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The Casual Vacancy

I have a bit of a problem with this blog post.  Commenting on The Casual Vacancy, which ended last night on BBC1, will inevitably involve spoilers and yet I strongly encourage anyone reading this to read the book for themselves.  So I will try VERY hard not to give away anything important.

Fans have apparently been taking to Twitter to complain about the changes to the story, and these are legion, although J.K. herself is apparently very happy with the adaptation.  Certainly the main message of the story, the responsibility of all people to seek each other's welfare, comes across very strongly.  Like when the bully Mr Price chucks his stolen TV in the river, with tragic consequences.  Or when the parish council, in Barry Fairbrother's absence, manages to get approval for the local clinic to be turned into a luxury hotel, so that recovering addict Terri Weedon has to take the bus into Yarvil for her methadone and meets her drug dealer on the way.  Or when Krystal comes to Fats to find out where his mum lives, because Tessa has always been kind to her, and he refuses to help, leaving her utterly friendless and alone.  At the end of the final episode Sukhvinder, who has quietly watched everything unfolding around her, finally speaks.  Her father pleads: "I just did what anyone would have done," and his wife reassures him:  "It's not your fault."  Sukhvinder retorts: "Whose is it, then?  'Cause it's someone's f***ing fault."

I was disappointed that Sukhvinder had such a minor role in the TV adaptation, as she is one of the most likeable characters in the book, but was pleased that the final message came from her lips.  I am my brother's - and sister's - keeper.

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