Don’t expect broomsticks and owls in The Casual Vacancy.

By Ariana Trigueros-Corb, The Concordian (Concordia University)

Montreal (CUP) – Being J.K. Rowling is a trap. The hype that has surrounded her most recent publication, an adult fiction novel entitled The Casual Vacancy, is proof of how much weight lies on her shoulders.

Clearly, should Rowling want to write about anything other than Hogwarts, broomsticks, and He Who Must Not Be Named, the literary world will go wild, with critics bracing themselves in anticipation.

So it’s with a bit of reserve and much trepidation that I, like millions of others across the world, picked up a copy of The Casual Vacancy at my local bookstore on Sept. 27.

Three days later, my previously pristine copy of Rowling’s book was torn, crumpled and decorated by coffee stains, having been lugged around virtually everywhere with me for 72 hours; coffee shops, metro rides and diners included.

The book was extremely good, in a dark, sarcastic and incredibly realistic way. Rowling had me engrossed in a story that I would never have believed to be that captivating. Let’s be honest—the idea of a book revolving around the sudden death of a council member in a tiny, unknown village in England isn’t exactly everyone’s dream premise. But the citizens of Pagford prove fascinating as we are given a glimpse of their everyday lives unraveling in the throes of tragedy.

[pullquote]Three days later, my previously pristine copy of Rowling’s book was torn, crumpled and decorated by coffee stains, having been lugged around virtually everywhere with me for 72 hours; coffee shops, metro rides and diners included.[/pullquote]

The novel starts out with councilman Barry Fairbrother passing away suddenly on the eve of his wedding anniversary. Initially shocked with grief, the citizens of Pagford quickly move to replace him on council and a controversial election ensues. Meanwhile, the previous ally of the deceased finds herself more alienated than ever. And so, as we flip the pages, tensions and secrets arise, in a way that echoes a combination of Desperate Housewives and Shameless.

Rowling shows us, yet again, that she has a profound understanding of human existence. Humour is doused with crudeness. I blitzed through chapters, anticipating the slew of revelations to come, the same way I had dashed through the last Harry Potter book, wanting to know if Voldemort had prevailed. It’s suspense, but not in the classic sense.

For anyone that has read the Harry Potter series, this is an unexpected (and maybe even unpleasant) wake-up call. The charm that surrounded Hogwarts and its easy-going, comical characters that we would have loved to meet, was addictively pleasant.

You’ve been warned: there will be drugs, depression and all-out despair. Does that make the book any less of a page-turner? Not a bit.