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

A little low key for my taste

I was curious as to how Rowlings would write for an adult audience. The Casual Vacancy kind of reminded me of an Anthony Trollop novel, a small town full of self important people, a lot of character development and not a lot happening until the end. I'm glad that I stuck with it, she really wrapped it up nicely, and Tom Hollander was a good choice for the narrator.

I was listening to a Tana French Dublin Murder Squad novel at the same time, and it was a bit jarring, the narrator's dialects were fairly similar, but what a difference in story.

In answer to a question in your guided review, I don't think that the book needs a follow up in the same location. I am curious how the teen agers who moved made out, but I'm done with the town council.

Dark but very real

I wasn't prepared for this type of story from JK Rowling. But, as normal, she impressed me with her words and ability to completely suck me into the story. It was very dark. Slightly raunchy at times, but also very real. Very well-written. Dont read this expecting a feel-good book like Harry Potter.

Strong story, but so unrelenting.

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

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

What did you like best about this story?

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.

Which character – as performed by Tom Hollander – was your favorite?

Crystal

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The Doctor's explosion at the Council meeting.

Any additional comments?

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

big t

great narration. story depressing, a view of social morals and children lost to society.one would hope for better education.

A Few Mistakes But Pretty Good

I loved this novel and really enjoyed having this audiobook as a companion to the ebook. His rate of speech was a bit slower than I liked and I didn't too much care for the option to speed him up either--it made him sound robotic. And there were times when the narration didn't always match the text, but this could have been due to the slight variations in the British and American texts. All in all, the narration gave a more authentic rendering of the story, which was exactly what I wanted.

Solid story with a strong voice

Any additional comments?

This tale made me squirm when it was right to squirm and allowed me to be fully involved in the story. JKR has honed her skills so that it does not matter whether she is weaving magic for children or using a heavy hand to pull adults through real life. It all draws you in and carries you inevitably to the end where you sit and sigh, "Well, that's that. Now what am I going to do until there's another novel on the shelf?"
Listening to this novel read by Tom Hollander was a delight because he gives excellent voice to the characters in the tale. Thank you for your reading, Tom.

Another great listen!

What did you love best about The Casual Vacancy?

I didn't expect the story line! After the author wrote the Potter books, I was so impressed with the change in Genre.

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

The accent and his tone when he was speaking of the different characters

If you could take any character from The Casual Vacancy out to dinner, who would it be and why?

The girl (can't remember her name) who was stuck in an envirounment she had no control over. I would discuss with her how to break the cycle she was born into.....her ending broke my heart!

An extraordinary ride. J.K. Rowling is a master.

An intricately woven tale of ordinary people in a small town; polite, petty, vindictive, and so beautifully flawed. Socially relevant, funny, slightly political, and absolutely heartbreaking.

different genre

This is more for those that like soap opera. not for those that are looking for adventure

Amazing!

I enjoyed the mini-series, so I thought I’d give the book a try. Wow! Great narrator and even better stories. I really felt for the characters. Some are struggles I know and others gave me a horribly personal glimpse into something I’d never know.