Tuesday, October 2, 2012

SPOILER ALERT: The Casual Vacancy - Reflection


I’ll cut straight to the chase.. yes, yes.. many of us were waiting in eager anticipation..for the next book by J. K Rowling ( despite the fact, or because it was a departure from her Harry Potter universe).. While it stung us somewhere that we couldn’t hope to savor any more of that delicious Chicken Soup for the Soul anytime soon… we were (or at least I was) anticipating something equally beautiful and rapturous- with all kinds of emotions and elements magically woven into a single fabric- tears, humor, friendship, love, wisdom, hatred, strength, weakness-everything. I, for one, have never seen the HP series as “Children’s Books” (and am often surprised to find those lined up at the kids’ section in all major bookstores) ..so the whole idea of her coming out with a book for adults did not matter so much  (even though she seemed to emphasize it). We all make mistakes…
So.. I had pre-ordered my book and then almost forgotten about it .. when one day at work, my teammate mentioned JKR and I mentioned the new book and how I may get to read it anytime soon.. imagine my ecstasy, when Flipkart delivered it the same day (I had received no SMS notification) .. I floated on cloud nine holding my prize like a lucky charm. It was a thick, red book. I was delighted!
I came home and devoured page one.. wishing for the familiar warmth and awesomeness of the characters/description to engulf me- the reader in absolute surrender. One chapter past, however.. (which is the threshold you always give to yourself as a reader.. “it’ll get better, the best of them always are non-awesome in the first few pages..” Some 20 pages later … (yes, I kept deluding myself) I had to honestly confess to myself- this book- well written, characters very well etched, emotions and feelings masterfully and unabashedly described, a story being coherently told- was strongly reminiscent of that feeling of dread, unease, disgust and fear gnawing into your intestines when you watch movies like The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and Dev D –  that depict one dimensional reality of human depravity painfully realistically. Stupid as it was, on my part, I couldn’t help observing that 50 pages later- I had not come across a single moment which would have caused a hint of a smile/glow in me as a reader- let alone the absolute LOL/HAHA moments that were frequently, expertly interspersed in the natural storytelling of the HP series – I would call that the lifeline of the series, which set it apart from many other books of its genre.  
Much as it has killed me..right from the time I was on page 20.. that I couldn’t discuss the contents I had just consumed, with someone with exactly the same degree of consumption of T.C.V .. I kept restraining myself from visiting online forums .. and now that I am done with the book, I have yet not read annyyyy review/discussion online- not even any interview with JKR .. giving more context to the storyline and her intent, and purpose of writing it.. (much as I can’t wait to do it) … I decided that my first review to myself should be completely my own- not colored by anyone else’s thoughts. I did (unwittingly) read this flash of news on my google apps email :-(  :: The Casual Vacancy released to mixed reviews from critics.
So…a few people have asked me ..most, just out of casual curiosity – about what the book is like: Until today, I kept telling them that I did not wish to pre-review it (somewhere, I kept hoping I would get “there” somewhere along the plotline..which, well..it did not happen!)
 My feedback:
That JKR is a skilled writer, a master storyteller and an honest, intellectual one at that- acutely perceptive of how human emotions, human behavior etc etc work.. I had always known. Nothing was going to change that. In this book, she has demonstrated, far greater than in the HP series perhaps (wherein a casual reader may miss the brilliance which is eclipsed by all the elements of “magic” and “children” ). Her descriptions are vivid, real and authentic. The characters are all – well, in a way, you can understand all of them.. I think she has delved deep, deep into the recesses of the darker elements of her past life ( we all know about the depression and suicide attempts) .. and while initially it seemed that she was making a deliberate attempt to show that she could bloody well write a book for adults if she wanted to..   as good as any other (or better) ..and that had almost annoyed me a bit.. she seemed to be doing a good job of it..but why?! Anybody could do that.. but nobody can do what she does… what she has done previously.. !
But, as I progressed.. slowly sinking deeper and deeper into the plot: disgusted, uncomfortable and painfully depressed (not as someone critiquing her favourite author..but as someone involved closely with the hearts and minds of the shallow, distraught lives of the key characters of the Pagford story) .. I realized that this was something –that was as naturally a part of JKR as was HP. This was something integral to her being..something she had to put out there.. not for a reader, but for herself. At times, I have been appalled by the vivid descriptions of illicit/depraved behavior – coming from JKR- as a first-person account  .. and couldn’t help wondering how much of her own life is retold through the various characters .. – for her own sake, I wished it was her brilliance that captured second-hand experiences so deftly onto the paper.. I surely do not wish for her to have had a life anything like that, as a child! By the time the book ended, my heart went out for some of the key characters … in a … God-should-not-do-this to-anyone kind of way. The trouble is.. (which is my issue with some of the acclaimed movies/books based on “real” life..  such as those by Anurag Kashyap (I have only watched Dev D).. ) .. why did the story have to focus one-dimensionally, only on the negatives of everyone..of all their lives.. Everyone- almost everyone – or at least some people in a group.. have a healthy blend of dark and bright in their lives.. something clean, something dirty.. something to die for… something killing..  The worst kind of children we have known … due to whatever circumstances.. do have some kind of innocence …some kind of child-like quality/feelings/thoughts in their heads and hearts.. most mothers .. (imagining the worst of the lot).. do have a heart that –in part, beats pure love and sacrifice for the children) ..
Maybe it’s my issue .. but I would like to hear a story (mostly) with an all round description – hate, envy, politics, weaknesses, dark side..all are welcome.. but so are love, wisdom, friendship or at least faith, honesty.. anything.. anyyything! Something should strike a painful chord ..and something should relieve the pain.. tears of real sorrow and joy.. like a real life… which most people we know.. rich or poor, fortunate or unfortunate .. lead. Some people no doubt have sick, psychologically damaged lives dumped in darkness of every possible human element. But 90-100% people in a small town? I don’t think so! It seems that except one person – whom we get to know mostly through memories and recollections of those who knew him, and who was like a real person.. (in fact, much better than an average real person)..everyone else have been so described .. that they need serious Psychological intervention – which some of them, do seek in the book.
Anyway.. some of it could be attributed to my own complete ignorance of a world degenerated to that extent.. in India or elsewhere (what school has ALL children spewing expletives in every  single sentence- well, all children, except those of the singlemost “real-nice” man mentioned earlier) .. while all of it-the characters’ emotions, situations etc etc ..seemed painfully real.. one couldn’t help feeling that there might have been more to them or to the place.. that would have given us a more ‘complete’, human picture of them. And it is strange to reconcile this world of absolute degeneration, with the world of HP – wherein, while the darkest powers existed alongside the Good.. there were most shades of the ‘human’ in both. In all characters, except Voldemort, Bellatrix Lestrange and the werewolf Fenrir Greyback.. (who was not human anyway) .. everyone had a certain dignity,
And to think that the two sets of worlds came out of the pen of the same person. That’s brilliance. I think.
Would I want to re-read The Casual Vacancy? I think not. Never.
Did I love the book? Not at all.
Is it well written- yes, I think expertly.
In some ways, coz it’s so unreal. And in some ways, coz it’s so real too. It’s a lot of pain and depression. I don’t want it. Had it been JKR’s first book, I would have not thought about even finishing it, I think.
More Spoilers:
My favourite characters in the book (though- no, I don’t feel/ want to feel anything for anyone of them.. ) – Krystal Weedon (the most reviled teenager in the whole world of despicable kids- ironically, also the one with the most human element- of love and integrity and responsibility)… and Mr. Barry Fairbrother.. Who, by all memories- and internal thought process as described in the first few pages, was a nice, old man.  
Most memorable moments? In the most painful kind of way.. Krystal’s rape. And Robbie’s death and funeral.
In the sole moments of humour, cautiously thrown in by the author: Krystal’s wisecracks in all the rowing scenes (all memories) with Mr. Barry Fairbrother- hardly 2-3 such scenes in the  500+ page long book.
Phew. Feel much lighter. MUST read others fans’/critics thoughts and most importantly, JKR’s thoughts on the book.
:-) 

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