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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.92
EAN num: 9780812974010
ISBN number: 0812974018
Label: Random House Trade Paperbacks
Manufacturer: Random House Trade Paperbacks
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 304
Printing Date: February 27, 2007
Publishing house: Random House Trade Paperbacks
Release Date: February 27, 2007
Sale Popularity Level: 9213
Studio: Random House Trade Paperbacks
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Product Description:
From award-winning writer David Mitchell comes a sinewy, meditative novel of boyhood on the cusp of adulthood and the old on the cusp of the new.
Black Swan tracks a single year in what is, for thirteen-year-old Jason Taylor, the sleepiest village in muddiest Worcestershire in a dying Cold War England, 1982. But the thirteen chapters, each a short story in its own right, create an exquisitely observed world that is anything but sleepy. A world of Kissingeresque realpolitik enacted in boys’ games on a frozen lake; of “nightcreeping” through the summer backyards of strangers; of the tabloid-fueled thrills of the Falklands War and its human toll; of the cruel, luscious Dawn Madden and her power-hungry boyfriend, Ross Wilcox; of a certain Madame Eva van Outryve de Crommelynck, an elderly bohemian emigré who is both more and less than she appears; of Jason’s search to replace his dead grandfather’s irreplaceable smashed watch before the crime is discovered; of very first cigarettes, very first kisses, very first Duran Duran Lps, and very first deaths; of Margaret Thatcher’s recession; of Gypsies camping in the woods and the hysteria they inspire; and, even closer to home, of a slow-motion divorce in four seasons.
Pointed, funny, profound, left-field, elegiac, and painted with the stuff of life, Black Swan Green is David Mitchell’s subtlest and most effective achievement to date.
From the Hardcover edition.
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David Mitchell is the author of Ghostwritten, Number9Dream, and Cloud Atlas, the last 2 finalists for the Booker Prize. Granta magazine named him one of Britain’s best young novelists in 2003. He lives in County Cork with his wife and daughter.
From the Hardcover edition.
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Rated by buyers 
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A look into the bullying society prevalent during 1980s Thatcher England. We experience one year in the life of a 13 year old artistic middle class British boy pressured by bullying peers and an unstable family life. His poetic imagination and sensitivity makes life practically unbearable, and yet he survives. Authentic language,excellent characterizations and a satisfying conclusion. Good read.
Rated by buyers -
When I was about thirteen or fourteen and having a miserable time in junior high, my mother once snapped at me "You're going to look back at this as the best years of your life." Happily, I did not slit my wrists at this pronouncement (and even more happily, my mother was wrong). Black Swan Green perfectly captures all the clarity, possibility and crushing powerlessness of early adolescence, from bullying peers, teachers who just make things Worse, the tangled relationships with older siblings, very first loves and very first deaths, all set against a slowly unraveling backdrop of a parents' strained marriage and the Falklands War.
Rated by buyers -
This novel is perhaps the best book I've ever read. It is certainly the best coming-of-age novel I've encountered. It charts the life of an adolescent boy in the span of a year. The most remarkable part of this narrative is that at the end, and not until then, you realize that Jason is entirely different from the boy you met at the beginning of the novel. The narrative is so honest and real that I feel like I've been through male puberty (and feel incredibly fortunate to have been born a girl). I found the story incredibly moving, and it has honestly changed my life: it has helped me realize that personal growth is achievable under any circumstances. You're missing out if you don't read this novel!
Rated by buyers 
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This novel is told through the voice of a 13 year-old over the course of a year in England of the early 80's. As an American reader, the British language took a little getting used to, and I was worried that I might connect less with the chief character's adolescence. The language quickly became natural, and the universality of the life of a 13 year old rang true. This did bring back memories from my early teen years of the late 60's. The novel was well written, and parts were great. It did fall a bit short of my high hopes, though. Each chapter focused on a different month of the year, and usually had a story unconnected to others. The book felt more like a series of short stories in the life of this boy. Some were great and others were not as engaging. I loved the start of this book, and then became impatient, wondering where this was going. I finally realized that this was going nowhere, and I needed to just enjoy each part without looking ahead. Until the end, there was little character development, because it covered just one year. I'm glad I read this book. There were great moments in the life of this boy who struggled with his parents' breakup, an embarrassing stutter, and bullies. It read like a memoir.
Rated by buyers -
Simultaneously makes you long for and cringe at the awkwardness of adolescence - beautifully written - should be mandatory reading for age 12-14, both boys and girls.
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