Utopia Avenue

By David Mitchell,

Book cover of Utopia Avenue

Book description

'A stand-out triumph' - Sunday Times

The spectacular new novel from the bestselling author of CLOUD ATLAS and THE BONE CLOCKS, 'one of the most brilliantly inventive writers of this, or any country' (Independent).

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

Emerging from London's…

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Why read it?

3 authors picked Utopia Avenue as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I loved the setting of this book, the whole premise of the formation of a band and the way real people such as David Bowie, Jerry Garcia, Cass Eliot, and John Lennon (to name but a few) wander across the pages and interact with the fictional characters. It makes the whole thing seem real.

The five band members are well drawn, from the singer Elf, who comes across as strong and sexy, to the mysterious and troubled Jasper de Zoet. And all this detail and realism is conveyed through smooth and highly readable prose.

It’s one of the few books…

From Phill's list on young people meeting a challenge.

Couldn’t put this book down. The story about a London-based unknown band rising to fame and collapsing afterwards in the 1960s when many musicians who would become famous in their own right, was well crafted and highly entertaining.

Music is the Best Frank Zappa once sang, but words like these are competing with it.

I’ve long been a fan of David Mitchell, so I’ll happily pick up whatever he writes. He’s one of those authors that tends to string his books together, like a little wink and a nod to his loyal readers, and there’s that wink and nod here, but you don’t have to be a reader of his to enjoy this one. Utopia Avenue is about a 60s era British band that never was. It’s fiction, but written so deftly that I seriously hopped on Spotify to make sure my parents didn’t educate me about this band. This is one that you…

From Kimberly's list on that I never wanted to end.

Want books like Utopia Avenue?

Our community of 11,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Utopia Avenue.

Browse books like Utopia Avenue

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in John Lennon, rock and roll, and jazz?

John Lennon 16 books
Rock And Roll 78 books
Jazz 135 books