Saturday, September 29, 2012

READ THE OPENING OF THE CASUAL VACANCY

From We Love This Book


Wondering what J.K. Rowling's first adult novel is really like? Read its opening with We Love This Book


First, this is not Harry Potter. Those hoping for a dusting of Dumbledore or a sprinkling of Snape will be disappointed. Instead this is a closely examined portrayal of a typical – perhaps mythical – English village, and the consequences that follow on from the death of local councillor Barry Fairbrother. J.K. Rowling has said it is a very personal book, a book she "needed to write"; it is also a profoundly political novel, surprising and controversial. It is radical departure for the writer, and will redefine her image. In short, it is about living under the Coalition, with Voldemort recast as the "Big Society". Some will call it a satire but it is not comic. The final chapters left me cold, and I don't mean that as a criticism.






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