Black Swan Green

By: David Mitchell

Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne

Length: 13 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

By the New York Times best-selling author of The Bone Clocks and Cloud Atlas

Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize
Selected by Time as One of the Ten Best Books of the Year
A New York Times Notable Book
Named One of the Best Books of the Year by The Washington Post Book World, The Christian Science Monitor, Rocky Mountain News, and Kirkus Reviews
A Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist
Winner of the ALA Alex Award
Finalist for the Costa Novel Award

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 Green tracks a single year in what is, for 13-year-old Jason Taylor, the sleepiest village in muddiest Worcestershire in dying Cold War England, 1982. But the 13 chapters, each a short story in its own right, create an exquisitely observed world that is anything but sleepy. A world of Kissinger-esque 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 first cigarettes, first kisses, first Duran Duran LPs, and 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.

Praise for Black Swan Green

“[David Mitchell has created] one of the most endearing, smart, and funny young narrators ever to rise up from the pages of a novel.... The always fresh and brilliant writing will carry readers back to their own childhoods.... This enchanting novel makes us remember exactly what it was like.” (The Boston Globe)

“[David Mitchell is a] prodigiously daring and imaginative young writer.... As in the works of Thomas Pynchon and Herman Melville, one feels the roof of the narrative lifted off and oneself in thrall.” (Time)

©2006 David Mitchell (P)2006 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Great Britain's Catcher in the Rye, and another triumph for one of the present age's most interesting and accomplished novelists." ( Kirkus Reviews)

"Gorgeous....Captures the sheer pleasure of being a boy and brings to mind adventures shared by Huck and Tom." ( Publishers Weekly)

"He reproduces Jason's inner life with such astonishing verisimilitude that readers will find themselves haunted by him long after turning the last page." ( Booklist)

Best book about being 13 ever

I was blown away by Cloud Atlas so I had to give this a try. Initially, I was disappointed that there were no clever postmodern devices. This is a straightup narrative of the life of a 13-year-old boy. And I was initially skeptical since I've always thought this genre was done to death by American authors. It pains me to say it, but Mitchell does this better than any American author I've come across. Plus, it's just plain better than any YA novel I've come across period. It's totally accessible to the YA audience but it's not marketed that way. And while he may eschew postmodern gimmicks here, there's a sophisticated structure underlying it. What seems like a simple slice of life book is actually composed of a number of interlocking storylines that ultimately all contribute to our young protagonist's understanding of his world. There just seems to be no limit to the talents of David Mitchell.

My favorite of his books

Would you listen to Black Swan Green again? Why?

The narrator was compelling. I doubt if I'll listen again because I have many, many waiting for my eaers.

What other book might you compare Black Swan Green to and why?

Skippy Dies.

Okay story with a good speaker

I had to read this book for school and I have to say that it's not my favorite story in the world, but it was okay. On the other hand, the speaker was good with a clear voice. This book had many accents (such as French) with many different characters and this speaker did a good job differentiating them. The only problem was that when he pronounced "s" he made a loud whistling sound that hurt my ears a bit, but it was still bearable.

great story/terrible accent

this is a lovely story but the narrator did a painful attempt at an english accent.

David Mitchell is always brilliant.

I've read most of Mitchell's other books and was a little hesitant about what seemed like a rather straightforward, linear narrative about one character, especially one who is 13. But of course, Mitchell made it an incredible journey with astonishing authenticity and profound insights into the human condition. Very well performed as well.

The joys of teen misery

Top-notch, versatile narration of a lyrical coming-of-age story. Both Mitchell and Heyborne nail the voice of the awkward, angst-ridden boy who struggles with both inner and outer demons--a plague of stuttering, harrassment by village bullies and crazy old ladies, the mysteries of girls, a family that disintegrates even while he finds his strengths. British teenspeak and early 80s pop-music and political references add to the delight.

Even better the 2nd time!

I listened to this book about a year ago and recently started listening to it again. I am enjoying it even more the 2nd time around. So much happens during the year in the life of Jason that you can't absorb it all the 1st time around. Great story and great narrator.

just perfect

Would you listen to Black Swan Green again? Why?

i don't tend to do that

Any additional comments?

Just a great combination of narrator,story and lyrical writing.A joy.

very nice

I always like the journey and the interpretation.
That's all about Mitchell for me, the way he writes, and the audio book method makes it even better.

Kind of slow

Wish the narrator wasn’t British but that’s unavoidable I guess. Pretty good story, told by young teenage boy. I don’t know if it would be relatable if the reader/listener is a girl