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

Fantastic novel!

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

The book is excellent and the reading was enjoyable. It was perfectly tailored to the mood of the novel and the listening experience was delightful.

heartbreaking

You fall in love with the misfits and then have to say goodbye... well done JK

She tells a good story

If you like a tale about people and their lives, you will like this book. If you need more action like a murder mystery, maybe not so much.

Small town voyeurism with a powerful lesson

Unexpected and powerful, the reader is drawn into the intricacies and intimacies of a small town's interdependent web of overlapping relationships. The tangibility of the characters become relatable, while one's emotional connections with them ebb and flow in a reflection of real life experiences. In a climatic ending, the painful and powerful message come crashing through at a visceral level, leaving the reader both short of breath and deeply moved by this engaging work.

This is no "Harry Potter" legacy, but a dynamic new direction of a talented and deft writer. Once again, profoundly well done.

High hopes, but didn't deliver.

I went into this book with the mindset that J.K. Rowling can do no wrong and unfortunately I was disappointed. The story just never seemed to pick up and the narration was hard to listen to.

Very realistic characters

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

J.K Rowling's ability to reel you in with believable characters holds true with this completely different genre. She gives us a look at social interactions and human nature, lower classes vs comfortable classes (and the conflict within each of these circles, themselves).

Wonderful

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

What I liked most about this book is the author had many twist and turns in the book.

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

The voice was right on point.

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

Yes

Tough story, great ending.

The story is a real downer. That said it's very well written with a complex cast of characters. Because of the subject matter I would not have read the book because it's so negative. Good thing for Audible and a couple of long auto trips I managed to get through it. Glad I did because the ending is both tragic and revealing.

Ignore the bad reviews!

What did you love best about The Casual Vacancy?

The character development. The story. The reader.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Casual Vacancy?

Umbrella. Crystal Weadon & Fats in the cemetary. Kay's first visit to the Weadon house.

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

Crystal. Samantha. Andrew. Kay.

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

Samantha. I am sure we would have plenty to drink.

Total Immersion in Pagford

Would you listen to The Casual Vacancy again? Why?

I enjoyed the book, which was long, but slowly developed the many characters' stories and had humor, darkness, pain, woven through the entire tale. Once I got into the rhythm of the novel, I eagerly returned to each listening session. As long as you understand it is not a quick moving linear story you should enjoy. I haven't read the Harry Potter books and was intrigued to read an adult novel of this very successful author. I would definitely recommend.