Adult fiction
Four stars
The town of Pagford appears to be a quaint countryside community, but when council member Barry Fairbrother dies suddenly, it becomes a war zone. The now empty council seat is up for grabs in the next election, and the fight to win it leads the town into chaos. Relationships between friends, neighbours, spouses, and children are pushed to breaking as secret motives and dangerous lies are uncovered.
I had heard mixed reviews about this, but after reading a bunch I realized most of the negative ones were just complaining about how it wasn't Harry Potter. Really. So I gave it a go, and the book does start off pretty slow, but around halfway through I couldn't stop reading. I wasn't sure what to expect since this was Rowling's first shot at adult fiction, but she's a strong writer and her characters are fascinating. The novel is very much about the complex relationships and attitudes that the characters have, and you're reading from various perspectives so you get a very comprehensive view of everything that goes on. And all of them are three-dimensional and so different - some you understand, some you hate. I think the best part of the book is its portrayal of humans and their lives and interactions, it's beautifully realistic and broken and messy. It focuses on the ugly bits of life, the hate and the insecurity and pain, and it's just incredibly honest about it all.
“You must accept the reality of other people. You think that reality is up for negotiation, that we think it's whatever you say it is. You must accept that we are as real as you are; you must accept that you are not God.”
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