Bonjourlings! I'm not officially back (in black, at which point I will hit the sack) until after New Years, but I wanted to get this woefully insufficient review of a much-beloved re-read down on paper. There is no way to capture with my useless, floppy words how supremely excellent this book is.I first read BSG in that odd haitus in the fall of '07 where I'd forgotten I had a blog, and I'd wiped from the old brain-slate nearly everything except that there was a motorcycle accident at some point. I'd forgotten utterly Jason's mental cast of characters: the Unborn Twin who undermines all of his decisions, the Maggot who encourages his inner coward, the Hangman who chokes off his words at inopportune moments. I'd remembered that the writing was splendid, but I'd forgotten how splendidly, teenage-boyishly poetic.
So. Jason is just entering his teens in the rural village of Black Swan Green. There's no real plot arc, unless it's Jason Gets Older And Figures Some Shit Out. The story, such as it is, is built of episodic threads, all of which sound like TGIF sitcoms on the outline. Jason discovers a wallet that isn't his and has to decide whether to give it back. Jason is bullied. Jason accidentally smashes his grandfather's watch which his father deliberately told him not to smash. So trite-sounding, so stunning and organic in actual fact.
And so cut off earlier than you'd expect. In each story nugget, Mitchell gets you just over the hump of the climax and then abandons you to your own devices while he moves on to something else. Maybe later, kind of as an aside, you find out what happened to Moron Moran after he crashed through Blake's greenhouse, but not here. I can't explain why I enjoyed this so much. I think it has to do with that inherent trust an author places in their reader to tie up their own damned threads. It is tantalizing.
I want you all to read this so badly I can't even stand myself. It is my own personal diamond in the not-smoothish, because people have read it, but NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE! Get on that, other people.
Nine and a half caterpillars, and my long-lost teenage heart.
I am reading this right now! It IS tantalizing, but I'm enjoying it very much.
ReplyDeleteAs I opened this post, I say to myself "Ah, a David Mitchell", as if I were talking about a one-of-a-kind painting or a dress creation. You have great words, better than most, so don't get me wrong, but it is hard to see a 9.5 here. But I trusteth you. It is officially on the radar.
ReplyDeleteI like how you have captured the essence of this wonderful book. I went back and read my review from almost 3 years ago. I don't remember much of the details, but I know I liked it. Some of your details with the mental cast of characters was not at all familiar, but the writing, poetic and perfect, was all I remember.
ReplyDeleteSeems like it might be time for a reread soon.
I have a serious literary crush on David Mitchell. What an amazing writer.
ReplyDeleteMust. Buy.
ReplyDeleteI read this a couple years ago and loved it. It's hard to make a male coming-of-age story so poetic and beautiful, but Mitchell manages it. Wonderful book!
ReplyDeleteI loved this when I read it...some time ago. Must re-read it soon. It's delicious.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I should re-read this. I think DM has many of our long-lost teenage hearts.
ReplyDeleteI read it this year and absolutely loved it. Anyone who's ever been a teenager should read it.
ReplyDeleteI have this book on my shelf since forever but I haven't read it yet. Your review motivated me to read it soon.
ReplyDeleteYou are the 2nd person to talk about this book in the past 24 hours so I guess that means I need to read this NOW!
ReplyDeleteThis is the only david mitchell i've read. i'm terrified that anything else by him won't be as good as this one, and that that will somehow reduce my memories of BSG. probably that's a load of crap, and also it's about time i reread this.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read David Mitchell book I didn't like including this one. The inclusion of the Falklands war was sort of poignant for me, I can just remember it happening, no details. "Number 9 Dream" is also just ace, and anyone who hasn't read "Cloud Atlas" should run, under no circumstances walk to the shops with their Xmas book voucher and buy it.
ReplyDeleteYesh. I definitely need to re-read. :)
ReplyDeleteOh god oh god oh god. I. Love. David. Mitchell. In. A. Purely. Platonic. Way. There is no author that writes like him, no author that has his gargantuan vocabulary or lyrical timing. He is coming out to Australia (my home!) for our Writer's Festival and I think I will hyperventilate like crazy women do when they get up close to Oprah. David Mitchell is MY Oprah. He can do no wrong.
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