Black Swan Green - Literary Brilliance

David Mitchell, the recent emerging superstar writer with so far three novels, Cloud Atlas, Number9Dream and Ghostwritten, all critically acclaimed and recipients of various awards has managed to keep his track record of verbal genius intact with his latest novel, Black Swan Green.

To be honest, I am not a huge fan of literature where the plot is kind of vaguely described in its inner flap, leaving the reader clueless as to what they could be getting. As characteristic of postmodern literature, Black Swan Green somewhat goes about this path, and I was worried because it dabbles in a such a wide number of ideas from the perspective of Jason Taylor, a growing up pre-teenager in the village of Worcestershire in England, 1982, that it would end up caught in loose endings and unsatisfying digressions. From the summary on the left flap, Black Swan Green describes a world of random encounter. From first cigarettes, to first kisses, and even bleak first deaths, to the gradual disintegration of his family, Black Swan Green touches upon many ideas. This is in huge contrast with writers like Paul Coelho (The Alchemist) who write efficient novels that zero in on one character, one ambition, which they entirely set out to resolve in that one novel.

That is why I am perhaps almost disgustingly pleased with David Mitchell for pulling this one off so effortlessly it practically brings me agony to know that a writer of his caliber could exist. Black Swan Green, for all its blunt statements, is in abundance in displays of candor wit and wisdom. Mitchell is a master of capturing subtle details and creating credible characters.

Originally I was not impressed with the prose, which I found at times broken in its short phrases and even lacking in creative imagery. After trudging through the first hundred pages, I began to understand the somewhat quirky perspective of the fourteen year old protagonist with a stutter and I became thoroughly entrenched in the writing. Mitchell knows the art of the craft well. He provides all the little details for even the most attentive readers, but provides plenty of entertainment for those looking to just pass the time by. For those who choose to pay attention and search for symbolism and other juicy bits to analyze, there are beautiful contrasts throughout the novel as he describes war on one hand and conflict within Jason's household. Even more subtle are the ideas behind almost every action in the book. One simple example is Taylor's quest to fix his grandfather's watch which he broke accidentally.

That said, Black Swan Green took me on a rollercoaster of a ride through a shadowy reflection of my own adolescence in high school when yet knew nothing about girls, had to deal with bullies at schools, and was constantly in a struggle to fit in and find my identity in the world. The constant fascination and complexity of childhood in all its naive splendor came rushing back to me as I read it, and the exhilarating adventure Mitchell has managed to convey was well worth the hefty $20 I paid for the hardcover. I highly recommend Black Swan Green and would say that all the hype about the novel is well deserved.