Utopia Avenue

A Novel

De: David Mitchell

Narrado por: Ralph Lister

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The long-awaited new novel from the bestselling, prize-winning author of Cloud Atlas and The Bone Clocks.

New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice • “Mitchell’s rich imaginative stews bubble with history and drama, and this time the flavor is a blend of Carnaby Street and Chateau Marmont.”—The Washington Post

“A sheer pleasure to read . . . Mitchell’s prose is suppler and richer than ever . . . Making your way through this novel feels like riding a high-end convertible down Hollywood Boulevard.”—Slate

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The Washington Post • NPR • USA Today • The Guardian • The Independent • Kirkus Reviews • Men’s Health • PopMatters

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?

Reseñas de la Crítica

“[Mitchell]’s work has been compared to that of Haruki Murakami, Thomas Pynchon and Anthony Burgess. But he occupies a field of his own. His eight novels are experimental but approachable. His sentences can be lyrical, but his prose is propulsive. Beneath the layers of references and unconventional structures lie lucid narratives. Mitchell’s obsessions–beyond the fictional meta-universe he has created–are with human voyages of self-actualization; the process of figuring out who we are, and how we connect, in the brief time we have.”—Time

“In 2020, there is something utopian about the idea of people gathering together to make and record and play music, to create a scenius together. We’ll get back to the garden someday.”—Los Angeles Times

“Mitchell, whose novels range through different modes and genres with extraordinary facility, has a lucid, kinetic style at all times, but he is never more impressive than when writing in close third person about characters in altered mental states—captivity, physical pain, madness. . . . A conventional story of a band’s rise turns into a book on another plane entirely.”—The New Yorker

“For his first novel in five years, the author explores the universal language of music. . . . It’s Daisy Jones & the Six on acid.”—Entertainment Weekly

“For his first novel in five years, the author explores the universal language of music . . . it’s Daisy Jones & the Six on acid.”—Entertainment Weekly

“The British pop-folk-rock band Utopia Avenue this novel focuses on seems so true to life, at least one reviewer (who shall not be named) may have Googled them just to confirm that they were a figment of the author’s imagination.”—AARP

“Utopia Avenue’s got all the sex, drugs, and broken dreams you want in a rock novel, plus guest appearances by Jagger, Jerry, Janis, and Jim (Morrison).”—The Philadelphia Inquirer

“Mitchell continues to use the rhythms of surface reality to dig much deeper, but without ever losing the beat.”—Booklist (starred review)

“Mitchell unspools at least a dozen original song lyrics and descriptions of performances that are just as fiery and infectious as his narratives. This is Mitchell at his best.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Those whose musical tastes end in the early 1970s—and literary tastes are up to the minute—will especially enjoy Mitchell’s yarn.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Fun story if you live sixties history and music

I have to make this a quick review so I will just sayi I loved this book and the audiobook aspects which were added such as brief musical introductions to each section to frame the musical styles used by the band. I think you will especially enjoy this if you are a fan of sixties music, remember the era itself, or are a Mitchell fan and have read his past novels. But even if none of those are true I’d recommend giving this a try since for me just the development of the characters in that stage of young adulthood where you come to grips with life and “ adulting” in many ways was enjoyable. The narrator did a great job voicing each of them. For Mitchell fans there are various brief appearances of characters and themes from other books. I was nonplussed at the reappearance if the Bone Clocks supernatural story but it was tangential enough time not ruin the rest of it. My favorite Mitchell reappearing theme is a small one; a grey cat. The cat appears here too and a character remarks “ that cat is no mans cat. She comes. She goes”. Anyway, I really enjoyed this audiobook.

Great story, horrible narration

I really like the story, but I gave up in chapter 4 or 5. The narrator has a great voice, but he tries the "voice acting" too hard. Nobody in the story speaks plain ENglish, everyone gets a "local accent". But the only accent the narrator manages to "create" is an English working-class accent. That means that every English bloke in the story speaks with the same Hooligan voice, even non-fictionary figures like David Bowie, Mark Bolan, Syd Barrett - you name it. If you ever listened to an interview with Bowie, you know that he spoke with a posh English schoolboy accent. It is literally unbearable to listen to it. And don't get me started on ANY other accents: American English, Australian, and last not least German. It's so bad, it hurts to listen to it. Which is good for amazon, because now I have to buy the Kindle version ;-)

Horrible narrator

Read this, don’t listen to it. I had to give up the audio because the narrator was so grating

Narrator

I can’t listen to this awful narrator. I keep wanting him to clear his throat. Don’t listen, read this book. I'm so disappointed, Mitchell is an excellent writer, couldn't they find a better narrator . The rest of his books are great listens, this is a stinker .

Utopian!

I've loved this book!

I have recommended this book to a young reader, a student of mine. I wish I could have their feedback in this review... as much as I wish Utopia Avenue was a real band!

I love his writing, however....

David Mitchell is an extraordinary writer, and I was so excited he has published another book. I feel for the narrator, there are lots of characters with many different accents, a tall order. However, this should never have been commissioned with only one. It at the very least needs a female voice. My review is based on the execution of the narration, not the book. And not even the fault of the narrator. There were several voices he did really well, but it was too much to think he should/could do 25 different voices in one book. Sorry David Mitchell. Till next time....

Enjoyable flash from the musical past

Utopia Avenue is an engaging chronicle of a unique, special time. It’s loosely based on real-life Fairport Convention, especially the great Sandy Denny, who is one of many real-life musicians who puts in a cameo appearance. But the characters are original, finding their own paths through 1960s England and America. For those who were there, the world they inhabit will ring true. And the depiction of the real people is passably good, and mostly not gratuitous.
I’m deducting a star for a dubious plunge into mystic psychiatry. It’s entertaining, and the author weaves it into the story successfully, but it’s a stretch.
A word about the narrator, who has drawn some criticism here. If you don’t like British voices, you may not like the telling, But these are British characters, and the dialog voicing are exactly what you would expect to hear in 1960s London. It’s like listening to a radio play, no small accomplishment for a single reader.
This is a good listen if you like music and musicians.

Something different in a delightful way

The writing style and performance were something a bit different for me, and it took me a bit to get used to, but by the end I was already missing being with my newfound characters that I grew to love.

There is some really interesting parts which are a journey into the mind that were remarkably well done.

There are a few spots where repetition was uses as a dramatic device that I think would translate a bit better in written form rather than spoken. It bothered me in a couple places, but I understood what was trying to be done.

The storyline was great. Enough twists and turns along the way.

My favorite part was really feeling immersed in the times and the scenes. I felt transported.

thanks for a great book and something a bit different!

Slow

I found this to be a boring read. It’s a great story, but it was overwrought with unnecessary dialogue. I just couldn’t stay focused.

My new favorites band. Great Story, Great Narrator

I thoroughly enjoyed this book about a British band in the 60’s climbing the musical ladder and encountering many of the iconic musicians of the time. Mitchell fans will appreciate the references to several of his other books and characters.

A quick note about the narrator. I think Ralph Lister did an amazing job bringing the characters to life and presenting the story flawlessly. There are some other comments about the narrator not so glowing. I know that it can be a personal preference so listen to the sample and see if it works for you. I almost didn’t get this book because of those comments and glad I went for it. It would be sad if David Mitchell fans past this up because of those reviews.

Between the story and the narration I could almost hear the music of Utopia Avenue. It made me want to start a band.