Just finished Utopia Avenue by David Mitchell and it’s another winner. Story is about a 60’s Rock band named Utopia Avenue. We witness the journey from the creation of the band to it’s demise. We meet bandmates Dean, Elf, Jasper and Peter. He also brings in a cast of real life characters into the book which make it a fun read for this reader since it’s from my generation. He also throw in references from his previous books. Now this may seem like you need to be part of the David Mitchell club to enjoy this book. Not true. If this is your first David Mitchell novel you’ll be fine. It’s more straightforward than his previous novels so it’s a good place to start. It’s also a great read if you want to escape our crazy COVID world and just have a good time reading a novel.When I heard he was writing a novel about music I was wondering how he was going to spin his usual magic with words on a novel about a band. He does not disappoint.

Let me say upfront that I had never before read a Mitchell novel. This was my first, and with that, I have perhaps a different reaction, one that is not attached to expectation or comparison of his previous work. So, with that said, I generally enjoyed this novel. However (and I suspect this will be a big dividing point) I did not enjoy the last, say, third. There a sort of switch that occurs in the novel that takes it, for me, a bit off the rails. Perhaps part of that has to do with how much I was, until then, enjoying the novel. I can appreciate what Mitchell is doing with this later section-and from the little I know, it seems to in some way connect to his previous work-but, for me, I preferred the first 2/3 or the novel when the narrative was a bit more straight ahead. I found the story of Elf, Jasper, Dean Griff compelling, although as is the case with any book that follows multiple character lines, some of those lines were a bit more compelling to me. I loved the novel most when it was deep in charting the trajectory of Utopia Avenue as a band, from 1967 London onward and I loved the cameos of famous musicians, even if some of them felt a little thin.
While I can only wonder if this latest installment in the Mitchell cannon will delight or disappoint his ardent fans, for me it was a trip worth taking, even if at times the novel felt a bit wandering and of unclear impact. With so many novels coming out recently address more pressing social issues, Utopia Avenue presents a ticket to another time, and does explore some relevent topics. While certainly not the best book I have read this year, Utopia Avenue kept me reading and engaged and piqued my interest in Mitchell's other work.

Utopia Avenue is a very richly devised and detailed ride with a band as it forms and begins a rise to stardom, with rotating viewpoints among the 4 very eclectic Brits that make the group -- with special attention to the 3 songwriters that give the band a unique sound like real-life 3-singer/writer bands (Beatles/Chicago/Gomez).

For much of the book, it's almost too normal for a Mitchell, but some clever references to other his other titles tie together in guitar prodigy and weirdo extraordinaire Jasper de Zoet's haunted brain. Rags to riches Dean Moss rocks the bass and has some of the most typical rock extravagances, though with greater depth and empathy that the tabloids allow. Elizabeth (Elf) Holloway rounds out the writers and sets feminism ahead several decades, holding her own at the keys and in both familial and romantic relationships. Rounding out the band is Griff, the wisecracking drummer.

The last half of the books leans heavier on Dean and Jasper's perspectives in telling the band's story, but overall the depth of the band and their manager and other characters and the connections between their experiences inspires their writing is a great peek at the creative process from one of the most imaginative writers of all. Plus cameos from a who's who of the late 60's rock/folk pantheon to boot.

I'd love to hear the songs or at least get the full lyrics, as the snippets quoted are as compelling as the rest of the book.

I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is an extremely ambitious novel, by the great author David Mitchell. Taking place in the late 60’s in London, this is a story of band that is brought together by a manager who has the vision to see each of their individual talents and how they will compliment each other.

Meet Elf, Dean, Jasper and Griff. They each have unique starts to each of their careers you will learn. Mitchell provides you with the backdrop of London and of the British Invasion. You are provided the auspicious story of this band that only made two albums, but even more, this story is intertwined with so much Music History.

The Beatles, Joan Baez, the Grateful Dead, and Jimi Hendrix are just few of the musicians/bands you get to meet in this story. You are given quite an education of this historic time in history.

Mitchell took great care to really capture the time period and the creation of this fictional band. There is so much detail, but the story was just so good. There are many ups and down, but you will come to love each of these characters.

This is a thick book, but don’t let that scare you, it moves super fast. If you are a fan of music from that era, I think you will love this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

David Mitchell's newest novel is delightful and very true to his own cultivated form. It's about the year 1968 when four young musicians are brought together by a manager to form a psychedelic rock band in London. The novel is about their development and career trajectory along with the back stories of each band member. The characters are richly drawn, flawed, funny, and talented.

I was pulled right into this specific universe, which is set in real, historic period, so figures like Janis Joplin, Crosby, Still & Nash, Jimi Hendrix, and Leonard Cohen (among many) make appearances in the story. The rollicking energy of Mitchell's prose and the distinctions between the characters, both as band members and with very detailed backstories, will keep you entertained all the way through.

There is also the expected Mitchell practice of introducing characters from past novels, specifically <i>The Thousand Autumns of Jacob DeZoet</i> and <i>The Bone Clocks</i>. While it's not 100% necessary to have read those novels to enjoy this one, it would enhance understanding some of what's happening to one of the characters. This novel is exists in both the fictional Mitchell universe and the actual history of the time. It's satisfying and fun.

Sadly, this t'was not the book for me. It was a DNF as I only made it about 30% of the way through. I did like the band aspect of the story, but it wasn't enough to keep me reading, unfortunately.

In the past I have enjoyed David Mitchell's writing but this was not for me. Most of the characters were just meh. Jasper had too much Jacob deZoet in him to be his own man, his story felt like a retelling of Jacob's in parts.
Elf was a terrible choice for a character. From the name and then on she just bugged me to no end.

Overall I think this could have been 60% shorter and told the same story. Personally I cannot stand the fictionalizations of well known popular culture characters in books such as this. From Jerry Garcia to Leonard Cohen to Bowie to Hendrix. The parts with these famous faces felt forced and like a bad caricature of the well known figures. A big turn off.

I guess I expected better than that ending as well, but was just let down over and over again by this book.

Elf, Jaspar, and Dean are members of the band Utopia Avenue but they are more than that- they are emblems of their time. Set in the 1960s, this is the story of a band which flew to the top but which had its issues. The band and its members navigate all the problems (and good things) of the late 1960s as well as sexism and mental illness. The last is addressed sensitively and with grace. Although this is the most accessible of Mitchell's novels, I think, it's also a challenge in spots. The writing, while gorgeous sometimes, is over the top in others. And, more importantly, it's clear, even to the casual reader that there are characters and themes that are woven in from earlier novels. I know I missed some valuable references. That said, it's an interesting ride that even when it lost me occasionally, still kept me coming back for more. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read for Mitchell's fans and those who would like to try him.

The book is brilliant. It’s a sublime look at music in a certain time and place, and the swinging 60s are alive in Mitchell’s deft hands. The book is a true modern epic, and I devoured it with such joy and exuberance. All I can say is Bravo Maestro!

I did not read Cloud Atlas.

I feel like I need to start with that because my understanding is that there are numerous Cloud Atlas references within this book that went, clearly, right over my head.

As for Utopia Avenue, I liked it. It’s trippy and engaging. The author puts the reader squarely into the sixties music scene, complete with iconic figures from that era, and it’s so very well done.

Our characters are wonderfully vivid and the plot just sings.

I enjoyed this read. Now, I need to read Cloud Atlas.

*ARC Provided via Net Galley

David Mitchell has written another wild ride of a book..Sixties music names familiar names on every page.The authors usual wild imagination makes this a book to enjoy delve into.#netgalley#randomhouse.

I think a 4.5 rounded up just for the inventive use of language and the research behind the story. How fun it was to relive the music and performers of 1967-68! Loved turning the page to discover another familiar name or place or song. Each character was so individually developed that his/her personality just shone on the page. Only one character toward the end went through a period that did not seem to fit well with the rest of the novel. However, the ending was perfect and leaves the reader satisfied.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC to read and review.

Utopia Avenue is the hottest new band in 1960s England. The four members were brought together by their manager, who saw that their separate potentials could come together and create stardom. And he was right, for two albums, at least.
Well, how does one sum up a nearly 600-page novel we've been waiting five years for? "Sprawling epic" hardly does it justice. This book begins in the gutters of London and ends in the hills of Los Angeles and visits a dozen or more locations inbetween, all while digging deep into the backstories of each of the band members.
Additionally, given that this is a David Mitchell novel, it is set in his existing multiverse and many characters from previous books recur, ranging from Bat Segundo to, of course, Marinus. And naturally, band member Jasper de Zoet is a descendant of Jacob de Zoet, which comes into play quite dramatically. Usually I tell people you don't need to read Mitchell novels in any order to know what's going on, but I think this might be an exception and this one plotline will make a lot more sense if you've read THE THOUSAND AUTUMNS OF JACOB DE ZOET.
I will say it did feel a bit long in the middle, but maybe only because it took most of the book before any temporal or supernatural hijinks occurred, which are my favorite parts of Mitchell novels. But UTOPIA AVENUE is a wonderfully detailed look at the highs and lows of rocketing to fame, with cameos from every musician and culture maker from the era popping delightfully in along the way.
Content warnings: racism, sexism, alcoholism, addiction, abuse, sexual harassment, sibling death, child death, attempted suicide, dated racial slurs.

David Mitchell’s latest foray into horology, Utopia Avenue is an utterly engaging, colorful, gritty, total immersion into the 60s rock scene. A real treat for the senses. Loved it!

David Mitchell has become my favorite contemporary author. He has the ability to take subject matter that I personally would not usually be interested in and weave something dazzling and heartbreaking (ahem, Black Swan Green).

Utopia Avenue is no exception. The premise here is mundane, a "biography" of a fictional 60's band, but as usual, there's more to it than that. From the first chapter, the characters are fully formed and the story unfolds organically from each of their point of view, slow and steady in the beginning and then increasingly rushed as the band's fame accelerates. The conclusion is both inevitable (welcome to America!) and devastating. As the novel ends, you can almost feel that you remember Utopia Avenue in real life.

As with all the books in the Mitchell-verse, there is a trace amount of absurdity lying just under the surface as well as the connections to the overarching Horology plots. These glimpses into the larger story and touching base with recurrent characters are why I keep coming back, but I can see how this may be unappealing to some. For me, though, this is another five-star effort and I highly recommend it.

"The long-awaited new novel from the bestselling, prize-winning author of Cloud Atlas and The Bone Clocks.

Utopia Avenue is the strangest British band you’ve never heard of. Emerging from London’s psychedelic scene in 1967, and fronted by folk singer Elf Holloway, blues bassist Dean Moss and guitar virtuoso Jasper de Zoet, Utopia Avenue embarked on a meteoric journey from the seedy clubs of Soho, a TV debut on Top of the Pops, the cusp of chart success, glory in Amsterdam, prison in Rome, and a fateful American sojourn in the Chelsea Hotel, Laurel Canyon, and San Francisco during the autumn of ’68.

David Mitchell’s kaleidoscopic novel tells the unexpurgated story of Utopia Avenue’s turbulent life and times; of fame’s Faustian pact and stardom’s wobbly ladder; of the families we choose and the ones we don’t; of voices in the head, and the truths and lies they whisper; of music, madness, and idealism. Can we really change the world, or does the world change us?"

I love books about bands that don't exist but totally feel like the should have!

This latest installment in David Mitchell’s literary universe takes us to mid/late 1960s London. The gay Canadian music manager Levon Frankland puts together the band Utopia Avenue. With differing backgrounds and musical styles, the band’s music is very eclectic. With Jasper de Zoet on bass; Dean Moss on guitar; Elf Holloway on keys/piano; and Peter Griffin on drums they rehearse, tour, drive, practice, write, and just work hard. Real musicians of the time and characters from Mitchell’s other books pop in and out. Real life continues and as we learn more about their backgrounds we understand more about their hopes, dreams, and behavior--Mitchell's characters all feel so REAL. As their sales increase, they make it to NY and LA and SF for touring and recording. And then it all falls apart.

The last 5-10% of this book is heartbreaking. I cried (fiction rarely gets me!!). Then I had weird Utopia Avenue-induced dreams all night. And now I have a book hangover. 5⭐️

When the first paragraph of the book contains 7 names including progressive rock band Yes's Rick Wakeman and one of the main characters is named de Zoet, a David Mitchell reader would think that this will be another exciting multi-layered novel and I believe that the expectation will be rewarded as mine was.

I read David Mitchell's books since "Cloud Atlas" (2004), though not chronologically. Personally I enjoyed "The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet"(2010) the most because of its tightness and self-containment, I associate David Mitchell more with "Cloud Atlas" and "Bone Clocks" (2014) because of their quirkiness and playfulness.

David Mitchell's signature styles such snappy dialogues between characters, descriptions with a sequence of short efficient sentences, and bursts of emotional or sentimental statements on love, life and death can be found in this new book "Utopia Avenue." And of course the appearance of characters known to us from his other books, endlessly expanding the universe of David Mitchell's fictional world, provides some delight moments. Added is the appearance of real people from the music scene of the late 1960s, putting the fictional band called Utopia Avenue into the music history.

Utopia Avenue is a British psychedelic folk rock band with four members formed by Canadian gay manager Levon Frankland in 1967. The book follows this band, mainly focusing on three song writers, bassist Dean Moss, guitarist Jasper de Zoet and folk singer Elf Holloway. Like Ringo Starr in the Beatles, drummer Griff Griffin is present but not conspicuously.

Between 1967 and 1968, the band members get together, create songs and travel together from their hometowns to Amsterdam, Rome, New York, LA and San Francisco while they find love, identity and their own voices (though Jasper de Zoet needs to get rid of the voice in his head first) moving toward or against “the starry path of rock ’n’ roll depravity.”

The story touches many stones of social issues as these very likeable characters navigate the world of the late 1960s when the world was dramatically changing with "transformative dreams" at the backdrop of the social uprising, anti-Vietnam War protests and Chicago riots.

The touch of genre-bending fantasy might be challenging to some readers who are not used to David Mitchell but it is a gamble that the writer took. And it is an inevitable one especially when the character's name is de Zoet.

Be ready to use Google and Youtube a lot while reading this book.

(Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me an advance ticket to the David Mitchell's World.)

Thank you Random House and NetGalley for an ARC of Utopia Avenue in exchange for an honest review.
1967 London - A band is born.
David Mitchell sets their lives, their art and their talents amidst the color and vibrancy of that era.
Chapters are named after band tracks and told through the eyes of each band member. We are witness to their inner struggles, families, love lives, record deals and the rigors of touring and it all feels very real. Mitchell’s inviting and inventive language fills the pages with a kaleidoscope of imagery very reminiscent of the psychedelic 60’s. Cameo appearances by John Lennon, Leonard Cohen, Pink Floyd and an unknown David Bowie (to name a few) contribute to the charm of this novel. Character driven, the reader cannot resist being involved, invested and interested in the world that Jasper, Elf, Griff and Dean live in.
This is a perfect escape of a read .... it has fun, heart, soul, several original lyrics and is thoroughly satisfying.
Highly recommended.

Okay I don't exactly know what I was expecting - Slade House is the only David Mitchell I've read to date (although like every third reader in America I own The Bone Clocks and just haven't started it) and I was absolutely transfixed by it... The writing, the originality, the weirdness - everything about it worked perfectly to my taste as a reader. So I was eager to dive into this one, both because I had such a great experience with Slade and because it was a 60s British music scene story.

Yet from almost the very beginning, I felt like I was reading something in another language - I could follow along okay but still somehow felt like I was missing a context or a set of idiomatic understandings that would make the whole thing resonate. It was frustrating and disconcerting and made the read very difficult and not at all enjoyable as a result. I've looked at a bunch of other reviews, and I'm starting to think what I'm missing is a sense of David Mitchell. Slade House hinted at it, but I think to fully engage with this (or any of his longer works, from what I'm gathering) it helps immensely to have multiple exposures to his writing and Multiverse. So I'm going to set this one aside for now - I really want to like it and give it the read out deserves, but don't feel like I can adequately do that without a little more Mitchell under my belt first...