Howard and Shirley, like others, mourn Barry Fairbrother’s death very briefly, and only because it is the socially acceptable thing to do. They are also the leaders of the anti-Fields “movement” in Pagford. A prime example is Howard and Shirley Mollison, long-time residents of Pagford who see themselves as fixtures of Pagford and all that the town stands for. The reader spends the story placing each character on a spectrum of disagreeability in relation to their fellow townspeople. They have occasional, fleeting moments of goodness or sympathy. No character in the novel is truly likeable. The Somewhat Good, the Bad, and the Worse The fight over parish control of the Fields and Bellchapel ultimately eclipses Barry Fairbother’s casual vacancy that starts the story and exposes marital struggles, teenage angst and parental attempts to handle it, class conflict, and cultural divides. Traditional Pagfordians see the Fields as an imposition from the larger neighboring city of Yarvil, a drag on parish resources spent on junkies who attend the Bellchapel Addiction Clinic, and an overall blight on all that is good and right about wholesome Pagford. The most controversial issue is the Fields, an estate of public housing.

Through the course of the election, the serious but hidden tensions of the town are revealed. His passing creates a “casual vacancy,” an open seat on the parish council, setting off a fight for the empty seat. The Casual Vacancy deals with the aftermath of the sudden death of Barry Fairbrother, a well-liked parish councilor who delicately held together the various social and political factions of the town. In the small, picturesque, and fictional British town of Pagford, filled with mostly petty people, Rowling creates intense drama for each individual and the town as a whole. This 500-page book is a first-hand look at various manifestations of disappoints and failings of human nature, yet it also demonstrates the complexity behind personal actions. Rowling’s debut adult novel, should not be taken lightly.

The casual vacancy review