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Charlotte Street

3.66 of 5 stars 3.66 · rating details · 981 ratings · 182 reviews

Jason Priestley (no, not that Jason Priestley) is in a rut. He gave up his teaching job to write snarky reviews of cheap restaurants for the free newspaper you take but don't read. He lives above a video-game store, between a Polish newsstand and that place that everyone thinks is a brothel but isn't. His most recent Facebook status is "Jason Priestley is... eating soup."...more

Paperback, 416 pages

Published October 23rd 2012 by William Morrow Paperbacks (first published January 1st 2012)

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Jan 19, 2013 Alec rated it 3 of 5 stars

Charlotte Street, by Danny Wallace, was the next book in a couple of my ongoing literary themes. For one, it was the most recent of the "books I picked out randomly from a bookstore" subset -- my most cherished pastime. Second, as it turns out, this was but another in a long line of "angsty twentysomething male charmingly tries to put his life together" novels which I hold so dear. That series, of course, contains such gems as Twentysomething (creatively titled), Mammals: A Novel, The Beautiful...more Charlotte Street, by Danny Wallace, was the next book in a couple of my ongoing literary themes. For one, it was the most recent of the "books I picked out randomly from a bookstore" subset -- my most cherished pastime. Second, as it turns out, this was but another in a long line of "angsty twentysomething male charmingly tries to put his life together" novels which I hold so dear. That series, of course, contains such gems as Twentysomething (creatively titled), Mammals: A Novel, The Beautiful and Damned (possibly the least flattering list in which Fitzgerald has ever been included) and pretty much everything Nick Hornby has ever written. I have enjoyed them all, to varying degrees, and this was no exception. Actually, it was an exception. The protagonist in Charlotte Street was actually thirtysomething -- a fact that gave me great piece of mind. Perhaps the protagonists in these novels will simply age with me. How very comforting...yet also appalling. Get it together, fictional characters.

This book had a lot of attributes I really enjoyed. Danny Wallace writes with tremendous voice and, especially at the start of the book, is quite literally laugh-out-loud funny. There was one point on a United Flight from St. Louis where I had to put the book down and compose myself for fear my laughter convulsions would wake my sleeping wildebeast of a seat neighbor. Thankfully, the crisis was averted and the beast slept on. There were also many traits that kept Charlotte Street in the pedestrian world of three stars. After a very strong first half, the plot failed to keep my attention for the home stretch and throughout the book I had trouble understanding why many characters behaved the way they did (perhaps it's an English thing). But my main complaint about Charlotte street was this: I didn't like the main character, Jason Priestly.

Apart from the "shares a name with a celebrity" gimmick, something about this guy just rubbed me the wrong way. Sure, objectively he made a lot of mistakes and hurt people along the way but I'm someone who actively roots for the murderous Walter White in Breaking Bad. Clearly, moral transgressions are not a deal breaker for me in the protagonist department. I think my main irritation was that Jason Priestly is just such a whiny, pansy of a man. Now listen, I am not claiming to be a shining example of modern masculinity. I ask my landlord to change light bulbs, I'd call my abilities to drive a stick shift "non-existent" and I have been told by more than one female that I have "really soft hands." John Wayne, I am not. But come on, Jason Priestly! I can't respect a man in his 30s who constantly whines about how bad his luck is and what a depressing situation he's in. Want to know a great way to have bad luck with women? Complain about your life all the time! Alright...I'm not sure I'm getting through to him. I tried.

Since I did actually enjoy the book on the whole, I'd like to point out one other aspect which I thought was a tremendous positive. As the cover of the book says, Charlotte Street is "A heartwarming everyday tale of boy stalks girl." Basically, Jason has a chance encounter with this mystery woman and spends most of the book trying to track her down. As a plot device, I loved it. I thought the author did a fantastic job of showcasing how such a random crush on what's essentially a stranger can totally brighten your life. We've all been there. The cute girl on the elevator, the new co-worker you haven't met yet, a random McDon...err, Starbucks barista: for that brief window they can put a bounce in your step and make waking up in the morning the easiest thing in the world. Even when you're Jason "I'm an annoying, aging hipster" Priestly.

Overall, I'd call Charlotte Street an enjoyable, if flawed, example of easy-to-read fiction. I think this is appropriate given my next book will likely be A Man Called Intrepid, which promises to be an enjoyable example of exhausting-to-read nonfiction.(less)

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Oct 23, 2012 Natalie E. Ramm rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jason Priestly (not the one from that sitcom that I’m too young to remember) is in a rough spot. He and his girlfriend have recently broken up for reasons unknown; he’s living with his socially challenged friend Dev in an apartment Dev’s dad owns; he has recently quit teaching to write mostly negative reviews for a free paper that no one reads; and has generally lost his luster. But when he sees this woman drop her bags on Charlotte Street he has an urge to help her. As he picks up her bags she...more

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Apr 22, 2013 Nanie Dias rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

[Review in Portuguese]

Charlotte Street, de Danny Wallace
Novo Conceito - 399 páginas
Um encontro fortuito, um sorriso inacreditável e uma câmera descartável. Assim se dá o início de uma história em Charlotte Street.

Título: Charlotte Street
Título Original: Charlotte Street
Autor: Danny Wallace
Tradutora: Bruna Castelhano da Cruz
Editora: Novo Conceito
ISBN: 978-85-8163-003-8
Ano da Edição: 2012
Nº de Páginas: 399
Comprar Online:
Inglês: Amazon / Book Depository
Português: Amazon / Cultura / Saraiva / Submar...more

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Jan 06, 2013 Christine Blachford rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I’ve been a fan of Danny Wallace books in the past, those true life adventures that he and others (Dave Gorman) go on. The humour works very well in those because it’s honest, open and you can imagine that they really are thinking that. This book is in the same vein, only it’s a fictional adventure instead. That being the case, some of the humour feels a little bit shoe-horned in, almost like it’s trying too hard.

It also took quite a long time to get going, it felt like we were never going to ge...more

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Dec 05, 2012 Grace rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Author: Danny Wallace
Title: Charlotte Street
Description: Jason Priestly (not that Jason Priestly) has quit his teaching job and gone through a bad breakup with his girlfriend when he spots The Girl on Charlotte Street. As he helps her with her packages, he is left with her disposable camera when she departs in a taxi. Spurred on by his friend Dev, Jason develops the photos in order to find clues to The Girl’s identity.
Review source: Library Thing Early Reviewers
Plot: It’s sort of cute the way Ja...more

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Nov 26, 2012 Sheila DeChantal rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jason Priestley’s life is somewhat…

dull.

After giving up a teaching career, he now writes restaurant reviews for a free newspaper that nobody seems to read. He lives in an apartment above a video game store. His ex girlfriend has just announced her engagement and the most exciting thing in Jason’s life is his last Facebook update “Jason Priestley is eating soup.”

*Sigh* Something needs to change.

Then, on a chance encounter, Jason helps an attractive young woman get herself and her multiple shoppin...more

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Oct 24, 2012 Kimmy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Review copy provided by the publisher in conjunction with TLC Book Tours
Publication date: October 23, 2012

Here is the summary from the back of the book:

Jason Priestley is in something of a rut. And no, that that Jason Priestley. This is the 32-year-old Jason Priestley who gave up his job as a teacher to pursue his journalistic dreams – writing snarky reviews of cheap restaurants for a free newspaper that they give you on the train. He’s living above a videogames shop, between a Polish newsagen...more

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Oct 23, 2012 Ryan Sweeney rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Danny Wallace, is better known for his non-fiction books. In fact, Danny Wallace wrote one of my favorite books of all time... actually... that's not quite right, Danny Wallace wrote half of one of my favorite books of all time with his then-flatmate Dave Gorman. In case you're interested that book was called 'Are You Dave Gorman' and it chronicled a drunken bet between Dave and Danny which stated that Dave would never be able to find 54 people called Dave Gorman. Possibly the funniest book I've...more Danny Wallace, is better known for his non-fiction books. In fact, Danny Wallace wrote one of my favorite books of all time... actually... that's not quite right, Danny Wallace wrote half of one of my favorite books of all time with his then-flatmate Dave Gorman. In case you're interested that book was called 'Are You Dave Gorman' and it chronicled a drunken bet between Dave and Danny which stated that Dave would never be able to find 54 people called Dave Gorman. Possibly the funniest book I've ever read.

Since the release of 'Are You Dave Gorman?', both he and co-author Dave have become famous for their range of non-fiction 'wacky-adventure books' and sporadic television appearances. However, it was Danny who really hit the big time when one of his later books 'Yes man!' was adapted into a film starring Jim Carrey - which strangely had almost nothing to do with the book upon which it was based. Regardless, both are incredible writers and I'd highly recommend any of their books to anyone.

Where was I going with this?

Oh right, yeah. So, I am a fan of Danny Wallace, but his last book, "Friends like these" was slightly disappointing (read: not as good as his others) and I was worried how he would turn his hand at fiction. I saw the book on a shelf, decided it was worth the risk, and it paid off. Easily the best book I've read all year, and certainly one of the funniest.

'Charlotte Street' tells the story of a man named Jason Priestley (no, not the star of Beverly hills 90210) who has reached a bit of a slump in his life. One day he has a fleeting moment with a pretty young woman whilst helping her with her bags and into a taxi. By accident, he ends up with her disposable camera and no way to contact her to give it back. He becomes smitten, perhaps borderline obsessed with "The Girl", and thanks to the actions of his flatmate and good friend Dev, he embarks on a quest to return the pictures to their owner which lies somewhere between stalking and hopelessly romantic.

I don't want to reveal any more than that, so as not to spoil a fantastic read but I just could not put this book down, I think I managed a couple of short breaks while a made a cup of tea, but aside from that I was addicted. If you've read any of his previous books, you can really see their influence in this one, and it makes it all the better.

Head out and buy it now; you won't be disappointed.

'A magical slice of book heaven.' - Ryan Sweeney

(less)

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Oct 09, 2012 Thais rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

No Danny, no, non ci siamo, mi dispiace. Yes Man mi era piaciuto, quando ho visto questo nuovo libro non mi attiravano né titolo né copertina ma si sa, non si possono giudicare così i romanzi, e del resto a volte si ha bisogno di leggere qualcosa di leggero e coinvolgente. Così, quando amazon l'ha messo in offerta kindle a 1,99€, non ci ho pensato su troppo e l'ho preso.
Una delusione totale. Lento, noioso, non succede praticamente nulla. La fantomatica Ragazza è solo un pretesto per far sfogare...more

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Sep 15, 2012 Book Him Danno rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, books-sent-by-author-publisher-for

There is a fine line between actively pursuing the woman of your dreams and being a stalker. Danny Wallace digs into this subject with the humorous tale of Jason, the emotionally lost journalist who with a little help from his friends manages to find his way to happiness. While his professional prospects are down and his ex girlfriend is announcing her engagement, poor Jason is eating a terrible breakfast at a local café when he sees her. A beautiful girl struggling with her packages as she trie...more

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Jun 13, 2012 Vikki VanSickle rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult-fiction

This book was a novel version of a romantic comedy, but one of the good British ones, with a dry-witted, sheepish, bumbling narrator and an awesome ensemble cast (think Notting Hill). Danny Wallace is a funny writer, and though Jason (the narrator) makes oafish mistakes and can be a bit of a drunken lout, he is never mean-spirited and ultimately his desire to reinvent himself and do right is quite winning. Think of him as a male version of Bridget Jones as played by Mark Ruffalo with a British a...more

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May 15, 2012 Reader, I Read It rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sometimes a book comes along where a reviewer has little else to say apart from those three magic words….just read it.

For Charlotte Street, Wallace’s debut novel, is one of those books which will hold universal appeal, cause enough embarrassment laughing out loud on your public transport of choice and will ultimately tug at the heart strings.

Jason Priestley accidentally is left holding a disposable camera belonging to a girl he helps, with bags as she clambers into a taxi, on Charlotte Street. W...more

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May 30, 2013 Ssil rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Charlotte Street narra la historia de Jason Priestley, un tipo que ha perdido demasiadas cosas por el camino y no se ha dado cuenta. Le ha dejado su novia, a la que todavía no ha olvidado y no hace más que espiar por las redes sociales (poniéndose rabioso cada vez se entera de lo que bien que le va y lo feliz que es), no le ha quedado más remedio que irse a vivir con su amigo Dev y trabaja como periodista freelance para uno de esos periódico gratuitos que reparten en el metro. Este ex profesor,...more

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Sep 22, 2012 Roberta rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012

La ragazza di Charlotte Street mi ha incuriosito fin dalla prima volta che l'ho visto in una libreria. Sembrava il classico romanzo trattato, a livello di marketing, come un chick lit o romanzo leggero, qui in Italia, ma possibilmente molto più significativo, in realtà. Riflessione scaturita non solo dall'aggiunta di 'la ragazza di' al titolo, ma anche dall'orribile e ammiccante copertina (qui la copertina originale). In realtà Danny Wallace è considerato un autore comico o per lo meno umoristic...more La ragazza di Charlotte Street mi ha incuriosito fin dalla prima volta che l'ho visto in una libreria. Sembrava il classico romanzo trattato, a livello di marketing, come un chick lit o romanzo leggero, qui in Italia, ma possibilmente molto più significativo, in realtà. Riflessione scaturita non solo dall'aggiunta di 'la ragazza di' al titolo, ma anche dall'orribile e ammiccante copertina (qui la copertina originale). In realtà Danny Wallace è considerato un autore comico o per lo meno umoristico (è anche altre cose, in realtà), ed è anche l'autore di un libro apparentemente autobiografico, Yes Man, che è stato l'ispirazione per l'omonimo film con Jim Carrey e Zoey Deschanel. In mancanza di uno stimolo forte all'acquisto, l'ho inserito nella mia wishlist, e poi acquistato in occasione, qualche giorno fa, di un'offerta lampo Kindle a 1 euro e 99.

Il protagonista di questo romanzo si chiama Jason Priestley, e le persone più o meno della mia età (e più o meno dell'età di Danny Wallace) ricorderanno subito che questo è anche il nome dell'attore che interpretò Brandon nel famosissimo telefilm Beverly Hills 90210. E l'omonimia del nostro protagonista è spesso richiamata nel romanzo, ma non ha un significato particolare (non crea nemmeno qualche buona gag, a dire il vero) a parte di quello di richiamare tutto uno specifico panorama culturale anni Ottanta. Si capisce subito, nonostante i riferimenti, musicali e di altro genere, siano spesso nebulosi per me, in parte perché non sono mai stata particolarmente appassionata di videogiochi, in parte perché Italia e Inghilterra hanno vissuto, chiaramente, degli anni Ottanta un po' differenti.

La trama è molto semplice: Jason è un ex insegnante (ha lasciato il lavoro a causa di un trauma che viene solo accennato inizialmente) ed è anche ex fidanzato (la sua fidanzata Sarah lo ha lasciato in circostanze, che, di nuovo, verranno spiegate bene solo durante la narrazione). Ora lavora come freelance per un giornale gratuito, London Now, e vive gratis ospite nell'appartamento dell'amico Dev, aiutandolo di tanto in tanto nel negozio di videogiochi d'annata. Un giorno in Charlotte Street aiuta una ragazza che, entrando in un taxi, ha lasciato cadere diversi pacchetti. Quando il taxi parte, Jason si rende conto di avere ancora in mano una macchinetta usa e getta, ma non riesce a restituirla. Colpito dalla ragazza, e convinto di aver percepito una scintilla fra di loro, Jason si lascia convincere dall'amico Dev a sviluppare le foto e poi si imbarca in una specie di caccia al tesoro, cercando di riconoscere luoghi e persone ritratti per risalire alla ragazza.

Ho letto nei vari commenti a questo romanzo che potrebbe sembrare una scopiazzatura di Alta fedeltà di Nick Hornby. Capisco bene perché. Eppure a me Charlotte Street ha fatto venire in mente più che altro, nello stile non nella trama, Mike Gayle, o meglio l'unico romanzo di Mike Gayle che io abbia letto: Mr Dammitempo. Si tratta di chick lit al maschile, e per quanto incredibile, secondo me anche Charlotte Street è un chick lit al maschile. Ed è carino, soprattutto per il girovagare che si fa di Londra, e di scorci non turistici, ma si tratta alla fine sempre della solita storia, e si salva solo per la sua scorrevolezza e per gli ultimi capitoli, in cui sale un po' la tensione, e che si leggono in volata.

http://robertabookshelf.blogspot.it/2...(less)

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Apr 30, 2012 Ellie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: general-fiction

There was a girl struggling with the door of a cab and her packages. And I don't know why, but I asked if I could help. And she smiled at me. This incredible smile. And suddenly I felt all manly and confident, like a handyman who knows just which nail to buy, and now I'm holding some of her bags, and she's saying "thank you" and then...there's that moment. And it felt like a beginning. But the cabbie was impatient and I suppose we were just too British to say anything else...

Jason Priestly (no,...more

There was a girl struggling with the door of a cab and her packages. And I don't know why, but I asked if I could help. And she smiled at me. This incredible smile. And suddenly I felt all manly and confident, like a handyman who knows just which nail to buy, and now I'm holding some of her bags, and she's saying "thank you" and then...there's that moment. And it felt like a beginning. But the cabbie was impatient and I suppose we were just too British to say anything else...

Jason Priestly (no, not that one) is left standing on the corner of Charlotte Street holding a disposable camera. The Girl has left it behind but it's too late to hand it back and he doesn't know who she is. His flatmate and best mate, Dev, thinks they should get the film developed and look for clues to her identity. Jason thinks they're bordering on stalking. Yet, there's a link, a tenuous one at best, and they team up with ex-pupil, Matt, to uncover the pattern in the photos.

Jason's had a rough time of things lately. The prologue is rather dark and may leave you feeling, just for a moment, that this isn't the humorous book you were expecting. Whilst it does have its serious side, it's full of Danny's trademark, charming humour. Just like the funny parts are funny because they are grounded in reality, the characters are incredibly real and that includes their faults. Humour can often be a mask to hide behind.

It's one of those books that captures the current day of normal people like you and me. They may get a bit drunk and say stupid things on Facebook when their ex is happy and engaged. They might create fantasies out of people they bump into on the street and may never see again. Yet there's that hope that they might. They might not be all that great at their jobs but muddle through anyway. There's a hint of recession but nothing overwhelming to the plot, just enough to place it in the now.

“You have twelve exposures,” he said. “Twelve moments to capture. It's finite. So every time you capture one in that little box, you've got one less to spare. By the time you get to that last one, you better be sure that moment is special, because what if the next one comes along and you've got to let it go?”

What a terrible thing, I thought, to let a moment go.

“With a disposable, you want to complete your little story. End of an ending. Or a new beginning. A dot-dot-dot to take you to the next roll.”

As a photographer who has moved from film to digital, I loved the little photography metaphors. Photographs have become so less special in the digital age, yet there are still thousands who love that finite quality of a roll of film. I also love how the story of The Girl unravels through the photographs.

Danny's first foray into fiction has been a huge success. I did at times picture Jason as Danny himself, which is difficult when a writer has done so much autobiographical writing, yet as the story develops Jason becomes his own person. The characterisation is spot on and I just wanted to keep reading about their lives, but alas, all good things must come to an end.(less)

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Nov 24, 2012 sam(antha) rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Crollo di un autore. Dallo scrittore di Yes Man, mi aspettavo grandi cose, alimentata dalla copertina – illusoria – e dall’idea – abbastanza originale. E invece sono rimasto alquanto delusa. Fin dalle prime pagine mi sono scontrata con un tipo di ironia banale, che non mi faceva neanche sorridere e con un ritmo, non di narrazione, ma proprio di scena un po’ troppo veloce e confusionario. L’idea di fondo, dalla quarta di copertina, mi aveva attirato parecchio e anche leggendo c’era abbastanza int...more

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Jul 07, 2012 Donna rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Disclaimer: I read this book when the Melbourne winter decided to grace us with two windless and sunshiney days, all synched up with the weekend. Meanwhile I was lying in bed with a head cold.

I discovered this book on the 'Highly Recommended' shelf at my library and who doesn't like 'a heartwarming everyday tale of boy stalks girl'?

A few chapters in, I was reminded of Nick Horby's High Fidelity, but with fewer insights. I really couldn't get into this book. Blame my grumpiness or the fact that J...more

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May 25, 2013 Cha rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Danny Wallace has a good sense of humour, but he was all over the place. Or maybe it was intentional, because Jason Priestley, the protagonist, was a thirty-something dueling with midlife crisis and all that shit men go through when they get past the dreaded 30.

Although there were nice touches (believe me, I have related to this book more than I thought I would... and not because I HAD a stalker phase as well haha), it bothered me that reading the book felt like I was in a dream... here and then...more

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Oct 08, 2012 Anne rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am an anglophile at heart so I jumped at the chance to read this book and I am so glad that I did. Danny Wallace has written a book that is filled with British humor, quirky characters, and an interesting story that kept me reading.

There were so many things I loved about this book. The idea of Jason helping this stranger, being attracted to her, and then finding he still has a connection to her through a disposable camera was brilliant. It was a great fun to read about Jason and his best frie...more

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Jun 20, 2012 Simon Lipson rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm a big fan of Danny Wallace. A charming and witty broadcaster, journalist and author of several non-fiction books. I loved Yes Man and Join Me, less so Friends Like These. Charlotte Street is his first foray into fiction and it's perfectly enjoyable...which probably sounds like damning with faint praise. On the contrary, I'd recommend it to anyone seeking a light, amusing, unchallenging read by the pool in Marbella (or resort of your choice).

This is a tale about a man in his early 30s who, h...more

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May 03, 2013 Charlotte Stevenson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the one of the most powerfully messaged books I have read in a long time. It made me think, and question, the world we live in and whether or not fate does actually have a say in any thing that we do or say.

This story was told from the perspective of Jason, a 32 year old who is constantly saying "I'm the other one" when people ask him if he is the Jason Priestly from the hit show 90210. When the book starts off, he has just broken up with his girl friend of 4 years, after several events...more This is the one of the most powerfully messaged books I have read in a long time. It made me think, and question, the world we live in and whether or not fate does actually have a say in any thing that we do or say.

This story was told from the perspective of Jason, a 32 year old who is constantly saying "I'm the other one" when people ask him if he is the Jason Priestly from the hit show 90210. When the book starts off, he has just broken up with his girl friend of 4 years, after several events that leave him traumatized and lead to him cheating on her after getting drunk. For 6 months he has been living with his friend Dev in the flat above his video game shop (power up) which is next to a building every one thinks is a brothel (but isn't) One evening he is walking down Charlotte street, when he see's a girl in a blue coat, with white shoes, trying to shove all of her bags that contain every thing from hat boxes to a cactus in to a taxi and no one is helping her. So he helps her, and she drives off - leaving her disposable camera in his hand.

The book consists of Jason gaining an army of friends, of healing relationships, learning to move on and "level up" but, most importantly, developing the photos on the camera and following the clues so that he can find the mysterious girl and give them back to her. There is a photo of an old fashioned cinema, an old seal fur factory turned in to apartments, A grave in the eygptian crypt down town, a scene from a wedding, Whitby cathedral, scallops eaten on a sunny day, and the last - a picture of Jason in the Roge cafe moments before he met her.

I didn't think that I could still so easily be effected by books. Although it has taken me a while to read, simply because of exams and music practice, the characters and the story are so easily and scarily related to because, every single thing could happen to any of us. Its such a human story, with literally no sappy soppy romance moments, a beautiful romantic ending, the funniest things I have ever read and the world captured in photos on Charlotte street. It is every thing you could ever want in life all written down in the extremely human voice of Danny Wallace, who is now one of my all time faourite authors. I cannot wait to read even more of his material.

It just shows that fate does have a big part in who we are. If I had never joined good reads, I would never have seen the ad. If my train didn't stop at the station it did, I would never have had to walk by the water stones I did. I would never have paused outside. I would never have gone in and seen it. I guess we all have stories like Jason, we just haven't found what it is yet.(less)

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Dec 26, 2012 Daenerys rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kids-young-adult

Libro lungo, forse un pò troppo, ma molto onesto nel descrivere i drammi e gli alti e bassi nella vita di una persona qualunque, l'ex insegnante e aspirante giornalista Jason Priestley. Jason è veramente lagnoso e a volte esagera davvero, al punto da risultare noioso, soprattutto perchè in realtà fa veramente poco per migliorare e cercare di uscire da un momento difficile, copia le recensioni per il suo giornale da internet come un ragazzino di 13 anni e si accontenta di fantasticare sulla Ragaz...more

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Jan 06, 2013 Pj Bloomfield rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A Book Club book. Not one that I would have necessarily chosen to read, not for any particular reason, I just wasn't grabbed by the précis. But it was reasonably enjoyable, although i really disliked the ultra-current cultural references, they really grated. It was a bit try hard to mention that the protagonist was in the same bar as Nick Grimshaw to illustrate the type of place that it was, it felt both a bit lazy and a bit smug (not sure i can justify 'smug' but it is just how it felt!). But o...more

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Nov 12, 2012 Leeswammes rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Besides being laugh-out-loud funny at times, this was an entertaining read. Poor, hopeless Jason goes on a quest to find the woman he saw in Charlotte Street using the photographs from a camera that she left behind. He involves his friends (or, more precisely, they involve themselves) and visits several of the places on the photographs. Slowly, they find some clues as to the identity of the girl.

I loved this book. Jason is a likeable person. He isn’t quite over the break-up with his girlfriend y...more

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Sep 22, 2012 Captaincow rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: g-realistic-fiction, g-drama

Bewertung: 3.0 / 5.0

Meinung:
Liebe auf den ersten Blick? Das gibt’s doch gar nicht!

Aber so etwas wie einen ganz besonderen Moment zwischen zwei unbekannten Menschen, den gibt es schon – zumindest Jason Priestley zufolge. In seinem Beruf als Lehrer und in seiner Beziehung gescheitert, wohnt Jason nun mit einem Studienfreund zusammen und arbeitet bei einer kostenlosen U-Bahnzeitung – ja, genau, diese Zeitungen, die man den aufdringlichen Leuten immer abnimmt und dann gleich wieder liegen lässt. Eig...more Bewertung: 3.0 / 5.0

Meinung:
Liebe auf den ersten Blick? Das gibt’s doch gar nicht!

Aber so etwas wie einen ganz besonderen Moment zwischen zwei unbekannten Menschen, den gibt es schon – zumindest Jason Priestley zufolge. In seinem Beruf als Lehrer und in seiner Beziehung gescheitert, wohnt Jason nun mit einem Studienfreund zusammen und arbeitet bei einer kostenlosen U-Bahnzeitung – ja, genau, diese Zeitungen, die man den aufdringlichen Leuten immer abnimmt und dann gleich wieder liegen lässt. Eigentlich hat Jason gar keine besondere Ahnung von Musik, Kunst oder Restaurants, und doch schreibt er über sie, um ein wenig Geld zu verdienen und um beschäftigt zu bleiben. Aber dann begegnet er eines Abends einer Frau auf der Charlotte Street. Vollgepackt mit Kisten und Tüten stolpert sie ins Taxi und Jason hilft ihr dabei. Als die Tür schon zugeschlagen und das Taxi weggefahren ist, bemerkt er, dass er noch etwas von ihr in der Hand hält – eine Einwegkamera, deren Film voll ist. 12 Bilder und ihr Gesicht, das ihm nicht mehr aus dem Kopf geht, hat er nun, um herauszufinden, wer diese Frau ist...

Wer glaubt, bei diesem Buch würde es sich um eine atemberaubende Jagd durch London handeln, der liegt falsch. Denn Jason Priestley ist kein impulsiver Teenager, der jegliche Risiken eingeht, nur um das zu finden, wonach er so konzentriert sucht. Stattdessen muss sein Freund Dev ihm auf die Sprünge helfen, indem er mit ihm die Fotos entwickeln geht und ihn zu allerlei Erkundigungen antreibt. Für mich war das erst ganz schön enttäuschend, aber schnell wird klar, warum Jason so ist, wie er ist. Durch Erinnerungsfetzen und Andeutungen erfährt man nach und nach, dass Jason eigentlich allen Grund hat, aufkeimenden Hoffnungen gegenüber misstrauisch zu sein. Deshalb bewahrt er sich auch lieber diesen einen perfekten und doch unvollständigen Moment im Kopf und unternimmt nichts, um ihn weiterzuführen oder zu zerstören.

Die Suche nach der Unbekannten ist aber trotzdem der rote Faden, der sich durch dieses Buch schlängelt. Allerdings passiert auf den knapp 500 Seiten auch noch viel mehr – denn Jason muss mit der Verlobung und Schwangerschaft seiner noch immer geliebten Exfreundin klarkommen, mit dem traurigen Dasein, das er und sein bester Freund führen, und der Tatsache, dass er es wohl niemals zu einem angesehenen Journalisten bringen wird – wenn er nichts dafür tut.

Danny Wallace beschreibt den harten Weg des Wiederaufrappelns nach einem schweren Schlag, den Schritt zum Neuanfang und zur Tatkraft, was gar nicht so leicht ist für jemanden, der seit mehr als 30 Jahren immer eher zugesehen hat, als sein Schicksal selbst in die Hand zu nehmen. Jason ist dabei der Protagonist, den man gerne diesen Weg bestreiten sieht – etwas faul, immer ein bisschen verträumt, sehr zynisch und doch mit einer guten Portion Humor. Seine Gedankengänge sind gut nachzuvollziehen, aber manchmal möchte man ihn ganz gerne etwas antreiben, weil er viel zu viel passieren lässt oder den Trost im Pub bei einem Bierchen sucht.

Auch das restliche Figurenensemble ist ganz amüsant mitzuerleben. Die vernünftige Exfreundin mit ihrem noch viel vernünftigeren (und todlangweiligen) Verlobten, die abgehärmte Chefin, der optimistische, etwas trottelige Freund. Sie alle sind nichts Neues, aber trotzdem so ausgestattet, dass man gerne über sie liest. Das liegt aber auch nicht zuletzt an Danny Wallace‘ Stil, der immer genau den richtigen Ton trifft. Witzig, manchmal aber auch sehr ruhig und nachdenklich beschreibt er Jasons Geschichte und bewirkt, dass man Seite um Seite weiterblättert.

Vielleicht habe ich einfach etwas Falsches erwartet, aber für mich war es störend, dass vor allem anfangs die Geschichte einfach nicht in die Gänge kommt. Zunächst geschieht etwas Interessantes, dann wird aber doch nur darüber geredet und gehofft, aber eine Zeitlang passiert fast gar nichts. Diese Längen bewirkten, dass ich nicht richtig in die Geschichte hereinkam und sie erst viel zu spät spannend wurde.

Fazit:
Witzig und schön geschrieben ist „Auf den ersten Blick“ allemal. Es macht Spaß, über die vielen verschiedenen Figuren zu lesen und die Suche nach der unbekannten Frau ist auch sehr interessant. Leider aber geht diese erst etwas später los, sodass man sich als Leser zunächst mit ein paar Längen begnügen muss. Die Geschichte über den gescheiterten Mittdreißiger strotzt nicht vor Individualität, gehört aber zu den besseren. Zum Zwischendurchlesen eignet sie sich deshalb gut, aber die Neuerfindung des Rads oder eine rasante Jagd durch London wegen einer Frau sollte man hier doch nicht erwarten.(less)

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May 02, 2012 Tim Roast rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have read Danny Wallace's Yes Man and have also read lots of the columns that he writes for the Shortlist magazine, some of which have been published, but this was his first novel and I was wondering whether he could carry across his humour etc. from non-fiction into fiction. Well the answer is yes.

This book has a sense of fun running right through it. It follows Jason Priestley who is going through a bad time in his life. He inadvertently ends up with a disposable camera from a girl he fancie...more

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Aug 13, 2012 Adam Stone rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: humour

Charlotte Street is the first fiction book by Danny Wallace author of Yes Man and Join Me and is a story about a bloke in his early thirties who ends up embarking on a rather strange journey of discovery pretty much on a whim when he happens to help a girl with her shopping and ends up with her disposable camera.

So far it sounds like a very similar premise to all of Danny Wallace's other books and to be honest it is, the only difference is that this is not a true story, and the main character i...more

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Oct 19, 2012 Lori rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was a Good Reads first reads winner of the book Charlotte Street:A novel. I would give this a 3.5. A fun a humorous read. Jason Priestly is the main character. NOT the ACTOR. but a guy with the same name. the books starts out right away with Jason having a brief encounter with "the Girl" she is trying get in a taxi on Charlotte Street and she keeps on dropping an armload of stuff. he helps her to get in the taxi with her armload of belongings. she accidentally leaves behind on of those "throwa...more

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Aug 20, 2012 Lucy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2012

This review was originally posted on Lucybird's Book Blog

A while ago I read a review of Charlotte Street on Ellie's blog; Curiosity Killed the Bookworm. Ellie loved Charlotte Street and I just had to add it to my wishlist. Well the other week I managed to get myself stuck in Waterstone's. I had intended just to browse. I told myself I could buy two books from the buy one get one half-price selection, but only if one was from The Rory List. I didn't see any books from the Rory list in that select...more This review was originally posted on Lucybird's Book Blog

A while ago I read a review of Charlotte Street on Ellie's blog; Curiosity Killed the Bookworm. Ellie loved Charlotte Street and I just had to add it to my wishlist. Well the other week I managed to get myself stuck in Waterstone's. I had intended just to browse. I told myself I could buy two books from the buy one get one half-price selection, but only if one was from The Rory List. I didn't see any books from the Rory list in that selection so I decided to leave. Unfortunately when I reached the door I saw that the rain was coming down like a Monsoon. I mean, I couldn't go out in that could I? So I was stuck in Waterstone's, and my will-power was wearing down...I had no choice. So I came out with Charlotte Street and Scarlett Thomas' Going Out. Both books on my wishlist, neither on The Rory List.

Anyway this is meant to be a review, right? Not the story of how I got forced to buy books!

Charlotte Street was one of those books that made me both sad and satisfied to have finished. It's been a long time since I last got this feeling from finishing a book. I wanted it to carry on, even though I knew it had definitely reached a conclusion.

I liked the characters, especially Dev. I quite often thought they were idiots but that just made them more realistic. Jason was certainly the flawed hero- if you can call someone whose behaviour borders on stalker-ish a hero! He did sometimes doubt whether he should be behaving the way he was, but there was always a friend to put him on the 'right' path, and I loved that.

In some ways you could actually call Charlotte Street a coming of age story. Maybe it was later in life than the typical coming of age story but Jason (and actually the other major characters too) certainly learnt something from the beginning of the book to the end and entered a new stage of life.

Wallace's writing style reminded me a lot of Nick Hornby's books, especially High Fidelity. Flawed hero- check, love interest- check, geeky friend- check, shop- check. It wasn't a copy my any means but there were a lot of parallels. Amusing but in a real-life way rather than an artificial humour.

I had meant to read something by Danny Wallace for a long time, in fact since reading Are You Dave Gorman? when I was at school, and finding out Danny Wallace had written solo books, but somehow it hasn't happened until now. This is probably the worst book to start on seeing as it's Wallace's first fiction book, but it has made me more eager to read something else by him.(less)

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Oct 27, 2012 Maryann rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I received this book as an Early Reviewer. This was a light, fun story about Jason Priestley (no, not THAT Jason Priestley) and finding The Girl- the one he ran into on the street and accidentally ended up with her disposable camera. It's also about his best friend, his ex-girlfriend, her new life, and finding his dreams, while accidentally inspiring others to find theirs along the way. Easy to read and a fun adventure.

My one complaint is the annoying cliff hangers. The end of way too many of c...more

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About Danny Wallace

Daniel Frederick Wallace is a British filmmaker, comedian, writer, actor, and presenter of radio and television. His notable works include the books Join Me, Yes Man, and the TV series How to Start Your Own Country. As an author, Wallace's bestselling books have been translated into more than a dozen languages.

He began writing reviews for video game magazines at the age of 13 for school work exper...more Daniel Frederick Wallace is a British filmmaker, comedian, writer, actor, and presenter of radio and television. His notable works include the books Join Me, Yes Man, and the TV series How to Start Your Own Country. As an author, Wallace's bestselling books have been translated into more than a dozen languages.

He began writing reviews for video game magazines at the age of 13 for school work experience: a reviewer had become ill and so Wallace was given the opportunity to review a game. At 18 he started writing comedy, mainly through the magazine Comedy Review. He specialised in radio production at the University of Westminster.

At 22, he became a BBC producer. He was part of the production team behind British Comedy Award-winning Dead Ringers, the original producer of the critically acclaimed cult hit The Mighty Boosh, and the creator and producer of Ross Noble Goes Global. As a journalist, Wallace has worked for The Scotsman, The Guardian, The Independent, Elle, Cosmo, The Times and other publications.

In 1999, Wallace challenged comedian Dave Gorman, who at the time was his flatmate, to find 54 other people called Dave Gorman ("one for every card in the deck, including the Jokers"). Wallace accompanied Gorman on his quest and the men created Are You Dave Gorman?, an award-winning comedy stage show about what happened during their journey. A BBC series, also co-written and co-produced by Wallace, followed, as did a book, written by both men.

In 2003, Wallace's book Join Me was published. The book explains how he "accidentally started a 'cult'" called Join Me. The movement would go global, with each member committing to undertaking one random act of kindness for a stranger every Friday ("Good Fridays"). Tens of thousands joined. Join Me celebrates "Karmageddon 10" in December 2011. Traditionally, hundreds of members travel to London for the meet-up and undertake good deeds for strangers, with Wallace present. The movement is now generally referred to as the "Karma Army", although members are still typically "Joinees". He became a minor celebrity in Belgium whilst on his quest for Joinees. While on a book tour through America, Wallace was dubbed a "Generation X legend" by the Wisconsin State Journal.

Wallace next wrote a short book called Random Acts of Kindness: 365 Ways To Make the World A Better Place, with the help of submissions from Joinees. It includes many humorous Random Acts of Kindness (RAoK) ideas, such as "Contradict Demeaning Graffiti", and "Make An Old Man Very Happy."

Wallace's second solo book, Yes Man was published in July 2005. In it, he describes how he spent six months "saying Yes where once I would have said No", to make his life more interesting and positive. In this book he shows the tribulations and mischief that he got up to while he said yes to any question or proposal. The book was described as "one of those rare books that actually has the potential to change your life" by the San Francisco Bay Guardian and as "a fascinating book and a fascinating experiment" by David Letterman. A film adaptation of Yes Man was developed with Warner Bros. and stars Jim Carrey and Zooey Deschanel. It was released in 2008 in the US and the UK. Wallace appeared on screen in a cameo in a bar scene in the last ten minutes of the film, holding a British pint glass.

Danny Wallace and the Centre of the Universe was published in 2006. It is linked with World Book Day which in 2006 was on Thursday 2 March. It tells the story of Wallace's trip to Idaho, to visit a manhole cover in a small town, whose residents have proclaimed it the centre of the universe. The cover identifies it as a "Quick Read"; the price and length of the book have been curbed in order to encourage people who may not often read books to purchase it.

Wallace's book, Friends Like These, was released on the 3 July 2008, and tells the story of how he spent a summer trying to track down his old school friends from his days in Dundee, (less)

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Quotes from Charlotte Street

“I love London. I love everything about it. I love its palaces and its museums and its galleries, sure. But also, I love its filth, and damp, and stink. Okay, well, I don’t mean love, exactly. But I don’t mind it. Not any more. Not now I’m used to it. You don’t mind anything once you’re used to it. Not the graffiti you find on your door the week after you painted over it, or the chicken bones and cider cans you have to move before you can sit down for your damp and muddy picnic. Not the everchanging fast food joints – AbraKebabra to Pizza the Action to Really Fried Chicken – and all on a high street that despite its three new names a week never seems to look any different. Its tawdriness can be comforting, its wilfulness inspiring. It’s the London I see every day. I mean, tourists: they see the Dorchester. They see Harrods, and they see men in bearskins and Carnaby Street. They very rarely see the Happy Shopper on the Mile End Road, or a drab Peckham disco. They head for Buckingham Palace, and see waving above it the red, white and blue, while the rest of us order dansak from the Tandoori Palace, and see Simply Red, White Lightning, and Duncan from Blue. But we should be proud of that, too. Or, at least, get used to it.” — 3 people liked it

“ " Ti ho vista tutti i giorni. Ti saluto tutti i giorni. Riesci a leggermi negli occhi? Mi manchi tutti i giorni. Ti amo tutti i giorni. E com’era la storia di questo tizio? Usciere? Conducente di autobus? Portiere? Chi era la ragazza? L’aveva notato? Per lei è importante o è solo un tizio dietro al bancone di un fast food? Perché non le dice qualcosa? Ma sapevo il motivo. Perché c’è la paura paralizzante che questi momenti non esistano se non dentro la tua testa. Nessuno sguardo si incrocia in una stanza affollata, non esistono due persone che pensano esattamente la stessa cosa, e se solo una delle due sente questo momento, può considerarsi ancora momento di grazia? Lo sappiamo, quindi non diciamo nulla. Distogliamo lo sguardo, o fingiamo di cercare monete in tasta, speriamo che l’altra persona prenda l’iniziativa, perché non vogliamo rischiare di perdere questa sensazione di eccitazione e di possibilità e di lussuria. È troppo perfetto. Quel breve secondo di speranza vale molto, forse per sempre, mentre giaciamo sui nostri letti di morte, circondati dai nostri figli, dai nostri nipoti e bisnipoti, ed è più forte di noi, ma non possiamo fare a meno di rivolgere l’ultimo moribondo pensiero egoista a quello che avrebbe potuto succedere se avessimo salutato quella ragazza con gli Uggs che vendeva cd fuori da Nando settantaquattro anni prima.
Sono gli “e se?”. E i “cosa sarebbe”? E sappiamo che se ci buttiamo, se rischiamo, magari lo perdiamo. Ma stranamente c’è una parte di noi convinta che il sentimento sia contraccambiato, perché deve esserlo, è troppo speciale per non esserlo. Crediamo che sia una cosa condivisibile, anche se le uniche prove che abbiamo sono… cosa? Uno sguardo che è durato un respiro più del solito? Una seconda occhiata, quando quell’occhiata con ogni probabilità potrebbe essere stata fatta per controllare se ci sono taxi in arrivo, o perché il colore del giubbotto che indossiamo ha catturato la loro attenzione e starebbe benissimo al loro fidanzato, o perché sembra che le stiamo fissando. " ” — 1 person liked it

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