The Man Who Died

*SPOILER ALERT! First, if you haven’t read Harry Potter yet, what’s wrong with you!? Second, if you plan on reading The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling you might want to read the first chapter before reading this*

A good opening chapter is crucial to any literary work, and with first chapters like “The Riddle House” (Goblet of Fire) and “The Other Minister” (Half-Blood Prince), this is definitely a skill J.K. Rowling masters incredibly well. But how do you open a book that is supposed to mark a break between previous and future work? And especially when the whole world is holding its breath in anticipation?

The very first word of the very first chapter in The Casual Vacancy is “Barry”. This character is central to every plot-line in the entire book. This is the person that unfolds the story and the main source of conflict. All the other characters are presented through their relationship with Barry. And Barry rhymes with? [Click here to reveal answer]

We soon learn that Barry is celebrating his nineteen year anniversary that day. Barry got married, and our story takes place Nineteen Years Later as he is on his way out to dinner with his wife. But Barry isn’t feeling very well that night, he has a headache that just keeps getting worse:

“Then pain such as he had never experienced sliced through his brain like a demolition ball. He barely noticed the smarting of his knees as they smacked onto the cold tarmac; his skull was awash with fire and blood; the agony was  excruciating beyond endurance, except that endure it he must, for oblivion was still a minute away.” (The Casual Vacancy, p. 4)

Sounds familiar? 

“At once, a needle-sharp pain seared across Harry’s scar; his head felt as though it was about to split in two” (Philosopher’s Stone, p. 213)

“And then, without warning, Harry’s scar exploded with pain. It was such as he had never felt in all his life” (Goblet of Fire, p. 553)

“Then Harry’s scar burst open and he knew he was dead: it was pain beyond imagining, pain past endurance -“ (Order of the Phoenix, p. 719)

As it turns out Harry doesn’t die, but Barry does. The opening chapter of The Casual Vacancy could just as well have been called “The Man who Died”. It is only two and a bit pages long, but the little nudges along with the brutal end serves as an effective and clever way to kill off the connection between Harry and any future Rowling works once and for all. Coincidences you say? I say you need to re-read your Harry.