About the book
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 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 exquisitely observed world that is anything but sleepy. A world of Kissingeresque 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.
Editions of Black Swan Green
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9781400063796
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780676974966
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780676974973
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780812974010
- EBook
- ISBN 9780307375483
- EBook
- ISBN 9781588365286
- Audiobook
- ISBN 9781415928493
- AudioStreaming
- ISBN 9781415928516
- AudioStreaming
- ISBN 9781415951606
- AudioStreaming
- ISBN 9780739332498
- AudioDisc
- ISBN 9780739332481
- AudioDisc
- ISBN 9781415928509
Read an Excerpt
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 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 exquisitely observed world that is anything but sleepy. A world of Kissingeresque 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Black Swan Green about?
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 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 exquisitely observed world that is anything but sleepy. A world of Kissingeresque 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.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Black Swan Green?
Fiction > Speculative fiction > Metaphysical / philosophical fiction
Where can I read a sample of Black Swan Green?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781400063796
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Black Swan Green?
David Mitchell
Who is the Publisher of the book Black Swan Green?
Knopf Canada
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Black Swan Green is available as hardcover(ISBN 9781400063796) and hardcover(ISBN 9780676974966) and paperback(ISBN 9780676974973) and paperback(ISBN 9780812974010) and ebook(ISBN 9780307375483) and ebook(ISBN 9781588365286) and audiobook(ISBN 9781415928493) and audiostreaming(ISBN 9781415928516) and audiostreaming(ISBN 9781415951606) and audiostreaming(ISBN 9780739332498) and audiodisc(ISBN 9780739332481) and audiodisc(ISBN 9781415928509)
Where can I buy Black Swan Green online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Black Swan Green from below
Where can I buy Black Swan Green?