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Charlotte Street
Jason Priestley on pisut üle kolmekümnene Londoni ajakirjanik, kellel on korraga liiga palju muresid. Endine tüdruksõber teatab kihlusest ja Jason kirjutab purjus peaga tema Facebooki lehele kommentaare, mis järgmisel hommikul ei tundu sugugi kõige mõistlikumad. Ajakirjanikuna peab ta kirjutama üsna küsitava väärtusega lugusid. Tema sõbrad tunduvad elavat mingis oma maailmas, sest neile pakuvad suuremat huvi näiteks Poola juustusordid ja 1980ndate aastate videomängud. Ja loomulikult on ta liiga sageli pidanud seletama, et ta ei ole SEE Jason Priestley.
Kuid siis toimub saatuslik kohtumine – või vähemasti nii arvab Jason. Ta kohtub tänaval naisega, kes talle hetkeks naeratab ja sõidab taksoga minema. Jason ei tea temast mitte midagi, kuid tema kätte jääb naise ühekordne fotoaparaat, milles olevate fotode alusel hakkab ta tundmatut otsima. „Charlotte Street“ on võrratult tempokas ja naljakas raamat kolmekümnendates eluaastates inimeste otsingutest ja saatustest.
Kuid siis toimub saatuslik kohtumine – või vähemasti nii arvab Jason. Ta kohtub tänaval naisega, kes talle hetkeks naeratab ja sõidab taksoga minema. Jason ei tea temast mitte midagi, kuid tema kätte jääb naise ühekordne fotoaparaat, milles olevate fotode alusel hakkab ta tundmatut otsima. „Charlotte Street“ on võrratult tempokas ja naljakas raamat kolmekümnendates eluaastates inimeste otsingutest ja saatustest.
450 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
153 people are currently reading
2323 people want to read
About the author
Danny Wallace
61 books640 followersDaniel 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,
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,
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 468 reviews
January 13, 2022
The first time Jason (Jase) met her, the complete stranger smiled at him as he helped her with her bags, and the only thing she left behind was her disposable camera. And thus begins this 'heart-warming everyday tale of boy stalks girl'! I should add immediately that the book's 'stalking' subtitle is more a device to garner interest, than a description of what happens in this actually really funny, and dare I say wonderful read!
I promise you I'm not going through a mid-life crisis, despite me reading yet another London based, (I live in London) male written, quirky romantic comedy. If anything I think I've been getting all these man-reads from the same thrift store. This was such an enjoyable read, in that it focuses on the minutiae of Jason's life and the world (mostly London) through his eyes, as he and his best friend, Dev, seek to use the photos from the disposable camera to find the mystery woman that Jase believes could be his soulmate! The comedy is really good, in that it's more about comical real life situations, as opposed to the forced skits many other comedic writers end up writing. By the end of the book I felt like I really knew/know Jason; I felt like I'd been on a journey with him and fully understand and empathise with person he became at the end of his story.
The reason why I love the TV shows Parks and Recreation and The Office (USA) so much is that alongside the great comedy there is pathos, angst and pain, setting the comedy and characters in a real world, and thus making the comedy that much funnier, this book was of that ilk for me! 9.5 out of 12, my highest ever rated comedy I've read, I believe!
2021 read
I promise you I'm not going through a mid-life crisis, despite me reading yet another London based, (I live in London) male written, quirky romantic comedy. If anything I think I've been getting all these man-reads from the same thrift store. This was such an enjoyable read, in that it focuses on the minutiae of Jason's life and the world (mostly London) through his eyes, as he and his best friend, Dev, seek to use the photos from the disposable camera to find the mystery woman that Jase believes could be his soulmate! The comedy is really good, in that it's more about comical real life situations, as opposed to the forced skits many other comedic writers end up writing. By the end of the book I felt like I really knew/know Jason; I felt like I'd been on a journey with him and fully understand and empathise with person he became at the end of his story.
The reason why I love the TV shows Parks and Recreation and The Office (USA) so much is that alongside the great comedy there is pathos, angst and pain, setting the comedy and characters in a real world, and thus making the comedy that much funnier, this book was of that ilk for me! 9.5 out of 12, my highest ever rated comedy I've read, I believe!
2021 read
August 21, 2020
Just your average story of boy stalks girl. Second time I have read this and I’m sure I’ll read it time and time again. I just love this book, it’s laugh out loud funny, there’s moments when your heart breaks and the cracks get filled with hope.
Until the next time Charlotte Street.....
Until the next time Charlotte Street.....
January 19, 2013
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.
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.
June 13, 2012
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 accent. This book reaffirmed my desire to go to London and made me take a closer look at the Metro on my daily commute. It's composed of relatively short sections and a lot of dialogue, which makes for quick and easy reading. I didn't love the blog posts from mysterious S, which took away from Jason's story and quite frankly could be skipped and the book will still be logical. Fans of Nick Hornby, women looking on an insider's perspective on the 30 something year old man's brain, or readers who want something fun, uplifting, but not too saccharine will enjoy CHARLOTTE STREET.
August 8, 2017
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 le lagne di Jason, il protagonista. I personaggi mi sono sembrati quasi tutti artificiosi, irreali. Pensavo fosse un romanzo da leggere in un soffio, per distrarsi, per farsi coinvolgere da una storia appassionante, ma non è stato così: non è riuscito nemmeno a farmi venire la curiosità di vedere come sarebbe andata a finire la storia.
Non gli do una stellina solo perché a tratti mi ha fatta sorridere, ma neanche poi troppo.
Una noia mortale e un libro semi-inutile che credo dimenticherò presto.
Una delusione totale. Lento, noioso, non succede praticamente nulla. La fantomatica Ragazza è solo un pretesto per far sfogare le lagne di Jason, il protagonista. I personaggi mi sono sembrati quasi tutti artificiosi, irreali. Pensavo fosse un romanzo da leggere in un soffio, per distrarsi, per farsi coinvolgere da una storia appassionante, ma non è stato così: non è riuscito nemmeno a farmi venire la curiosità di vedere come sarebbe andata a finire la storia.
Non gli do una stellina solo perché a tratti mi ha fatta sorridere, ma neanche poi troppo.
Una noia mortale e un libro semi-inutile che credo dimenticherò presto.
May 15, 2012
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. With little other direction in his life and the idea that maybe this girl could be THE girl, he is encouraged to find her with the help of his best friend, Dev. It is only when the photos are developed that Jason notices he has been captured in one of them; and so the mystery thickens.
As Jason’s life erupts into chaos, from the ex-girlfriend and a drunken evening spent on Facebook, to the career writing dodgy reviews for a London paper, the girl on Charlotte Street resembles one thing he can make happen. All he needs is some detective work and only a bit of stalking, well maybe more stalking than detecting.
This is just a celebration of life as it is of London; so if you are a Londoner, an ex-Londoner or a wannabe Londoner you will love exploring the city with these characters.
Charlotte Street is perfect for anyone who would like to invest a few hours into a good read with belly laughs and a great dollop of realism. So what more can I say other than…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. With little other direction in his life and the idea that maybe this girl could be THE girl, he is encouraged to find her with the help of his best friend, Dev. It is only when the photos are developed that Jason notices he has been captured in one of them; and so the mystery thickens.
As Jason’s life erupts into chaos, from the ex-girlfriend and a drunken evening spent on Facebook, to the career writing dodgy reviews for a London paper, the girl on Charlotte Street resembles one thing he can make happen. All he needs is some detective work and only a bit of stalking, well maybe more stalking than detecting.
This is just a celebration of life as it is of London; so if you are a Londoner, an ex-Londoner or a wannabe Londoner you will love exploring the city with these characters.
Charlotte Street is perfect for anyone who would like to invest a few hours into a good read with belly laughs and a great dollop of realism. So what more can I say other than…just read it.
July 7, 2012
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 Jason Priestley (haha, get it?) is a bit of an annoying character who bumbles his way about the place, doesn't know what he wants, does a half baked job at work and gets the girl in the end, all in the space of 100 pages too many.
I'm too old for this. I must have turned into a grumpy old woman, given the very glowing reviews here. Do people like Jason exist? If they do, why do people want to read about such bores?
(I'll come back and review/edit this once I'm off the drugs and feeling better.)
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 Jason Priestley (haha, get it?) is a bit of an annoying character who bumbles his way about the place, doesn't know what he wants, does a half baked job at work and gets the girl in the end, all in the space of 100 pages too many.
I'm too old for this. I must have turned into a grumpy old woman, given the very glowing reviews here. Do people like Jason exist? If they do, why do people want to read about such bores?
(I'll come back and review/edit this once I'm off the drugs and feeling better.)
January 31, 2025
Una scrittura arguta ed elegante. (Quasi) un giallo alla scoperta dell'amore e di se stessi.
January 2, 2016
2 ή 3 αστερία ... ιδού η απορία... (2,5 αστεεεεεεεερια)
Το βιβλίο μιλάει για έναν Τζέισον που είναι χωρισμένος, πληγωμένος,έχει παρατήσει την θέση καθηγητή σε Γυμνάσιο, και δουλεύει ως εξωτερικός συνεργάτης σε μια δωρεάν Μέτρο Εφημερία. Συγκατοικεί με τον κολλητό του τον Ντεβ και γενικά η ζωή κυλάει με αυτό το τρόπο.
Και όλα αλλάζουν μια μέρα στην οδό Σάρλοτ όταν συναντάει την "Κοπέλα" και αυτή η συνάντηση του αφήνει αναμνηστικό την φωτογραφική της μηχανή.
Ε λοιπόν αυτός και η κοπέλα πολύ μας τυράννησε....
Αν και στα πρώτα κεφάλαια βαρέθηκα και απογοητεύτικα στην συνέχεια κπς έκανε την έκπληξη και απέκτησε περισσότερο ενδιαφέρων... ξανά βάλτωσε λίγο ��την συνέχεια που για "Κοπέλα" άκουγες και κοπέλα δεν έβλεπες αλλά μετά του έδωσε και κατάλαβε..
Αλλά στην ουσία ήταν καλό βιβλίο...
Σου γεννούσε αρκετά αισθήματα... πχ.... σχεδόν όλη την ώρα ήθελα να σκοτώσω τον Τζέισον.... ή έστω να πάρω το κεφάλι του και το χτυπήσω στο τοίχο... (τώρα που το σκέφτομαι μπορεί να έχω αυτή την γνώμη επειδή είμαι γυναίκα :P ) λόγο των επιλογών του, λόγο των λαθών του, το ότι ήταν λίγο εγωιστικός μπάσταρδος αλλά ο Συγγραφέας προσπαθούσε να το κρύψει....
2,5 αστέρια από μένα!!!!
Το βιβλίο μιλάει για έναν Τζέισον που είναι χωρισμένος, πληγωμένος,έχει παρατήσει την θέση καθηγητή σε Γυμνάσιο, και δουλεύει ως εξωτερικός συνεργάτης σε μια δωρεάν Μέτρο Εφημερία. Συγκατοικεί με τον κολλητό του τον Ντεβ και γενικά η ζωή κυλάει με αυτό το τρόπο.
Και όλα αλλάζουν μια μέρα στην οδό Σάρλοτ όταν συναντάει την "Κοπέλα" και αυτή η συνάντηση του αφήνει αναμνηστικό την φωτογραφική της μηχανή.
Ε λοιπόν αυτός και η κοπέλα πολύ μας τυράννησε....
Αν και στα πρώτα κεφάλαια βαρέθηκα και απογοητεύτικα στην συνέχεια κπς έκανε την έκπληξη και απέκτησε περισσότερο ενδιαφέρων... ξανά βάλτωσε λίγο ��την συνέχεια που για "Κοπέλα" άκουγες και κοπέλα δεν έβλεπες αλλά μετά του έδωσε και κατάλαβε..
Αλλά στην ουσία ήταν καλό βιβλίο...
Σου γεννούσε αρκετά αισθήματα... πχ.... σχεδόν όλη την ώρα ήθελα να σκοτώσω τον Τζέισον.... ή έστω να πάρω το κεφάλι του και το χτυπήσω στο τοίχο... (τώρα που το σκέφτομαι μπορεί να έχω αυτή την γνώμη επειδή είμαι γυναίκα :P ) λόγο των επιλογών του, λόγο των λαθών του, το ότι ήταν λίγο εγωιστικός μπάσταρδος αλλά ο Συγγραφέας προσπαθούσε να το κρύψει....
2,5 αστέρια από μένα!!!!
October 23, 2012
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
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
August 12, 2017
Libro tutto sommato piacevole. Adoro lo scrittore... Scrive rivolgendosi direttamente al lettore come se fossero amici . La storia in sé è carina anche se già letta. Penso sia migliore il percorso che fa il protagonista, il suo cambiamento interiore, il diventare adulto.
May 13, 2013
Disappointingly boring
Read
May 6, 2021Doveva essere uno di quei libri da leggere in coma mentre si prepara la cena e invece.. Abbandonato senza pietà a meno della metà perché fondamentalmente il protagonista è voce narrante mi mette un prurito incredibile e mi viene voglia di malmenarlo forte.. Oltretutto è pure stalker, no grazie!
(lo avevo scelto per una sfida come libro da più tempo nei "To read".. Ecco, c'era un motivo!)
(lo avevo scelto per una sfida come libro da più tempo nei "To read".. Ecco, c'era un motivo!)
October 23, 2012
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 smiles at him. A big, bright, life-altering smile. And then she’s gone. He’s left with just her disposable camera, which becomes a set of clues. This is a story of boy stalks girl to find true love.
Told in the first person, Charlotte Street takes us on Jason’s journey to pick himself up after some serious mistakes and try to find some meaning in life. This isn’t exactly a love story, but a quest for love story. It’s a bit depressing but in a funny English way. Jason’s blunderings and misfortunes are humorous, and his conversations with Dev had me rolling. Dev is this unintentionally funny video game store owner who is in love with this foreign waitress and wholly supportive of Jason stalking his mystery girl.
Charlotte Street has many plot twists and turns that kept me turning pages. However, I didn’t love the blog posts scattered throughout, and I thought the ending was a little too Hollywood in the way it wrapped up everyone’s lives. But I did like that it was a happy ending after so much sadness and anxiety in Jason’s life. Danny Wallace’s writing is clever and culturally informed. He manages to craft many characters that I empathized with, which I think can be difficult when using first person POV (because you tend to empathize mostly with the character telling the story).
I really enjoyed this book! If you want a darkly funny British love quest, this is for you!
Told in the first person, Charlotte Street takes us on Jason’s journey to pick himself up after some serious mistakes and try to find some meaning in life. This isn’t exactly a love story, but a quest for love story. It’s a bit depressing but in a funny English way. Jason’s blunderings and misfortunes are humorous, and his conversations with Dev had me rolling. Dev is this unintentionally funny video game store owner who is in love with this foreign waitress and wholly supportive of Jason stalking his mystery girl.
Charlotte Street has many plot twists and turns that kept me turning pages. However, I didn’t love the blog posts scattered throughout, and I thought the ending was a little too Hollywood in the way it wrapped up everyone’s lives. But I did like that it was a happy ending after so much sadness and anxiety in Jason’s life. Danny Wallace’s writing is clever and culturally informed. He manages to craft many characters that I empathized with, which I think can be difficult when using first person POV (because you tend to empathize mostly with the character telling the story).
I really enjoyed this book! If you want a darkly funny British love quest, this is for you!
October 22, 2012
I won a copy of this via Goodreads First Reads. Thank you!
I have tried and tried to make a dent in this book. Maybe I'm just too American because the "dry wit" is apparently too dry for me.
I kept wanting the story to change direction and just start following a different character altogether. The main character is boring. He's an observer, only he doesn't make very exciting observations.
It just wasn't for me. Despite my best efforts, I only made it about a quarter of the way into the book.
I have tried and tried to make a dent in this book. Maybe I'm just too American because the "dry wit" is apparently too dry for me.
I kept wanting the story to change direction and just start following a different character altogether. The main character is boring. He's an observer, only he doesn't make very exciting observations.
It just wasn't for me. Despite my best efforts, I only made it about a quarter of the way into the book.
February 21, 2014
I think if I hadn't been reading this for a book club I may have struggled to finish. Wallace took far to long to get things going, 'things' got going 250 or so pages in, - by this point I worry the author may have lost quite a few readers...There were some amusing touches along the way and I quite liked the premise but I'm not sure this is as top notch as the author would hope it to be.
June 6, 2016
I mostly read YA so I was a bit hesitant to read it but I got it for cheap and the cover makes me so happy!
As this has a 30-something protagonist I wasn't really sure I would connect to him but I in a way I did. I really felt for him.
I'm too lazy to write a coherent review all I need to say is that I was pleasantly surprised and it was a great read!
As this has a 30-something protagonist I wasn't really sure I would connect to him but I in a way I did. I really felt for him.
I'm too lazy to write a coherent review all I need to say is that I was pleasantly surprised and it was a great read!
April 21, 2019
Leider hatte ich Schwierigkeiten mich in die Geschichte hineinzufinden. Ich fand vor allem den Erzähler zu Beginn recht mühsam, auch wegen seines "Fehlers", um den er ein rechtes Aufheben macht, der aber im Nachhinein betrachtet irgendwo nicht die Reaktion darauf verdient, wie er damit umgeht. Überhaupt ist das Handeln der meisten Personen für mich nicht wirklich nachvollziehbar. Das letzte Drittel hat mich dann mehr gepackt, nur das Ende hat dann doch nicht mithalten können, das war mir zu abrupt und zu .
April 30, 2012
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.
August 1, 2016
Όταν ξεκίνησα το βιβλίο αυτό, με ξένισε στην αρχή η κοσμαντίληψη του ήρωα, που συναντά τυχαία μια κοπέλα, την οποία ερωτεύεται αλλά δεν προλαβαίνει να την προσεγγίσει και αργότερα ξεκινά μια Οδύσσεια προσπαθώντας να τη βρει με θεμιτά ή κι αθέμιτα μέσα. Το ξανάπιασα πρόσφατα και τελικά, όλα ήταν υπέροχα. Ο τρελός ήρωας που κάνει ένα σωρό τρελαμάρες παρέα με έναν ακόμα πιο ανεξέλεγκτο φίλο του ταμένος στον σκοπό να βρει Το Κορίτσι της Οδού Σάρλοτ. Μέσα από αυτά, η φρέσκια ματιά του Λονδίνου, πολυπολιτισμικού, άγριου, υποβαθμισμένου και λαμπερού μαζί. Οι εξελίξεις απροσδόκητες, το κείμενο ρέει, αλλά σου δίνει την ευκαιρία να ατενίζεις το τοπίο των υπόλοιπων χαρακτήρων και καταστάσεων. Πολύ-πολύ ενδιαφέρον και γλυκό κομμάτι χωρίς να γίνεται καθόλου, μα καθόλου γλυκερό!
When I started this book, I was astonished with hero's weird worldview, who accidentally meets a girl and falls in love with her, but because he hasn't enough time to reach out her, he begins later an Odyssey to find her using fair and unfair ways. Recently I got it again to read it and everything was great. The weird hero does a lot of follies along with an even more uncontrollable friend, as a votary in order to find the Charlotte Street Girl. Through all this madness there is a fresh look of London, which is multicultural, wild, degraded and brilliant at the same time. The plot has unexpected developments, the story flows while it gives you a chance to gaze the panorama of the other characters and situations. A very, very interesting and sweet book but without being corny at all!
When I started this book, I was astonished with hero's weird worldview, who accidentally meets a girl and falls in love with her, but because he hasn't enough time to reach out her, he begins later an Odyssey to find her using fair and unfair ways. Recently I got it again to read it and everything was great. The weird hero does a lot of follies along with an even more uncontrollable friend, as a votary in order to find the Charlotte Street Girl. Through all this madness there is a fresh look of London, which is multicultural, wild, degraded and brilliant at the same time. The plot has unexpected developments, the story flows while it gives you a chance to gaze the panorama of the other characters and situations. A very, very interesting and sweet book but without being corny at all!
July 1, 2013
First off, this is my first review on Goodreads. Hopefully the first of many. So, to the book.
I generally enjoy this type of easy read fiction. This book is ok. I wouldn't read it again, but it didn't feel like a chore to read.
The good points: pretty easy plot. A quick read. I genuinely laughed out loud about four times; there is some good humour in this book, in places.
The bad points: several typos (maybe expect one in 80,000+ words, but I found at least five). I didn't like all of the ongoing 'stuff' with the protagonists ex; the clue is in the title, she is an EX. Get over it already. I am a bit of a stickler for continuity etc, so being told at the start of the book that the protagonist is 32, then spending a good few weeks following him around, then jump forward one year (final page, one year later) and hey presto he is STILL 32? Err no he isn't. Little things like that gnaw away at me and stop me giving this book a higher rating.
Overall I think it is an ok book, as I said at the start. My other half is going to read it, but heard me sighing when I read it so is preparing herself. She might love it. Some people clearly do, and good luck to them. I don't hate it, it just has some little niggles. That isn't all down to Danny Wallace, after all he only wrote the thing. With that age thing and the number of typos, I wonder how much money Ebury Press put in to proof reading? Not enough by the look of it. They let you down, Danny.
I generally enjoy this type of easy read fiction. This book is ok. I wouldn't read it again, but it didn't feel like a chore to read.
The good points: pretty easy plot. A quick read. I genuinely laughed out loud about four times; there is some good humour in this book, in places.
The bad points: several typos (maybe expect one in 80,000+ words, but I found at least five). I didn't like all of the ongoing 'stuff' with the protagonists ex; the clue is in the title, she is an EX. Get over it already. I am a bit of a stickler for continuity etc, so being told at the start of the book that the protagonist is 32, then spending a good few weeks following him around, then jump forward one year (final page, one year later) and hey presto he is STILL 32? Err no he isn't. Little things like that gnaw away at me and stop me giving this book a higher rating.
Overall I think it is an ok book, as I said at the start. My other half is going to read it, but heard me sighing when I read it so is preparing herself. She might love it. Some people clearly do, and good luck to them. I don't hate it, it just has some little niggles. That isn't all down to Danny Wallace, after all he only wrote the thing. With that age thing and the number of typos, I wonder how much money Ebury Press put in to proof reading? Not enough by the look of it. They let you down, Danny.
August 23, 2015
I loved this book!
The character is speaking to the reader, like he would a friend. He tells you the details of his story, but slowly and cautiously at first like you really would do with someone you were just getting to know. He wants you to like him but he also tells you the true story.
Jason's life is in a bit of a rut and he realizes that it's mostly his fault.
One day, just like any other, he is walking down the street and he shares a moment (really more like a few seconds) with a stranger. He feels a connection to her and when he has accidentally kept her disposable camera (she had dropped some things on the sidewalk and he helped her pick them up) he has to decide what to do with it.
He develops the film after some strong encouragement from his best friend Dev.
But the girl was a stranger, so all he can do is try to use the pictures as clues to help him find her again to try return her pictures.
This reminds me a bit of Ted's journey on How I Met Your Mother, because it's not just about The Girl it's also about everything that he did while trying to find her.
I really just loved it. It made me laugh and cry (happy tears) and it made me feel like I was more inside the mind of the narrator then I normally do when reading a book.
This is already one of my favorite books that I've read this year :)
The character is speaking to the reader, like he would a friend. He tells you the details of his story, but slowly and cautiously at first like you really would do with someone you were just getting to know. He wants you to like him but he also tells you the true story.
Jason's life is in a bit of a rut and he realizes that it's mostly his fault.
One day, just like any other, he is walking down the street and he shares a moment (really more like a few seconds) with a stranger. He feels a connection to her and when he has accidentally kept her disposable camera (she had dropped some things on the sidewalk and he helped her pick them up) he has to decide what to do with it.
He develops the film after some strong encouragement from his best friend Dev.
But the girl was a stranger, so all he can do is try to use the pictures as clues to help him find her again to try return her pictures.
This reminds me a bit of Ted's journey on How I Met Your Mother, because it's not just about The Girl it's also about everything that he did while trying to find her.
I really just loved it. It made me laugh and cry (happy tears) and it made me feel like I was more inside the mind of the narrator then I normally do when reading a book.
This is already one of my favorite books that I've read this year :)
April 2, 2018
Danny Wallace turns to fiction after a run of non-fiction featuring a 20/30 something man child embarking in some almost endearingly naive coming of age/getting it together japes. Yes man, Join Me, Friends like these - all were entertaining warm hearted and amusing. So a novel was likely to have fairly similar territory - and does. Naming the protagonist Jason Priestly (not that one) was, I think, to try to stop me calling him Danny throughout (not a total success) such was the familiarity with Jason in this novel compared to Danny.
So this one is about Danny/Jason who is down on his luck - he's broken up, having left teaching, writing short reviews for a freebie paper, and hanging around with his mate in his computer games shop, and the sees a girl, gets her disposable camera, launches on a quest to find her. That sort of thing.
It started quite slowly for me, and heads into 3* (good) after finishing better than the first third had it going - there were a few laugh out loud moments (mainly with the band manager), and a few asides. It was a generally enjoyable, warm, if ultimately forgettable read.
So this one is about Danny/Jason who is down on his luck - he's broken up, having left teaching, writing short reviews for a freebie paper, and hanging around with his mate in his computer games shop, and the sees a girl, gets her disposable camera, launches on a quest to find her. That sort of thing.
It started quite slowly for me, and heads into 3* (good) after finishing better than the first third had it going - there were a few laugh out loud moments (mainly with the band manager), and a few asides. It was a generally enjoyable, warm, if ultimately forgettable read.
August 1, 2015
Charlotte Street is very funny and cute at the same time.
As soon as you enter the story, the reading flows very well.
I thought the story could have been reduced a little. I loved the details that the author put in the book, but sometimes I felt I would never finish reading.
Jason is a realistic character. Everything that happened in his life, could be happening with the person next to you. Dev is my favorite character. He is a great friend and he is so funny!
I'd say to pick up this book you need to have patience and like the writing style.
However, it was a great entertainment and I am happy to finally have read.
As soon as you enter the story, the reading flows very well.
I thought the story could have been reduced a little. I loved the details that the author put in the book, but sometimes I felt I would never finish reading.
Jason is a realistic character. Everything that happened in his life, could be happening with the person next to you. Dev is my favorite character. He is a great friend and he is so funny!
I'd say to pick up this book you need to have patience and like the writing style.
However, it was a great entertainment and I am happy to finally have read.
February 23, 2013
Eigenlijk zou je dit boek kunnen vergelijken met een romantische komedie, maar niet het extreem melige soort. Eerder het grappige soort, het ontroerende soort en het soort waarbij je naar je televisiescherm "komaan, jong, doe nu een keer niet zo stom!" roept. Zo het soort waarin Seth Rogen de hoofdrol speelt. Seth Rogen zou eigenlijk keihard de hoofdrol kunnen vertolken moest dit boek ooit verfilmd worden. Soit. Ik denk dat ik al heel lang niet meer zo hard heb geduimd voor een hoofdpersonage. :P
February 6, 2013
This book started out great and I was really into the humor and the story. Then about halfway through I became bogged down by the story and the humor was gone as well. The characters were intriguing at first as well, and then I found that I just did not care about any of them and I did not care if Jason ever found "the girl" I am disappointed as I thought this was going to be a fun, light read, but that is not the case.
June 2, 2012
A best friend of mine bought this for me and I read it in two days!! As with Danny's comedy-docu bks this was funny and gripping n I could completely picture the characters and their habitats. Very David Nicholls esque of one day fame but just better and I can never run out out of great things to say about Mr Wallaces writing style-loved it. Charlotte st is right up my street!!!
May 24, 2018
I had lost hope in British writers. Danny Wallace is different though. I loved this book. I'm a hopeless romantic and a sucker for a good plot. This book had both. And the way he writes makes you want to keep reading. I never thought a cliffhanger would be possible in the middle of a story, but Wallace does it time and time again. Brilliant.
May 27, 2013
I love Danny Wallace, and I love this book! It differs from his other books that I've read as it is fiction and not a true account of something that's happened to him. But as always, he drew me in to the story line, intrigued me, made me laugh, and captured moments of late 20s/early 30s life in London perfectly.
September 2, 2014
I loved Yes Man. Then I started this and wanted to cry because it didn't have the same funny, easy, graceful style. If it hadn't been a book club book I would have given up; but I'm so glad I didn't. Half way through it slipped back into the funny, laugh out loud style I had expected and I really enjoyed it. Heartwarming and lovely.
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