I am super pumped to read this book by one of my all-time favorite authors! Sweet!

From the back: "Pointed, humourous, profound, elegiac and painted with the stuff of life, Black Swan Green is Mitchell's subtlest and most luminous achievement to date."

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Started reading August 16

I love David Mitchell.

Well his writing, anyway.

This book is a lot of things: magical, tortured, inspirational, easy and hard to read at the same time. As the reviews say, Jason Taylor is a wonderful protagonist, and his existance is hilarious, illustrative and painful, but with an aspirational and holistic sort of character that makes him so likeable. Black Swan Green is a town like any rural town, full of characters, bullies-- sweetness, quirkiness and awakenings. And to see it all through Jason's experience puts it all in perspective: that life is more than those around us, and yet at the same time IS the world around us, and so we have to find that balance between who we are and how that affects and interacts with others.

For me, this book is about prioritizing our existance. Deciding what matters and what doesn't. Looking for the things that make us happy or fulfilled and throwing ourselves into them without fear or apology. Challenging our demons head on. Accepting and even embracing the consequences of our trials and tribulations.

I don't want to dissect this book much further and have the details ruin it for the next person. Suffice it to say that I loved this book, like all of David Mitchell's books. He loves words, loves stories, loves humanity-- both the good and the bad. His writing finds the truth, reality and beauty in all of us.

If i could be a writer, I would want to write like this.

Sigh!

Will be turning this book into a bookring. Sign up and see what you think! I am looking forward to hearing other people's impressions.

Participants:

KarenZero (US- within US)--- finished!
msjoanna (US- within NA)--- finished!
sunnybrook301 (US- within NA)--- finished!
lauraloo29 (Canada- int'l)--- finished!
arturogrande (UK- int'l)--- finished!
teuffi (UK- int'l)--- finished!
amanida (UK- int'l)--- finished!
iliotropio (Belgium- int'l)--- finished!
starrdust (Canada- int'l)--- COMPLETED!

.... and you?

Sent off to New York yesterday, September 15th! Happy reading everyone! :)

Received safely! Will read ASAP.

I really enjoyed this and can see this as a movie. Jason was such a likable, realistic character. The only thing I didn't quite like was how some of the story lines ended rather abruptly (Moran's fall, etc), although they were eventually wrapped up.

Thanks so much Symphonicca for sharing the book! I dropped it off at the post office this afternoon.

I've been super excited about this book since I first heard of it. I'm so glad to have a copy. I'll start this after dinner.

This is almost definitely the best book I've read this year. I loved Jason and found the story vulnerable and honest. Coming of age stories have been written repeatedly, but it's rare to read one with this much grace that captures the inner thoughts of someone in their pre-teen years. I'll be recommending this one widely. I may need to seek out another copy to give away. Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful book with me.

It's on its way to sunnybrook today.

This arrived yesterday. I'm very excited to read it and I'll be starting when I have finished my current read!

I loved this book!

I am so sorry it took me so long with it - the holidays sort of tied things up for me. I will be moving this along in the next day or two. Thanks for sharing it!

I really do apologize for holding this up - things just seem to keep getting in the way. It's on it's way now to the next participant. Hope you enjoy it!

Arrived safe and sound today. I have a few bookrings here at the moment. Not to worry. I will keep it moving. Thanks!

I'm struggling with this book. Not sure why. I would normally take more time with it, but I have far too many bookrings here, with more on the way. This book will resume its journey on Tuesday.

Thank you for sharing!

Thanks you very much - I'm a big fan of David Mitchell's books.

I've got a couple of books ahead of this one, but I'm planning on getting to it very soon

I loved this! It was quite different from the other David Mitchell novels I've read, much more small scale and intimate, but in some ways, it's the best of his books so far.
Jason Taylor is a very believeble character, especially for me as, like him, I too was 13 in 1982. Unlike mny coming of age novels, the story wasn't told with the hindsight of a grown man looking back to his teens, but in the here and now.
The attention to period detail was spot on the dialogue was very realistic.
I think I'm going to get myself a copy of this so I can read it again.
It's now on its way to teuffi. Thanks very much for sharing.

A Black Swan Green was waiting for me patiently in the mail box today...
Finishing another ray book today so should start this one tomorrow!

Thanks for sharing, symphonicca, and for sending on, arturogrande!

I finished this book yesterday and I have to say that David Mitchell is becoming one of my favourite contemporary writers!

This was quite different from the previous books I read from DM but I found the insight into this Jason's life and the way he grows up in the course of the story most interesting. A fantastic book!

Thank you for sharing, symphonicca!

Sent to amanida today.

I've been wanting to read this for ages, so very happy it arrived today!
Will finish my current book and start ASAP.

This book had a tough task, competing with the Olympics for my attention! However, it did a good job and I enjoyed it very much. I like David Mitchell and Black Swan Green is interesting as it's a bit more conventional than his other books that I have read. I do think that we are still waiting for his masterpiece, though. This could have been it if the abruptly ended story lines were pulled together at the end or had more twists to them (in my humble opinion.) Anyway, I eagerly await his next novel.
By the way, if anybody reading this would like to read number9dream, just PM me and I'll send it to you.
Just for the record, and to add to the book's itinerary, I took this book to Holland today, to finish on the journey & intending to post it to iliotropio in Belgium. However, I didn't manage to find a Post Office, so it will be dispatched from UK in the next couple of days.

Thank you Amanida, the book arrived safe and sound!

Hugely successful, widely translated.
On its way to starrdust. Happy reading!

Just picked this book up today from the Post Office - - after it has travelled all the way from Brussels, Belgium it is now safely in Canada. Thanks so much for the lovely Christmas card that was enclosed, iliotropio. Looking forward to reading this one!

Once I got into this novel I really quite enjoyed it - - it is the first David Mitchell book that I've read. I definitely became involved with the main character, 13 year old Jason, as he moved through the adolescent year of 13 going on 14. Thanks for including me in this BookRing! Just waiting to see if there is anyone else wanting to read this book or if it is time to send it back home to symphonicca.

Edited to add: symphonicca has confirmed that she doesn't want the book to be returned, so I can either do another Book Ring/Ray or pass it on to someone else. I've decided to check Wish Lists to send this as a RABCK.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Mailed off as a RABCK to valpete as this book was on her Wish List.
Controlled release for the 2009 Celebrate the Irish Challenge - Title word "Green"
Also released for the 2009 Oh, The Places We Can Go! Challenge - Green, California, U.S.A.

Happy reading!

Thanks, Stardust...what a nice surprise! It was waiting for me when I returned from my 70th birthday celebration with my family in Hawaii. Sounds like an excellent book. I look forward to reading it.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Thinning out my TBR shelf. Sending it along to another BCer with it on Wishlist.

Received in the mail yesterday from valpete, thank you so much! What a fabulous surprise.