Will You Read: The Casual Vacancy by J. K. Rowling

September 17, 2012 by Jon.Peters

The Casual Vacancy by J. K. Rowling, Little, Brown and Company; September 27, 2012; 512 pages

Genre: Literary Fiction

Synopsis: Although very few details are out now, the book focuses on an election to fill recently deceased Barry Fairbrother’s seat on the Pagford city council. As the election heats up, the dirt flies, tearing at the fabric of this tight-knit British community.

Reviews: This book is being very closely held and as a result, very few details have emerged. In fact, according to the London Evening Standard,  the publisher is even trying to squelch the very discussion of the fact that the book will not be available to most reviewers before its release date.

Also by this author: The Harry Potter series, you know, the one about the boy wizard and Hogwarts and Hermione and all that.

Related Books: Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis, Peyton Place by Grace Metalious, Hard Times by Charles Dickens.

My Gut Reaction: As many spurned reviewers have noted, this book will be a hit no matter whether the writing is good or bad. Whatever the level of writing, though, it should make for an entertaining read. Rowling’s gift for detail, and superb imagination, should make her treatment of a fractious small town leap from the page. I look forward to immersing myself in Rowling’s world; not to mention that like the rest of us, I want to see how Rowling does when she’s not talking spells and magic wands.

What Do You Think? Will JK pull this book off, or will it be a flop? Will you buy it or stick to Harry Potter?