'Questions aren't questions. Questions're bullets.' Unlike in his previous complex novels with shifting narrators and settings, Mitchell quickly establishes the voice of 13 year old Jason Taylor who narrates thirteen monthly accounts of his life in a small English village in 1982. Though talented and energetic, Jason struggles with a crippling stammering problem, swarms of bullies and his parents' deteriorating marriage. This simple but absorbing book exceeded my high expectations and compares favorably with Mitchell's three other excellent novels.
Amazing talent In an interview, Mitchell protested that this is *not* a "coming of age" story: "There's always a kind of a journey at character level in fiction, and if that journey happens to occur to a fifteen year old, then people say, 'Aha, it's a Coming of Age Novel'." Indeed, this is really a year in the life of a thirteen-year-old. It's not about growing up--it's about being an early teen and dealing with everything life throws your way. I found this novel exceptionally good. I've never seen the word "genius" associated with a writer as much as it seems to be associated with Mitchell, and now I know why. Even though the plot in and of itself is quite straightforward and has none of the experimental elements of other Mitchell novels, the characters the author builds are so incredibly three-dimensional that you'll have a hard time believing they're just characters in a book. I can't quite tell you how Mitchell does it. That's where the genius comes in, I guess. I recommend this book strongly--it's impossible not to like it. In the same interview I mentioned above, Mitchell says of the book, "it's the best thing I've written. I'm quite confident of that." Whether you liked Cloud Atlas or were afraid to read it, you should read Black Swan Green.A deeper Mitchell Mitchell's book let me experience again, at least in a little way, a great time of life - at 13, your outlook on the world is an emotional mix of childhood fantasy and a growing awareness of the larger world. Mitchell does a great job having his 13-year old narrator reflect this mix. The book's characters are engaging and convincing, and Mitchell presents a nice series of stories without resorting to sappy gimmicks.
This book is subtle, well-written, and fun; I loved Mitchell's last book, but in this one the characters are even better, and the writing has more depth.
