So I finally finished reading The Casual Vacancy today, it was long over due but I finally managed to go through all of it. To start off I would like to say that JK Rowling is one of my all time favorite authors, I am a huge fan of Harry Potter series as I grew up reading it. So I was off the moon when it first got out that JK Rowling was coming out with an adult novel.
To start off with the positives, JK Rowling has made sure that this book is nothing like the HP series, first it is an adult novel but it still took me quite a while to grasp the kind of language used in it. Dont get me wrong, Im just saying as an avid reader of her previous books, this took me by surprise. Also her keen explanation of the characters is very commendable, she is one of the few authors who makes sure she not only explains the physical aspects of her characters well but also the inner workings of their minds.
Now on to the plot, its a story about a small town called Pagford and the demise of one its residents which sets everything in motion. It turns out that the deceased Mr Fairbrother was one of the council members and with his death arises the question of who would be filling his seat hence The Casual Vacancy. The upcoming elections brings out the best and the worst in some. The first half of the book really dragged on, I mean I was literally skipping the pages, it wasnt boring, it was just I dunno irrelevant. The books picks up pace in 3rd part though, this is when things get interesting. It seems like every single family in Pagford is going through some kind of trauma, everyone's life is a spiral of disaster and no one is happy or content. This is quite a dark book, very depressing at points (as if we need that already) and unlike what it was in HP about good shall always prevail in the end no matter what, this book says otherwise. I dont want to give away everything for the rest who havent read it so I'll leave it up to you guys to find that out. It shows how much the absence of one person can have an effect on an entire community. This is not a cheerful book and it definitely wont be a pleasant read if you are looking for rainbows and frills, there is some dark humor in it though but other than that this is a dark book about dark times. If you think that reading this book will take you back to what it was like reading Harry Potter, I would definitely not recommend it.
Image Courtesy Google
To start off with the positives, JK Rowling has made sure that this book is nothing like the HP series, first it is an adult novel but it still took me quite a while to grasp the kind of language used in it. Dont get me wrong, Im just saying as an avid reader of her previous books, this took me by surprise. Also her keen explanation of the characters is very commendable, she is one of the few authors who makes sure she not only explains the physical aspects of her characters well but also the inner workings of their minds.
Now on to the plot, its a story about a small town called Pagford and the demise of one its residents which sets everything in motion. It turns out that the deceased Mr Fairbrother was one of the council members and with his death arises the question of who would be filling his seat hence The Casual Vacancy. The upcoming elections brings out the best and the worst in some. The first half of the book really dragged on, I mean I was literally skipping the pages, it wasnt boring, it was just I dunno irrelevant. The books picks up pace in 3rd part though, this is when things get interesting. It seems like every single family in Pagford is going through some kind of trauma, everyone's life is a spiral of disaster and no one is happy or content. This is quite a dark book, very depressing at points (as if we need that already) and unlike what it was in HP about good shall always prevail in the end no matter what, this book says otherwise. I dont want to give away everything for the rest who havent read it so I'll leave it up to you guys to find that out. It shows how much the absence of one person can have an effect on an entire community. This is not a cheerful book and it definitely wont be a pleasant read if you are looking for rainbows and frills, there is some dark humor in it though but other than that this is a dark book about dark times. If you think that reading this book will take you back to what it was like reading Harry Potter, I would definitely not recommend it.
Image Courtesy Google
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