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

Couldn't quit listening

What did you love best about The Casual Vacancy?

The best feature of this book was the author's writing style: "shown rather than told". The portraits of the many couples and small groups of people whose conversations carried the story along were so revealing of themselves and the unfolding situation. No long, prosy expostulations were needed and, wisely, few to none were imposed. .

Who was your favorite character and why?

Ordinarily, not finding an appealing character in the first few chapters dooms any book to unfinished oblivion in my library. But Rowling presenting her characters with only the bare minimum of adjectives, allowing the reader to know them almost entirely through their own words, developing a strong picture of a community through those conversations was so fascinating that I found myself reluctant at 3 a.m. this morning to shut down my Kindle and get some sleep.

Which scene was your favorite?

I don't enjoy unpleasantness as entertainment or art, so did not find a single scene I could savor. Reminded of the awful day I squirmed my way through the "realist rooms" at a modern art museum, I was more like mesmerized by the author's ability to communicate economically as in a series of paintings all these unhappy people's numb to miserable interactions. But Tom Hollander's reading was so expressively appropriate it brought Rowling's scenes, ranging from mundane to excruciating, to vivid life. I'm sure the author groomed each of those scenes mercilessly into the work of literary art it is.

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

The ending, of course, was emotionally draining, effectively devastating. I'll need many hugs to put it behind me. Throughout, Casual Vacancy satisfied the non-judgmental people watcher in me, cringing notwithstanding.

Any additional comments?

Reminded me of reading Shakespeare where everything is revealed through the characters' own words. This book may not be the most beloved ever written, but it will stand as an example of effective, maybe even relentless literary style. I prefer books that leave me with a sense of hope, a redemptive moment to savor. Rowling has created a work of literary art which will grow more important and more admired as time goes on, probably will be required reading for writing and literature classes. I don't like this book of Rowling's, but I respect it just as I respected those really ugly realist paintings hanging in the museum. It's a magnificent piece of work. I'd suggest she take time out to read some Dickens and a few chapters of Winnie the Pooh before she writes her next novel just to recover the hope, humor, and courage that pervaded her previous books. Now that she's said what she needs to say about the hard times that haunted her (may she be healed of her pain), it's time to add some of the qualities that allowed children and adults alike to fall in love with her wizarding world. Adults are not that different from children. They need to be able to find the good in their world and in their books. In conclusion: WOW! What an awesome, incredible, powerful read. Please don't do this to me again.

Those Pagfordians know how to spread the s*#%

I've never read any J.K. Rowling, since I don't really like children's literature (or even young adult), but thought her writing might have something to recommend it since so many youngsters rave about her books. Also, as a mystery/thriller fan, I'm usually bored by mere daily-life stories, so really stepped outside the box on this one. It starts with a death and ends with about the saddest funeral scene ever, which are commonplace enough; but what goes on between those pages was amazing. No murderers, but one serious plan and one guy who thought he himself was one. How did J.K. invent a personality like that? Plenty of intrigue, too, so I didn't really miss the mystery.

Plus, Tom Hollander is such a great reader I hardly noticed him at all, which is how it should be. I looked for more books read by him, but guess he's too busy being an actor to narrate much. Figured he must have something else going on, or there would be hundreds I think.

I don't know how J.K. could create a sequel, but will be looking for more like this.

Grim and Compelling

If you're a Harry Potter fan, then you'll understand when I say that reading "The Casual Vacancy" is like reading a novel set entirely in Little Whinging. If you haven't read the Potter books, suffice it to say that throughout this listen I felt as if I were driving by a tragic car wreck...and just couldn't look away. The characters are real and flawed. The story is dark and raw. The plot twists kept me guessing. I didn't particularly love any of the characters, and yet I was drawn to them, and I wanted to know how things would turn out for them. But there was no relief from the meanness and pettiness of ordinary life in a small town like one finds in the Potter books, no Hagrid or Dumbledore popping in to whisk us away to the world of magic and adventure. Not that I was expecting that. I knew what I was getting myself into. But I couldn't help wishing for such a thing throughout the listen. Still, I resonated with the social commentary, and I found J. K. Rowling's writing to be just as satisfying as I always have. The narration was highly enjoyable. Tom Hollander did a great job of portraying each character with a distinct voice.

Quickly Became One Of My Favorite Books

In a world where books like Fifty Shades of Gray and the Twilight Saga are glorified it is refreshing to actually have some real writing come into the mix. Seamless writing and a wonderful performance by the narrator this book is well worth the listen.

hard to start, but an amazing book

In all honesty it took me a few tries to get through this book. It starts out slow and the author takes her time. The first few times I stopped reading thinking that Ms Rowling was really not reaching me. However, I somehow managed on maybe a 7th try to get through the initial parts, and I cannot recommend this book enough.
The slow start in retrospect does make sense, it sets up the mood for the main point of the book. The banality of the middle class struggle, the author develops characters like no other writer that comes to mind. She makes these regular people interesting through their mundane every day interaction. There is a level of empathy that is generated as the book progresses that is both subtle and staggering.
I think while this is a departure from Harry Potter, it is not a departure for Ms. Rowling. She has a tremendous gift for allegory, for relating her story and characters to the reader. For reaching us where live with things that matter, not statistically or conceptually but where we live without bleeding hearts or over intellectualized gibberish.

interesting but not enthralling

pretty good book with interesting characters. not as engaging as I had hoped. too much foul language.

Absolutely spellbound

Decided to only listen while at the gym and cooking. I have spent a minimum of one hour at the gym every day and made a home cooked meal every night. I have never dreaded the ending of a book so much. The story is lavish and wry and the narration is excellent.

Compelling

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I highly recommend this book. It can be difficult at times, as the characters are somewhat raw, and sometimes thoroughly unlikable. However, the story is compelling and drags you along even if you want to give up on the lives and petty concerns of the inhabitants of this small town. By the time I reached the end, I was sorry it was over, and sorry that I would not be traveling farther with the inhabitants, about whom now I want to know more. It was beautifully read.

It's Been a While

It's been a while but this made quite the impression on me. It was her first book I read after the Harry Potter series and it was obviously much different. What impressed me was that with so many characters, I felt each were very well developed and unique just like life. Years later I have read the Cormoran Strike series. While I enjoy them, one of my major complaints is that the two main characters are nowhere near as believable as this novel with it's influx of main characters. Very impressed and am looking forward to rereading it.

Loved this story!

JK Rowling is a great story teller. Love the characters! Loved Tom Hollanders narration!!
Will think about the characters for weeks to come.