tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36622997.post7688830273932826042..comments2024-03-14T04:35:06.209+13:00Comments on Beattie's Book Blog - unofficial homepage of the New Zealand book community: ‘The Casual Vacancy’ Review: J.K. Rowling Cuts Loose From Harry Potter, and The Bookman cuts loose tooBeattie's Book Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01505389626725979100noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36622997.post-52111497647393710012013-04-22T05:21:39.273+12:002013-04-22T05:21:39.273+12:00The Casual Vacancy was a very far cry from Harry P...The Casual Vacancy was a very far cry from Harry Potter. The writer has used an incident, namely a death, to bring out the social and political dynamics in a small fictitious English village. There is a scenario that would typify almost any rural community that is wholly weighed down with matters of local importance. The outside world does not matter to the inmates.<br /><br />The story is meandering and moves at a relaxed pace and it is not devoid of drama.<br />The novel brings out the passions, the hatred, rivalries and resentment that fester in minds of the adults and children. Perhaps this pattern of interaction is applicable to all of humanity if only the scale were to differ. Every character is ensconced in his or her own little world and interacts and thinks accordingly. Maybe all humans are self centred to a large extent be they in a village or a metropolis.<br /><br />The feel of the book was nice and gossippy and one can easily lose oneself in it. However it did have its sad, even tragic moments.<br /><br />All-in-all the book is quite brilliant from one of the most evocative authors of modern times. Meerabaihttp://shayari.co.innoreply@blogger.com