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

Complex and compelling

I agree with another reviewer of this book when they indicated J.K. Rowling is a genius. This book takes the listener through the lives of people connected by one man.

As you listen, the story winds itself into the revelation of characters with their strengths and flaws. It's not a joyful book, so please don't expect that.

Tom Hollander is an excellent narrator and brought the characters to life. Splendid.

Totally unexpectedly entertaining!

Like "Jude the Obscure," by Thomas Hardy, this is NOT a happy story, but unlike that book, which I absolutely HATED, I really enjoyed "The Casual Vacancy." This story of a small town in western England has hardly a hint of romance, but plenty of foul language, death, sex, betrayal, and drug abuse; there's even a bit of incest, just for good measure. Everyone has their problems, but all the people mentioned in this book have serious amounts of disfunction.

In the end, all the people that come out of the situation relatively unscathed aren't left any better than they started. And, again, this was a GREAT book, because Ms. Rowling tells the tale in a way that makes it a fun listen. It left me thinking, "My life's pretty darn good, comparatively speaking."

I don't, however, recommend this book for anyone under the age of 30. You need some perspective to be able to read this book and not be effected negatively by it.

That all being said, I'm hoping for a sequel! There are a lot of characters here that I want to follow to find out how messed up their lives will become as they try to deal with some of the things that were unresolved!

Slow start, but it pays off

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

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.

What did you like best about this story?

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

What aspect of Tom Hollander’s performance would you have changed?

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

My only regret is it’s done

What a horrible little world she made there. Now that it’s over, I just want to go back.

slow start but spicy finish

it started kinda slow and I kept losing interest but it slowly got more and more enticing until a wham bam finish!

That's it?

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

In the middle

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

Horrible - Definitely wanted a different ending or more to the story.

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

Fats

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

Fats because he thought he was all that but really isn't.

I'll never forget these characters!

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

Definitely one of the top three! Behind 'Cuckoos Calling' and Dan Browns 'Inferno!' Very interesting characters, plot so rich with stunning realistic details of a small towns gossiping neighbors.

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

This was as good as Cuckoos Calling to me. Just a bit more dreary. Lucky for me, I love this kind of novel! I don't give out details but here is the best kinda vague summary I can give: Pagford is a small town somewhere in England, where it's citizens mourn the loss of a Council member who died randomly at a young age. Intricate plot lines take us through each family and relationship revealing the power of influence, class, and poverty on the towns political shakeup. Who will win the seat on the Council? What events transpire In a riveting final plot, and was it worth it in the end?

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

Nope, looking into more works now.

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

Barry Fairbrother, so we can chat about the Fields.

Any additional comments?

Where are the gay characters? So many families and characters, but this would have been interesting to see from Rowling. Especially since she went full blown real on this one!

Complex Characters

What made the experience of listening to The Casual Vacancy the most enjoyable?

The narrator was great, enjoyed his inflection. Imagined each character.

What did you like best about this story?

Complexity of the characters, the need to pay close attention in the beginning to what was going on with whom. The whole story played out to a shocking end really, but ended abruptly.

This is a must read

Would you listen to The Casual Vacancy again? Why?

This is a wonderful story of the human moments and journey of many characters. I loved the listen and though I don't go back and reread because there are always so many more books on my list, I have recommended it to many.

Rowling is a genius!!!

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

powerful, thought-provoking, humorous

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

I certainly wouldn't compare it to Harry Potter, which many reviewers have...

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

I thought Hollander was a superb reader. Many complained that they couldn't keep the characters straight. I had no problem knowing who I was hearing thanks to Hollander's rendition of each voice. If I had to choose a favorite, I'd say Krystal Wheedon or Howard Mollison.