Bronwen Gerber
The Corsair
As a long time Harry Potter fan, it was difficult for me to imagine a J.K. Rowling book that did not feature Hogwarts. It was even harder to imagine a book for adults set in modern-day England. At first begrudgingly, then eagerly, I decided to give “The Casual Vacancy” a chance – and I was not disappointed.
Thanks to movies, postcards, or cookie tins, many people have a clear image in their heads of what a perfect little English town looks like: Cobbled streets meeting in a town square offering small shops and cafés an enchanting old church, and lush hills protecting the little community. Pagford, the village central to “The Casual Vacancy,” has it all.
The only shadow in this pristine environment is the Field which is an infamous housing estate located outside the village. Falling under its political jurisdiction, and, more importantly, children from the Fields go to Pagford schools.
Pagfordians are split over this issue: some find the developments to be a drain on the village’s resources and find no reason why they should be accepting a bunch of lazy addicts into their community while others relish the opportunity of helping people out of the poverty cycle.
When Barry Fairbrother, the well-known leader of the pro-Fields, dies everyone in Pagford is shocked.
The election to fill his seat on the town council opens up more than one can of worms as many people are directly or indirectly (and unhappily) affected by the race.
The story is told from many different points of view – from teenagers to parents to grandparents, the reader gets a well-rounded image of the small community of Pagford.
When I first started the story, I found it difficult to keep the large cast of characters straight. However, once that was clear, I had no trouble being seeped into their lives. The characters are all quite different, and even though they aren’t especially lovable, understanding their different points of view makes the story and their relationships all the more fascinating.
While the central story in the novel is political (and Rowling does an excellent job demonstrating its complexity, not to mention its ugliness), the most important theme is the social one.
It is brought forth by the subject of the Fields, which is represented by the infamous Weedon family.
The meek mother, Terri, is a heroin addict; the outspoken teenage daughter, Krystal, has a notorious reputation; and the three year old son, Robbie, is certainly not taken care of in an exemplary manner. Through the different perspectives, Rowling explores questions such as “is a family like Krystal’s entitled to government aid?” and “is there any way to avoid children ending up like their messed up parents, and if so, how and under whose responsibility?”
Krystal, like everything else in this novel, is a lot more than she appears, and the issues that she raises are important and very relevant in today’s world.
Pagfordians are all thankful they don’t live in the Fields, but their village isn’t deprived of nastiness either. While life in the village seems perfect from the outside, once readers are inside the heads of the characters, they realize that appearances are only the tip of the iceberg.
Secrets are unearthed, paranoia settles in, and snobbishness becomes apparent.
This novel realistically portrays middle-class life that is very dissimilar to a postcard life.
“The Casual Vacancy” is not a feel-good book. It shows life without the sugar coating and brings awareness to problems that cannot be oversimplified or shied away from.
Rowling’s master storytelling makes for an excellent read, and her presentation of harsh reality undeniably provokes thinking.