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

Unexpected!

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

Yes I would recommend this audiobook to a friend. It was exciting, thrilling and interesting. There were a lot of characters to remember, but it was interesting how they interwove with each other besides just living in the same area.

What did you like best about this story?

The interesting, realistic characters. The realistic but interesting dynamics of each character and how they relate to other characters in the novel.

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

I have not listened to any of Tom Hollander's other performances.

If you could rename The Casual Vacancy, what would you call it?

The Fields

Any additional comments?

I have never read any of J.K. Rowling "Harry Potter" books or her books under her pseudonym, so I cannot compare. As a first book from this author that I have listened to, I want to listen to more of her books. I would read other books by her, but I don't have the time to do that. Excellent audiobook.

Epic Story on small town life...

Would you listen to The Casual Vacancy again? Why?

No. Because I already know the story!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Rachael Weiden because of how sad her story was.

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

Fats

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

When Rachael tried to protect her brother from being taken from their family because of neglect.

Any additional comments?

Only downside is that there were so many characters that the book gets a bit confusing when you don't listen for a whole weekend - trying to remember who is who...

Very Moving

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

Moving, Important, Insightful

What other book might you compare The Casual Vacancy to and why?

Can't compare Certainly very well written

Which scene was your favorite?

The ending is probably the best - but this is very moving

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

main character

Any additional comments?

It is iso different from her other books that I was put off at first - the main characters have difficult lives but this is an amazing book not to be missed

Rowling Shows She's a Great Writer

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

Absolutely. Rowling remains a fine storyteller, though this book is actually a remarkable and profound work of fiction. It is funny, moving, appalling -- she's found a way to take a middle-class English town, with a horrible ghetto nearby, and extract from it psychologically complex characters determined by their upbringing, social class, and most of all, by their individual traumas. Indeed, Rowling is the modern master of trauma, individual, interpersonal, and familial ... and The Casual Vacancy is all about it. It begins with the death of a man who, we come to learn, has been important, both negatively and positively, for so many others. As the narrative progresses, so our appreciation of him and our sense of loss grows. And so Rowling manages to have us experience grief with a novel at times funny, at others tragic, written with perfect tempo and with unflagging suspense. I enjoyed the week or two that it took for me to listen to it, and I was very moved by the last scenes.

Any additional comments?

A real achievement - a must read!

Well Done

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

Family, Community, Reality

If you could rename The Casual Vacancy, what would you call it?

Behind Closed Doors

Any additional comments?

Having not read the Harry Potter series, I had no preconceived ideas of Rowling's writing skills. Making oodles of money from a series of adolescent/preteen novels does not necessarily mean the writer's talent is extraordinary - only that her conceived storytelling ideas are engrossing and unique. I enjoyed this book and it's construction and now know that Ms. Rowling is a great writer in addition to being a great storyteller.

The idea that we don't really know what's going on in the lives of the people we think we know and what they really think of us is universal. The folks in this story could be living in any community in the western world. I know most of them in my own little subdivision!

Tom Hollander does a fine job of reading. The narrator can make or break any novel and I thought his pacing and his inflections were spot on. Good job1

I think I was expecting more

The book kept my attention but it was hardly a "can't put it down" audiobook for me. The writing was very good and I found the characters interesting but somehow something was just lacking. Loved the narrator - I am a sucker for British accents.

Love it

Its no suprise that JK Rowling is an amazing writer. I must admit I started listening this book simply because she wrote it and after the phenomenon of Harry Potter I wanted to give her other work a try. i had read several reviews prior to listening that "THIS IS NOT A HARRY POTTER OR MAGIC RELATED BOOK!!" I wasnt sure what to expect but Im glad I gave it a chance. This is a different side of Rowling a more realisic relatable piece. Its very mature meaning deaths, teen sex, drugs, alcohol, suicide etc. and lots of swearing if thats not your of tea this might not be the book for you

Wonderful

I really enjoyed this more than expected. It’s like a detective novel, but the mystery are the people themselves, getting down to their hearts and motives. It was never boring, but if I wanted to complain about something, I would say it was sometimes a little too obvious as to how the author wants the reader to feel. It’s a bit simplistic and manipulative when it happens, but overall there was tremendous talent in writing that many characters all winding tighter and tighter and there was no obvious way as to how things were going to break. Would recommend this to a friend

A Sad World of Muggles

What did you love best about The Casual Vacancy?

JK Rowling is an excellent writer. We know this already from her thousands of pages of Harry Potter stories. Her ability to describe minute details eloquently rivals few other contemporaries. We loved this when she described a made up magic world in Harry Potter. When she describes this sordid realistic world that we may or may not recognize, and would prefer to avoid, it may make the reader uncomfortable. This story is chocked full of characters, which is typical of British books but sometimes tries the patience of American readers (just get on with the story!) However, once the story unfolds and marches toward the inevitable ending, it becomes very "readable"and everything ties together very neatly. It is helpful to know that the working title of this novel was, "Responsibility". Are we our brothers' keepers after all?

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

The ending leaves us wondering, "Was this inevitable?" Could any of these characters have behaved any differently to prevent it, or was this fate set in stone? Did the dominoes have to fall this way? Is this the world that was left behind because of the death of Barry Fairbrother?

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

The narrator's many voices and accents for each character added so much to the experience, especially for an American reader.

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

There were so many memorable characters, it is difficult to choose. Crystal was memorable for her tough character and impossible situation, her mother Terri was interesting for her pathetic despicability, and even though we did not know Barry, we felt like we did because of all the "Barry anecdotes".

Any additional comments?

This is a far cry from Harry Potter, there is a great deal of vulgarity, but the author is trying to depict a world that most of us prefer to turn our heads and not deal with. She seems to be saying that whether we deal with it or not, it is still our responsibility, and our lack of action has consequences, just like every effort pays off in some small way.

Reminding myself to be kind to others...

Phew. Makes one appreciate every good thing. Hard story but I couldn't put it down.