Дэвид Митчелл - Utopia Avenue

Why ‘The Third Planet’? The project’s working title was The California Sessions , but when Arthur visited, he brought the notebook found in Dean’s pocket on the morning of his death. The final words, on a page of their own, read ‘The Third Planet’. We can only guess what caught Dean’s eye about this phrase, but they struck us all as an apt title for Utopia Avenue’s third and final LP.

Dean, the last words are yours.

Elf,

Kilcrannóg, 2020

Acknowledgements

Thank you to my family.

Thank you to Sam Amidon, Tom Barbash, Avideh Bashirrad, Nick Barley, Sally Beamish, Manuel Berri, Ray Blackwell of De Barras Bar & Folk Club in Clonakilty, Jess Bonet, Chris Brand, Craig Burgess, Kate Brunt, Evan Camfield, Gina Centrello, Louise Court, Harm Damsma, Louise Dennys, Walter Donohue, Benjamin Dreyer, Lorraine Dufficey, Barbara Fillon, Helen Flood, Jonny Geller, Evelyn Glennie, Ted Goossen, Roy Harper, Paul Harris, Viola Hayden, Stephen Housden, Kazuo Ishiguro and family, Hellen Jo (‘criminal/subliminal’), John Kelly, Trish Kerr and team at Kerr’s Bookshop in Clonakilty, Martin Kingston, Hari Kunzru, Tonya Ley, Dixie Linder, Nick Marston, Katie McGowan, Mrs McIntosh, Niek Miedema, Callum Mollison, Carrie Neill, Lawrence Norfolk and family, Alasdair Oliver, Hazel Orme, Marie Pantojan, Lidewijde Paris, Bridget Piekarz, Stan Rijven, Susan Spratt, Simon Sullivan, The Unthanks, Amanda Waters, Andy Ward, Charles Williams, John Wilson, Janet Wygal.

Thank you to the Pit.

Numerous details were extracted from many sources, but particularly helpful were Joe Boyd’s White Bicycles (Serpent’s Tail, 2007), and Simon Napier-Bell’s You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me (Ebury Press, 2005) for the Lennon encounter.

Finally, thanks to my editor Carole Welch for superhuman patience in the face of multiple busted deadlines.

Lyrics quoted briefly in the novel are from the following songs:

‘Art for Arts Sake’ written by Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman; ‘House of the Rising Sun’ by Alan Price; ‘A Day in the Life’ by John Lennon and Paul McCartney; ‘Life’s Greatest Fool’ by Gene Clark; ‘It Ain’t Necessarily So’ by Dorothy Heyward, Du Bose Heyward, George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin; ‘Just Like a Woman’ and ‘Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands’ by Bob Dylan; ‘Chelsea Hotel #2’ and ‘Who by Fire’ by Leonard Cohen; ‘I’ve Changed My Plea to Guilty’ by Steven Morrissey and Mark Edward Cascian Nevin; ‘Chelsea Morning’ by Joni Mitchell; ‘These Days’ by Jackson Browne; ‘The Partisan’ by Hy Zaret and Anna Marly; ‘Guinevere’ by David Crosby; and ‘Mercy Street’ by Peter Gabriel.

‘For Free’ by Joni Mitchell is overheard as a work in progress, so does not quite match the recorded version.

‘Have You Got It Yet?’ is an unfinished, unreleased Syd Barrett song/practical joke from 1967.

Music enthusiasts will spot the lyrical anachronisms but agree, I trust, that music is timeless.

Table of Contents

Contents

About the Author

Also by David Mitchell

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Paradise Is the Road to Paradise: Side One

Abandon Hope

A Raft And A River

Darkroom

Smithereens

Mona Lisa Sings The Blues

Paradise Is the Road to Paradise: Side Two

Wedding Presence

Purple Flames

Unexpectedly

The Prize

Stuff of Life: Side One

The Hook

Last Supper

Builders

Prove It

Stuff of Life: Side Two

Nightwatchman

Roll Away The Stone

Even The Bluebells

Sound Mind

Look Who It Isn’t

The Third Planet: Side One

Chelsea Hotel #939

Who Shall I Say Is Calling?

What’s Inside What’s Inside

Timepiece

The Third Planet: Side Two

I’m A Stranger Here Myself

Eight Of Cups

The Narrow Road To The Far West

Last Words

Acknowledgements