Indian Readers discussion

Buddy Read to be started in Dec 2020
Participants so far: Gor, Gir, Smi... others are most welcome.

About book:
Utopia Avenue is a 2020 novel by David Mitchell. It is his eighth published novel, and his first since Slade House (2015). It was published by Sceptre on 14 July 2020. The novel tells the story of the fictional 1960s British rock band Utopia Avenue.

Blurb:
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, guitar demigod Jasper de Zoet, and blues bassist Dean Moss, Utopia Avenue released only two LPs during its brief, blazing journey from the clubs of Soho and drafty ballrooms to Top of the Pops and the cusp of chart success, and on to glory in Amsterdam, prison in Rome, and a fateful American fortnight in the autumn of 1968.

David Mitchell’s captivating new novel tells the unexpurgated story of Utopia Avenue; of riots in the streets and revolutions in the head; of drugs, thugs, madness, love, sex, death, art; of the families we choose and the ones we don’t; of fame’s Faustian pact and stardom’s wobbly ladder. Can we change the world in turbulent times, or does the world change us?

waiting to see if Jasper de Zoet is related to Jacob deZoet ( of the thousand autumn's )

i think so they must be related. heard there are multiple instances of cross character references in his books.

Yes.

started this today... right on the first page - side one of the disk "Paradise is the Road to Paradise" i see this name - "Smithereens" (4th title)

it was the title of an episode of Black Mirror Season 5... can't think of any other meaning. will find out if the chapter is in same context.

for now... diving in chapter 1...

Finished Chapter 4. Not sure if I have missed any characters so far. And of course chapter 3 offers a taste of the bizarre with psychedelic (lucid dreaming?) prose.

The ease with which DM gets you invested in a new character is amazing!

not started yet. was side tracked ...

Chapter 1 read like an independent short story. Super excited about "the way" it turned "out'.

Doesn't feels like David Mitchell writing - except usage of "yer".
I'm not sure if i'll be ever able to recognise something written by DM!

midway in 2nd track - so far intriguing.

Its only the first 2 chapters and I've already met Dean Moss (could our author be a bassist in real life?), Jasper and Elf.

Not sure about G's "Not sure if I have missed any characters so far."
Was hoping there wouldn't be many.

I've met Richard Frobisher and Cloud Atlas :)

Gorab wrote: "Chapter 1 read like an independent short story. Super excited about "the way" it turned "out'.

Doesn't feels like David Mitchell writing - except usage of "yer".
I'm not sure if i'll be ever able ..."

I think he makes a conscious effort to stay in the background. Almost all the books seem to be different from each other. (Perfect Ghostwriter?)

just started . Anticipating the Mitchell magic .

Done with the 3rd chapter today.

Met Forbisher, Cloud Atlas :)
There is a scar mark on Jasper.... I'm wondering if it is comet shaped :P
Enjoyed the description of how they came up with Utopia Avenue!

By the looks of it, it is surely going to be adapted to a film!

Also Jasper's dream sequence reminded of Ayrs dream in Cloud Atlas... of soap eating restaurant.

i do remember Forbisher committed suicide in Cloud Atlas... but forgot the reason... something connected to Eva? (Ayrs daughter)

i know G asked me about it couple of months back.... now i forgot :(

On to Chapter Darkroom.

Longtime since I read Mitchell, so not sure if I am missing any connections to his previous works.

"if the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is, infinite. "

:)

welcome aboard Kru.
Loved that line and a few more from Jasper!
Which all DMs you have read Kru?

finished Chapter 4

Now i feel an urge to play rock music along reading this. have been doing that since the past couple of sessions and enjoying it much.

Out of all the unique band characters, I'm liking Elf's character the most. Her conversations and thoughts are really funny :)

Gorab wrote: "started this today... right on the first page - side one of the disk "Paradise is the Road to Paradise" i see this name - "Smithereens" (4th title)

it was the title of an episode of Black Mirror S..."

Finished Chapter 5 - Smithereens.
It had nothing to do with Black Mirror Smithereens!

In the title "Mona Lisa Sings the Blues" (Chapter 6), Howie Stoker makes a suggestion to replace a a line of Darkroom lyrics with "sha-la-la-la-dah sha-la-la-la-la-bah" since sha-la-las are making a comeback!

This Oscar winning song from 2018 came to my mind:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bo_ef...

Check out 2:00 to 2:26 for the shallow sha-la-la-low effect :)

nice! I'm doing this almost in slow motion.

Did spot the Bat - radio show that features in Ghostwritten

How is the boom going? at 34% and it is suddenly a lot of David Mitchell :)

Spotted a few characters from Ghostwritten and a plot line recall with Bone Clocks. Wish I could read more of this in one go!

i don't recall the %, but have only finished side 1...
Havent read this in last 3-4 days. Will be picking it again in next couple of days.
Who's your fav character so far?

no idea about Ghostwritten or Bone Clocks.

Between crazy work schedule making progess on this one. At 62% and loving the writing.

Sample this"
"Grief is a boxer, my ... a punchbag and all we can do is watch"
"Then watch, stitch up her cuts and help her get to her feet again when she's flat out"

How is our BR going?

i'm doing really bad with all my readings....
At the moment, all i am reading is weekend reads. The Body is still at 50% and next weekend read is due in 2 days!!!

Trying a chapter a day on UA. At 40%.

who is your fav character so far?
I'm loving Elf the most....
Jasper's acute sarcasm reminds me of you :D

Am opting out of this. Can't seem to get into it..

back on track with UA.
Resumed reading since a couple of days... now at 50%.

At Jasper's part where he reunites with his past and writes that brilliant song.

Somehow getting the feel that this would be an awesome movie with all the lively music thrown in.....

Gorab wrote: "Somehow getting the feel that this would be an awesome movie with all the lively music thrown in....."

I totally agree. For the sheer name dropping, it would be a tough cast to put together :) But would love to see this on big screen.

Also weird is the number of character recalls. It's like since he now has 5 characters instead of one he is bringing in a lot of characters from older books.

Since I have read both Ghostwritten and Bone Clocks - I know where Jasper's story is heading. (or I think). And we have Luisa Rey to get closure to the Cloud Atlas storyline.

If I can guess what he is upto - he might actually write a book that ties in all his books. Till that time - this is close.

At 70% and this now gets carried over to the next year.
Onto the part where Mr de Zoet shows up with Jasper's step brother. Except Luisa, unable to identify any other character so far.

The chapter titled Chelsea Hotel #939 reminds me of Yoona 939 from CA... off course because of that number!

But reading through the chapter, didn't find any resemblance whatsoever to Yoona 939 or Sonmi 451.

So far the number 939 in UA is like a red herring.... will observe till the end to see if it had any relevance.

When Elf first encounters Lenny in that elevator (Chelsea 939) their initial conversation felt much similar to the elevator part in CA between Sixsmith and Luisa.

Sixsmith there had intimate relations with Forbischer, while Elf here has intimate relations with Luisa!!

And then this part of conversation from Lenny:

‘Be warned, this is the slowest elevator in American hostelry. If you’re in a hurry, walk. It’s quicker.’

‘I’m in no mad rush.’

‘Good for you. The word “faster” is becoming a synonym of “better”. As if the goal of human evolution is to be a sentient bullet.’

the last line is in sync with the main theme of cloud atlas!

i'm going nuts now.... due to my own device of over engineering and digging every other aspect even if it might not have any dough!

Gorab wrote: "The chapter titled Chelsea Hotel #939 reminds me of Yoona 939 from CA... off course because of that number!

But reading through the chapter, didn't find any resemblance whatsoever to Yoona 939 or ..."

I think this is actually a red herring. #939 also appears in Number9Dream - which also happens to the John Lennon's song. Some callbacks are a tease :D

Gorab wrote: "And then this part of conversation from Lenny:

‘Be warned, this is the slowest elevator in American hostelry. If you’re in a hurry, walk. It’s quicker.’

‘I’m in no mad rush.’

‘Good for you. The ..."

Did not link it with CA. Loved the line enough to share it as a status update.. (Dropped it from email signature since I am supposed to be a catalyst for making things faster in general :P )

Gorab wrote: "i'm going nuts now.... due to my own device of over engineering and digging every other aspect even if it might not have any dough!"

Oh, you should have read Bone Clocks and Ghostwritten before this for you to get a complete kick! When I spotted Marinus I was completely thrilled. (I Imagine your happiness won't be the same when you read Bone Clock after this)

after Utopia, I'm going to get hold of his books in chronological order of dates published.

Girish wrote: "Did not link it with CA. Loved the line enough to share it as a status update.. (Dropped it from email signature since I am supposed to be a catalyst for making things faster in general :P )."

LOL!
do you keep any book status as email signature?

Gorab wrote: "Girish wrote: "Did not link it with CA. Loved the line enough to share it as a status update.. (Dropped it from email signature since I am supposed to be a catalyst for making things faster in gene..."

Actually no. I do have my favorite quotes on post-its around me at workspace. Now with more WFH, this I have discontinued.

Gorab wrote: "after Utopia, I'm going to get hold of his books in chronological order of dates published."

I think that's a good idea. This is the list from Wiki.

Ghostwritten (1999)
number9dream (2001)
Cloud Atlas (2004)
Black Swan Green (2006)
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet (2010)
The Bone Clocks (2014)
Slade House (2015)
From Me Flows What You Call Time (2016)
Utopia Avenue (2020)

I am yet to read Jacob de Zoet and "From Me Flows what you call time".

Interesting Trivia from Wiki: From Me Flows What You Call Time is a 90-page novella by David Mitchell completed in 2016 and not to be published until 2114. It is part of a series by artist Katie Paterson called Future Library project calling for contributions from popular writers for novels to be published in 2114.

2114!!! this guy is crazy! in an awesome way i mean!
90 pages is a good fit for a weekend read ;)

So you've read ALL the rest!!! envy! i'll reach where you are now.... one fine day!

reading about Jasper de Zoet (or whoever is Jacob!) would be a lot more fun. Though UA has 5 (or more) protagonists, I felt somehow Jacob is the central character where most of the writing is focused...

is it just me who felt like that? Dean Moss would be next. Elf's background is also covered in a pretty elaborated manner.
That drummer guy Griff (or whats the name?) has taken a back burner so far till 80%.