JK Rowling's "The Casual Vacancy" Quiz

Answer: A methadone clinic

The Fields had been a hot topic of contention between Pagford Parish and the nearby town of Yarvil for more than sixty years: The Fields, originally a vast meadow on the Sweetlove estate within Pagford, had been sold to Yarvil to accommodate its need for affordable housing; however, the support of the Fields later fell to Pagford, who resented the burden of maintaining the area and dealing with the unsavoury folk who reside there. Within the Fields was the Bellchapel Addiction Clinic, whose lease in a building owned by the Pagford Council was coming due for renewal. Barry Fairbrother, who was raised in the Fields, was for keeping the area within Pagford Parish control and renewing the term of Bellchapel's lease.

Answer: Gavin Hughes

Miles Mollison was the son of Howard Mollison, First Citizen of Pagford and chair of the parish council: he mirrored Howard's desire to close the clinic and reassign the control of the Fields back to Yarvil. Standing against Miles on the pro-Fields side were Colin Wall, who was close friends with Barry, and Simon Price, who decided to stand for office after hearing a (false) rumour that Barry was accepting bribes.

The Mollisons were happy to have two people standing against Miles, as they hoped the pro-Fields votes would be divided between his two opponents.

Answer: Andrew "Arf" Price

Arf, Fats and Sukhvinder each hacked the website at one point to post damaging secrets about their parents, with whom they had quarrels. Arf was the first to make a post from The_Ghost_of_Barry_Fairbrother, stating for all of Pagford to see that his father purchased stolen goods and did crooked deals after hours at his workplace. Simon Price soon after withdrew himself from the election.

Answer: Colin Wall

Colin Wall suffered from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. He often became obsessed with delusions that he had, or would, sexually assault the students of the school where he was deputy headmaster. Colin had also tried to kill himself many years before, believing that he had smothered his infant son.

It was Colin's son who hacked the website the second time to post about his father's delusions.

Answer: Rowing

Winterdown didn't have a rowing team until Barry brought in a borrowed rowing machine to the girls' PE class and suggested that they form one. Krystal, the first student to be asked to try the machine, proved to be a natural, and Barry insisted she try out for the team. She did, despite the teasing from her friends.

Sukhvinder Jawanda, who was on the team with Krystal, remembered how Krystal's indefatigable spirit was key in removing the "home court" advantage from the team from St. Anne's when Winterdown competed against the prestigious girls' school.

Answer: The Copper Kettle

Dr. Parminder Jawanda, who was a close friend of Barry Fairbrother and firmly pro-Fields, saw her daughter's job as a defection to the anti-Fields Mollisons. Sukhvinder was coerced into applying for the job because her friend, Gaia Bowden, was applying, and Arf Price applied to be potboy in order to spend more time with Gaia, for whom he felt a passionate attraction.

Simon Price was more-or-less indifferent to his son having a job at The Copper Kettle, but insisted that Arf "dig up some dirt" on the Mollisons so that he could use it against them in the upcoming election.

Answer: Pat Mollison

At Howard's 65th birthday party, Pat, who is openly gay, was angry at her mother for addressing her invitation to "Patricia Mollison and guest", even though she had been with her partner, Melly, for many years. In her anger, she let slip before Arf that she had once caught Howard in a sexual act with his business partner, Maureen Lowe, and that her father had paid her not to mention it to her mother. Feeling contrite for his part in his father being made redundant from his job, Arf told Simon about Howard and Maureen's affair and showed him how to hack into the Pagford Parish Council website.

Answer: A house

Krystal knew that if she had a baby, the government would subsidize a home for her in one of the abandoned, run-down houses in the Fields. She wanted a home of her own so she could live there with her baby brother, away from their heroin-addicted mother. She lied to Fats Wall and told him that she was taking the birth control pill.

Answer: Mary Fairbrother

Gavin had been close with Barry Fairbrother and, helping Barry's widow cope with her loss, found himself attracted to Mary. Too soon after Barry's death Gavin professed his love to Mary, and he was devastated when she turned him down "even if...".

Of the incorrect answers, only Tessa Wall was completely faithful to her husband. Parminder was in love with Barry Fairbrother, and Samantha Mollison lusted for Parminder's husband, Vikram.

Answer: A computer monitor

The monitor was from the stolen computer that Simon Price dumped in the river following his denunciation by The_Ghost_of_Barry_Fairbrother.

This event precipitates the novel's denouement, in which the reader begins to see the intricate plot that Rowling has weaved throughout in her characteristic style.