When Barry Fairbrother dies suddenly of an aneurysm in his
early forties, his unexpected death leaves his family
bereft, and his hometown of Pagford in a state of shock. He
was a well-known parish councilor as well as being a
popular coach of the local female high school rowing team.
Barry was also a man with a mission of turning a
questionable section of town respectable, and now his death
has left many of his plans and dreams unfulfilled. The town
is all aflutter with questions of who will fill Barry's
place in the community. Will his death benefit those who
sided with Barry or those who opposed his plans?
Surprisingly there are more than one or two hardy souls who
decided to become candidates for Barry's empty seat. Upon
the announcement of the various candidate's intentions, the
town of Pagford, a sleepy little English town, suddenly
turns into a literal war zone and, like in every war, there
will be casualties among all the residents -- young and
old,
rich and poor.
"The Casual Vacancy," author J.K. Rowling's first novel for
adults, is a thoughtful, brutally realistic portrayal of
classism and social divide in contemporary England. There's
no magic in Pagford, only cheating spouses, cruel parents,
and vindictive teenagers.
When J.K. Rowling announced to the world that she was
writing a new book -- the hope was that it would be a
continuation of or similar book to her beloved "Harry
Potter"
series. You could almost feel the collective groan of
disappointment when she said her new book would not be
anything like "Harry Potter," that it would be a book aimed
at an adult reader audience. I found "The Casual Vacancy"
to be well-written and a wonderful opportunity to stretch
her literary legs and perhaps gain an even bigger following
for her work.
Now that book, "The Casual Vacancy," has arrived, the
battle of opinions on her work is still just as fierce as
it was upon her original announcement of her intentions.
There are those who like the book, and there are those who
don't. I don't think this comes as a big surprise to Ms.
Rowling.
I personally liked it -- it was different from
Rowling's "Harry Potter" stories, but there are still
glimmers of that very English-inspired atmosphere that she
is so well known for. Rowling populates this tale with
fascinating characters (though none with magic powers), and
uses her descriptive storytelling skills to bring this
intriguing novel to life.
"The Casual Vacancy" is definitely a mature novel. It
contains explicit scenes of physical, sexual and emotional
abuse, self-harm, drug use, and strong language. This is
definitely a book intended for adults.
When Barry Fairweather dies unexpectedly in his early
forties, the little 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
town’s 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?
Blackly comic, thought-provoking and constantly surprising,
The Casual Vacancy is J.K. Rowling’s first novel for adults.
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