A big novel about a small town... When Barry Fairbrother dies in his early forties, the town of Pagford is left in shock. Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty facade is a town at war. Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils...Pagford is not what it first seems. And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the ...
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A big novel about a small town... When Barry Fairbrother dies in his early forties, the town of Pagford is left in shock. Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty facade is a town at war. Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils...Pagford is not what it first seems. And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity, and unexpected revelations? A big novel about a small town, "The Casual Vacancy "is J.K. Rowling's first novel for adults. It is the work of a storyteller like no other."
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Fine in Fine jacket. 8vo., 503pp. Beautiful First US Printing with little or no wear. Equally attractive unclipped wrapper, ($35.00), is fresh and bright with no chipping, creases or tears. A gorgeous collectable copy at a great price.
Loved the Potter books but this book is a disaster. Too many characters and none worth caring about. Boring, who-cares plot and sexist language. I've put it down and picked it up so many times trying to finish it. Not implying Rowling isn't a good writer, she is, but this book ranks zero on an interest level. It's almost like she tried too hard to take herself out of the YA (young adults) genre and into more main-stream adult literature, but it doesn't work.
chuckster1953
Nov 21, 2013
terrible book
This book was tedious and awful. She showed her true moral colors. I was leery of her as a childrens writer. After reading 100 pages of low class immoral degenerate thoughts and actions by so many of the characters, i said ...."Enough of this trash"
Anna Lovise S
Aug 29, 2013
Wonderful!
I really liked this book. I loved how all of the characters had flaws but were still likeable in some ways.
Tracie O
Jun 1, 2013
This book was exceptionally boring. Couldn't get past 50 pages. Who cares about the person who died. Very disjointed. Don't waste your time.
Rosalind N
May 30, 2013
Harry Potter Fans BEWARE!
If you are hoping the story will draw you in like JK Rowling's Harry Potter Series, you will be sadly mistaken . . . an interesting story about a "casual vacancy" available due to a death, but not enough to suffer through a series of connections between small town inhabitants . . . if JK Rowling hadn't written such fabulous books before this, I doubt I would have bothered to purchase any of her publications in the future.