Author: Roger Lytollis
Publisher: Robinson
ISBN: 147214578X
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 272
Book Description
'For those who know about provincial newspapers, this will be a classic and a gem. Those who don't know will envy what they have missed' MELVYN BRAGG 'Brisk and entertaining. A very readable love letter to a disappearing world, told with verve and tenderness' STUART MACONIE, author of Pies and Prejudice 'Gut-bustingly funny, poignant and packed with astonishing insider information' M. W. CRAVEN, author of the award-winning The Puppet Show 'Local journalism has never seemed more exotic than in this part-memoir, part-ode to that disappearing art, which is as funny as it is endearing . . . Told with a tender fondness, the bonkers, baffling but vital world of local press is paraded with the style that it deserves' JONATHAN WHITELAW, Sun 'Refreshingly honest, engagingly self-deprecating, tremendously funny and more than a little heartbreaking. By far my favourite read of the year so far' MIKE WARD, TV critic, Daily Express/Daily Star 'Local publishers . . . need to hold on to thoughtful, dedicated writers such as Roger Lytollis, or his book will be an epitaph to a centuries-old industry' IAN BURRELL, i paper 'Anyone who has ever worked at a local newspaper, or wondered what it is like, should read this book' DOMINIC PONSFORD, media editor at New Statesman Media Group/editor-in-chief at Press Gazette '[Lytollis] writes with clarity, comically self-effacing honesty and surprising poignancy . . . [this is] the story of what it is like to love what you do, and be great at it, and to watch it collapse around you in slow motion' ROBYN VINTER, Guardian 'For anyone wondering where their local press went, this is as clear an account of how it was pickpocketed, drained of blood, and left to die as you'll find' ED NEEDHAM, Strong Words magazine 'Panic as Man Burns Crumpets gives a powerful, if not to say dismaying, overview of an industry in terminal decline' NAT SEGNIT, Times Literary Supplement You dreamed of being a journalist and the dream has come true. You love working for your local paper . . . although not everything is as you imagined. You embarrass yourself with a range of celebrities, from John Hurt to Jordan. Your best story is 'The Man With the Pigeon Tattoo'. A former colleague interviews President Trump. You urinate in the president of the Mothers' Union's garden. Your appearance as a hard-hitting columnist on a BBC talk show does not go well. And being photographed naked is only the second most humiliating thing to happen one infamous afternoon. There are serious stories, such as a mass shooting, a devastating flood, and the search for Madeleine McCann. Meanwhile local papers are dying. Your building is crumbling and your readership is dwindling. Your carefully crafted features are read by fewer people than a story about fancy dress for dogs. Panic as Man Burns Crumpets is the inside story of local newspapers during the past twenty-five years, told in a way that's funny, poignant and revealing.
Panic as Man Burns Crumpets
Author: Roger Lytollis
Publisher: Robinson
ISBN: 147214578X
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 272
Book Description
'For those who know about provincial newspapers, this will be a classic and a gem. Those who don't know will envy what they have missed' MELVYN BRAGG 'Brisk and entertaining. A very readable love letter to a disappearing world, told with verve and tenderness' STUART MACONIE, author of Pies and Prejudice 'Gut-bustingly funny, poignant and packed with astonishing insider information' M. W. CRAVEN, author of the award-winning The Puppet Show 'Local journalism has never seemed more exotic than in this part-memoir, part-ode to that disappearing art, which is as funny as it is endearing . . . Told with a tender fondness, the bonkers, baffling but vital world of local press is paraded with the style that it deserves' JONATHAN WHITELAW, Sun 'Refreshingly honest, engagingly self-deprecating, tremendously funny and more than a little heartbreaking. By far my favourite read of the year so far' MIKE WARD, TV critic, Daily Express/Daily Star 'Local publishers . . . need to hold on to thoughtful, dedicated writers such as Roger Lytollis, or his book will be an epitaph to a centuries-old industry' IAN BURRELL, i paper 'Anyone who has ever worked at a local newspaper, or wondered what it is like, should read this book' DOMINIC PONSFORD, media editor at New Statesman Media Group/editor-in-chief at Press Gazette '[Lytollis] writes with clarity, comically self-effacing honesty and surprising poignancy . . . [this is] the story of what it is like to love what you do, and be great at it, and to watch it collapse around you in slow motion' ROBYN VINTER, Guardian 'For anyone wondering where their local press went, this is as clear an account of how it was pickpocketed, drained of blood, and left to die as you'll find' ED NEEDHAM, Strong Words magazine 'Panic as Man Burns Crumpets gives a powerful, if not to say dismaying, overview of an industry in terminal decline' NAT SEGNIT, Times Literary Supplement You dreamed of being a journalist and the dream has come true. You love working for your local paper . . . although not everything is as you imagined. You embarrass yourself with a range of celebrities, from John Hurt to Jordan. Your best story is 'The Man With the Pigeon Tattoo'. A former colleague interviews President Trump. You urinate in the president of the Mothers' Union's garden. Your appearance as a hard-hitting columnist on a BBC talk show does not go well. And being photographed naked is only the second most humiliating thing to happen one infamous afternoon. There are serious stories, such as a mass shooting, a devastating flood, and the search for Madeleine McCann. Meanwhile local papers are dying. Your building is crumbling and your readership is dwindling. Your carefully crafted features are read by fewer people than a story about fancy dress for dogs. Panic as Man Burns Crumpets is the inside story of local newspapers during the past twenty-five years, told in a way that's funny, poignant and revealing.
Publisher: Robinson
ISBN: 147214578X
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 272
Book Description
'For those who know about provincial newspapers, this will be a classic and a gem. Those who don't know will envy what they have missed' MELVYN BRAGG 'Brisk and entertaining. A very readable love letter to a disappearing world, told with verve and tenderness' STUART MACONIE, author of Pies and Prejudice 'Gut-bustingly funny, poignant and packed with astonishing insider information' M. W. CRAVEN, author of the award-winning The Puppet Show 'Local journalism has never seemed more exotic than in this part-memoir, part-ode to that disappearing art, which is as funny as it is endearing . . . Told with a tender fondness, the bonkers, baffling but vital world of local press is paraded with the style that it deserves' JONATHAN WHITELAW, Sun 'Refreshingly honest, engagingly self-deprecating, tremendously funny and more than a little heartbreaking. By far my favourite read of the year so far' MIKE WARD, TV critic, Daily Express/Daily Star 'Local publishers . . . need to hold on to thoughtful, dedicated writers such as Roger Lytollis, or his book will be an epitaph to a centuries-old industry' IAN BURRELL, i paper 'Anyone who has ever worked at a local newspaper, or wondered what it is like, should read this book' DOMINIC PONSFORD, media editor at New Statesman Media Group/editor-in-chief at Press Gazette '[Lytollis] writes with clarity, comically self-effacing honesty and surprising poignancy . . . [this is] the story of what it is like to love what you do, and be great at it, and to watch it collapse around you in slow motion' ROBYN VINTER, Guardian 'For anyone wondering where their local press went, this is as clear an account of how it was pickpocketed, drained of blood, and left to die as you'll find' ED NEEDHAM, Strong Words magazine 'Panic as Man Burns Crumpets gives a powerful, if not to say dismaying, overview of an industry in terminal decline' NAT SEGNIT, Times Literary Supplement You dreamed of being a journalist and the dream has come true. You love working for your local paper . . . although not everything is as you imagined. You embarrass yourself with a range of celebrities, from John Hurt to Jordan. Your best story is 'The Man With the Pigeon Tattoo'. A former colleague interviews President Trump. You urinate in the president of the Mothers' Union's garden. Your appearance as a hard-hitting columnist on a BBC talk show does not go well. And being photographed naked is only the second most humiliating thing to happen one infamous afternoon. There are serious stories, such as a mass shooting, a devastating flood, and the search for Madeleine McCann. Meanwhile local papers are dying. Your building is crumbling and your readership is dwindling. Your carefully crafted features are read by fewer people than a story about fancy dress for dogs. Panic as Man Burns Crumpets is the inside story of local newspapers during the past twenty-five years, told in a way that's funny, poignant and revealing.
Panic As Man Burns Crumpets
Author: Roger Lytollis
Publisher: Robinson
ISBN: 9781472145802
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 272
Book Description
'For those who know about provincial newspapers, this will be a classic and a gem. Those who don't know will envy what they have missed' MELVYN BRAGG 'Brisk and entertaining. A very readable love letter to a disappearing world, told with verve and tenderness' STUART MACONIE, author of Pies and Prejudice 'Gut-bustingly funny, poignant and packed with astonishing insider information' M. W. CRAVEN, author of the award-winning The Puppet Show 'Local journalism has never seemed more exotic than in this part-memoir, part-ode to that disappearing art, which is as funny as it is endearing . . . Told with a tender fondness, the bonkers, baffling but vital world of local press is paraded with the style that it deserves' JONATHAN WHITELAW, Sun 'Refreshingly honest, engagingly self-deprecating, tremendously funny and more than a little heartbreaking. By far my favourite read of the year so far' MIKE WARD, TV critic, Daily Express/Daily Star 'Local publishers . . . need to hold on to thoughtful, dedicated writers such as Roger Lytollis, or his book will be an epitaph to a centuries-old industry' IAN BURRELL, i paper 'Anyone who has ever worked at a local newspaper, or wondered what it is like, should read this book. Equally hilarious and heartbreaking' DOMINIC PONSFORD, media editor at New Statesman Media Group/editor-in-chief at Press Gazette '[Lytollis] writes with clarity, comically self-effacing honesty and surprising poignancy . . . [this is] the story of what it is like to love what you do, and be great at it, and to watch it collapse around you in slow motion' ROBYN VINTER, Guardian 'For anyone wondering where their local press went, this is as clear an account of how it was pickpocketed, drained of blood, and left to die as you'll find' ED NEEDHAM, Strong Words magazine 'Panic as Man Burns Crumpets gives a powerful, if not to say dismaying, overview of an industry in terminal decline' NAT SEGNIT, Times Literary Supplement 'The best book I've read this year, by some margin. Brilliantly written, frequently laugh-out-loud funny, but also reflective, candid, poignant and passionate about the importance of journalism. Superb' CHRIS MASON, BBC political correspondent/presenter of Radio 4's Any Questions 'Many books written by journalists have come across my desk over the course of my time as publisher of Hold the Front Page, but I would say without any hesitation that this one is the best. Not only is it the funniest, and the best-written, it is also the most honest in terms of what it reveals about its author, and more importantly about our craft' PAUL LINFORD, Hold the Front Page You dreamed of being a journalist and the dream has come true. You love working for your local paper . . . although not everything is as you imagined. You embarrass yourself with a range of celebrities, from John Hurt to Jordan. Your best story is 'The Man With the Pigeon Tattoo'. A former colleague interviews President Trump. You urinate in the president of the Mothers' Union's garden. Your appearance as a hard-hitting columnist on a BBC talk show does not go well. And being photographed naked is only the second most humiliating thing to happen one infamous afternoon. There are serious stories, such as a mass shooting, a devastating flood, and the search for Madeleine McCann. Meanwhile local papers are dying. Your building is crumbling and your readership is dwindling. Your carefully crafted features are read by fewer people than a story about fancy dress for dogs. Panic as Man Burns Crumpets is the inside story of local newspapers during the past twenty-five years, told in a way that's funny, poignant and revealing.
Publisher: Robinson
ISBN: 9781472145802
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 272
Book Description
'For those who know about provincial newspapers, this will be a classic and a gem. Those who don't know will envy what they have missed' MELVYN BRAGG 'Brisk and entertaining. A very readable love letter to a disappearing world, told with verve and tenderness' STUART MACONIE, author of Pies and Prejudice 'Gut-bustingly funny, poignant and packed with astonishing insider information' M. W. CRAVEN, author of the award-winning The Puppet Show 'Local journalism has never seemed more exotic than in this part-memoir, part-ode to that disappearing art, which is as funny as it is endearing . . . Told with a tender fondness, the bonkers, baffling but vital world of local press is paraded with the style that it deserves' JONATHAN WHITELAW, Sun 'Refreshingly honest, engagingly self-deprecating, tremendously funny and more than a little heartbreaking. By far my favourite read of the year so far' MIKE WARD, TV critic, Daily Express/Daily Star 'Local publishers . . . need to hold on to thoughtful, dedicated writers such as Roger Lytollis, or his book will be an epitaph to a centuries-old industry' IAN BURRELL, i paper 'Anyone who has ever worked at a local newspaper, or wondered what it is like, should read this book. Equally hilarious and heartbreaking' DOMINIC PONSFORD, media editor at New Statesman Media Group/editor-in-chief at Press Gazette '[Lytollis] writes with clarity, comically self-effacing honesty and surprising poignancy . . . [this is] the story of what it is like to love what you do, and be great at it, and to watch it collapse around you in slow motion' ROBYN VINTER, Guardian 'For anyone wondering where their local press went, this is as clear an account of how it was pickpocketed, drained of blood, and left to die as you'll find' ED NEEDHAM, Strong Words magazine 'Panic as Man Burns Crumpets gives a powerful, if not to say dismaying, overview of an industry in terminal decline' NAT SEGNIT, Times Literary Supplement 'The best book I've read this year, by some margin. Brilliantly written, frequently laugh-out-loud funny, but also reflective, candid, poignant and passionate about the importance of journalism. Superb' CHRIS MASON, BBC political correspondent/presenter of Radio 4's Any Questions 'Many books written by journalists have come across my desk over the course of my time as publisher of Hold the Front Page, but I would say without any hesitation that this one is the best. Not only is it the funniest, and the best-written, it is also the most honest in terms of what it reveals about its author, and more importantly about our craft' PAUL LINFORD, Hold the Front Page You dreamed of being a journalist and the dream has come true. You love working for your local paper . . . although not everything is as you imagined. You embarrass yourself with a range of celebrities, from John Hurt to Jordan. Your best story is 'The Man With the Pigeon Tattoo'. A former colleague interviews President Trump. You urinate in the president of the Mothers' Union's garden. Your appearance as a hard-hitting columnist on a BBC talk show does not go well. And being photographed naked is only the second most humiliating thing to happen one infamous afternoon. There are serious stories, such as a mass shooting, a devastating flood, and the search for Madeleine McCann. Meanwhile local papers are dying. Your building is crumbling and your readership is dwindling. Your carefully crafted features are read by fewer people than a story about fancy dress for dogs. Panic as Man Burns Crumpets is the inside story of local newspapers during the past twenty-five years, told in a way that's funny, poignant and revealing.
On a Pedestal
Author: ROGER. LYTOLLIS
Publisher: Robinson
ISBN: 9781472146120
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 304
Book Description
Publisher: Robinson
ISBN: 9781472146120
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 304
Book Description
Foundations of Global Communication
Author: Kai Hafez
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1000581993
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 330
Book Description
This book provides a wide-ranging theoretical and empirical overview of the disparate achievements and shortcomings of global communication. This exceptionally ambitious and systematic project takes a critical perspective on the globalization of communication. Uniquely, it sets media globalization alongside a plethora of other globalized forms of communication, ranging from the individual to groups, civil society groupings, commercial enterprises and political formations. The result is a sophisticated and impressive overview of globalized communication across various facets, assessing the phenomena for the extent to which they live up to the much-hyped claims of globalization’s potential to create a globally interdependent society. The setbacks of globalization, such as right-wing populism and religious fundamentalism, can only be understood if the shortcomings of global communication are taken more seriously. Covering all types of cross-border global communication in media, political and economic systems, civil societies, social media and lifeworlds of the individual, this unique book is invaluable for students and researchers in media, communication, globalization and related areas.
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1000581993
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 330
Book Description
This book provides a wide-ranging theoretical and empirical overview of the disparate achievements and shortcomings of global communication. This exceptionally ambitious and systematic project takes a critical perspective on the globalization of communication. Uniquely, it sets media globalization alongside a plethora of other globalized forms of communication, ranging from the individual to groups, civil society groupings, commercial enterprises and political formations. The result is a sophisticated and impressive overview of globalized communication across various facets, assessing the phenomena for the extent to which they live up to the much-hyped claims of globalization’s potential to create a globally interdependent society. The setbacks of globalization, such as right-wing populism and religious fundamentalism, can only be understood if the shortcomings of global communication are taken more seriously. Covering all types of cross-border global communication in media, political and economic systems, civil societies, social media and lifeworlds of the individual, this unique book is invaluable for students and researchers in media, communication, globalization and related areas.
Gonzo
Author: Corey Seymour
Publisher: Little, Brown
ISBN: 0316026387
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 336
Book Description
Few American lives are stranger, more action-packed, or wilder than that of Hunter S. Thompson. Born a rebel in Louisville, Kentucky, Thompson spent a lifetime channeling his energy and insight into such landmark works as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - and his singular and provocative style challenged and revolutionized writing. Now, for the first time ever, Jann Wenner and Corey Seymour have interviewed the Good Doctor's friends, family, acquaintances and colleagues and woven their memories into a brilliant oral biography. From Hell's Angels leader Sonny Barger to Ralph Steadman to Jack Nicholson to Jimmy Buffett to Pat Buchanan to Marilyn Manson and Thompson's two wives, son, and longtime personal assistant, more than 100 members of Thompson's inner circle bring into vivid focus the life of a man who was even more complicated, tormented, and talented than any previous portrait has shown. It's all here in its uncensored glory: the creative frenzies, the love affairs, the drugs and booze and guns and explosives and, ultimately, the tragic suicide. As Thompson was fond of saying, "Buy the ticket, take the ride."
Publisher: Little, Brown
ISBN: 0316026387
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 336
Book Description
Few American lives are stranger, more action-packed, or wilder than that of Hunter S. Thompson. Born a rebel in Louisville, Kentucky, Thompson spent a lifetime channeling his energy and insight into such landmark works as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - and his singular and provocative style challenged and revolutionized writing. Now, for the first time ever, Jann Wenner and Corey Seymour have interviewed the Good Doctor's friends, family, acquaintances and colleagues and woven their memories into a brilliant oral biography. From Hell's Angels leader Sonny Barger to Ralph Steadman to Jack Nicholson to Jimmy Buffett to Pat Buchanan to Marilyn Manson and Thompson's two wives, son, and longtime personal assistant, more than 100 members of Thompson's inner circle bring into vivid focus the life of a man who was even more complicated, tormented, and talented than any previous portrait has shown. It's all here in its uncensored glory: the creative frenzies, the love affairs, the drugs and booze and guns and explosives and, ultimately, the tragic suicide. As Thompson was fond of saying, "Buy the ticket, take the ride."
Something Borrowed
Author: Emily Giffin
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
ISBN: 9781250011862
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 420
Book Description
Giffin's smash-hit debut novel--basis for the 2011 film--is for every woman who has ever had a complicated love-hate friendship.
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
ISBN: 9781250011862
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 420
Book Description
Giffin's smash-hit debut novel--basis for the 2011 film--is for every woman who has ever had a complicated love-hate friendship.
One Hit Wonder
Author: Jimmy Glass
Publisher: Tempus
ISBN: 9780752431819
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
The Jimmy Glass Story
Publisher: Tempus
ISBN: 9780752431819
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
The Jimmy Glass Story
Steal This Book
Author: Abbie Hoffman
Publisher: Da Capo Press
ISBN: 9781568582177
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 352
Book Description
A handbook of survival and warfare for the citizens of Woodstock Nation A classic of counterculture literature and one of the most influential--and controversial--documents of the twentieth century, Steal This Book is as valuable today as the day it was published. It has been in print continuously for more than four decades, and it has educated and inspired countless thousands of young activists. Conceived as an instruction manual for radical social change, Steal This Book is divided into three sections--Survive! Fight! and Liberate! Ever wonder how to start a guerilla radio station? Or maybe you want to brush up on your shoplifting techniques. Perhaps you're just looking for the best free entertainment in New York City. (The Frick Collection--"Great when you're stoned.") Packed with information, advice, and Abbie's unique outlaw wisdom ("Avoid all needle drugs--the only dope worth shooting is Richard Nixon."), Steal This Book is a timeless reminder that, no matter what the struggle, freedom is always worth fighting for. "All Power to the Imagination was his credo. Abbie was the best."--Studs Terkel
Publisher: Da Capo Press
ISBN: 9781568582177
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 352
Book Description
A handbook of survival and warfare for the citizens of Woodstock Nation A classic of counterculture literature and one of the most influential--and controversial--documents of the twentieth century, Steal This Book is as valuable today as the day it was published. It has been in print continuously for more than four decades, and it has educated and inspired countless thousands of young activists. Conceived as an instruction manual for radical social change, Steal This Book is divided into three sections--Survive! Fight! and Liberate! Ever wonder how to start a guerilla radio station? Or maybe you want to brush up on your shoplifting techniques. Perhaps you're just looking for the best free entertainment in New York City. (The Frick Collection--"Great when you're stoned.") Packed with information, advice, and Abbie's unique outlaw wisdom ("Avoid all needle drugs--the only dope worth shooting is Richard Nixon."), Steal This Book is a timeless reminder that, no matter what the struggle, freedom is always worth fighting for. "All Power to the Imagination was his credo. Abbie was the best."--Studs Terkel
Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator
Author: Roald Dahl
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101652969
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 193
Book Description
From the bestselling author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The BFG! Last seen flying through the sky in a giant elevator in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Charlie Bucket's back for another adventure. When the giant elevator picks up speed, Charlie, Willy Wonka, and the gang are sent hurtling through space and time. Visiting the world’' first space hotel, battling the dreaded Vermicious Knids, and saving the world are only a few stops along this remarkable, intergalactic joyride.
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101652969
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 193
Book Description
From the bestselling author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The BFG! Last seen flying through the sky in a giant elevator in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Charlie Bucket's back for another adventure. When the giant elevator picks up speed, Charlie, Willy Wonka, and the gang are sent hurtling through space and time. Visiting the world’' first space hotel, battling the dreaded Vermicious Knids, and saving the world are only a few stops along this remarkable, intergalactic joyride.
Black Swan Green
Author: David Mitchell
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 158836528X
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 306
Book Description
By the New York Times bestselling author of The Bone Clocks and Cloud Atlas | Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize Selected by Time as One of the Ten Best Books of the Year | A New York Times Notable Book | Named One of the Best Books of the Year by The Washington Post Book World, The Christian Science Monitor, Rocky Mountain News, and Kirkus Reviews | A Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist | Winner of the ALA Alex Award | Finalist for the Costa Novel Award From award-winning writer David Mitchell comes a sinewy, meditative novel of boyhood on the cusp of adulthood and the old on the cusp of the new. Black Swan Green tracks a single year in what is, for thirteen-year-old Jason Taylor, the sleepiest village in muddiest Worcestershire in a dying Cold War England, 1982. But the thirteen chapters, each a short story in its own right, create an exquisitely observed world that is anything but sleepy. A world of Kissingeresque realpolitik enacted in boys’ games on a frozen lake; of “nightcreeping” through the summer backyards of strangers; of the tabloid-fueled thrills of the Falklands War and its human toll; of the cruel, luscious Dawn Madden and her power-hungry boyfriend, Ross Wilcox; of a certain Madame Eva van Outryve de Crommelynck, an elderly bohemian emigré who is both more and less than she appears; of Jason’s search to replace his dead grandfather’s irreplaceable smashed watch before the crime is discovered; of first cigarettes, first kisses, first Duran Duran LPs, and first deaths; of Margaret Thatcher’s recession; of Gypsies camping in the woods and the hysteria they inspire; and, even closer to home, of a slow-motion divorce in four seasons. Pointed, funny, profound, left-field, elegiac, and painted with the stuff of life, Black Swan Green is David Mitchell’s subtlest and most effective achievement to date. Praise for Black Swan Green “[David Mitchell has created] one of the most endearing, smart, and funny young narrators ever to rise up from the pages of a novel. . . . The always fresh and brilliant writing will carry readers back to their own childhoods. . . . This enchanting novel makes us remember exactly what it was like.”—The Boston Globe “[David Mitchell is a] prodigiously daring and imaginative young writer. . . . As in the works of Thomas Pynchon and Herman Melville, one feels the roof of the narrative lifted off and oneself in thrall.”—Time
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 158836528X
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 306
Book Description
By the New York Times bestselling author of The Bone Clocks and Cloud Atlas | Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize Selected by Time as One of the Ten Best Books of the Year | A New York Times Notable Book | Named One of the Best Books of the Year by The Washington Post Book World, The Christian Science Monitor, Rocky Mountain News, and Kirkus Reviews | A Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist | Winner of the ALA Alex Award | Finalist for the Costa Novel Award From award-winning writer David Mitchell comes a sinewy, meditative novel of boyhood on the cusp of adulthood and the old on the cusp of the new. Black Swan Green tracks a single year in what is, for thirteen-year-old Jason Taylor, the sleepiest village in muddiest Worcestershire in a dying Cold War England, 1982. But the thirteen chapters, each a short story in its own right, create an exquisitely observed world that is anything but sleepy. A world of Kissingeresque realpolitik enacted in boys’ games on a frozen lake; of “nightcreeping” through the summer backyards of strangers; of the tabloid-fueled thrills of the Falklands War and its human toll; of the cruel, luscious Dawn Madden and her power-hungry boyfriend, Ross Wilcox; of a certain Madame Eva van Outryve de Crommelynck, an elderly bohemian emigré who is both more and less than she appears; of Jason’s search to replace his dead grandfather’s irreplaceable smashed watch before the crime is discovered; of first cigarettes, first kisses, first Duran Duran LPs, and first deaths; of Margaret Thatcher’s recession; of Gypsies camping in the woods and the hysteria they inspire; and, even closer to home, of a slow-motion divorce in four seasons. Pointed, funny, profound, left-field, elegiac, and painted with the stuff of life, Black Swan Green is David Mitchell’s subtlest and most effective achievement to date. Praise for Black Swan Green “[David Mitchell has created] one of the most endearing, smart, and funny young narrators ever to rise up from the pages of a novel. . . . The always fresh and brilliant writing will carry readers back to their own childhoods. . . . This enchanting novel makes us remember exactly what it was like.”—The Boston Globe “[David Mitchell is a] prodigiously daring and imaginative young writer. . . . As in the works of Thomas Pynchon and Herman Melville, one feels the roof of the narrative lifted off and oneself in thrall.”—Time