The Casual Vacancy by J K Rowling
I’m 53% into the Casual Vacancy and I’m really disappointed. It’s hard to put my thoughts into words. I went into the book knowing that it would be nothing like Harry Potter, I knew it would be geared towards adults but I didn’t realize I would have such a hard time getting through it. My main issue is all the characters. They seem to all blend into each other. I have a hard time figuring out who is who and how they are all connected. Tying the children to their parents is also frustrating, because I can’t really put them together. I find the plot to be VERY slow going, and not very exciting.
One storyline that I am interested in is Terri, Krystal and Robbie. I want to see how their story will progress. I was having an issue with Terri when I felt like her voice kept changing on me. Then I realized there is a Terri and a Tessa…Yes, I got them confused. When I received my hard copy, I flipped through to back track.
I come from a small town, and I understand what she is trying to portray regarding the politics but I’m just not interested in it. I’ve been forcing myself to read this book for over a week, and I really want to finish it, so I can properly review it. At this point, I need to sit down and finish it in one sitting. Picking the book up and putting it back down is not helping me.
To be honest, I don’t like any of the character and I’m not sure what I think about the plot. All the characters seem whinny and they’re not likable. At this point, I just want to finish. Since I seem to always be trying to figure out the characters, I can’t really focus on the plot. I’m reading and thinking about something else. I thought if I just keep reading, it'll all come together...but it's not.
I wanted to start some dialogue about the book. Are you reading the book or have you read the book, what are your thoughts?
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ooh, i was afraid of that. I wanted it and planned to get it for my nook but refused to pay 17.99 for an ebook.
ReplyDeleteSince I haven't been around the blogosphere much I've only read one other review and that person really liked the book. But that person was into it at every point I think. I say if you really aren't enjoying it, there's no reason to try to make yourself finish it!
ReplyDeleteI picked it up at my local indie bookstore the other day and opened the jacket to read what it was about. I hadn't even read a synopsis before--I just assumed I'd buy and read it because it was JK Rowling. But when I read the jacket text I was like...snore. The short blurb in the jacket bored me. I can't imagine what the book would do. It sounds like a very boring plot. And at $35 for a hardcopy (almost as much as a novelty, collector's book, special edition, or illustrated copy of a classic!), there was no way I was bringing it home with me! So disappointing.
ReplyDeleteI haven't started this yet and, after reading this, I'm not all that excited about it. What a disappointment.
ReplyDeleteThis one didn't catch my attention at all. I was waiting to see what the reviews were going to say before even attempting to read it. Too bad it's disappointing to you. How frustrating!
ReplyDeleteOh, I am sorry to hear that this one isn't more interesting. I admit that I have been curious, and have wanted to read this one, but it doesn't sound like something that I would enjoy, and the early reviews are saying the same thing. I so wanted it to be a hit, and it's just not :(
ReplyDeleteI've been curious about it too. Too bad you didn't like it ... I guess we all have pretty high expectations for Rowling. I haven't read it; I will probably snoop around some more reviews before deciding for sure. I wonder if it will get optioned for a film based on J.K. Rowling's name alone!
ReplyDeleteNot overly excited about reading this book. Your post makes me less excited.
ReplyDeleteI read it this past week and although I'm still formulating my thoughts, I will admit that I was disappointed in the book. Too convoluted by half and the creation of the parish of Pagford just wasn't all that interesting. :-(
ReplyDeleteI was extremely disappointed in this book. You can read my review if you'd like. :)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.southernsunflowersandcoffeebeans.com/2012/10/bookworm-review-casual-vacancy-by-jk.html
I have to say I really enjoyed this book and loved the small town aspect of it, even though the characters (except the teenagers) are really not likeable. I guess I like that she gets into everyone's heads and everyone is pretty much a mess. Also liked that she really tackles tough issues like drug abuse and doesn't make light of them. But this book won't appeal to most people, I happened to like the slow pace of it.
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