You will forgive me for doubting J.K. Rowling; whatever her fame, there was sort of a general opinion among her critics that she only became so renowned through some mysterious stroke of luck, and even those of us who had a little more faith in her literary ability were skeptical that she could make the transition from children's to adult fiction where so many failed before- half the million-plus presales were probably more due to curiosity than genuine anticipation for another masterpiece. She must have known that producing another book would immediately mean that the world's critical eye was on her, but she met the challenge and surprised everyone; although The Casual Vacancy was no second Harry Potter, and yes, if it had come from a less famous author it probably would have received less attention, it certainly proved her worthy of her reputation as a master storyteller.The Casual Vacancy, for starters, is nothing like our beloved HP series; it is very real, and very down-to-earth, and yet just as fascinating and somehow structured to a perfection and elegance only J.K. Rowling can achieve. Set in the tiny town of Pagford, somewhere close to London in England, The Casual Vacancy describes a small, isolated world that thinks it is much bigger than it is; the book tells of the complexly interwoven, intertwining lives of the citizens in this pint-sized city, full of small-town politics, wars, disputes, families, teenagers, manipulation, gossip, infidelity, pride and tragedy. And through the center of it all runs the recurring theme around which the whole book is built, a tiny event in a man's brain one night with huge consequences; the death of the Parish Councillor Barry Fairbrother, the casual vacancy on the council and what it means for the tiny township. It turns out to have more consequences than could have been expected.
It's a difficult novel to summarize in a few words; very unique, very intriguing, and with that spark of ingenuity particular to this master raconteur. The characters are unique, constructed with care, entirely believable and interwoven into one town-wide tapestry with an aptitude that's difficult to believe; perspectives are delivered extremely convincingly, reflecting the life and point of view of all ages, genders, races, and they all fit together like a sculpture. It reminds me of another book, The Swimming Pool Season, which I enjoyed very much a few years previously and which I also recommend; all in all, J.K. Rowling is definitely not one of your average authors, and no doubt it gave her her claim to fame in the first place.
