The Casual Vacancy Audiobook

" Not Rowling's best work by far but fairly enjoyable nonetheless. "

" Little underwhelmed by this book. I think it was alright but all in all it's easier for me to find things I didn't like about then than things I did. Good 'casual' read kind of book if you're not expecting much. "

" A side of Rowling which I thought never existed. Really amazing read. A complex tale of intermingled lives "

" This book was terrible. I am an avid fan of Harry Potter but I just couldn't get into this book. I was very excited to read it but ended up being disappointed in the lack of interest. It was dull, I didn't even finish reading it. "

" I enjoyed this book. Depressing in places but beautiful descriptions of people. The only truly good sounding person died at the beginning of the book.but it was still a very good read. "

" I did not actually finish this book. I got at least half way through and could not bear it another second. It's like real life horror. Every character has so many flaws that they can't help but hurt themselves and others, especially children, who then hurt themselves and others. I realize that this is not that uncommon in real life, but I have also noticed that there are plenty of instances when people are nice and helpful to each other, but apparently not in this small English village. "

" zzzzzzzzzz. Those are 8 hours I'll never get back. "

" They should have a unfinished status, I just couldn't get through this book it was so disappointing. "

" reading this because jk Rowling wrote it and you liked her work on Harry Potter is like watching Danny Trejo's filmography because you like his work in Spy Kids. I enjoyed it but it's much more comparable to Franzen's work, in my opinion. "

" This is one of those books that makes you want to die a violent death. Humanity looks so degraded and pointless, the way it's portrayed here. I only made it 2/5 through. "

" tis good, but is for Adult level reading and I was just not ready for this book. I might at some later date. I have just finished a different book which is set into a small English town and the killer got off scot-free. "

" The only similarity in the author's previous works and 'the casual vacancy' is that, they are both fiction. "

" A few clunky passages aside, this is a very good first "adult" novel by Rowling. You can tell that the issues in this book are dear to her heart, and she presents them without pulling any punches. It's a thoroughly enjoyable read, though I felt at times I wanted just a bit more depth of character. "

" This was quite different from the Harry Potter books. There certainly were a lot of flawed people living in this one small town. It was almost like a little Peyton Place. Once I got into it, I found it very likeable. Not great, but decent. "

" Once I got into it, I did enjoy this very long book. "

" The goings-on and politics of a small town. For the first 300 pages it seemed the only likable character was dead... By the end of the book the self-absorbed, imperfect, very human characters became almost endearing, and I mourned their tragic fate. "

" A great book, "

" I was sad to e so disappointed by this book. I only could read to about a quarter of the way through. Didn't hold my attention and I found it boring. "

" I regret that I have to say I found this book Tedious and lacks focus - previous review "the story Meanders a bit and Loses focus" - couldn't put it better. Had high hopes so sorry I have to be negative about it "

" An interesting book. She writes an interesting story though this one is more realistic than Harry Potter. "

" Let's face it, a certain segment of Rowling's fanbase would have bought and read this if it had been a book about rail schedules. And that would be unfair to The Casual Vacancy as it's a very delightful and thought-provoking story that's really unlike anything she's written previously. In addition to being a great story it's also well worth a listen as the audiobook is very well-done. "

" This audiobook was a pleasant surprise. It's a very well crafted story that has nothing whatsoever to do with magical worlds, cursed wizards or dim-witted muggles. It's quite a welcome departure for this author and I enjoyed it quite thoroughly! "

" Not bad, but not great. Better than a Clancy novel, Well intentioned, but poorly developed. "

" I have to be honest and admit that I would not have given this book any attention had it not been written by this particular author. The overview of the plot sounded boring but given the author's pedigree I decided to give it a listen, albeit with mild reservations. I'm glad I did as she has created a unique world in the tiny town of Pagford. It's quite an enchanting story despite the town's constantly squabbling inhabitants. My only complaint is a few sections where the story meanders a bit and loses focus. A good effort overall though! "

" I'll give her credit for trying something new. Unfortunately this novel has none of the charm of the Harry Potter books. It's not awful by any stretch but I just kept finding myself losing interest (I did manage to finish it however). I did think the narrator did a great job though with the material he had to work with. "

" J.K. Rowling has effectively moved on to the next chapter in her life as an author rather nicely with The Casual Vacancy. Her first novel geared toward a more mature audience is a real winner. Highly recommended. "