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

Intricate detail about lives touched by one mans death

I enjoyed the detail Rowling used in describing everyday interactions with townsfolk of Pagford and The Fields. Each interaction would play out to a beautiful and sad ending.

For the rebellious child in us

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Yes, because I wanted to know how she would write an "adult" novel.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

The beginning was a little hard to follow the introduction of characters.

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

Not sure really. I just can't sit down and read a book with my busy schedule so I prefer to read through listening.

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

No, the characters purposes I think we're filled completely.

Any additional comments?

It's a good book where the central theme is, again, around the children that we learned to care about as the main characters. The adults were very much either very regular, with regular problems and concerns, or overly dramatic like the "real housewives", whom I could not give two hoots about. How the children intertwined and manipulated the adult stories was the lasting effect of the book on me.

An interesting story...sort of.

It took me a couple of years to get through the first two chapters, and I finally decided it was time to forge ahead. A good story with a LOT of characters, some with 2 names, and so much to keep track of. Not sure why such an excellent writer as Rowling felt the need to include so much foul language. A point can be made without the "f" word in every page. It distracted from the narrative made a possibly great tale mediocre.

Simply brilliant!

I loved this book from start to finish. Expertly written and the narration was the best I have heard. Such a rich and fascinating story. Kudos to Rowling for extending her excellent storytelling beyond the Harry Potter series which I also loved. A must read!!

Ready for a sequel! Love these characters!

What did you love best about The Casual Vacancy?

After I became familiar with the characters, I couldn't wait to see their lives unfold. She makes you feel as if you almost know them.

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

Wish I knew of another similar to it!

Any additional comments?

I already miss this story.

Disappointing

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The darkness of the book.

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

She must have growwn up in poverty and the dark part of the world to write so vividly about the class of people

Could you see The Casual Vacancy being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

NO

A Detailed Indulgence

Would you ever listen to anything by J. K. Rowling again?

I suspect that she had free reign to do whatever she wanted — after all, can an editor say "no" to the woman who enchanted the world with Harry Potter? The book was very luxurious with all of its tiny details — descriptions of what the characters wearing, doing, thinking. It could have easily been half or one-third the length, and the entire story STILL communicated. That said, the details are enjoyable and do flesh out the characters. Be prepared for a slow start.

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

If you want to listen a British man trying to portray Jay-Z rapping... well, here's your chance. His accent lends credence to what is, after all, a proper English story.

Hard book to rate. Maybe rated too low.

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

Maybe. Yes for someone who likes this pace of book. It is well written. No for someone who wants a faster paced story. I did not identify closely with any characters, except perhaps a little bit with Kate.

If you’ve listened to books by J. K. Rowling before, how does this one compare?

I liked the other book which is her first mystery in a series.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

The narrator was good. Multiple narrators might have helped, not sure.

Was The Casual Vacancy worth the listening time?

Yes.

Any additional comments?

I really like this writer and the pace of her books. It seemed to take some time to get all the characters straight and figure out who belongs to what family. So it was really slow in the beginning. Once I had the characters figured out, the story was very good. The characters are all believable.

Fabulous!

I absolutely loved this book. Typically I don't like when authors flick between view points with in chapter but J.K. Made me absolutely love it. Her writing style is totally absorbing. The characters are so rich and interesting. A must read!

Relatable

Rowling proves herself again as a powerful story writer. I was apprehensive about purchasing this book. Certain I wouldn’t like it because there was no magic, no Harry Potter lol. The story was captivating.