The Town of Odyssey

So I picked up my copy of The Casual Vacancy at my town's 7:00am release of the book. I was the first in my town to get a copy (I was also the only person waiting). Who else is planning (or is already) reading the Casual Vacancy?

Edit: The Casual Vacancy is NOT a children's book.

After reading some of the reviews on Amazon, totally not interested. One reviewer listed some of the content and reading the list turned me off of it completely.

Once again, the world fails to please Laurie.

Jelly wrote:Once again, the world fails to please Laurie.

I choose not to read the book because I don't like books with the topics that are mentioned in the book. I don't like reading books that have those topics in them. Just because I am careful about what I read, how exactly does that mean that the world has failed to please me? I get more than enough of such topics in the news, does that mean that I should read books about them too?

I have to agree with Laurie. I remember one reviewer on Amazon who compared it to a once-wholesome pop star who starts getting into "rebellious" things to prove she's "grown up". One particular point of contention was the profanity, which was not nearly as profuse in Harry Potter as it apparently is in this one. People have been comparing it to John Grisham and the like all over the place, and I've found out a lot about the book's content. Needless to say, I don't think I'll be reading it.

Click this link and read the reviews.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/031622 ... d_i=507846

Please note the number of one star reviews, which has gone up from 26 to 32 since I read the reviews this afternoon.

Laurie wrote:

Jelly wrote:Once again, the world fails to please Laurie.

I choose not to read the book because I don't like books with the topics that are mentioned in the book. I don't like reading books that have those topics in them. Just because I am careful about what I read, how exactly does that mean that the world has failed to please me? I get more than enough of such topics in the news, does that mean that I should read books about them too?

Heh, I think it's your overall pessimistic view of everything as opposed to just this book.

EK wrote:

Laurie wrote:

Jelly wrote:Once again, the world fails to please Laurie.

I choose not to read the book because I don't like books with the topics that are mentioned in the book. I don't like reading books that have those topics in them. Just because I am careful about what I read, how exactly does that mean that the world has failed to please me? I get more than enough of such topics in the news, does that mean that I should read books about them too?

Heh, I think it's your overall pessimistic view of everything as opposed to just this book.

Yep, I'm so cynical I could be Garfield the Cat's sister.

Well you know...it wouldn't be the ToO without you.

EK wrote:Well you know...it wouldn't be the ToO without you.

Actually I think the ToO would survive very nicely if I was not here.

I think it is funny that about half the 1 star reviews are really just people complaining about the high price of the Kindle edition. The other people insist they weren't reading it with their Spectrespecs, but couldn't get Harry Potter off their mind. And freaked out about an adult book having adult language and situations. And many of them only read the first 25% of the book and didn't care to see how it wrapped up.

Seriously, it would be nearly impossible for her to even try to match the success of Harry. There's no way to live up to the expectations. This seems more like a slice of Brit life in a small town type story, maybe more mundane than readers wanted. It's not their art though, it's hers. And that's a problem with art and expression- you need to tell your story as well as make it commercially viable. I think as much as there is a "This isn't magical!!" backlash, she'll sell enough based on name alone. I think I'd like the story, but then I like boring British dramas.

I definitely want to read it, although it doesn't necessarily look like my "type" of book that much. But I really want to see what her "grown up" voice reads like.

JK Rowling is rich enough off Harry Potter that she doesn't need any more monetary success. For that reason, I think it will be neat to see what she writes for the next few years because she may be more willing to break some rules and push some boundaries. Which is obviously not really possible with a popular kids' book series.

Laurie wrote:Click this link and read the reviews.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/031622 ... d_i=507846

Please note the number of one star reviews, which has gone up from 26 to 32 since I read the reviews this afternoon.

Erm...I wouldn't really put much stock in most of those one star reviews. reading through them, 90 percent of them are people who are like "Why isn't this like Harry Potter!?!?!?" "This book isn't for a HP audience!!" "This is a GROWN UP book!?!?" and stuff like that. Also most people didn't even finish the books, and in my opinion it is extremely unfair to give a review (especially such a negative one) without first having read the entire thing).

Kait wrote:I definitely want to read it, although it doesn't necessarily look like my "type" of book that much. But I really want to see what her "grown up" voice reads like.

JK Rowling is rich enough off Harry Potter that she doesn't need any more monetary success. For that reason, I think it will be neat to see what she writes for the next few years because she may be more willing to break some rules and push some boundaries. Which is obviously not really possible with a popular kids' book series.

Laurie wrote:Click this link and read the reviews.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/031622 ... d_i=507846

Please note the number of one star reviews, which has gone up from 26 to 32 since I read the reviews this afternoon.

Erm...I wouldn't really put much stock in most of those one star reviews. reading through them, 90 percent of them are people who are like "Why isn't this like Harry Potter!?!?!?" "This book isn't for a HP audience!!" "This is a GROWN UP book!?!?" and stuff like that. Also most people didn't even finish the books, and in my opinion it is extremely unfair to give a review (especially such a negative one) without first having read the entire thing).

I don't pay attention to any of the reviews reviews on Amazon. My mother once told me that a review is just one person's opinion and the only thing that matters is whether or not I like a book. I had heard on TV about the content and used the reviews to verify my reason for not buying or reading the book. I had already decided based on the TV reports that I was not going to buy it or read it before I posted the reviews here. There are most likely some here who won't like my reasoning but that's their problem. I enjoy what I read and I know what I like. I know without even looking at this book that I would not enjoy it at all.

Laurie wrote:

EK wrote:Well you know...it wouldn't be the ToO without you.

Actually I think the ToO would survive very nicely if I was not here.

Nah, you're like the grumpy old grandma type. There always there, if they weren't, the universe would implode!

Kait wrote:in my opinion it is extremely unfair to give a review (especially such a negative one) without first having read the entire thing

Depends on why you didn’t finish it. If it was because the book was unreadably atrocious, then of course that warrants a negative review. Why would you have to suffer through the rest just to confirm your displeasure?

EK wrote:

Laurie wrote:

EK wrote:Well you know...it wouldn't be the ToO without you.

Actually I think the ToO would survive very nicely if I was not here.

Nah, you're like the grumpy old grandma type. There always there, if they weren't, the universe would implode!

Must be my Garfield persona.

bookworm wrote:

Kait wrote:in my opinion it is extremely unfair to give a review (especially such a negative one) without first having read the entire thing

Depends on why you didn’t finish it. If it was because the book was unreadably atrocious, then of course that warrants a negative review. Why would you have to suffer through the rest just to confirm your displeasure?

Because I personally believe in giving everything a fair shake, even if that means suffering through.

Back before Twilight was popular and the books had just came out, this girl at my school gave me the first one to read. It was atrocious. I couldn't finish it. >_>

EK wrote:Back before Twilight was popular and the books had just came out, this girl at my school gave me the first one to read. It was atrocious. I couldn't finish it. >_>

Twilight is very awful. My cousin recommended the series to me. I got to chapter Seventeen in the first book before I had to quit. We should keep in mind however that this topic is not about Twilight.

31899: Causing controversy since 2009.