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

Beautifully Crafted, True-to-Life Characters

I loved this book, be prepared to cry and cringe. Every character was nuanced, flawed, relatable, and human. Rowling writes about grief, those in it and adjacent it, with biting accuracy. The expert word-smithing along with the heart-wrenching story of a young girl condemned to tragedy by circumstance, forces one to look at their own life. Do you truly have struggles or are you made cruel by your privilege and egotism?

Excellent

Brings the importance of inclusion into this world of self absorption and gives us hope.

A book for adults from a tried and true writer

We are always wanting our authors to write something "different" - - and J.K. Rowling really did. For my fellow Potter fans, remember that only 3 of the seven books ended on a positive note; most ended with the dread that was hanging over Harry's head and/or with major characters that we had grown to love dead. Why are we so surprised she writes characters that are flawed and not always easy to like? It's in keeping with her pattern and I quite like that. That's why I'm so surprised at the harsh criticism that is being leveled at this book.

With that as the backdrop, this is a book with a lot of well developed characters each living their lives of, "quiet desperation." I really liked how well the author blended the people and their miserable lives together by drawing patterns and cross purposes through what might be considered normal lives.

Yes, there's rough language, sexuality, and crime. And yes, this is a book for adults. Having made that the premise, it much less graphic than most crime novels, has tamer sexual encounters than most romances, and is much more complex than a young adult book.

The story did struggle in parts - - sometimes in the effort to define the characters it was easy to lose where we were in the plot. I think as she continues to write single books rather than series, the need to so well define someone who only has a tangential role in the plot will be abandoned. But, even with that criticism, I liked it, and I really look forward to her next book for adults.

very enjoyable

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

Having never read Harry Potter, since children were already grown,I was interested to hear the author's style and can now see, after listening to just 1/3, how the story just pulls you in. Rowling touches on so many areas of British life, housing projects, drugs, upper class snobbery, Indian immigrants.etc

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

all of Crystals encounters with social worker

What about Tom Hollander’s performance did you like?

ability to differentiate voices

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

no

The approach to listening matters this time

After reading the reviews I thought I better put on my own "hat" of curious listening of an old friend.... a friend that wrote unprecedented and captivating youth fiction who's deciding to speak her own dark opinion and mind in a more adult audience.

In my listening I considered also that she has traversed the sorting of classes and has in some ways transcended all the classes unto herself, in some ways, especially in England, I get the feeling it is impossible to transcend the class system entirely... the tragedy and comedy of this irremovable.... and this is her expression, some of her therapy just as the Potter books were for her.

So, again, I put on my curiosity "hat" and decided to see the big picture of Rowling, the world, politics, fiction, my own suburban life where it is I am stuck with certain realities and where the dangers of just going along and being in the doldrums indefinitely and were it is that even with effort how luck is needed to see through and step beyond the new polarity of classism burgeoning here in our own back yard.

I feel a thoughtful read, an approach of continuously asking why it is she is choosing these bends in fiction now that she doesn't have to please a publisher and get approval but has free reign... to take a refreshing curious approach to dark comedy is already an oxymoron in itself but it really worked for me in hearing this well spoken book.

I must admit, the political side of adult life is not nearly as exciting as to read of children and youth.... this book inspires me to keep working at keeping myself young at heart in part in fear of the tragedy of becoming dull and vacant. This book is plenty good if I bring my own good sharp mind of curiosity and dialogue with the author as I listen and ask... who am I in this story were I inserted into it? How would that be for everyone there? In my own backyard? For this alone it is worth it.... she is like iron; as it is said "iron sharpens iron"... this is the approach I think bears good fruit in good listening.

I do look forward to her next novel and do hope for something entirely different yet again and also do expect a fond inclusion of the relevance of children as a part of the main thread throughout her next story.

Brilliant but unlovable

I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, it's really well-written social satire and dark comedy, and on the other, it's like women who wear unrelieved black all the time. You wish they'd throw a bright scarf over it sometimes, to lighten things up.

Book clubs would love this one; much to discuss. The very smallness of the concerns of self-satisfied small-town residents, NIMBY, generational gaps in understanding, the way she NAILED teen attitudes and obsessions, and the nuances of marriage and other relationships.

I didn't love it, but it certainly was a GOOD book. If you know what I mean.

Bleak

I honestly don’t know how to feel about this novel. It was well written, but I was unprepared for the depressing tone of the novel. When I read somewhere that this was defined as a tragicomedy I was expecting a combination of laughs and tears, but there’s not really anything to laugh about.

Most of the characters are utterly miserable human beings with awful personalities and those who aren’t are tragic and also kind of nasty. Only Suhkvinder is actually a lovely person but she’s mostly miserable. I found it difficult to care for most of the characters.

Yet there are some powerful and touching moments and this is definitely a book with a message. If you’re up for a few hours of misery and despair, this is defeated a decent read.

All the excitement of small town politics.

Would you try another book from J. K. Rowling and/or Tom Hollander?

Tom Hollander did a great job, J.K. Rowling delivered a flat story that will leave me waiting for reviews for future books.

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

Meh. Didn't feel connection with any of the characters.

Couldn't turn it off

I loved this book! There are so many characters but they're easy to sort out pretty quickly. They're all very different. I plan to listen to it again at some point.

Great Story, well written, well read

Would you listen to The Casual Vacancy again? Why?

Yes, the story has many threads and plot lines, so given my poor attention span, it deserves a couple of listens to get every nuance straight

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

Hard to compare. It is a kind of social history story with a believable cast of modern day characters with modern day problems. I do not want to denigrate either story, bIts a bit like the Archers on steroids,

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

The social worker who came down from London on a promise. Seems like a genuinely decent person having a series of bad breaks.

Any additional comments?

This is not a pleasant story, the good guys end up really badly, but that is life. Strong language and uncomfortable situations, but there is no gratuitous violence, sex or language, people really do speak and act like this.