J.K. Rowling Turns to Adult Fiction

J.K. Rowling has released her first post-Harry Potter book ‘The Casual Vacancy’ which quickly sold a massive 375,000 copies in all formats to claim the number one spot on USA Today’s best-selling book list.

The book marks Rowling’s move away from young fiction to adult fiction and it is clearly not suitable for younger Rowling fans.

The novel does not focus on one figure; it jumps from one character to anther exploring the minds of everyone from a Sikh doctor to the 4-year-old son of a heroin addict, all of the characters connected to Barry Fairbrother, a member of the Pagford Parish Council.

At the beginning of the novel Fairbrother suffers from a fatal aneurysm and the rest of the book explores the political and person effects of his death on the residents of Pagford.

The future of the Bellchapel Addiction Clinic and the Fields, a public housing development, are put at risk due to Fairbrother’s death.

At the same time family and friends struggle to continue with their lives after Fairbrother who seems to have been holding them together.

Overall it is a mixed read, the narrative pace from the Potter books is clearly evident, however, the charm and magic are certainly absent.