Black Swan Green

infobox Book |
name = Black Swan Green
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption = UK First edition cover
author = David Mitchell
cover_artist =
country = United Kingdom
language = English
series =
genre = Semi-autobiographical, Bildungsroman novel
publisher = Random House
release_date = April 2006
media_type = Print (Hardback)
pages = 294 pp (first edition, paperback)
isbn = ISBN 1-4000-6379-5 (first edition, paperback)
preceded_by = Cloud Atlas
followed_by =

"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-year-old 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.

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, Vivian Ayrs, her mother, and Robert Frobisher, composer of the rare and beautiful sextet that Jason listens to while visiting her.
*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 (magazine)", 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. [ [http://books.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,,2088190,00.html Dénouement | Review | Guardian Unlimited Books ] ]

Adaptations

"Black Swan Green" is currently being adapted for Ruby Films and Channel 4 by Tony Marchant. [http://www.theagency.co.uk/docs/clients.pdf]

ee also

*Bildungsroman

External links

* [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,923-2150927,00.html Review of "Black Swan Green"] : "The Times" (London)
* [http://www.newyorker.com/critics/books/articles/060417crbo_books1 Review of "Black Swan Green"] : "The New Yorker"
* [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/16/books/review/16freudenberger.html?ex=1146196800&en=39711771652444ac&ei=5070 Review of "Black Swan Green"] : "The New York Times"
* [http://books.guardian.co.uk/reviews/generalfiction/0,,1754643,00.html Review of "Black Swan Green"] : "The Observer"
* [http://www.kirkusreviews.com/kirkusreviews/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001919028 Review of "Black Swan Green"] : "Kirkus Reviews"
* [http://www.thebookseller.com/?pid=2&did=19152 Review of "Black Swan Green"] : "www.thebookseller.com"

References

http://www.blackswangreen.com