A Review of David Mitchell’s “Utopia Avenue”
Rock ’n’ Roll Novel, Part Three
I’ve always been curious about the writings of David Mitchell, or at least have been for almost 20 years now. However, it’s only recently that I’ve gotten around to reading a full novel of his. I tried to read his breakthrough success, Cloud Atlas, not long after it was released in March 2004 to great acclaim, but only could get through the first chapter — it might have been a bit over my head when I tried to read it. I also had a copy of The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet (2010), but I think I sold it to a used book store unread, convinced that it would be too difficult of a read. Well, I’ve finally gotten around to reading a book of Mitchell’s: the startling comprehensible Utopia Avenue. The book is about a fictional rock ’n’ roll band of the same name that “existed” during the late ’60s and was formed in London, England. The book details the group’s mercurial rise to fame from the clubs of Soho to sold-out venues in the United States.
As with all Mitchell novels, this book exists in what is known as the Mitchellverse. David Mitchell takes after Stephen King in that his works all link together and reference each other. For instance, in Utopia Avenue, the guitarist is known as Jasper de Zoet, and it turns out that he is a descendant of Jacob de Zoet from the earlier, aforementioned novel. Other characters from previous Mitchell novels turn up, so you could say that Utopia Avenue is part of a particularly long “novel” or series that Mitchell is writing that will encompass his entire oeuvre. However, there is another striking characteristic of Utopia Avenue: rock stars of the ’60s, who are now dead, make cameos. Thus, the characters in this book run into the likes of David Bowie, Gene Clark (there’s a reference for my dad, who was a big Byrds fan back in the day), Janis Joplin, Leonard Cohen, Jerry Garcia, Syd Barrett, John Lennon, and countless others. (I’m assuming Mitchell used dead celebrities because you can’t libel the dead.) That can either make Utopia Avenue a fun read or a grating one, depending on your point of view.
Essentially, Utopia Avenue is a tale of young musicians being exploited by an entertainment industry only concerned with profits and making sure its progeny live a hedonistic existence to buoy them towards happiness, which will lead them making further commercial art. Each chapter is from a different character in the band’s point of view and could exist as a standalone short story. The only true narrative thread lies in Jasper de Zoet’s tale, as he is living with voices in his head that may or may not be real people trapped in there. Thus, the only true continuity exists in the telling of de Zoet’s adventures, and, elsewhere, Mitchell is seemingly making things up on the fly. Thus, a character who was a heterosexual at the start of the book is suddenly bisexual in later chapters with nothing in the text that would announce such a change. It simply just happens and for no apparent reason. (I have nothing against bisexuals, and I’m friends with one, just that you don’t see the change coming in the context of the narrative.) That’s a bit of a knock against the book: Utopia Avenue is, by far, way too episodic by far. It also gets very silly as it progresses and the ending was a trifle predictable: I saw what was going to happen to one of the characters well before it happened. In short, Utopia Avenue is a novel that is overlong (at nearly 600 pages) and overbaked. Due to both qualities, it took me a good two weeks to read and enjoy this book.
Still, the keyword in the preceding sentence is the word “enjoy.” Utopia Avenue may have its faults, and its faults are many — including the fact that the art and music of Utopia Avenue, the band, is hard to take, clearly a case of the author falling in love with his creation — but it is a fun read. Whether you’re reading it for the celebrity cameos or are looking for a tale of rock ’n’ roll debauchery, Utopia Avenue is a better book than two recently released novels about fictional rock bands from roughly the same period of time: Bootleg Stardust (which is trashy to a fault) and The Final Revival of Opal & Nev (which is perhaps a tad too serious and stuffy). It is simply a balls-to-the-wall good tale of three lads and a lady making music and navigating the difficult waters of trying to be a successful band and then navigating the even choppier waters of what to do with the fame they do get.
What’s surprising for me is the fact that Utopia Avenue is a fairly mainstream, undemanding read. (Aside from the fact that this is a mammoth epic of a book to read, and will take you some time to get through it.) The daunting feeling of a book that is hard to read à la Cloud Atlas is virtually non-existent. Utopia Avenue may just be, in fact, Mitchell’s most accessible book to date — even though it is full of literary fireworks and sleights of hand. Essentially, if you want to read a linear narrative about a rock band told from various points of view, then Utopia Avenue will be your bag. It is inventive, exhilarating, and, yes, a tad bit pretentious and ridiculous. Even though the book is quite long and could have used some pruning, it is also a book that you sort of feel that you don’t want to ever end. You come to like and care for these characters, even if some of them aren’t very likable at all. A rock and roll thrill ride? You’ve come to the right place. Utopia Avenue is a dazzling work, even if it isn’t perfect. I think I might have to go back and try some of those earlier novels again to see what I missed the first time around.
David Mitchell’s Utopia Avenue was published by Knopf Canada on July 14, 2020.
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