'The Casual Vacancy'
By ALLISON E. ALISON English instructor, Southeastern Community College
I am a "Harry Potter" fan, so I eagerly read J.K. Rowling's newest novel, "The Casual Vacancy." She retains her ability to hook readers and tell a fascinating story, but the comparisons stop there.
The people in "Vacancy" are as cuddly as barbed wire. She exposes the underbelly of a community and the families in it, showing how politics, family and personal desires function in the small town of Pagford.
Rowling introduces many people on the first several pages, reminding me of some of my students who first read "The Iliad" and tell me they cannot keep track of so many characters. Once we know who is who in Rowling's book, however, it soars to the end.
The vacancy itself is an open position on the parish council, and the fight to gain control pits the Fields supporters against the non-supporters. The Fields is a "sprawling estate that lay on the outskirts of the city." Details like "dirty gray houses, some of them spray-painted with initials and obscenities; the occasional boarded windows; satellite dishes and overgrown grass" complete the picture. But people, of course, live in this neighborhood, and 16-year-old Krystal Weedon and her family, including a drug-addicted mother and a 3-year-old brother, represent the Fields.
On the other side is Pagford. The council meets in "a pretty Victorian church hall," and this side of town has resplendent neighborhoods with historic houses. Yet, behind this beauty, petty desires and slights rule, both between the supporters and non-supporters of the Fields and within the families themselves.
Rowling leads us through an astonishing array of family and city disputes. Teens disrespect parents and other adults; wives and husbands tangle; in-laws cause disruptions; social workers struggle with addicts; love affairs happen or are dreamed of; and children are placed in danger. Throw in some computer hacking, racism, acne, rebellion and yearnings for the pretty girl, and we have a ripe view of life, stitched together by Rowling's words and vivid images.
"The Casual Vacancy" encourages us to reconsider the people we think we know but perhaps do not, even if they are our friend, child or spouse. Since the book has few happy notes, we do not expect a fairy-tale ending. Still, the ending wallops us. The novel is not "Harry Potter" revisited, but is a satisfying read in its own right.
More from this author: "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" (1997); "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" (2007); "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" (2008).
In The Weekly Read, local book lovers share reviews of their recent reads. To contribute a review, write to features@thehawkeye.com.