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

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.

Great reader.

Any additional comments?

The reader is absolutely fantastic. The story is good, but the reader is one of the best.

Enjoyed a well-written novel for adults only.

Warning--lots of sexual content.
While I occasionally lost track of which character was being discussed, I attribute that confusion to my practice of multi-tasking. Wonderfully written variety of characters interwoven in a small British town.

Worth the listen, but not as good as I expected.

A good story with a dissappointing ending. A good reader. A little too graphic for my taste.

A little slow

I thought the story was a little slow in getting going but once it did I was hooked. Great narrator, too.

The Casual Vacancy..underlying darkness and deceit

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

Real. Life. Drama.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The more we learned about Barry Fairbrother throughout the book made him my favorite character. His willingness to help others allowed him to create a special bond with Krystal, Robbie and Andrew.

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

I have not, but I enjoyed his performance of The Casual Vacancy. I always enjoy a good English accent.

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

I would not remove any of the characters. I believe each of them is necessary to the story. This shows the incredibly inner-twinned relationships of the residents of Pagford.

Any additional comments?

At first, the book was rather shocking to me. After all, this is the same author who wrote Harry Potter. However, I thoroughly enjoyed The Casual Vacancy. It brings important issues of Pagford, which are often considered taboo, to the forefront. I admire Rowling's uncensored penmanship and for not sugar-coating the underlying stories. I found it interesting that Gavin was left out of The Casual Vacancy HBO mini-series. I believe his involvement with Kay and with Mary after Barry's death was an important part of the story. I also would have liked to see them include Sukhvinder Jawanda's story line. Self-harming is unfortunately an increasing issue amongst teenage girls.