The Casual Vacancy
by J.K. Rowling
- Used
- as new
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- As new/as new
- ISBN 10
- 0316228532
- ISBN 13
- 9780316228534
- Seller
-
Gridley, California, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
New York: Little, Brown & Co., 2012. First Separate Edition. Boards. As new/as new. Rowling's first book wirtten for adults, in a fine first American edition simultaneously published in the UK. As new in a fine dust jacket. Complete number line and stated first edition. Black paper-covered boards with LB embossed on cover and gold foil title stamping on spine. 503 pp. Octavo, 6 x 9 & 1/2 inches tall. So look, here's the thing: This. Is. Not. A. Children's. Book. If you're looking for what made Harry Potter magical Wizards! Spells! Flying Broomsticks! -- you're not going to find it. If you're looking for what makes JK Rowling magical emotion, heart you will. ... [The] ability to bring her characters to their emotional life was a hallmark of the Harry Potter series it didn't become a global phenomenon just because it was an exciting adventure, but because there was a real heart to it, characters who had both strengths and weaknesses, who struggled with their choices. That's what makes this book worth it, despite a slow start and sometimes too much of the descriptions and adjectives that added life to Harry Potter but at times tend to bog Rowling down here. That's what makes the book's ending scenes so heartbreaking turning the page seems unbearable, but not as much as putting down the book would be." Deepti Hajela (Associated Press):2012
Reviews
On Aug 10 2013, CloggieDownunder said:
The Casual Vacancy is the first adult novel by popular British author, J.K.Rowling. This contemporary fiction is set in the seemingly idyllic English village of Pagford, where the sudden death of Parish Councillor, Barry Fairbrother creates a casual vacancy on the parish council. As subsequent events are narrated from the points of view of various different characters, the picture emerges of a village whose inhabitants are not all satisfied with their lot in life, a village of simmering tensions waiting to boil over. Rowling’s characters are easily recognisable as the denizens of the typical English village, but at the same time, show individual depth and appeal (or repugnance, as the case may be). And it seems quite a few of the characters have a secret (or two). The setting, characters and events will resonate with readers, and these same happenings drive the characters to desperate actions that ultimately result in tragedy for some. Rowling manages to pack quite a lot into this novel: she has an obese megalomaniac, drug addicts, computer-savvy teens, a fawning wife, a violent husband and father, an anxious teacher, and a caring social worker, to name just a few. There is domestic violence, rape, racism, corruption, self-mutilation, bullying, gossip, teen pregnancy, child abuse and SQL injection. But if this sounds depressing, it is relieved by the underlying black humour that fills the novel. This all comes together to make a brilliant read.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Uncommon Works (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 936
- Title
- The Casual Vacancy
- Author
- J.K. Rowling
- Format/Binding
- Boards
- Book Condition
- New As new
- Jacket Condition
- as new
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First Separate Edition
- Binding
- Hardcover
- ISBN 10
- 0316228532
- ISBN 13
- 9780316228534
- Publisher
- Little, Brown & Co.
- Place of Publication
- New York
- Date Published
- 2012
- Keywords
- Harry Potter author
- Bookseller catalogs
- Bestseller Firsts;
Terms of Sale
Uncommon Works
90 day return guarantee, for up to 90 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged. The authenticity of signatures guaranteed.
Please note: Large, heavy and multi-volume sets billed at actual postage.
About the Seller
Uncommon Works
Biblio member since 2014
Gridley, California
About Uncommon Works
Not your ordinary book store! Uncommon Works specializes in rare, odd, unique, and handmade books, with a focus on the Maya, Latin America, Native America, and the Spanish Conquest. You'll find rare, first editions and first or early printings. You'll even find a few first printings of living authors for sale. We provide services and referrals for book mending, repair, restoration, and binding.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Jacket
- Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...
- Number Line
- A series of numbers appearing on the copyright page of a book, where the lowest number generally indicates the printing of that...
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- Octavo
- Another of the terms referring to page or book size, octavo refers to a standard printer's sheet folded four times, producing...