I've decided that I shouldn't feel bad about reading books off of the list since I should be familiar with more modern literature as an aspiring editor. There are modern books on the list, but not so many. Plus, I bought this book for my sister for Christmas three years ago, so it's about time that I read it.
I've decided that the Harry Potter series was not a fluke after all, but that JK Rowling is indeed just a great author. The Casual Vacancy is actually nothing like Harry Potter. Instead of a magical world, it's set in a quaint little town; instead of grandiose heroism, the characters display realistic and consequently questionable motives; instead of Good vs. Evil, the conflict is within local politics, families, and friendships. Rowling shows that she is a versatile author, and I think that's very commendable. Go to the library and look at how many science fiction books are written by the same guy. It's fine to stick with something that's familiar, but I love authors that can write about anything and everything.
When I'm asked what this book is about, I can make it sound unbearably bland. "Uh, there's this town, and a guy on the local council dies, which leaves a spot on the council, and it's really really important who gets the spot. So everyone's, like, trying to get in the spot. Oh, and a bunch of other stuff, too." Not very intriguing. But there's so much more intricacy than in that disappointing summary. The reason why the open spot on the council (or the casual vacancy) is so important is because the council has been in this drawn-out feud over a section of their town called the Fields. In layman's terms, it is the ghetto, and some of the town wants it out of the town's boundaries and into the neighboring town.. Reasoning can range from the cost of the addiction clinic to the bad image it gives to the idyllic town. Some, however, are determined to keep this neighborhood within their jurisdiction in an effort to aid the struggling families by keeping the addiction clinic open and giving their children a good education. The leading councilman attempting to save these impoverished families dies suddenly in the first chapter. In the heat of electing a replacement and coping with such an locally iconic man's death, each character slowly forget what really matters. The strife of local politics takes attention away from what this councilman was attempting to accomplish in the first place: safety. By the conclusion of the book, only a few people were still concerned about the condition of the Fields, but drastic events humble each person to think harder about what mattes most.
I suppose I could say that when people ask me what it's about, but it might turn out to be lengthier than anyone would like.
It made me think about my priorities. Too often I, and I am comfortable assuming mostly everyone does as well, tend to care more about my short-term problems and too often forget to care about my long-term benefit. Even more frequently I forget about others' problems, both short-term or long-term. Every character (and there's a lot of them; the point of view changes each chapter) is wallowing in their own interests so much that they fail to even notice the misery of another, let alone show any kind of compassion for them. And that's what really matters, isn't it?
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