Rowling fails to produce successful follow up to “Harry Potter” series

By Christoph Neumann
Staff Writer

After a monumental rise to fame with the most successful book series of all time, J.K Rowling has finally released her first attempt at adult fiction. Her new novel, “The Casual Vacancy,” does not have the magic that captured fans of the Potter series.
There were many high expectations for “The Casual Vacancy.” However, the reader comes away from the book feeling disappointed with the cluttered story and the empty characters.
In the small English country town of Pagford, city council member Barry Fairbrother dies suddenly, leaving a coveted council seat open. The open seat becomes a point of conflict between the two groups, known as the Fielder’s and the anti-Fielder’s, that are in conflict over a section of town called the Fields.
In the days after Fairbrother’s death, the citizens of Pagford scramble to elect a new member to the council. During the election, a social war rages between teenagers and their parents on the council. Simultaneously, class war breaks out between the citizens of Pagford and citizens of the Fields.
Rowling’s “Harry Potter” series has sold over 400 million copies worldwide and spawned a multibillion-dollar film series. Rowling has also written Harry Potter-related books such as “The Tales of the Beetle and the Bard,” “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” and “Quidditch Throughout the Ages.” This is her first project outside of the Harry Potter universe.
After reading the Potter series, one has high expectations for “The Casual Vacancy.” The book, however, does not live up to these hopes, as it is anything but exciting. Rowling attempts to explore various social conflicts such as obesity, teenage rebellion, adultery, class struggle and addiction, and in doing so she loses sight of the plot, overwhelming the reader even further.
In trying to tackle all of these problems, Rowling creates too many characters and intertwining plotlines. These inhibit the reader’s ability to connect to the characters, an aspect that was instrumental to the success of the Potter series.
The stories shift focus often and are overly sporadic. For example, one scene details a young girl dealing with depression through physical mutilation, and five pages later the reader learns about a 40-year-old mother’s sexual obsession with a boy band.
The reader has to shuffle back and forth between these ridiculous storylines that are confusing and unfocused, rather than engaging to the reader.
As Rowling’s first novel intended for adults, it is expected that the book will explore some adult themes. One issue with “The Casual Vacancy” is these scenes often seem to be meant for pure shock value.
Rowling’s overuse of these “mature” scenes leaves the impression that she is trying too hard to be taken seriously as a writer of adult fiction. In doing this, “The Casual Vacancy” loses any possibility of being taken seriously among its targeted audience.
Rowling tries to use “The Casual Vacancy” to separate from the “Harry Potter” books, but the book really just reaffirms her inability to part from the series. “The Casual Vacancy” lacks depth; it leaves the reader unfulfilled and confused.
“The Casual Vacancy” was released Sept. 27 and is available for electronic download and at bookstores nationwide.