A vote in support of A Casual Vacancy

[matt819]

I did a quick search for JK Rowling's newest, A Casual Vacancy, and found near universal dislike, with the gist being that since the characters are unlikable the book is unlikable. Another is the irritation that there is not one "main character."

I've been listening to the audio version and am about two hours from the end. While I can't predict just which even worse things will happen to which unlikable character, I am enjoying the book. Granted, maybe "enjoy" isn't the right word, but you get the idea.

Reading (listening) to the book is like watching a train crash in slow motion. You know that the crash is inevitable, it will be painful, and there is nothing you can do to stop it. In the process, Rowling has done a stellar job in creating utterly horrid, but utterly believable characters who are utterly unable to respond to the crises in their lives without making matters worse, whether it's teenage angst, midlife crisis, or older men and women unable to change the cynical ways that they view the world around them.

One reasonably fair criticism is that "it's already been done." In a sense the book is the latest version of "Peyton Place," a painful exposition of the contrast/conflict between peoples' public and private personas, but really, isn't that the essence of all fiction (and probably some non-fiction as well)?

In any case, I just thought I'd weigh in and see if any others share my view.

[Curmudgeoness]

1. I have not read it yet

but that criticism that it has "already been done" is so unfair. It is a rare book that I read that has not already been done. Just because J K Rowling really did do something that had not been done before with the Harry Potter books does not mean that it is fair to criticize her for not being "new" with every book.

Glad that you chimed in to say this book is worth reading.

[matt819]

2. Clarification

I didn't intend as criticism the fact that the book "has already been done." My preferred reading genre is police procedurals/crime. Let's face it, they're all pretty much identical. Some authors do it better than others, but there's no question that it's "already been done." The pleasure is in finding writers who do it better, whose facility with the language is such that you look forward to every page, who have the ability to create memorable characters (whether or not they're likable).

The fact that it's "not Harry Potter" is sort of irrelevant to me since I haven't read any of them. I don't know how it's been received critically, but I'm enjoying it. Rowling is an artist with the language and is brilliant at crafting her characters, from toddler to senior.

[Curmudgeoness]

3. I agree that Rowling is excellent at character development.

I will have to try this one....but it is down the list of so many books that I "must" read.

[Rowdyboy]

8. I find it really intriguing that you read "The Casual Vacancy" without having read any

of the Harry Potter books. I read all 7, cover to cover (I'm in my late 50's) and found them well written and rather compelling. Admittedly I read most of them while on a stationary bike at the gym but once I started them I just couldn't stop. Rowling is indeed quite an artist and I look forward to "The Casual Vacancy".

Only reason I haven't gotten to it yet is I've gotten trapped into two different series of detective novels set in ancient Rome: Stephen Saylors' series on "Gordianus the Finder" and Lindsey Davis' books on "Marcus Didius Falco" and when I get fixated on a subject its really hard to break free until I've read everything available.

[fadedrose]

4. I could not read a book if I can't understand even the title..

How could a vacancy be casual, or not casual. It is or it isn't vacant. Whether it's only vacant for a day, or for a decade, whether it's free, under lease agreement, or paid in advance, a vacancy means there's a vacancy, unless there isn't a vacancy, in which case the book's title is a fraud.

Reminds me of the sequester. Never understood that name for what's going on either. Did the author of your book help choose that name too?

Maybe someone could suggest a video game.

[sueh]

5. fadedrose, perhaps this explantion from wikipedia will help answer your question.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casual_vacancy

"In politics, a casual vacancy (casual means accidental or unexpected) is a situation in which a seat in a deliberative assembly is vacated during that assembly's term. Casual vacancies arise through the death, resignation or disqualification[disambiguation needed] of the sitting member."

In the book, a well-known member of the parish (town) council died suddenly, thus leaving his seat vacated according to the Wiki definition.

[fadedrose]

6. Thank you...

I am embarrassed to not have had the sense to look it up. I always look up words I don't know when they used are in a context to which I am unaccustomed I kept thinking it was an apartment which made no sense.

I looked up "sequester" and the definition did me no good. I still feel that's the wrong name for what's going on..

Care to help me with that one?

Getting back to the book, you say it was a parish council, so this must have been in Louisiana. All the same, it seems like an unlikely topic for a book because with so many towns and so many councils, this must be daily occurrence for hundreds of people ever day.

Thank you so much for thinking about this and caring enough to help "a goofy puzzled old lady."

[matt819]

7. Also

This is explained pretty early in the book. I had no idea what it meant, but figured all would become clear. It does.

[SheilaT]

9. I'm about a third of the way through it and

so far it's very good.

I think too many people have a problem because they wanted her to write another Harry Potter-like book. This is absolutely totally nothing like Harry Potter, all of which I read, by the way, and think are pretty good.

And yes, the title is explained, not just early on, but immediately. It's on the page before the actual narrative begins.