Jason Taylor is stammering and hesitant but Eliot Bolivar is a poet who can say exactly what he wants without fumbling. Jason Taylor appears eons behind his peers in the classroom while Eliot Bolivar has his poems published every month.
But Jason Taylor is Eliot Bolivar.
David Mitchell is not writing the story of a schizophrenic in his novel "Black Swan Green," only of the dason has reached the awkward age of 13 and it is in his voice that Mitchell uses to compose a portrait of England in the early '80s.
Jason finds himself navigating the minefield of popularity that, for a boy of his unassertive temperament, is hazardous at best. The power dynamics that Mitchell illustrates are intense, sometimes to the point of disbelief. On a few occasions the dares and squabbles balloon into events that scar, if not destroy, their victims.
Though this may sound grim, the novel maintains a plausible balance between first kisses and first catastrophes.
Despite Jason's belief that the particulars of his life are unbearable and devoid of intrigue, he manages to run into quite a string of colorful characters over the course of the novel. He meets an eccentric old woman who teaches him about poetry and he witnesses the conception of the child of a soldier who later dies in England's war with Argentina. Like Forrest Gump, Jason frequently witnesses momentous events. More often than not, these situations present moral quandaries.
Jason's internal struggles are part of his character's appeal. Mitchell deftly depicts the narrator's vacillation between options: Jason endears himself to the reader simply through the merit of his character and it is often difficult to stick to the strict interpretations of "what is ethical?" when they are in conflict with one's sympathy for Jason.
Mitchell proves Jason's worth as a poet with moments when the world of the novel stops and is distilled into succinct, beautiful images. By the end of the book, there are many means available to track the ways in which Jason has matured. With his mastery of language, Jason achieves a more definite opinion of himself. Mitchell adroitly pulls into focus the weight of language that echoes throughout the novel, consistently but from unexpected recesses.
Running throughout Jason's swings between social leprosy and borderline popularity, the rising marital strain between his parents, and descriptions of "lush girls," there is a brilliant and typically British level of dry humor. I recommend a certain level of comfort with questioning stares before settling down with this book on the Quad. I frequently found myself chuckling and at times cheering Jason on as he confronts bullies and ventures onto the dance floor. Although there are a few moments when the author stumbles into clichés, he handles these encounters without indulging in all their predictabilities and the reader is more than willing to stick around for whatever life shows Jason next.