Black Swan Green Black Swan Green is a semi-autobiographical bildungsroman written by David Mitchell. It was published in April 2006 in the U.S. and May 2006 in the UK. The novel's thirteen chapters each represent one month —from January 1982 through January 1983—in the life of 13-yearold Worcestershire boy Jason Taylor. The novel is written from the perspective of Taylor and employs many teen colloquialisms and popular-culture references from early-1980s England. David Mitchell was born in Southport, England in January of 1969. He studied at the University of Kent, where he received a Bachelor’s degree in English & American literature and a Masters degree in comparative literature. In recognition of his first novel, Ghostwritten, he was awarded the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize for best work of British literature by an author under the age of 35 years. His debut work was also short-listed for the Guardian First Book Award. Mitchell’s next two novels, number9dream and Cloud Atlas, were short-listed for numerous awards, including the prestigious Man Booker Prize; his fourth novel, Black Swan Green, was long-listed for the 2006 prize and won a number of awards for young adult literature, like the American Library Association’s Alex Award. Mitchell has been listed among Granta’s picks for Best Young British Novelists. In 2007, he was chosen for Time Magazine’s list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. In a rather short period of time, David Mitchell has established himself as a young author to watch. His first three books incorporate layers of stories, a variety of styles, diverse narrators, an assortment of settings that span the globe, coverage of a plethora of time-periods, non-linear story-telling, and a wide representation of genres–all within a singular form. While the novels have been highly-acclaimed and well-received by a broad readership, the unprecedented breadth and scale of Mitchell’s works have made them the subject of a critical eye. In response to the question of whether the author was also capable of creating a dynamic and intimate story of a more traditional style, Mitchell wrote Black Swan Green, a semi-autobiographical coming-of-age story set in Margaret Thatcher-era England. The book, which tells the story of one year in the life of thirteen-year-old Jason Taylor, shows no traces of Mitchell’s usual arsenal of post-modernist tricks. Broken down into thirteen chapters, which are also able to function independently as short stories, each one reflects a month in the life of the young protagonist. With all post-modern literary devices stripped away, Mitchell’s major success with Black Swan Green is in his exquisite use of language. He utilizes slang and references pop culture to create both a distinct sense of place and authentic characters. Because the protagonist is thirteen, and because he is not without his flaws (a debilitating stammer and a tendency towards youthful exaggeration) he is instantly relatable and likable. Black Swan Green Author David Mitchell Country United Kingdom Language English Genre Publisher Publicati on date Semi-autobiographical, Bildungsroman no vel Random House April 2006 Mitchell has the speech disorder of stammering,[1] "I’d probably still be avoiding the subject today had I not outed myself by writing a semiautobiographical novel, Black Swan Green, narrated by a stammering 13 year old."[1] Plot summary: Chapter 1: January man Jason Taylor is a 13-year-old with a stammer in the small village of Black Swan Green in Worcestershire. The first chapter starts with a rule Jason's father has: "Do not set foot in my office" and Jason breaking that rule to pick up the phone. It also introduces Jason's older sister Julia, friend Dean "Moron" Moran, popular boy Nick Yew, Gilbert "Yardy" Swinyard, Ross Wilcox and his cousin Gary Drake, golden boy student Neal Brose, tomboy Dawn Madden, Mervyn "Squelch" Hill, bully Grant Burch, local legend Tom Yew and "less shiny legend" Pluto Noak. Jason secretly publishes his poems in the Black Swan Green Parish magazine under the alias "Eliot Bolivar". Jason breaks his grandfather's Omega Seamaster De Ville, a valuable watch. Also, after an accident on an iced-over lake, he meets a mysterious old woman rumoured to be a witch. Chapter 2: Hangman Jason goes into more detail about his struggles with stammering. He then explains how his stammers affect his relationships with other people. He refers to this mental block as "hangman". He's scared to stand up and speak during the school's weekly rhetoric session, but is saved by a call from his South African speech therapist, Mrs. de Roo. Chapter 3: Relatives Introduces Jason's relatives who come for a visit, including cool, 15-yearold cousin Hugo Lamb (who reappears in Mitchell's later novel The Bone Clocks), who pressures Jason to try his first cigarette. Chapter 4: Bridle pathEdit This is the story of April.A fight between Burch and Wilcox ends with the former breaking his right wrist. Jason encounters Dawn Madden, a girl he has a crush on. She treats him like a dog. Escaping up a tree, Jason witnesses Tom Yew, on leave from the Navy, make love to Debby Crombie. He is attacked by dobermans and scolded by the owner. When he comes across he meets his classmates Kit Harris, Grant Burch, Philip Phelps and Ant Little. Chapter 5: RocksEdit This chapter explores Jason's perspective on the growing British instability in the Falklands War and arguments between his mother and father. Tom Yew is killed when his ship, HMS Coventry, is bombed by Skyhawks. Eventually, a ceasefire is declared. Chapter 6: SpooksEdit Jason's mother takes up an interest in running an art gallery part-time. Jason finds an invitation to join the Spooks, a local secret society made up of Noak, Burch, Swinyard, Peter Redmarley and John Tookey. Jason and Moran are challenged with making it through six back gardens in 15 minutes. Jason makes it with ten seconds to spare, but his friend Moran is injured when he falls through a greenhouse. Chapter 7: SolariumEdit Jason receives an invitation from the publisher of his poems. The real benefactor is revealed to be Eva van Outryve de Crommelynck (a much younger version of whom also has a part in Cloud Atlas). She conducts sessions with him, offering constructive criticisms of his poems. Crommelynck is soon extradited as a result of her husband's financial scams in Germany. Chapter 8: SouvenirsEdit Jason goes on two trips: one with his father for a work event, another with his mother to her job at Yasmin Morton-Bagot's gallery. During his trip with his father, Jason is taken to get fish and chips by Danny Lawlor, a man who works under his father at Greenland. He later meets his father's boss, Craig Salt. Jason's mother takes over as manager of Yasmin MortonBagot's gallery, La Boite aux Mille Surprises. Jason and his mother prevent a trio of girls stealing items from the store. His mother decides to take him to see Chariots of Fire, an act which gets noticed by people from his school. Chapter 9: MaggotEdit Wilcox and Drake make fun of Jason for going to the cinema with his mother. Wilcox starts calling him "maggot", a name which grows within the school. The entire school is punished because Wilcox and his group berate a teacher. Jason meets Holly Deblin, who tells him, "You're not a maggot. Don't let dickheads decide what you are." Wilcox and his group jump Jason after school and Jason tries to stands up for himself, but fails. The bullies throw Jason's backpack atop the school bus' roof as it drives off. Jason catches up to the bus, the driver Norman Bates asks why Jason allows himself to be bullied. Bates urges that Jason attack Wilcox with a knife. Upon hearing this, Jason says that if he did he'd "get sent to Borstal." Norman Bates replies, "Life's a Borstal!" Chapter 10: Knife grinderEdit A gypsy knife grinder visits Jason's house, offering his services. Jason does not let him in. Jason and his father attend a village meeting to decide what to do about a proposed gypsy encampment. After several speeches, a fire alarm is pulled, causing minor panic. Moran's father reveals to Jason that his grandfather was a gypsy. Through a series of events Jason finds himself in the gypsy camp. Chapter 11: Goose fairEdit Jason finds Wilcox's lost wallet, containing six hundred pounds, at the fair. After some encounters in the fair ground he decides to give it back. Wilcox breaks up with Madden and finds her sleeping with Burch. In shock, Wilcox steals Tom Yew's Suzuki and crashes it, losing part of his right leg. Chapter 12: DiscoEdit It is learned that Jason's father lost his job. Jason crushes Brose's calculator in a vice. After being taken to the Principal's office, Jason reveals that Brose has been running an extortion scheme intimidating other boys in his year for money. Brose is expelled. It is learned that Jason was kicked out of the Spooks. Miss Lippetts delivers a class about secrets and the ethics of revealing them. During the dance, Jason kisses Deblin. He reveals to his father that he broke the watch and his father reveals that he's been having an affair and is divorcing Jason's mother. Chapter 13: January manEdit Taking place two weeks later, Jason reminisces around the village one final time before leaving. The mystery phone calls were from Jason's father's mistress, Cynthia. He has stopped writing poems for the parish magazine. Critical receptionEdit Allusions/references to other works The book contains references and characters from other works by Mitchell, as is characteristic of his novels:           Neal Brose, a pupil at the same school as Taylor, appears as an adult in Ghostwritten. Eva van Crommelynck, who tutors Taylor on poetry and life, also appears in Cloud Atlas, as do references to her father, Vyvyan Ayrs, her mother, and Robert Frobisher, composer of the rare and beautiful sextet that Jason listens to while visiting her. Eva encourages Jason to read Le Grand Meaulnes - also read by Eiji in number9dream. Gwendolyn Bendincks, the vicar's wife at the end of "Solarium," also appears in Cloud Atlas. She is one of two residents who head the Residents' Committee at Aurora House (the home to which Denholme Cavendish sends his brother Timothy). Mark Badbury, a pupil at the same school as Taylor, also appears as an adult in the short story "Preface" published in the [UK] Daily Telegraph on 29.04.06. Another pupil, Clive Pike (as an adult) and school headmaster Mr. Nixon (both corporeally and disembodied) appear in the short story "Acknowledgments" published in Prospect, No. 115, Oct. 2005 School headmaster Mr. Nixon (his first name is revealed as Graham) appears in the short story 'Denouement' published in The Guardian Review section, 26.05.07, in support of the author's appearance at the Hay Festival that day.[3] Nicholas Briar, a pupil at the same school as Taylor, also appears as an adult in the short story "The Massive Rat"[4] published in The Guardian "Weekend" supplement on 01.08.09. The Castles, next-door neighbors to the Taylors, also appear as the titular character's parents in the short story "Judith Castle",[5] published in The Book of Other People on 01.02.08. The John Lennon song "#9 Dream", which is also the title of Mitchell's second novel, is played during the school dance. The character of Hugo Lamb is revisited in Mitchell's 2014 novel The Bone Clocks. An Omega Seamaster de Ville This watch, an Omega Seamaster de Ville, had been originally purchased by Jason’s grandfather from an Arab at a port in Arabia. Jason was given the watch as a gift on Boxing Day because his father thought Jason was old enough to take care of it. When Jason wore the watch the first time he fell on the ice and smashed the face of the watch. Jason tried to find a watch to replace it but learned he didn’t have anywhere near enough money to purchase a replacement. It was on the same night that Jason’s father told him that he and Helena were getting a divorce that Jason finally told his father what had happened to the watch. The watch was a symbol of Jason’s increasing maturity.