Black Swan Green

Decent read but unremarkable

The novel covers one year in the life of thirteen year old Jason Taylor during the 1980s in Worcestershire, England. I'm not really sure why the author chose to create a character that can resemble almost any child at that time and place. Even though Jason was a good kid, maturing month by month into a teenager, his world seemed no different than anyone else's. Of course there was the two month long war in the Falkland Islands where the casualties touched close to Jason's home but that seemed to come to an abrupt end when the chapter ended and Jason's story continued without much mention of that horrible ordeal. Black Swan Green was a challenging read and left my feeling a bit drained.

Overall the book didn't seem to give any conclusions to any of the debates that were left in the open. Jason was gifted when it came to writing his beloved poetry but shy in front of his friends who were bigger bullies than he could ever bee. His character shone brighter than others and I felt sorry for him for the way his parents struggled to keep their marriage intact. The humor in the story is balanced with the hardships of growing up but the slang used in order to make the book authentic gave me a headache! I was tired of trying to understand meanings behind the ways the boys bullied each other with words and then felt terrible when physical fighting took over. I can't really say what this story is about. It felt like a film with random chapters, a panorama of Jason's activities; the very many many fights, the hobbies, first kiss and the heartaches but without any real conclusion that would give the reader closure. Perhaps Jason moved on with his life, the next months not written on paper but meant to live and expand in the reader's imagination.

The book is readable and there are some good bits but I have to confess it didn't pull me at all, and I hate to say but felt like a boring snoozer in some parts. I had to force myself to open it and read little at a time; it felt more like sometime I'd have to read for school than for my own enjoyment. I picked it up solemnly on the great reviews but it just didn't speak to me, we're all different and enjoy different things in many ways so it's all okay with me, I don't expect every book I pick up to be fantastic, this was one of those duds in the road that made me stumble over. For those who like to read about adolescence growing up I would recommend "Summer of Night" by Dan Simmons, which was part fantasy and horror but 100% stunning.

- Kasia S.

1 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Immensely Enjoyable and Very Profound

I loved it!! This is way more than the story of a 13 year old boy finding his place in a troubled world. Mitchell captures perfectly, with honesty and humor, the "family" including antagonism between parents and sibling rivalry...using all the right words at the right time. When Jason refers to his "unborn twin" to reveal his conscience, what a clever way to capture his innermost thoughts and feelings. I loved the juxtaposition between Jason the stammerer who stumbles over words when speaking and Jason the poet who gets the words perfect when writing them down. And the part where Jason and the elderly Belgian woman explored the meanings of "beauty" and "truth" is very profound. Each chapter (revelation) is better than the next. It's no wonder that David Mitchell has been lauded as one of Britain's young accomplished writers. "Black Swan Green" may not be as complex as "The Thousand Autumns of Jacob DeZoet," Mitchell's newest novel, but it's very clever in its' own right. Highly recommended!

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.