Cover Image: Contacts

Contacts

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Member Reviews

I enjoyed this book more than I expected to. It's not usually something I'd read. It addressed such an important issue, that you never know what is going on in someone's head before it is potentially too late.
I have to admit for me the ending felt a bit flat, I felt James could have perhaps (when speaking to his dad at the end) asked his dad to look after Gina. The ending didnt seem to complete the story but I guess life is like that and at that point, James's story wasnt complete, he still stuff to figure out and overcome.
One thing I will say, is dont read this book if you are feeling particularly low, I had to put it down for a few days until I was strong enough to pick it up again.

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I enjoyed this book, although it did not grip me quite as much as I'd expected before I read it. Worth a read.

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Contacts

In “Contacts”, we meet our protagonist James just as he boards a sleeper train, texts a goodbye message to all of the contacts in his phone, and sets off to Edinburgh where he intends to end his life. What follows this unexpected start is a poignant, touching, and often surprisingly funny look back on James’ recent life, seen through both his eyes and those of the people who were at one time closest to him.

James is a decent, lovable man who has suffered a number of set-backs that have led him to the conclusion that taking his life is the only option left to him. His path to this decision isn’t the result of a sudden, cataclysmic event, but rather a gradual, relentless series of incidents that render him lonely and unhappy. This makes him so very relatable, as it is genuinely a situation that any of us could find ourselves in. The people around him that we meet – his sister, ex-best friend, ex-girlfriend, mother and flatmate – are never vilified, however. Each character has their own strengths and failings, making them feel very real. The relationships are very human and have the highs and lows that often play out over time. As a result, I found myself really rooting for James, as well as his friends and family.

The author is very clever in showing how technology can both bring people together and leave them feeling totally isolated, and there are some interesting reflections on how this can manifest itself in people’s relationships. The ending was not what I expected, and was a little more abrupt than I would have liked, but I understand the choice. Overall, this was both sad and funny but uplifting, rather like a non-festive “It’s a Wonderful Life”! Ultimately, we can’t always know the effect that our actions may have on those around us but by taking the time to connect in a real sense, we may be able to make the everyday burdens of life a little easier to bear.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for the arc to review.

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Suicide is the leading cause of death for men under 50 in this country so Mark Watson's "Contacts" is timely and necessary. I thought the premise was interesting and the book was far less depressing than I expected. Themes include family, friendship, the lives we touch and the cumulative effect of problems. I think there are lessons for all of us in this book and if it helps someone, so much the better. Watson's writing is accessible and engaging so "Contacts" would also appeal to reluctant readers.

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James has reached the end of his tether. A series of jobs have not worked out, he is estranged from his family and his best friend, his girlfriend has left him from another man and now lives in Germany. Feeling he cannot go on, he decides to travel to Edinburgh and kill himself. Before boarding the overnight train, he sends a goodbye message to everyone in the contacts list of his phone before putting it on airplane mode. Is there still time to save him? The pros and cons of social media are very much in the spotlight here- it enables people to communicate with others around the world, even when they are strangers, yet so many of James’s contacts have NOT been in contact in a long while, and people who have been around James have not connected with him. The attempts to reach him before it is too late are often both moving and humorous, although the premise is stretched a bit thin by the end. An enjoyable read with some important things to say.

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An interesting idea for a book - a suicidal man that sends a message to everyone in his phone.
The exploration of how the different characters dealt with it was done well, as well as how phones and social media are used.
However it did feel a bit too long in places and plot lines didn't join together or get resolved.

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The premise of Mark Watson's Contacts is this: a man boards the sleeper train to Edinburgh and sends a text to all his contacts in his phone telling them that he intends to end his life. The author then introduces us to some of the main contacts - friends, a flatmate, family, an ex-girlfriend and we find out more about James pst and present, This is interspersed with scenes with James on the train. The subject of suicide is dealt with sensitively and there is some nice stuff about connection and what really matters in life, but I never really gelled with this book, or quite believed in any of he characters. The ending is intentionally un-cathartic, and I can see why it was written like that, but the final outcome involved a character we just didn't know enough about. I think a lot of people love this book, but, although it kept my interest until the end, it didn't completely work for me.

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When I started to read this book about gentleman called James who wishes to commit suicide I struggled with this being the topic of the book. However, this book with stay with me for a long time because it covers so many issues that affect us today, being overweight , struggling to fit it with your peers, losing your job etc.
At times I found the story hard work but when I read I finally read last page I decided that it was worth it.
It’s not a jolly book, although definitely a good read.

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I would firstly like to thank Harper Collins and NetGalley for the early copy of this book, in exchange for an open and honest review.
So here it is, the plot and overall premise of the book was a strange and not a topic that is really broached in books normally. For this I would give a star entirely for bringing suicide ideation into the public mind.
There were moments of comedy and a wealth of backstory for all the individual ‘contacts’ involved in the narrative. Some of that backstory or tangents were a bit unnecessary but they brought added detail to the book.
Not the sort of read I usually go for, but I’m glad that I did. Mark Watson’s narration in the audiobook version added a new dimension too.
All in all, a very gritty realistic account of a guy down on his luck, which filtered down through to his relationships and their dynamics. Made me think.

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Thank you very much to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book.
James is on the sleeper train to Edinburgh, where he sends a text to all 158 contacts in his phone , telling them of his intention to end his life, then switches on flight mode.
What could be a very sad, depressing book is actually a very uplifting story of how the people in James’ life rally round and support one another through their attempts to find him in time.
It’s interesting to realise that everyone touches and impacts on someone else’s life, however fleeting the contact may have been.
The characters have depth and warmth to them, I felt a real connection with James and the issues he faced.
This is the third Mark Watson book I have read and it was brilliant, well plotted and thought provoking.

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Having been personally affected by a close family member who attempted to end his life in 2010, I was keen to read this novel.

James has decided to end his life and before boarding the sleeper train to Edinburgh he sends a final text to his 158 contacts. Within these recipients are his Mum, his Sister, his ex-girlfriend, estranged best friend and flat mate. Each person has memories of James - some good/some bad, but all have an urgency to save him.

Beautifully written! In equal parts heartbreaking and at times hilarious. I loved the exploration of the different characters and the impact they had on James. Towards the end of the book you got a real sense of who they were and found that they were all dealing with their own insecurities. It was refreshing to explore a narrative that focused on the impact various characters can have on one single person. An important reminder to check on your loved ones.

Suicide is a difficult subject to speak about, but Mark Watson delivers this with sensitivity and a varied outlook to those books currently available.

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The book revolves around a sensitive topic: Suicide.
The pace of the book was somewhat slow, but overall it made an interesting read. The author touches upon other sensitive topics like jealousy and weight issues. The book points out about how small and tiny issues can pile up and take a toll on a person's mental state, which in all its fairness, reflects today's reality. What stayed with me and will stay with me is the simple message that the book gives out: be kind to everyone!
Overall, an interesting read

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Mark Watson is, in my opinion, one of the sharpest, funniest and most articulate artists out there. As a kid my family spent summers at the Edinburgh Fringe and I remember discovering Watson for the first time sometime in my teens. He was hilarious then and he’s only got better since. His 24 hour comedy events are the stuff of legend and I’ve got a deluge of memories of sitting at the Pleasance Dome or in strange Edinburgh lecture halls, drunk with excitement and fatigue, as an ever perky Mark Watson leapt around the room. Four years ago I saw his newest show Flaws at the fringe. It was one of the first things I booked, even before I was on the train to Scotland. It was darker and sadder than his previous shows, incredibly personal and yet, still, funny. So funny.

As a novelist, Watson isn’t simply a comedian giving another form of writing a go. He’s a really, really good novelist. His books have the same blend of offbeat creativity, humour and thoughtfulness that characterises his stand-up. When my husband and I moved in together and unpacked our books we were delighted to find that between us we had the full Mark Watson oeuvre! OK, I’ll stop with the backstory and get on with the review!

Contacts, Watson’s newest novel, is about a thoroughly decent man named James Chiltern. James, for all his goodness and hard work in life, has found himself in a dark place. His girlfriend has left him, he’s fallen out with his sister, his Father has died and he’s been fired, by his best friend, from the job he loves. At —- he boards the sleeper train, texts all 156 contacts in his phone to say goodbye, switches it off and settles in for the journey to Edinburgh where he’ll end his life.

It’s a shocking premise, setting the stakes very high from the off, but it’s the gentle unravelling of the story that’s so compelling. The book switches between James rooting about in his memories and the characters receiving the text. From his estranged sister, now living in Australia, to his widowed Mother, his ex-girlfriend, ex-best friend and his current flatmate, everyone has their own reaction to the message. The question of who takes responsibility for James’ predicament, who decides to do something proactive and who excuses themselves from the responsibility, all this is masterfully explored by Watson.

Suicide is a tough subject to explore and although we do get insight into James’ state of mind, it’s not the only thing driving the novel. In a move that steps away from James’ immediate pain to also look at the sense of helplessness and disbelief felt by his friends and family, the story oscillates between the gravity of his situation and the way in which such a bombshell forces others to rethink what they know about the people in their lives. It’s a terrifying thought at its core but the regular flashbacks to revisit happier moments in James’ life means we get respite from the horror of what’s unfolding.

It’s the reaction of his sister Sally that I most connected with. Halfway across the world in Australia where she lives with her husband and has a successful career, she’s a woman with her own demons and flaws. As someone who deals with these by constructing a hard exterior around herself, filling her time, achieving, it turns out she’s not a woman best suited to grappling with such a terrifying, delicate situation.

I’m sure it was difficult for Watson to write the ending to this book. James himself notes during his train journey that he anticipates responses to his message. He expects people to try to stop him. But he doesn’t see that as proof of anything other than a panicked attempt to assuage their own guilt. He knows that ultimately it won’t change any of the reasons why he is where he is. Part of the magic of this book though are the surprises along the way. Who of his contacts engage. How it is that they do that. What their reasons are for doing so. The impact that the scenario has on their own relationships. I still don’t know how I feel about the ending he did decide on. No spoilers but I did feel that the decision, though interesting and nuanced, didn’t quite gel with the rest of the novel for me. That said, I highly recommend Contacts. It’s an easy reading, hard hitting little gem.

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The premise of this story is intriguing: a young man sends a text message to all his contacts, informing them that he is about to commit suicide. And then he puts his phone on fight mode thus blocking people from replying. This isn't a typical cry for help, and he certainly isn't craving attention. He is not interested in the world's reaction to his news. He is factual. He boards a sleeper train to his truly "final" destination.
This book isn't just about about the main character's emotional state and his motives; it is also about all those contacts who receive his message and have to do something about it. The title of this book is very deliberate indeed. James's phone contacts are the collective title character of this book. The moment the message is received and at least digested digested, a flurry of activity follows. A flatmate begins to mount a coordinated rapid response. The sister in the far away Australia starts organising a rescue operation. An ex-best friend changes course and heads for Edinburgh. An ex-girlfriend stops to think and atone. All of the people who once may have hurt James, used or abused his feelings, are united in the effort of saving him.
Contacts is a beautifully written moralistic tale about empathy, second chances, redemption and the value of people simply being there for each other. It isn't a book about suicide. Quite the opposite.
I quite liked it that Watson brought the topic up to date, straight into the twenty-first century to show that human interaction may have become seriously digitised but that doesn't mean that technology dehumanised us and left us lonely and hopeless.
I enjoyed Watson's clear prose. It isn't emotive. It doesn't take the centre stage and it doesn't take away from the story and the characters. It treats about emotions by it doesn't allow itself to get carried away. I also enjoyed the wry humour. A poignant tale about a man and his network of support full of holes but also very many best intentions.

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I have read all of Mark Watson's previous books and so was really looking forward to getting stuck in to his latest. It has a really interesting premise, that the narrator has decided to end his life, and it's his backstory with the other characters that makes up most of the book. I really liked the characters of James and his sister; James in particular was a warm character experiencing challenges in his life with some humour and heart. The only negative for me was the character of the lady on the train, as I wasn't sure what to make of her/what the purpose of her was in the story.

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This book tackles its sensitive subject well and builds James up to be an understandable, likable character. The way in which it explores how James came to be in the position he is is excellently done, and helps you empathise not only with James but with the people who he sees as responsible for "abandoning" him

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This was a different type of book for me to read compared to my usual books and I really wanted to love it. Unfortunately, I didn't. It tackled a lot of really important issues for which I applaud the author, but it was a really slow, drawn-out book where not a whole lot happened and the stuff that did happen was too mundane to be of interest. While I wasn't expecting thrills and spills in a book of this nature, I do think there needs to be something that keeps the reader gripped. The ending felt predictable yet confusing at the same time. I always think a good book is one you look forward to reading but with this one I couldn't wait for it to finish.

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'Contacts' by Mark Watson tells the story of James, a man for whom life has become so intolerable he sends a message to all 158 contacts in his phone, to tell them he is ending his life. There are lots of reasons for this, and as he sits on an overnight train to Edinburgh planning his death, the people he will leave behind are both rushing to try to save him, and analysing the part they played in his loss of hope.

For a comedic novel, I found this an odd premise. There are humorous elements, but the suicide storyline and aspects of the ending are definitely not funny. The multiple points of view used to tell the story worked well, although I would have liked there to have been more focus on the perspective of the train conductor. I did get caught up in everyone's attempts to find James, but this meant that sometimes I got frustrated when the story meandered off into one of the characters memories of past events.

Ultimately, for me, this a book was interesting, and it kept me turning the page, but it wasn't a favourite and it didn't get me laughing.

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This was such an original idea on which to base a story. A text to all your contacts telling them that you were on your way to end your life. While not a particularly endearing central character,one could not help but feel for James as his story unfolded. At times the book dragged but the pace at other times kept me the reader fully engaged.

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I'm not familiar with Mark Watson as either a comedian or a writer, but the central concept of this book sounded intriguing: James, having made the decision to take his own life, sends a "send to all" text to all his 158 contacts informing them, then puts his phone on flight mode and hops on a sleeper train to Edinburgh. From there on, we follow James on his train journey, learn gradually how he ended up in the situation he has, and see the reactions to the news of some of the most important people he's planning to leave behind: ex-girlfriend Michaela, mother Jean, old friend Karl, sister Sally and flatmate Steffi. Is there any way they can find James in time to dissuade him from what he's hellbent on doing?

It's an interesting and original premise, and well executed for the most part. James is a likeable character, clearly a good person to whom some bad things have happened in quick succession, leaving him unable to see a way forward.

This subject matter clearly has the potential to be very dark but the tone is lightened by some good observational humour moments and one or two laugh out loud ones ("I DON'T HAVE A FROG IN HERE"). The fictional game Sheep Wars, which Steffi is obsessed with playing, is a running theme and really amused me.

I like that there are a lot of very different female characters, though not all are entirely believable - James's mother Jean, in particular, felt like a stereotypical older woman and I didn't really buy her reactions to what was going on. (Granted, maybe just because she seemed far calmer than I would have been.)

As the search for James widens, a few people mention having called the police, but I don't think we ever find out what they say in response, which felt like a bit of an omission. I don't know what, if anything, they could have done (trace his phone?) but it would have been nice to know what the response would be to a situation like this.

All in all it's a very enjoyable read, which sounds like a strange thing to say about a story which revolves around someone planning their suicide, but there's enough lightness to mitigate the darkness. A book, ultimately, about the importance of connection in whatever form it takes. I do have rather mixed feelings about the ending, though.

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