A couple of big literary names are featured in this entry. David Mitchell is an English author of nine novels. He also co-wrote the screenplay with Lana Wachowski, of the movie adaptation of his book, Cloud Atlas. The only book by him, that I have read, other than this year, is the dark fantasy/sci fi The Bone Clocks, which was my #2 read for 2014. Jane Smiley is an American novelist who won the Pulitzer Prize in 1991 for her work The Thousand Acres a best seller that was based on William Shakespeare’s King Lear. I don’t know if I would have ever read one of Smiley’s novels if I hadn’t heard her being interviewed on NPR about her latest release and it intrigued me.
#6 – Utopia Avenue by David Mitchell
With David Mitchell’s exploration of a fictional, psychedelic/folk/rock British band from who gained modest success in the late 60’s, he mines deeply into the music industry, while exploring the state of the world and society at the time, and even brings in some of his speculative, secret society theme into play. He, at once, creates well-drawn, relatable characters, a slice of historical fiction, and an examination of schizophrenia that dips into the metaphysical all the while creating a dense, yet highly-readable novel. All the things you might expect, sex, drugs, industry back-stabbing, family drama, are in evidence, as well as a whole bunch of name-dripping as he charts the origins, success, and demise of Utopia Avenue and they encounter Jerry Garcia, Janis Joplin, David Bowie, Francis Bacon, Leonard Cohen, Cass Elliot, Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon and many more.
For me, it’s his characters that really bring the novel to its glorious heights. There’s lead guitarist, Jasper de Zoet, whose fractured psyche is balanced by his psychedelic guitar genius. Elf Holloway is a folk singer, one-half of a faltering duo who attained minor success, then joins a pack of blokes to add her keyboard virtuosity, and songwriting chops to raise the band to a new level. Dean Moss is the down-on-his luck bass-playing songwriter whose roots are steeped in the blues, is unofficially the bad-boy sex symbol, and is moments away from pawning his bass before his break arrives. And anchoring any good band is Griff, the foul-mouthed, Northern lad who pounds the drums and keeps his feet firmly on the ground. Their untested, Canadian manager, Levon Frankland, is convinced the band he has assembled has what it takes to make the big-time, and intends to help them do so without the typical, double-crossing that rock & roll managers are known for. Beyond that, even the minor players make an impact. Most notably, Mecca, a German photographer who shares a few blissful days with Jasper, remains a presence even after hundreds of pages go by.
I loved Mitchell’s Bone Clocks, and he earned lots of points with me for his work on Kate Bush’s programme book, and spoken dialog on stage as part of her ‘Before The Dawn’ concert in 2014. He’s become a must-read author for me, and this wasn’t doesn’t let me down at all.
#5 – Perestroika in Paris by Jane Smiley
Perfect book for the times, a magical little tale about Perestroika, a race horse who spends the winter in Paris befriending a dog named Frida, a raven called Raoul, a couple of mallards named Sid & Nancy, a rat named Kurt, and a select assortment of humans. This gentle story explores the city of Paris surrounding the Eiffel Tower, highlighting the bakeries and butcher shops as well as the lovely parks as they explored by Perestroika and Frida.
Smiley has a soothing, gentle way of writing, describing the neighborhood by the smells and sounds heard by the animals, and creating a lovely portrait that humans possibly miss out on. The handful of humans that the animals interact with are all solitary souls, who share a connection with Perestroika. The magic of Paris is enhanced by the magic of an elusive horse wandering the city at night. Her characters are unique and full of personality. Smiley is a well-known author with over twenty books in her canon, including, I was surprised to discover, a series of young adult novels about horses! I’m glad she brought her interest in horses to an adult novel. Truly a delightful read.
I felt like Elf as a character was the glue that held Utopia Avenue together and made it really unique, bringing a feminine perspective to a time period that is often overwhelmingly depicted/remembered as a boy’s club. Also, that was one of the most shocking endings ever; I remember thinking, “There’s only 15 pages left, how is he possibly going to end this?” and then the reveal being a gut punch.