Black Swan Green
12 journalers for this copy...
On the heels of his critically acclaimed Cloud Atlas (2004), frequent Booker Prize nominee Mitchell has left behind complicated literary constructions for this beautiful, stripped-down coming-of-age story. Our 13-year-old narrator, Jason Taylor, lives in Worcestershire's Black Swan Green with his sister and his parents. Jason suffers from a stammer, and in order to keep above the bottom rung of the social ladder, he must go to extravagant lengths to avoid using stammer words (some days those that start with n; other days, s). And he must live in the wake of his brilliant sister and mediate between his parents. The anxieties and excitements of boyhood are captured extraordinarily well here. Some will argue that Jason doesn't sound 13 (he certainly has, per day, a lot more arrestingly beautiful thoughts than does your average 13-year-old), but the narrative voice is consistent, and readers will come to believe it. Indeed, it is Mitchell's brilliant ability to reproduce internal monologue that makes this story so mesmerizing. He reproduces Jason's inner life with such astonishing verisimilitude that readers will find themselves haunted by him long after turning the last page. (from Booklist)
Int'l Bookray: completed- raeliz64, UK (int'l)
- mafarrimond, UK/Wales (int'l)
- hyper7, South Africa (int'l)
- Karli, Australia
(- trojanpotato, USA - skipped, got own copy)
- elissamay, USA
- sarradee, USA (ship US/Can, int'l if needed)
- nancynova, USA (ship int'l)
- leodog58, USA (ship int'l) end of ray
The usual:
- Someone will PM you for your address, PM them back and provide your address
- When you receive the book, please make a journal entry letting everyone know that you received it
- Please try to finish it within a month
- When the end is in sight, check the book's journal and PM the next person to get their address
- Make another journal entry and let everyone know what you thought of the book
- Make release notes to let everyone know that it's in the mail
- Send the book to the next person on the list
- Last person: Would you ray it forward???
If delayed make sure to let us know so that the ray will not stop
Journal Entry 3 by 
ApoloniaX
at Bookring/Bookray, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- Canada on Tuesday, August 25, 2009
ApoloniaX at Bookring/Bookray, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- Canada on Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Released 14 yrs ago (8/26/2009 UTC) at Bookring/Bookray, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- Canada
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES: Travelling to raeliz64
Happy reading!
Journal Entry 4 by raeliz64 from Leicester, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Received today, thanks very much. (And thank you for the labels too.)
Journal Entry 5 by raeliz64 from Leicester, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Saturday, September 19, 2009
Oh I really enjoyed this one! Beautifully written, although I found some of the bits about bullying very painful to read. David Mitchell has early adolescence exactly right, this is how it is/was. My only criticism, if that is the right word, is that very occasionally I was reminded of Adrian Mole which didn't sit very well.
I will be posting on to Mafarrimond some time next week.
I will be posting on to Mafarrimond some time next week.
Journal Entry 6 by raeliz64 from Leicester, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Posted to mafarrimond today.
Received today. Really looking forward to reading this.
I became engrossed in this book from the outset. There were a couple of times I felt a little disppointed - I thought the old lady in the woods and also the interaction with the gypsies were going to develop into something more. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
PM sent to hyper7 to confirm the address befor posting.
PM sent to hyper7 to confirm the address befor posting.
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Posting on to hyper7. Hope you enjoy the book.
Posting on to hyper7. Hope you enjoy the book.
Got it, I have 1 book in the queue ahead of this one.
Cloud Atlas was pretty good, so I am looking forward to this one.
Thanks for sharing!
Cloud Atlas was pretty good, so I am looking forward to this one.
Thanks for sharing!
Well, that was ace! No really, I very much enjoyed this book. Better than Cloud Atlas, I think.
Thank you very much for sharing! Off to the next person, as soon as I have her address.
"The world never stops unmaking what the world never stops making. But who says the world has to make sense?"
Thank you very much for sharing! Off to the next person, as soon as I have her address.
"The world never stops unmaking what the world never stops making. But who says the world has to make sense?"
Released 14 yrs ago (11/24/2009 UTC) at Waikiki, Western Australia Australia
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Off it goes. Enjoy!
Off it goes. Enjoy!
Thanks hyper7, I was very happy to receive this book today. I look forward to getting stuck into it!
This is the best novel I have read by David Mitchell. I really enjoyed the main character, and I like that I got to follow the same story through for the whole length of the novel (unlike other novels where David Mitchell chops and changes).
I will be posting this book to the US as soon as I receive the next postal address.
I will be posting this book to the US as soon as I receive the next postal address.
Journal Entry 15 by Karli at Brooklyn, By Mail/Post/Courier -- Controlled Releases on Monday, January 4, 2010
Released 14 yrs ago (1/5/2010 UTC) at Brooklyn, By Mail/Post/Courier -- Controlled Releases
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
I'm posting this to elissamay, because trojanpotato has already got hold of a copy of Black Swan Green. Happy reading!
I'm posting this to elissamay, because trojanpotato has already got hold of a copy of Black Swan Green. Happy reading!
Got this in the mail today all the way from Australia! Thank you!
LOVED THIS! What a fantastic read! Thanks so much for the chance to read it... put in the mail for sarradee today.
This book reminded me a lot of the Adrian Mole series even though it wasn't in diary form, it was paced similarly. I think David Mitchell captured the angst of adolescence very believably, even if his protagonist Jason seems somewhat old for his years.
I've sent a pm to Nancynova to see if she's still interested in reading and will get it passed on as soon as I can.
I've sent a pm to Nancynova to see if she's still interested in reading and will get it passed on as soon as I can.
Will be mailing to Nancynova in tomorrow's post.
rec'd today and added to the TBR first shelf. Not much ahead of it, but will probably delay starting it until after the California wedding, so it doesn't get lost in THAT transit. Will j/e again when I start - and I just sent leodog a ray, so I already have her addy - but will check that she didn't get her own copy first!
Starting today on the commute home
I tried on 3 train rides, but couldn't get past the Brit diction, to really enjoy the book. Sending along to leoDog tomorrow.
Enjoy!
just got this in the mail today...
I thought this book was just fabulous. As I am the last on the Ray list, I will wild release it soon...
Mailing this out to judygreeneyes today. Happy reading!
I caught this book by mail, thanks so much!! I can't wait to read it, having already read "Cloud Atlas" and "Ghostwritten".
April 2021: Sent to ILuvToRead2
April 2021: Sent to ILuvToRead2
Journal Entry 29 by 
ILuvToRead2
at -- Mail or by hand-rings, RABCK, meetings --, Illinois USA on Tuesday, April 27, 2021
ILuvToRead2 at -- Mail or by hand-rings, RABCK, meetings --, Illinois USA on Tuesday, April 27, 2021
Thanks for the RABCK! This book has so many cool bookcrossing stickers and stamps on it that I had not seen before. I'm looking forward to reading it.
Journal Entry 30 by ILuvToRead2 at -- Mailed, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- USA on Wednesday, March 1, 2023
ILuvToRead2 at -- Mailed, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- USA on Wednesday, March 1, 2023
Released 1 yr ago (3/1/2023 UTC) at -- Mailed, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- USA
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
It took me a while to get into the writing style of this book, but once I did, I was invested. I loved the main character. It would have been cool if some of the poems were also in the book.This wishlist book has been mailed to someone in the birthday group who has a birthday coming soon. I hope you enjoy it!
Oppem's Birthday Group RABCK. Thank you!!
