The vast array of characters were intertwined in a complex web. Because I'm not great at absorbing information aurally, it was hard for me to keep the characters' relationships to one another straight through an audiobook.

The first third of the book felt like drudgery, but I was determined to listen in full and I'm glad I did. Rowling did not disappoint. An avid HP fan, I was skeptical about what Rowling could accomplish for adults. There really is no overlap between HP and The Casual Vacancy except for the omniscient POV. Vacancy explores characters more deeply with an omniscient narrator who rotates through the townspeople.

This was a great book, but one I wish I'd read in print because I'm quite sure I missed some of the intricate details Rowling laid out. If you are better able to focus than I, you will probably enjoy this slightly more than I.

J. K. Rowling's ability to weave so many characters into intricate plot and subplots was my favorite part.

I'm surprised that a male narrator was chosen. The characters roughly bounce between male and female, with slightly more than half being female.

If you are looking for Hogwarts you won't find it here! But if you want a change of pace this novel is salacious and gossipy with no hero in sight. However, I found that even without someone to root for I couldn't put it down.

The people are believable and the story presses forward to a gloomy, but inevitable conclusion. The issues are compelling.

Now that you ask, I wonder why it was I persisted in finishing the story. Probably because I hoped for redemption somewhere, preferably among the kids.

Crystal

The Doctor's explosion at the Council meeting.

Write more, but please some of the cleverness that lead to Diagonally.

Reading and listening are personal preferences so I would never say one is better than another. However, when you have Ton Hollander narrating, it's not to be missed.

Freedom maybe? It's a soap opera but with a bigger meaning

His versatility with accents and attitudes.

No, just great appreciation for J.K. and her relentless creativity

Yes. Performance was outstanding and I'll love to revisit Pagford.

Krystal, obviously. Her continued ability to push on and try to gain control of her situation was evident right through to the end.

Krystal again.

No, I listen while driving usually.

What a great opportunity for us all to get another chance to live in the mind of JKR. I loved the shocking, funny, traumatic, mundane scene she set. She obviously understands us as a human race far beyond anyone else I've read. Funny that it took a withdrawal from fantasy to let her break the chains of accepted subject matter.

Life in a small town

We can not live without influencing the lives of others. Most of the time we are unaware how much. Great story!

I approached this book with trepidation as it did not sound interesting to me. I had to give it a chance. It was a wonderful literary experience. It was heartbreaking. Rowling once again excels at the descriptions of children - they are real, not stylized, not stereotyped. Also the children moved the story to its climax. Decide if you can balance the pain with the beauty.

Yes

When things did not turn out as planned which was most of the time.

Yes

This book had a number of modern day components. The thing I thought was most interesting was the attitudes between the different classes of people. Political process 2012 in a nutshell. Depending on what your experience is dictates how well you are able to deal with differences and challenges. It also dictates how well you sympathize. But when the challenges come closer to home is when compassion begins to surface.

Yes. It was very nice to listen to the book in the English accent. I think it added something to the story that a print book would not have given.

All of the characters in the book.

This was my first Tom Hollander's performance. I thought he did an excellent job with the bok.

The lives of a small town

Overall I though the narrator did a great job. At the beginning of the book, I felt like there were way too many characters to follow but it was masterfully how Rowling linked the lives of all of the characters together. The storry is a sad and a little dark.

People have been way too hard on this book. I admit for the first three hours I was not enjoying myself and I found the amount of characters hard to follow, especially since it was told primarily in third person. I had no idea how much I depend upon the narrator using different voices to tell characters apart!

Once you get used to the style and get to know the characters this is an engrossing book exploring how people can so easily hurt each other, especially their children, without ever realizing it. Each character was rich in detail and emotion and I loved how by seeing so many points of view you could see every angle of every situation and understand all the reasons people make the horrible choices that hurt the ones they love.

I am recommending this book to fans of literature and wonderful characters, but not to fans of happy endings and whimsy. That will not be in this story. But if you want to read something thought provoking and detailed, this is an amazing book. I feel that if this had been Rowling's first book it would be getting critical praise instead of the lukewarm reception it has received because of people's pre-conceived notions of who she is and her writing style.