Utopia Avenue Audiobook By David Mitchell cover art

Utopia Avenue

The Number One Sunday Times Bestseller

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Utopia Avenue

By: David Mitchell
Narrated by: Andrew Wincott
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About this listen

Utopia Avenue might be the most curious British band you've never heard of.

Emerging from London's psychedelic scene in 1967, folksinger Elf Holloway, blues bassist Dean Moss, guitar virtuoso Jasper de Zoet and jazz drummer Griff Griffin together created a unique sound with lyrics that captured their turbulent times. The band produced only two albums in two years, yet their musical legacy lives on.

This is the story of Utopia Avenue's brief, blazing journey from Soho clubs and draughty ballrooms to the promised land of America, just when the Summer of Love was receding into something much darker - a multi-faceted tale of dreams, drugs, love, sexuality, madness and grief; of stardom's wobbly ladder and fame's Faustian pact and of the collision between youthful idealism and jaded reality as the '60s drew to a close.

Above all, this bewitching novel celebrates the power of music to connect across divides, define an era and thrill the soul.

©2020 David Mitchell (P)2020 Hodder & Stoughton Limited Historical Fiction
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Critic reviews

"One of the most brilliantly inventive writers of this, or any country." (Independent)

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It really makes the book come alive. The combination of book and audible enriches the experience

The best audible yet!!!

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.. but a cynical ending - does someone get shot right as they make peace with previous adversaries, but before they get the chance to communicate it to them? Harsh

Great story and fantastic performance - full of magical realism and musical insight (not to mention great lyrics)

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For someone who does not see himself as a music fan, I was first dubious about the setting of the book. After listening to the audio book, I can say that it was surprisingly entertaining and moving, on the same level as my favorite books by Mitchell. The structure is well suited for audio. Most chapters are small stories in their own, connected by the overarching story of the band, so it is easy to listen to. The narration by Wincotts is superb, I especially like his impersonations of Dean and Levon. The Bone Clocks story is kept to mostly one chapter, about which I am glad, because that was not my favorite part.

Great book, even if 60's rock is not your thing

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I kept wishing to hear their music, kept hoping they really existed someday. The book takes unexpected turns and has a very special rhythm. Loved it.

An exceptional book

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David Mitchell is a master of language. There are Easter eggs from his other works in this which are fun to find. It’s wonderful how he immerses himself in a time and populates his story with historical musical figures. I love this book as I do all his work.

Another masterpiece

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Told from various points of view left me unable to engage with the characters, Elf was the most interesting, Jasper the least.

Some interesting detail

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