J.K. Rowling’s foray into adult fiction was surprisingly good albeit a little depressing. I have enjoyed the Harry Potter series for its concept and plot and never from a literary standpoint. This novel on the other hand is stronger on the language and structure whereas the plot is tepid.

So, Whats It About?

“Things denied, things untold, things hidden and disguised.”
― J.K. Rowling, The Casual Vacancy

The narrative starts with a Casual Vacancy, created by the death of a council member of Pagford, a small fictional town in England. We are quickly introduced to the central cast of characters as they react to this news. Inner motives, emotions, and political ambitions are revealed.

The burning issue that divides the town of Pagford is the presence of a small poverty-ridden settlement of Fields which falls under their County due to an accidental sale of land 60 years ago. The self-labelled genteel folks of Pagford have been keen ever since to hand off Fields to the neighboring town along with its problems.

As the dead man was the only crusader for keeping Fields, the vacancy is quite coveted. Of course, nothing is what it looks like and everyone appears to be hiding a dirty little secret which is revealed by a voice beyond the grave — or so it would seem. The social situation is explained through the stories of different characters on either side of the Fields fence, in a manner of speaking. There is enough drama in the snoozing lives of this town to keep the reader going with a strong temptation to skip half a dozen pages every now and then.

Themes

“You must accept the reality of other people. You think that reality is up for negotiation, that we think it’s whatever you say it is. You must accept that we are as real as you are; you must accept that you are not God.”
― J.K. Rowling, The Casual Vacancy

The Casual Vacancy comments on the increasing disparity between the haves and have-nots, the confusion on the effectiveness of government programs, and the deep prejudices that run in what has been an essentially feudal society.

The characters seem to work together as a whole, but individually none of them are engaging. And there are so many of them!

In the first fifty pages, we are introduced to a dozen people who form the social fabric of Pagford, and not one of them seems to be happy or healthy. Everyone in Pagsford appears to be festering with frustrations and lost ambitions. Class clashes, domestic and sexual abuse, drug issues, and racism abound. Sometimes it appears to be too much and you keep flipping through hoping to catch the silver lining of the cloud.

I believe The Casual Vacancy may have benefited from a purge of several pages. There are several character arcs we could have done away entirely without impacting the plot!

In conclusion, J.K. Rowling’s debut adult novel does not make it to my top reads, but I wouldn’t call it a total waste of time either.

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