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The Casual Vacancy...anyone watching?

273 replies

Selks · 15/02/2015 21:52

If so, thoughts so far?

I couldn't get on with the book but I'm enjoying this so far...a cast of fallible and largely unpleasant characters; plot pleasantly complex(ish), good filming - bucolic pretty England with a claustrophobic feel....

Will be interested to see how it develops.

OP posts:
Sapeke · 17/02/2015 14:03

I was quoting there from an online review I read of the book...that Robert Galbraith business suddenly fell into place! Actually I really liked the book and the TV adaptation so far.

HouseWhereNobodyLives · 17/02/2015 14:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Welshwabbit · 17/02/2015 14:53

I thought the book was brilliant, albeit grim, and I cried all through the final chapters. I think 3 episodes is too short and the characters don't look quite right (especially Howard and Samantha - they have also changed the race of the social worker but I don't mind that because she's still an outsider, which is the important point). But those quibbles aside, I enjoyed it. I'm a bit concerned about the altered ending as I thought the book's ending was brave and right, albeit harrowing.

hackmum · 17/02/2015 16:58

I really enjoyed the book. I agree she's not the greatest prose stylist but she is a cracking storyteller, and is brilliant at weaving all the different threads together.

I think they've made a pretty good fist of the adaptation so far. It's hard when you have a book with lots of characters, because you have to spend time establishing who they are and how they are all connected before you can really get the plot going. I don't blame them if they've decided to drop one or two characters for the sake of simplicity.

Someone I know on FB was getting very agitated about the social worker being black, which she isn't in the book - but I can't see that it makes a huge amount of difference.

It's a shame if they've changed the ending, but I can understand why - it is particularly grim.

DoctorShoe · 17/02/2015 23:58

I loved the book once I got into it.

Regarding the show, Fats is exactly as I pictured Arf and vice versa.

Where are Barry and Mary's children?

Where's Gavin?

Howard Mollison looks nothing like Howard Mollison.

Sukhvinder's all wrong (her acting is perfectly good, but her role is not hitting the nail on the head).

The village is exactly as I pictured it, with the exception of a few small details (e.g. location of Samantha's shop, The Fields, Methadone Clinic).

I know they have to drop a bit for the sake of turning it into 3 episodes, but it's just not quite right.

JohnFarleysRuskin · 18/02/2015 08:46

Here's an article by the writer.

www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/writersroom/entries/10318daf-a1bc-4516-88cb-76908f4081ae

hackmum · 18/02/2015 09:50

Thanks, JohnFarleysRuskin: interesting to see that she hadn't read any of the Harry Potters and hadn't even read The Casual Vacancy when they asked her to consider adapting it!

I notice she says:

"The best way I have of explaining it is if you were true to the letter of the novel then you might have twenty-seven hours of drama, but let’s face it, that’s never going to happen, and it’s just as well because it might not be any good. So, in adapting, you have to be true to the spirit of the novel."

I think that's right - it's such a complicated novel in terms of the number of characters and how they fit together that trying to be completely faithful to it would just create a huge mess. So you have to be selective.

OnlyLovers · 18/02/2015 15:06

I don't know the book at all. I quite enjoyed this but I think it was largely because of the amazing cast: every one a bit of a national treasure. I particularly love Rory Kinnear and can only hope that he turns up again somehow (that end scene was WEIRD).

I don't quite know what it's all for yet, though. It all seemed a bit ... lightweight and was rather rushed and peremptory. Maybe too many characters and not enough time? It seemed to try to pack in the troubled schoolgirl, pompous local political types, abused family, addict, horrid aristos, harried teachers and social workers ...

Barry's wife (Mary?) seems very very young for him, too. Minor point but an irritatingly regular one in film and TV.

Madeyemoodysmum · 19/02/2015 08:27

He was forty. If put her in her mid thirtys. Seems fine.

GertrudePerkins · 19/02/2015 20:17

i caught up with this last night.

i quite liked it, although Howard's nowhere near fat enough. Barry and Samantha are spot on though. I think the pace is difficult for a piece with so many characters though - I think 6 x 1hour episodes might have allowed the characters a bit more depth.

hollyisalovelyname · 19/02/2015 21:12

I missed the first episode Hmm
Not in UK so BBC Player doesn't work.
Do you have to pay for BBC i player ?

BackforGood · 19/02/2015 23:37

Maybe you need to have read the book ?

I haven't, and I couldn't get on with it at all.
I thought it started really, really slowly, but tried to stick with it, but by about 35mins in, I'd had enough and switched off. I couldn't engage with it at all - struggled with the characters.
Very disappointing.

Candycandle · 20/02/2015 15:01

My husband wasn't taken but i'm willing to watch the rest. I've not read the books but I did find the ending of the first episode slightly odd, I'm hoping it will be better next episode.

GreenShadow · 20/02/2015 16:37

The ending will make sense in time Candy.
Having read (and enjoyed) the book it's very hard to 'see' the TV version through the eyes of someone coming to it 'new'

hollyisalovelyname · 20/02/2015 19:21

I haven't read the book and missed the first episode, could I pick up what's going on ?
Not in UK so BBC player won't work.

hollyisalovelyname · 21/02/2015 19:56

Bump

Allofaflumble · 22/02/2015 09:13

I have not read the book but watched this in I player.

I hated it for some in explicable reason though I persevered to the end.

eddiemairswife · 22/02/2015 20:45

Read the book and enjoyed it. Watched episode 1 today on i-player, looking forward to episode 2 this evening. Someone earlier was surprised at the schoolchildren swearing. All I can say that they can never have waited for a bus near a school at the end of the afternoon. And the swearing is nothing like you get on Mumsnet!!

Madeyemoodysmum · 22/02/2015 22:06

Enjoyed the second episode.

Shirley was fantastically evil.

What a MIL to have!

Fats and krystal and Andrew also good. Feel like a lot of detail being missed tho. I wish it was a six parter.

Southeastdweller · 22/02/2015 22:12

Sarah Phelps has really 'blanded out' the book. Don't have much faith in the final part next week.

Clawdy · 22/02/2015 22:14

It's developing more tonight, and especially good are Shirley and the younger actors, especially Crystal. Haven't read the book but I'm assuming Mollison Snr is meant to be seriously obese? Michael Gambon is a big guy but surely not fat enough?

Southeastdweller · 22/02/2015 22:21

Nowhere near fat enough for the part (I've read the book).

Madeyemoodysmum · 22/02/2015 22:21

Yes. He need ed to be fatter really. But I like him otherwise

FabulousFudge · 22/02/2015 22:45

I thought tonight's episode was much better than last week's - glad I stuck with it.

MajesticWhine · 22/02/2015 22:52

Yes agreed, it was better tonight. But heavy for a Sunday night but worth the effort.