FROM A FAIRY TALE – TO REALITY: “CASUAL VACANCY” BY J. ROWLING
Journal Title: Записки з романо-германської філології - Year 2014, Vol 1, Issue
Abstract
The article presents a review of the first big novel of the famous author, discussing in detail problems of today’s English life. Harry Potter enjoyed phenomenal success which grew with every new book and every film that followed. Basically all literary critiques and observers could not but mention the number of copies sold reaching millions and revenues as well, thousands in lines waiting to get a new book the day it reached shops, translations into more than 60 languages. Having recovered from such head-spinning success J. Rowling continued working on her story about a common bespectacled boy for 10 years. As she confessed then she was tired and wanted to try a different genre, say a detective or а traditional big novel about a small town. Her first attempt to write for adults turned into a famous book The Casual Vacancy appearing in September 2012. It sold more than a million copies by the end of the year (before paperback edition in 2013). The author touched upon all of the painful issues of XXI England including corruption, social gap between the rich and the poor, destruction of family which became just a façade of unity, barely visible, and, what I believe to be most important in this “adult” book, teenagers. This is their behavior to each other, to their teachers and parents, their lives and thoughts, completely unknown to adults and incomprehensible for them. Yet they are the future of the country. And this future is in danger. Rowling designed the wrapper herself and she insisted on all publishers using it: red in colour, signaling ultimate danger. The society is dangerously ill and the younger generation bears no resemblance to its savior. Quite the opposite, it surpasses their parents in being cynical, egoistic, lying and aiming to win at the sake of others. The action is set in a town described in full detail – a small, appearing bucolic Pagford neighboring on a “real” city of Yarvil (Not London, certainly, but still…168). The slow pace and the desire to present the story of each character in every detail, the discrepancy between their behavior and thoughts and intentions, the transparency of the language of narration in The Casual Vacancy resemble Jane Austin’s novels. Yet the inside, the feeling of internal aggression where everyone is against everyone and, especially, bursts of aggression in school and family destroy this original comparison, the way that the story unfolds and especially the end if it point to the fallacy of comparing novels of XIX and XXI centuries despite the fact that in both cases writers are talented women. Having published her first big novel Rowling moved on to the genre that attracted her since her childhood, i.e. detective and has already published two of them.
Authors and Affiliations
V. A. Kukharenko
Keywords
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