“A Casual Vacancy” is J.K. Rowling’s first adult fiction
novel. The story is set in the small town of Pagford. It is a beautiful town
where many of its residents feel it is their ordained birthright to control and
preserve its heavenly beauty. Unfortunately, if you happen to be the less than
blessed in this small town, beware, because it is the poor that has the local
parish council in an uproar.
The story begins with Barry Fairbrother dying. Barry had
held a seat on the parish council and was a champion for the less fortunate.
With his death, there is a fear that the council will have the power to pass a
vote to separate the town of Pagford from what is known as the Fields. The
Fields would be similar to what we would call public assistance housing. Get
rid of the responsibility of the residents of the Fields, and the town will be
saved from the savages that many on the council believe live there.
But the fighting in this small town doesn’t just revolve
around the parish council, no, in this story you become a fly on the wall of
all of the varied residents of Pagford. You will find a battle for power festering
behind every door, be you rich or poor.
Although the story did start out slow, I was glad I stuck
with it to the end. Rowling’s does a beautiful job with character and setting
detail. The ending was not what I had expected, which I always enjoy. And
Krystal, a teenager who lives in the Fields, will always be one of those
characters I will never forget. I felt
Rowling’s challenges the reader to question their views on what makes a town
beautiful. Is a town beautiful because of its buildings and natural splendor,
or is the true beauty found among the diverse residences that live on both
sides of the track?
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