The Casual Vacancy

By: J.K. Rowling

Narrated by: Tom Hollander

Length: 17 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

When Barry Fairweather dies unexpectedly in his early 40s, 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 at 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.

©2012 J.K. Rowling (P)2012 Hachette Audio

I don't think we're at Hogwarts anymore...

I did not know what to expect from JK when u read this book but WOW ... if she said I am departing from HP; she absolutely did so.

overall ... it was a deep dark and well written read but not one I would ever read again.

I went from the magical world of HP to a vulgar, raw and real world ... and I LOVED it. The plot was never clear ... is it about the angsty teen rebellion but coming of age story? is it political and life lessons learned? is it a sows ear turned into a silk purse? I dunno

it took a moment to learn the characters... bc there are soooooooo many and each had some form of backstory. Sometimes the backstory connected to the plot and sometimes it was just out there.

the ending was unpleasant and jarring ... no wrap up, no loose ends tied ... once one plot point was decided (very anticlimactic i might add) the rest of the story felt like ...now what? but to end it in such a gut wrenching, dark and horrible way .... was just very off putting. no "the end" just one bad decision led to a catastrophic ending ... turn the page or listen in ... and the book is just over.

I cant say I didn't love the book... the ending just ruined the total experience.

Rowling rocks it again

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This is a great character book, that allows you to hear the story from all perspectives. The story moves along at a good pace, so that you never get bored. I would recommend this book to any listener, whether or not you like the Harry Potter series, as this book goes in a totally different direction than Rowling's other works.

A moving, insightful story

Love J.K Rowling's ability to portray life, in all its facets... With her usual beautiful prose. I couldn't put this down, I highly recommend it to everyone.

An Intentionally Disturbing Political Parable

The last five words of The Casual Vacancy, "the congregation averted its eyes," serve as an able description of one of the novel's major themes. The seemingly idyllic village of Pagford is filled with characters who have averted their eyes, who have defined themselves and others in suffocatingly narrow ways, who have contributed to a community of overt denial and hidden resentments. The most likeable, sympathetic, and heroic character, Barry Fairbrother, dies on the fifth page, and his death opens "a casual vacancy" on the parish council that brings many of Pagford's quiet conflicts -- parents vs. children, wives vs. husbands, rich vs. poor -- into high relief.

Rowling's intolerance for intolerance shines through here as she unearths pettiness, hypocrisy, and other ugly aspects of human nature. The shifting points of view give the reader insights into, and often unexpected empathy with, a variety of perspectives.

What is most impressive about The Casual Vacancy is how its multitude of characters and their different storylines weave together to lead the reader inexorably to a final devastating -- and wholly avoidable -- tragedy. This is far from an enjoyable, entertaining read. It is an effective political parable, however. While it's easy to compare the climax to the proverbial train wreck, that comparison is inaccurate. A train wreck is merely a terrible accident, at least to the onlooker. The final tragedy in The Casual Vacancy leaves a great many guilty by commission or omission, and it makes the reader question how he/she might unwittingly contribute to a similar calamity.

I cannot say I liked this novel, because I was (as Rowling intended) continually disturbed as I read it. But I appreciate it for its unflinching commitment, elegant organization, and thorough lack of nostalgic sentimentalism. It reminds me of a more robust version of the television show Broadchurch, in a way: that little community that appears to be ideal is, in fact, the world in miniature, a distillation of imperfect human nature, a portrait of what Thoreau called "lives of quiet desperation." Rowling leaves us with the suggestion that some fortunate few may learn from their experiences and make positive changes, but that many others will continue to avert their eyes.

I'll let a favorite passage speak for itself.

"'But,' her voice broke at last, and he heard the mother he knew, 'he loves you, Stuart.'

She added the lie because she could not help herself. Tonight, for the first time, Tessa was convinced that it was a lie, and also that everything she had done in her life, telling herself that it was for the best, had been no more than blind selfishness, generating confusion and mess all around. But who could bear to know which stars were already dead, she thought, blinking up at the night sky, could anybody stand to know that they all were?"

Tom Hollander's narration is well done.

JK paints rich variety complex characters again

If you could sum up The Casual Vacancy in three words, what would they be?

Insightful, gritty, real.

What did you like best about this story?

The tragic, petty, people JK has painted in this book are so true. We all know these people. She writes with such humour even though it is a little depressing because it is all so real.

Have you listened to any of Tom Hollander’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

no

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

no

ending a disapiontment

What did you like best about The Casual Vacancy? What did you like least?

character development,follow up

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

couple more chapters would have been better. I get the whole premise of don't be a hater,however,what besides the tradgedy came out of the whole thing?

What three words best describe Tom Hollander’s performance?

It was fabulous

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

depends

Any additional comments?

little slow at first,then captivating......at the end,aside from the moral lesson learned, then what? What did the characters do with that change,you know,in their psyce?

A disappointment !

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

If this was the book JK always wanted to write, I am glad she wrote Harry potter first.

What was most disappointing about J. K. Rowling’s story?

It was very depressing. The characters seem to have no redeeming features, they were all terribly flawed with nothing to like about them. The story seemed pointless and sad

What does Tom Hollander bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I probably would not have finised the book if the reader had not read it to me while I could do other things

Do you think The Casual Vacancy needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No

Worth putting aside Harry

Where does The Casual Vacancy rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of my favorites

Who was your favorite character and why?

Couldn't pick just one

What does Tom Hollander bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The English interpretation and pronunciation adds to my understanding

Who was the most memorable character of The Casual Vacancy and why?

So hard to choose because all of the characters were so well written. I truly was drawn into their lives

Listen to it over and over

JK Rowlings look into the ripple effect that one man's death makes in small town England.

well written, very different from Harry Potter

Easy to read or listen to, Rawlings excellent style. I think that this was either therapy or trying to brake a type casting, definitely very different subject and language content then the Harry Potter series.