Review: The Casual Vacancy

The Casual Vacancy
J.K. Rowling
Adult Contemporary

A big novel about a small town...
When Barry Fairbrother dies in his early forties, the 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 first seems.


And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish 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?

As usual, I find this description a bad one. I'll do it better.

The Casual Vacancy is the kind of book that will be liked by a certain type of people only. If you're looking for the awe-inspiring plot you found in Harry Potter, look somewhere else (I have a myriad of suggestions; you need only ask) . 

However, the novel depicts something far more rare in literature- a chapter of real life.

This means, there is a web of people and events that define it. Many sorrows do not have solutions. Families are dysfunctional. There are no happy endings. Not everything is tied up. People don't understand the effects their actions have and likewise what causes their own problems. 

WHICH MAKES FOR A FASCINATING DYNAMIC.

If you are like me, and you find interesting personalities and relationships fascinating, this is your book. 

The Casual Vacancy delves into the lives of the people of Pagford, and comes out with revelations that are relevant to us all. It was extremely interesting to watch the developing characters, and the reasons why they did the things they did. It also served as a reminder of how much we don't know or understand of the lives of those around us. It even had some really funny moments. 
Rating:


I'm sure you'll have noticed I've posted all reviews for the past month and a half. That's because I've been traveling a lot, which means lots of time to read but limited access to a computer. I just got back, so prepare for a massive STS this weekend(: