Casual Vacancy

I read it and was determined to finish it, but I really wish I had not of bothered. Harry Potter yes, this no.

Well, I've now read it (first in the library reservation list) JKR wants to prove she's able to write for adults, so includes totally unnecessary expletinves which even Jilly Cooper avoids! A ponderous start, and too many similar characters. Really about teenagers alongside the planning problems. She does get under the skin of these young people, but stereotypes all of them! Glad I read it to make up my own mind, but not worth buying. Offensives to Sikh among other groups, but sometimes her use of words in description and with local colour reminds you why you read through all the Potter books.

Apparently there are rumblings among the Sikh community. A Sikh character in the book is bullied because she is hirsute and has large breasts, inspiring the nickname of Hairy Man-Woman or something similar. Suggestions are flying about that this is an insult to the Sikh religion, although, as is so often the case, those complaining probably haven't actually read the book.

Surely the fact that there are relatively few post on this thread and no-one on it has read the book, probably says all one needs to know about it.

Read the book first before making some of the types of criticism that I've read here. When I first joined GN I thought there was by-and-large a broad-minded membership. I'm beginning to change my mind!

Warning: Contains spoilers

www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/sep/30/casual-vacancy-jk-rowling-digested-read

Hope you enjoy it, glam. Each to their own

bags you are probably so right in what you say but I just had to buy it,maybe I am just an advertisers dream customer. off to bed now I know its very early but I've had early start and need some zzzz's.

Sounds a waste of time!

I think it's a difficult thing to step out of and to push the barriers of what one is known for in one's work. Many writers and artists try their hand at taking a different tack from their previously well know and well loved works.
This book doesn't appeal to me, but then neither did the Harry Potter books, but I do admire her for trying something different.

And it's not as if I don't have a pile of books waiting to be read already .

I'm getting the distinct impression that people only want to read this book because it's by a famous author. I'll wait a bit, possibly forever, because so far the appeal is low.

Jan Moir wrote in the Daily Mail (!) that The Casual Vacancy 'is a relentless socialist manifesto masquerading as literature.' I'm not sure whether that will put people off or not...

I had a copy reserved for me from my local book shop I am looking forward to reading it bags the book is on offer for £10.00 in most shops so maybe that tells you something if it is coming on to the shelves already discounted to half price.

Just been into Waterstones they have hundreds of copies for half price!! (and I saw no one was rushing to buy them) Having read all the reviews I'll wait until my free reserved copy comes into the library! Will post a review then!!

I read there was paedophilia in it and some other nastiness and that's put me right off.

Erica Wagner's review in The Times today says the 500 page novel only really gets going from page 242, that's quite a lot to wade through. I believe there's quite a lot of tedious writing about town council planning and the characters appear to be drawn from social stereotypes, the middle class ones being pompous and self satisfied. It's set in a idyllic mythical West Country town called Pagford which sits next to a larger town called Yarvil famous for it's notorious housing estate called The Fields and hence the kind of society the Pagfordians like to keep their distance from. I'd say these two towns, based on Erica Wagner's description, and having friends in the former, are supposed to be Sherborne and Yeovil. It doesn't sound a great read.

If you go to the Amazon kindle shop you can read the first few pages to see if its your type of thing, I am a fan of the Harry Potter books and I probably will get some amazon vouchers for christmas which I may use to download the book I don't often buy books nowadays preferring the kindle freebies .

I wonder if she would have found a publisher if she wasn't JKR?? It sounds exceedingly nasty and quite missable.

Hmm. A more positive review, yes, but definitely not worth spending £20 by the looks of it.

I DO know it's not a Harry Potter #mustmakemyselfmoreclear

www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/sep/27/jk-rowling-casual-vacancy-review

Here's another.

I haven't read the book yet, though I probably will. I'm not a huge Harry Potter fan, I did read them but they didn't really hold my interest.