26 September 2012

Waiting on Wednesday: The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling

Yay! It's MHLit's first Waiting on Wednesday!* Waiting on Wednesday, if you are unaware, showcases a book we can't wait for.

This week, we can't wait for THE CASUAL VACANCY by J.K. Rowling.

When Barry Fairweather dies unexpectedly in his early forties, the little town of Pagford is left in shock. 

Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty facade is a town at war. 

Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils... Pagford is not what it first seems. 

And the empty seat left by Barry on the town's council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity, and unexpected revelations?**


Marketed as "blackly comic, thought-provoking and constantly surprising," I'm actually nervous for this book. J.K. Rowling wrote the story that not only defined my childhood and shape my personality, but the story that defined and shaped my generation. We - those who were born 1987-1990 at least - literally grew up with Harry. Personally, my age group (23-year-olds) began reading Harry Potter in 4th grade and finished as we graduated high school. Harry has been apart of my life for about 10 years -  longer for so many of my friends.

We are all going to read this book. We know it. J.K. knows it.

Personally, I think that's a lot of pressure.

While I can't wait to read it, I also do have to wait until December due to some must-read library books. Although. I may just spend Thursday trapped in my room reading it non-stop. That's what I did with Harry. While this is no Harry, it's still J.K and SO MANY people I know will be reading it.

I'm nervous. I'm nervous for the story and for the fandom and whether or not it will be good and if we'll like it.

There's a reason J.K. almost decided to write her next story under a psudoname. There's a lot of pressure.

I'm also REALLY curious about this story. The cover is... well, the cover. We don't understand it yet. The title is confusing to what we know. The summary is vague and our only known character is dead. J.K. has, ONCE AGAIN, messed with our head. And for that, I'm excited.


So now I ask you, what will you be doing at midnight?

Me? Yeah, I'll be cuddled in bed with my Nook, reading a J.K. book.




*Waiting on Wednesday is a blog meme started by... someone. Not us. Someone else started it. Thanks!
**Summary provided by Amazon.com

1 comment:

  1. Yup, I'll be getting it.(and I'm 54). I had actually not heard of this until the last couple of days. Looking forward to it, and yes, I agree that there's a certain amount of pressure on JKR to show she can do other than HP.

    Thanks for sharing this Kelly

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