Why this?
Cloud Atlas remains an all-time favorite and my first book by David Mitchell. Having loved it, I was on the constant lookout for another book by him which I found at an airport shop. The title Black Swan Green doesn’ tell you much but I knew that I could take the risk. If it’s David Mitchell it will be at the least good writing and I was not wrong.
The Plot
The semi-autobiographical coming of age story of a British teenager with the Falklands war in the backdrop is the central theme in the book. I was initially worried because I wondered why someone with so much command on narrative would opt for the cliché coming-of-age genre, but the book slowly reveals itself.
The story is about Jason Taylor who has the usual run-of-the-mill teen angst to deal with. A secret crush, being on the good side of school bullies, tiffs with older siblings and image management.
Isn’t image everything when you are a kid? What people think of you, what is acceptable, what makes you a pansy and so on. Jason sincerely believes that he will be dead if his classmates found out that he writes poetry and has a speech defect. He believes he would be pronounced gay and to him, that is worse than death. Only if the adult world of his parents and relatives understood that.
But it is Jason’s maturity beyond his years that finally helps him rise above these social inhibitions and become a whole person.
What makes the book special is that in every chapter you are introduced to a new theme that appeals to the adult in you. Themes deal with self-esteem, family foundations, social structures, the price of war, the price of love and letting go. It’s a book that needs to absorbed slowly.
Is Black Swan worth your time?
Black Swan Green did not usurp Cloud Atlas from my favorites, but a highly recommend it anyone who is looking to get started with David Mitchell’s work.
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