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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 Fiction Friendship Literary Fiction Comedy Funny Heartfelt Inspiring Witty Thought-Provoking Feel-Good
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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)

What listeners say about Contacts

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A wonderful story

A brilliant premise, I read it in a day, as couldn’t put it down. Great characters and thought provoking.

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1 person found this helpful

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Just soooo....Mark Watson!

I love all of Mark Watson's work so no surprise I loved this. Witty, beautifully crafted prose, especially the inner dialogues, and an insightful look at how people interact and how they affect each other without being aware of it All read in Mark's unthreatening, slightly chaotic style. Just wonderful.

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Based on my recommendation you should buy this

Really loved it. My favourite of Mark Watson's books and having him read it gives an extra familiarity to the characters. It can be a difficult subject to address but was so relatable that things can very easily and very quickly look bad for you and it's hard to see that it could turn around as quickly.

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Modern life connects us...

... but also disconnects us. This was gripping and unexpected. Also, I arrived at this book having seen the author tweet asking people to let him know if they had ever enjoyed anything he had ever done. Someone tweeted this book. I'm sure he's not reading this, but Mark, this is yet another thing you've done which I found compelling.
Totally recommended.

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Smart and insightful

A deep dive into real problems of real people that is strangely uplifting. I felt like I have met all the characters.

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Intriguing story

Really enjoyed this book. Does make one think how close we are to the edge.
Enjoyed meeting the various contacts and their reactions.
Ending was a bit of a surprise,
Would recommend

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Fantastic

Incredible - this really captures the nuance of suicidal thoughts and mental health issues and how things can quickly spiral in a person’s life. I didn’t find it too difficult, it had a lot of light moments and social commentary. Discussion of suicidal thoughts/suicide throughout though - should definitely come with a trigger warning.

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confused at the end.

excellent premise enthusiastically narrated. The ending all felt a little rushed and lacked the meticulous build of all other characters and situations.

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Excellent

Mark Watson is a brilliant, clever, funny and thoughtful author. I found myself immersed in this book from the start - it engulfed me and I didn’t really want it to end. Highly recommended

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Thought provoking story with great characters development

It was very enjoyable and builds a network of characters. Brilliantly written. Highly recommended listen

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