Rick B. (bup) - , reviewed on 6/16/2013 + 165 more book reviews

I wonder if Rowling consciously emulates Charles Dickens. She's mentioned him a couple of times in interviews, and for most of The Casual Vacancy, I couldn't help but think of Dickens' huge casts, his wordiness, and that thing he does a lot where he shares characters' observations, in their own voices, but with just enough dry, detached formalism to it to make the whole thing ludicrous. Oh, also the social criticism thing.

Then the last fifty pages were like an early John Irving novel, which is a very dangerous place for characters.

Speaking of characters, she certainly feels them well - male as well as female, young and old, rich and poor. And she tells stories in that way that's visual but reading it is effortless.

I'm a fan.

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