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Black Swan Green: A Novel
 

Black Swan Green: A Novel

by David Mitchell

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... (read more)

Top tags: fiction,  coming of age,  contemporary fiction,  british,  england (all tags)

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Other Reviews

Amazon Reviews (5)
 

Most Helpful Reviews

Liked It

1 of 1 members found this review helpful.
Aimeesue
  • Rated 5 stars

“Fabulous book, just amazing. Mitchell has created quite a memorable character in Jason Taylor, School Stutterer. It's hard to remember what being thirteen is like, but BSG brings it all back --the constant vigilance to make sure you do nothing uncool or worse, the struggle to define yourself, and the egoism of it all.

One of my favorite books this year!”

Aimeesue’s full review »
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Didn’t Like It

Molly (Restless Reader)
  • Rated 1 stars

“I gave up reading Black Swan Green by David Mitchell in the middle of chapter one. Yes, it was that dull. However, the New York Times has a positive review of Black Swan Green. I could find only one negative comment in the entire review: “Black Swan Green is uneventful, at least in comparison with Mitchell’s other books.”

Mitchell’s previous book, Cloud Atlas, was one of my top 5 picks for 2005. I should go back and read his earlier works.”

Molly (Restless Reader)’s full review »
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Community:
  • Rated 4.13253 stars
Amazon:
  • Rated 4.5 stars
  

Newest Comments

  • JC

    jc said:

    “I rarely put a book down once I start, but there is nothing compelling me to finish this book. Seeing the world through the eyes of a stuttering English boy in a boring, nuclear family with a bratty sister in the 80's just doesn't do it for me I guess. I did think Cloud Atlas (another Mitchell book) was pretty brilliant though.”

    posted Thursday, March 6 2008
  • rob

    rob said:

    “I've had Talking Head's 'Once in a Lifetime' playing in my head for the past two weeks...”

    posted Tuesday, June 26 2007
  • MissPlaced

    missplaced said:

    “haha, only space cadets say epic...

    I thought the setting he chose was an interesting choice... I don't think I've read any books that took place in the 80's which weren't written back then”

    posted Tuesday, June 26 2007
  • w4g3n3r

    w4g3n3r said:

    “Its epic! Wait, no one says that anymore. Its ace!”

    posted Friday, June 22 2007
  • rob

    rob said:

    “I third it...a wonderful read...I enjoyed it no-end, it brought back a lot of memories, too...especially the music...”

    posted Sunday, June 17 2007
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