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Contacts

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Contacts

By: Mark Watson
Narrated by: Mark Watson
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About this listen

One man’s last journey. One hundred and fifty-eight chances to save his life.

The unforgettable new book from award-winning writer and comedian Mark Watson!
‘Witty, emotional and beautifully written’ Jill Mansell
‘It made me laugh, cry, reflect and want to check in on all my friends’ Emma Gannon

James Chiltern boards the 23:50 sleeper train from London to Edinburgh with two pork pies, six beers and a packet of chocolate digestives. At 23:55 he sends a message to all 158 people in his contacts, telling them that he plans to end his life in the morning. He then switches his phone to flight mode. He’s said goodbye. To him, it’s the end of his story – and time to crack open the biscuits.

But across the world, 158 phones are lighting up with a notification. Phones belonging to his mum. His sister. His ex-best friend. The woman who broke his heart. People he’s lost touch with. People he barely knows. And for them, the message is only the beginning of the journey.

Funny and wise, tender and deeply moving, Contacts is a beautiful story about the weight of loneliness, the importance of kindness – and how it’s never too late to reach out.

©2020 Mark Watson (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers Limited Dark Humour Family Life Friendship Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Literature & Fiction Heartfelt Funny

Critic Reviews

"This is such a great book, funny and serious and daring and humane. I prefer Mark Watson to Leo Tolstoy - both as a novelist and a stand-up comedian." (Richard Curtis)

"Mark Watson is one of my favourite writers and Contacts is by far his best book yet." (Adam Kay)
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I couldn't recommend this book more. The characters are brilliantly drawn and it is by turns funny, uplifting and heartbreaking.

A beautiful story

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Such an unusual premise for a story. The author writes several different characters and uses them to create an unlikely plot around a cell phone, a late night message and the likely response of the personalities who live behind our contacts list. Sympathetically and, at times humorously, told, the plot loops around and back around the relationships between (some of) the central characters. Interesting and perceptive reveal of the jumble of interactions which have lead to the names into one man's contacts list. Enjoyable because it's so different, attempting, as it does to deal with a subject which we don't want to talk about.

Contacts: Made

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This was pretty good. Mark Watson is an English comedian and author, performing mainly at Fringe festivals.

Chiltern has decided to end his life and the book starts with him sending a text to all his ... contacts, informing them. Written in 2020, the book tells the story of how he came to this point on a train heading for a Bridge in Carlisle, UK on the border with Scotland, a trip he loved doing with his late father. I enjoyed this book and actually listened to it twice as the first time I realised I only took in 70% so I just restarted it when I finished. The whole experience only took a couple of days. The characters in Chiltern’s life are interesting, amusing, and really do care about him but they all have lost touch combined with a bit of bad luck crushes him with loneliness.

What I really enjoyed was his slightly humorous descriptions eg "Top Drawer"/"go-to person"/"shagging like Vikings"/"app drains battery like a thief"/"warm up boyfriend"/"went on longer than a classical concert".

If you are after a quick satisfying emotional ride, look no further, but pay attention else you’ll miss good bits.

Great to listen to ....

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Well written and fantastic read. You could feel as if it is something that I happening out there somewhere and how wrapped up in your own life you become.

Gripping and Excellent

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This book intrigued me, the story sounded interesting. Mark Watson wrote a very good story and did an excellent job on the narration. At the end though I felt it was okay and for me not a classic that I was hoping for. I did feel for the main character and kept listening to see what happened in the end. I will check out of other titles by Mark.

Was Okay

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