because of the book itself.
I always love books that are essentially character studies, and that is exactly what this book is. It takes all the people in a small town and explores all o...read more
OK, I didn't finish it, but after trying, then skipping around to see if it EVER got better, I gave up. I'm only posting this, so that I remember not to try to read it again.
I didn't like any of the characters - they all seemed so self-important and childish. I think perhaps Rowling should stick to adolescent fantasy, not adult realistic fiction.
I didn't like any of the characters - they all seemed so self-important and childish. I think perhaps Rowling should stick to adolescent fantasy, not adult realistic fiction.
OK, I'm struggling to get into this book...really laboring here to move from page to page. It's dull and boring, and I've NEVER struggled to get into a J.K. Rowling novel before. I loved the Harry Potter series from start to finish, and so I'm hoping that things will improve here shortly...
It didn't get better. I found this book very much lacking in quality, story telling. This was a book about lack-luster characters and told in such a fashion th...read more
It didn't get better. I found this book very much lacking in quality, story telling. This was a book about lack-luster characters and told in such a fashion th...read more
I was amazed by the good story. I couldn't picture a non fantasy novel after Harry Potter but she definitely outdid herself.
With so many characters, I never felt close enough to actually like any of them--although they were all pretty unlikeable anyway. Not sure what the point of the story is, except maybe that J. K. Rowling can write a completely non-magical book peppered with the "F" word.
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