When I "The Casual Vacancy" pre-months ago, was about the book virtually nothing is known. Was to find out that Rowling's first novel for adults would be a crime, and it set me I have from various sources. But while reading I quickly realized that the crime was obviously misinformed. I would describe the novel as (social) or drama - as it says in the blurb - "A big tale about a small town". This is somewhat reminiscent of "Tales of the City", and indeed, the two novels have something in common: Both tell stages the story (s) of very different people of a city where "The Casual Vacancy" is significantly more serious and with much less humor manages.
The story is told from the perspective of very different characters - from attorney Miles and his chronically discontented wife Sam over the newcomers from London social worker Kay to teen Krystal, who comes from one of the most dysfunctional families in "the Fields' - reading to learn people know from all social classes of the city, and this diversity is Pagford gradually alive. Really sympathetic are the least of the characters, and really happy (or at least somewhat satisfied) is not.
The language is sometimes very rough (which apparently some readers a little shocked - by the author of the Harry Potter books one expects such a thing just is not), but it always fits perfectly with the environment that is being illuminated. In a book whose characters partially from socially disadvantaged and very difficult circumstances originate (drugs, violence, petty crime, prostitution, etc.), one should not be surprised at the lack of any romance, poor grammar and many (sometimes very vulgar) expletives. Rowling aims with her novel in every respect to absolute realism from, and I think at least that their is linguistically well done. Of course, one must not compare "The Casual Vacancy" with Harry Potter - there language in fact would be totally out of place. Only: Krystal is not a disenchanted version of Hermione, and even if the Weasleys live in modest economic circumstances: 'The Burrow' has with 'the Fields' absolutely nothing in common.
All this does not sound like a feel-good novel with feel-good guarantee - it is not, quite the contrary. And yet I like to read the book to my own surprise pronounced. It is written excellently and offers a range of credible characters with interesting stories. In fact, there was not a single narrative perspective, I did not like - and that, although some of my characters were unsympathetic really heartfelt. JK Rowling has so far with this novel from Harry Potter as possible: it is not for young people, has absolutely nothing to do with fantasy, there is no clear boundary between good and evil, and who is hoping for a happy ending, the hopes in vain. This is certainly not for everyone, and a (big?) Of their old fans will scare with Rowling novels like this probably, but I at least did "The Casual Vacancy" impressed and really excited. So there is a writer living after Hogwarts - who would have thought ?!
For books I'm often not sure how to evaluate them. But if you already looking forward to getting up, can ... if you do not want to make the evening light, after work more because you look up "just a few more pages" (and a few more and a few more .. .) want to indulge ... in short: if you find a book 'absolutely unputdownable', then do not think, then you can only awarded five star one. As I in this case.
