The point of view varies, with passages from both children and adults. The themes in the novel are many, oscillating from heroin addiction, cutting, adultery, love, and of course, the battle for a political seat largely driven by personal agendas. The impending vote on this issue lifts a veil on a set of characters’ lives that comes into colorful focus as the pages of T he Casual Vacancy turn over. The open seat left by Fairbrother serves as a catalyst for many issues in town, the most notable being a divisive political argument regarding the available funding for public housing and a methadone clinic. The novel takes place in the fictional town of Pagford and begins with the death of councilman, Barry Fairbrother. It wasn’t perfect, and I have suspicions that Rowling’s reluctance to let an editor comb through it too much contributed to such flaws, but the book was fulfilling, and it delivered. And with that I can say, whole-heartedly, The Casual Vacancy is a very good book. I wrote this review as if I was reading the book from any author of note. As you might expect, it also makes writing a review difficult. Each of these elements (and more) casts a certain light on The Casual Vacancy that is neither good nor bad, but highlights how a mix of fame and expectation inevitably affects how readers will respond to the novel. Add to this the fact that Rowling is one of the most lucrative authors in history and to say this book was mired in expectation would be an understatement. Whether it’s an issue with content or audience expectation, the fact remains that many authors prior to Rowling’s first adult fiction release struggled with this task, proving this bar was set high from the get go.

Even the beloved Roald Dahl had a difficult time harnessing the attention of adults with his literary fiction.

We won’t bore you with details on Rowling’s past as the author of the Harry Potter novels, but there is something to note about children’s authors attempting to move into adult literature that sets a difficult stage for this book, at least historically. Simply put, we wanted a chance to get a word in as well.įirst a little history. A book that made waves in publishing with feats like breaking the record for most pre-orders (more than $2 million) and for being so secretive in the weeks prior to its release. In this case, we chose The Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling. The bulk of our book reviews focus on debut novels and books from independent publishers, however, occasionally we choose to review a novel written by a seasoned author.

The casual vacancy novel