Book Review: The Casual Vacancy

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


J.K. Rowling after the huge success of the 'Harry Potter' saga has returned with an adult fiction, named ' The Casual Vacancy', this time around. The plot is centred around a small town Pagford and its residents. It revolves around the lives of the families of the Mollisons, the Fairbrothers, the Jawandas, the Walls, the Prices, the Bawdens and last but not the least the Weedons. For the most part, I felt like watching a soap series where every episode brings a new turn in the lives of the families. Unlike the Harry Potter series, there is a fair amount of cuss usage and promiscuous imagery in the plot which is customary for an adult fiction. The author has also shown the ugly world of drug addiction and how it affects a person, the family and the society at large.
The plot starts with the sudden and unexpected death of Barry Fairbrother on his wedding anniversary while accompanying his wife Mary, to celebrate the occasion, with a dinner at the golf club. While most of the town mourned, there were a few who rejoiced at the fact. For Barry was no ordinary man. He was a councillor at the local Parish council who fought for the Fields. 'The Fields', apparently, was a real estate on the boundary between Pagford and its neighbouring town Yarvil. It was built to provide housing facilities for the homeless, drug-addicted people who were exempted from paying any taxes. The Pagford town-dwellers had to pay the bulk of the expenses for the maintenance of the Fields. As it turns out, the matter has been an apple of discord as to whether the so-called 'Fields' came under the jurisdiction of Pagford or Yarvil. Some of the councillors in the Pagford Parish Council wanted to get rid of the Fields as they thought it was a bad influence to the purity of Pagford and an unwanted constraint on the tax-payers; the chief among them being Howard Mollison. However, Barry, who was born and brought up in the Fields, with his charismatic leadership and activism resisted this move. So, when Barry died, it was no surprise that Howard was delighted to see his competition fade away. There was also another developement- a 'Casual Vacancy' had been created in the Parish Council with Barry's demise. The whole plot revolves around the speculation, strategies, bidders to the vacant post in the Council and the repercussions it causes in the society. There are plenty of sub-plots thrown in for the benefit of the readers.
With J.K. Rowling, one thing is for sure, that is, it is readable. Of course, it can't be compared with her piece-de-resistance : the 'Harry Potter' saga which took the world by storm. However, the book holds out for its unorthodox elements that reflect the social behaviour among modern families, teenagers, the nature of people in small towns, their fears and prejudices.



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