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Original poster

Has anyone read J.K. Rowling's "A Casual Vacancy"?

58 replies

Jacksmania · 01/12/2012 04:21

I'm about a sixth of the way through it and it's really bloody depressing :(
I enjoy her writing so much and I want to keep going to see what happens, but f* me, so far it's just grim.

Bin it (well, delete, I paid $2.50 for the eBook so it wouldn't hurt too much), or keep going?

Spoilers welcome, I just have so little time to read these days, that I want to know I'm not wasting my time. I have the entire Game of Thrones series to switch to if this one's a lemon.

OP posts:
StickEmWithThePointyEnd · 01/12/2012 16:51

I felt like she could have at least have Petunia Dursley turn up somewhere. Surely all that scandal would have been right up her street.

Original poster
Jacksmania · 01/12/2012 16:22

Actually, this reminds me of A Thousand Splendid Suns. Great writing, but utterly depressing and no happy ending. Well, for Leila but not Miriam. :(

OP posts:
Original poster
Jacksmania · 01/12/2012 16:20

Ugh. I don't have time to read depressing shit.
Bin, I think. Thank goodness it was cheap.

On to Game of Thrones!!

OP posts:
bohoec · 01/12/2012 15:58

I finished it, but it was a bit of a drag. No happy ending either (sorry - you did say you didn't mind spoilers, so hope that's ok!).

I just found the overly descriptive style quite claustrophobic - it didn't leave any space to bring your own imagination and interpretation to the characters or relationships. I didn't mind the bleak narrative - that felt quite realistic in parts! I would say these characters are the worst of middle England all in one village - I hope there isn't really a place like that, but I did recognise some of the character traits in people I know / know of!

I personally can't bear not finishing a book, but I know what you mean about wanting to get on and read / watch other things you might enjoy more. I'd say persevere and finish it - it does pick up the pace and the characters start to become more complex rather than just one dimensional descriptions (which really irritated and confused me fir the first third of the book).

I wouldn't rush out to recommend it, and totally agree Queen - it probably wouldn't have been published if it wasn't J K Rowling!

QueenofNightmares · 01/12/2012 14:53

I did finish it even though it is incredibly depressing I really didn't like it I'm afraid and I loved HP Sad I just wanted more for the charcters who deserved so much more than they got.

I don't feel like the book would have been published if it was by a lesser known author to be honest as a lot of it was just terrible "the pain sliced through his head like a wrecking ball" being a good show of how awful it was in places.

StickEmWithThePointyEnd · 01/12/2012 11:26

I started it but got bored. I am a massive HP fan and I'm very disappointed.

ninjanurse · 01/12/2012 11:23

I thought exactly the same thing. Very bleak and grim. Is middle England really like this? And such dislikeable characters too. Also, TOO many characters - I wanted one of those character lists at the front of the book so I could work out who was related to who.

It was ok book, not brilliant.

DuchessofMalfi · 01/12/2012 07:04

Got my copy from the library and I'm going to start it this weekend.