Being a major Potterhead I recently reread the entire series and then experienced the usual withdrawal symptoms one does after finishing the books. I wanted to dive into another story and since J.K. Rowling's The Casual Vacancy was already on my list I decided to go ahead and read it.
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| Warm blankets + a good book = perfect winter evening |
The story follows the interwoven lives of families living in the idyllic village of Pagford and its impoverished suburbs, the Fields. The author gets down to the gritty details on social divide between the privileged and unprivileged. The high and mighty people of Pagford are tired of shouldering the financial burden of the Fields and want nothing to do with the depraved souls who live there hence, a political battle for power ensues.
Not only does the novel portray the silent war between the rich and poor but it also shows the disconnect between parents and their children because of the latter's resentment and former's refusal to listen.
The author takes a grim tone throughout the book as there is no battle between good and evil, there is only evil. Rowling does a good job at uncovering the ugly side of human nature and showing what happens behind closed doors. The ending will leave you shocked and empty. I kept wondering about the events that lead up to it and how they all contributed towards what conspired.
It is hard to categorize the book under one genre since some moments read like a YA novel where a teenage boy is pining after the beautiful girl in his class while at times it takes on the tone of a crime/mystery novel keeping the readers turning pages in search for answers.
