Hardly a month has been passed
after the launch of the most awaited novel of this year, J.K. Rowling’s The Casual Vacancy, and the dust has been settled
with a variety of mixed opinions about the entry of one of the greatest child
novelist of all times into the adult arena. By and large, what remains the fact
is that, J.K. Rowling remains the most promising story teller what ever the
subject she takes in her hand. I too have read this novel, and I am registering
my thoughts in this post.
Firstly,
shortly after the launch of this book, I came across a number of critics in
electronic and print media about the comparison of this book with Harry Potter
series, which made me to think what is the point of comparing two sets of
works, which has altogether a different genre and appeal? Why these people are
not willing to exist in a world without wizards, wands, charms and magic? And here, I am going to commit the same
mistake for I have realized later that, Harry Potter Series remains the bench
mark of J.K. Rowling, and will likely to be the reference point for any other
future works of her, being the simple fact that the 7 Harry Potter Series
coupled with 8 block buster movies almost remained a fantasy for a decade, and
there are people including me who wants to live in the world of magic for ever.
Secondly,
The Casual Vacancy is a novel on contemporary British society, by and large
recognized as “dark humored tragic
literature”. This novel goes into the depths of human folly and weakness on
the lines Machiavellian notion of human nature as selfish, weak, opportunistic
driven by the passions for money, lust, power, devoid of reason. J. K. Rowling
has ventured into the world of down trodden sections of society riddled with
neglect, drug addiction, drug abuse, rehabilitation, racial hatred, prostitution,
rape and domestic violence. She has very well exposed the social tensions that
exist in a society comprising of the haves and have-nots with an element of
local politics lying at the top. The author’s insight and description of the
behavior and fantasies of teenage adolescents is highly mind captivating and
definitely deserves a special applause. And above all, the author has explored
the Art of Gossiping, as the novel slowly unfolds as a sequence of gossips between
the families of Pagford, mired in a socio-political tangle, which deeply reminds
me of Jane Austen’s all times best “ Pride and Prejudice”.
Thirdly,
the novel is a portrayal of a set of events that take place after the uneven
death of “Barry Fairbrother”, the councilor of local Pagford Parish council, which
sets in motion a cold war of power mongering among various sections of Pagford,
to capture the vacant seat left by the former, and to decide the fate of
“Fields” and “Bell chapel Addiction Clinic” inhabited/utilised by the socially
down trodden sections of Pagford, which the cynic rich considers as a drain on
public resources. How the lives of families of Mollisons, Fairbrothers,
Jawandas, Walls, Weedons, Prices and Bawdens are intertwined in the fragile societal
setup of Pagford provides the momentum. The charcters of Fats wall, Krystal
weedon, Andrew Price and Shukwindar Jawanda are beautifully spun and well
portarayed. The most entertaining part of the novel is about how the little, dirty,
nasty secrets of the contestants of the electoral battle for the post of
Pagford Parish council gets revealed in a hacked website, by none other than
the very son/daughter of the respective contestants, and the impact in the mindset
and future events of the Pagford. At last, J.K.Rowling strikes the core with
the death of a neglected three year old infant boy (Robbie weedon) and the
suicide of his exploited teenage sister (Krystal weedon), that makes a tragic
impact on the mindset of readers about the underlying social manifesto of the
necessity of the affordable sections of society to take care of the minimal
needs of the down trodden.
J.K.Rowling has proved her grit
and mettle by venturing into a different genre. The fan base will slowly and
eventually migrate from Hogwarts to Pagford for the times to come. What is more
enthusiastic is that the characters of The Casual Vacancy are so beautifully
spun to the extent that they have no resemblance to any of the characters in
Harry Potter series. Above all, the portrayal of the Sikhism and Indian Sikh
family of Jawandas (unlike the minimal role of Patil sisters in Harry potter
series), at the centre stage of Pagford limelight is a welcome step. Last but
not least, The Casual Vacancy is a must read.
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