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Eleven
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Xavier Ireland is a radio DJ who by night listens to the hopes, fears and regrets of sleepless Londoners and by day keeps himself very much to himself - until he is brought into the light by a one-of-a-kind cleaning lady and forced to confront his own biggest regret.
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Paperback, 388 pages
Published
August 1st 2010
by Simon & Schuster
(first published 2010)
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Start your review of Eleven

What a lucky find. I have been to see Mark Watson's stand-up performance before, and really enjoy his sense of humour, but I had no idea he could write as well! And while his stand-up can be quite frenetic at times, his writing (in this case, at least) is very measured and restrained. The comparisons to David Nicholls are spot-on in my opinion - love them both.
Watson's humour and his fondness of Australia shine through, but this is not a comedy. It's almost a parable - a story about action and i ...more
Watson's humour and his fondness of Australia shine through, but this is not a comedy. It's almost a parable - a story about action and i ...more

Quite simply, I liked this from the off, and read it in three sittings. It's not High Art, it's chick lit really, only male authors never get patronised with the term, but it sits very comfortably alongside Lisa Jewell (even the cover is similar to hers of a few years back) and, I gather, One Day, which I confess I've never read. Mark Watson is a gifted writer; he has a light touch (again, I mean this as a compliment, whoever sets out to write a 'heavy' book?) and you'd not know from his tone of
...more

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Here’s a chain of consequences: early last year, I was at a work conference where, one evening, a group of us went to see Mark Watson in stand-up. His name was half-familiar, though I couldn’t quite place it; but I love good comedy, so I decided to take a chance and go along anyway – and I’m glad I did, because Watson was hilarious.
A few months later, I was in an unfamiliar part of town, and popped into the local library, where I saw a novel by an author named Mark Watson. A quick glance at the ...more
A few months later, I was in an unfamiliar part of town, and popped into the local library, where I saw a novel by an author named Mark Watson. A quick glance at the ...more

Xavier Ireland moved from Australia to London five years ago and is a late night talk-show host. He has become a quasi-therapist to his listeners, but in his usual life he is a loner who tries not to get involved in other people's lives.
As the story unfolds, we discover what happened to Xavier which caused this change in him (including changing his name from Chris), and he also discovers a way to try and get back to his old self.
Although this is the main story, there is also another large thread ...more
As the story unfolds, we discover what happened to Xavier which caused this change in him (including changing his name from Chris), and he also discovers a way to try and get back to his old self.
Although this is the main story, there is also another large thread ...more

This was a really pleasant surprise. It'd be a disservice to dismiss this contemporary novel by comedian and author Mark Watson as just 'bloke lit', but it would also be inaccurate to over-analyse this and describe it in terms of the existentialist and philosophical points it makes. It was just a very readable, very enjoyable, thought-provoking little novel.
The central story concerns a late-night radio DJ, his friendship with his co-presenter/producer, and the other relationships he has/had. The ...more
The central story concerns a late-night radio DJ, his friendship with his co-presenter/producer, and the other relationships he has/had. The ...more

Didn't really know what I was getting my self into while picking up the book, didn't knew he was a stand up comedian, and while this book isn't overly comical, it has a lightness to it and some funny bits. Enjoyed the story but wasn't something special for me
...more

4.5 stars
After reading Hotel Alpha, I was keen to try more by Watson, I really liked his ideas and style of writing, using multiple narrators but showing a great grasp of juggling several lives and storylines and intertwining them.
This is more keenly observed here, with the actions of one person affecting the next, then the next and so on, with a chain of eleven people and their lives becoming entwined in small ways.
It all begins with a radio DJ, Australian Xavier Ireland (a name he's taken on) ...more
After reading Hotel Alpha, I was keen to try more by Watson, I really liked his ideas and style of writing, using multiple narrators but showing a great grasp of juggling several lives and storylines and intertwining them.
This is more keenly observed here, with the actions of one person affecting the next, then the next and so on, with a chain of eleven people and their lives becoming entwined in small ways.
It all begins with a radio DJ, Australian Xavier Ireland (a name he's taken on) ...more

I'd never heard of Mark Watson in any context other than stand-up comedy before, even less had I actually ever scene him perform. This book cost me £0.99 and is now back up to a fiver on Kindle. The synopsis sounded interesting, no more than that, so it really was a bit of a whim purchase.
Seeing an endorsement for the man by Stephen Fry as soon as you open the book certainly impacts, but the writing is powerful enough to drag you in all by itself. From that opening, that cold, still, snowy Febua ...more
Seeing an endorsement for the man by Stephen Fry as soon as you open the book certainly impacts, but the writing is powerful enough to drag you in all by itself. From that opening, that cold, still, snowy Febua ...more

'Eleven' is the best book I've read in a while, I bloody loved it! You can feel while reading that Mark Watson is a comedian, but it's not all 'HAHA THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE SO FUNNY'. It's subtly funny, but also sad, it's light yet you really feel for all the characters involved and everything just clicks.
It makes you wonder how the choices we make in life affect other people we may or may not know, without trying to point a finger at anyone, it doesn't try to hard. Linking eleven lives back to o ...more
It makes you wonder how the choices we make in life affect other people we may or may not know, without trying to point a finger at anyone, it doesn't try to hard. Linking eleven lives back to o ...more

This was a classic holiday read: plucked from the bookshelf of a villa on the basis that I like the author (as a stand-up) and it was compared to One Day (which I loved) on the cover. Easy to read and entirely undemanding, it was perfect for slotting in between stopping the kids falling into the pool and slapping on sun-cream.
There's a nice concept driving the book which is, I suppose, where the One Day reference comes in: an observation of the butterfly effect at work. One action (or indeed, in ...more
There's a nice concept driving the book which is, I suppose, where the One Day reference comes in: an observation of the butterfly effect at work. One action (or indeed, in ...more

I devoured this book in under two days. I found it delightful, engrossing, and a great book with which to begin my summer reading. Goodreads had recommended this book because I am such a huge fan of One Day by David Nicholls (please read if you haven't).
I found that I was not disappointed. Mark Watson created a concise narrative while interweaving at large overall theme of connectivity. His ability to jump between two parallel stories without losing the reader was impressive, and more so to com ...more
I found that I was not disappointed. Mark Watson created a concise narrative while interweaving at large overall theme of connectivity. His ability to jump between two parallel stories without losing the reader was impressive, and more so to com ...more

What a laborious read. This book frustrated me so much yet I reflect on it with a sense of fondness. Xavier is a likeable protagonist with qualities and issues we can all relate to. Some beautifully constructed sentences and quirky characters leave me wondering how I truly felt about this story.
I began the book with high expectations, waiting for excitement and brilliance, what I encountered was a book dealing with the everyday, but with an exciting addition of a domino effect of consequences.
My ...more
I began the book with high expectations, waiting for excitement and brilliance, what I encountered was a book dealing with the everyday, but with an exciting addition of a domino effect of consequences.
My ...more

This isn't going to be a normal review more of a 'what did I think about the book in 5 sentences '
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All in all the book was okay . I needed nearly the 100 pages to really get into the story and still then I was slightly confused because of the 11 people you get to know in the book. Their perspectives aren't separated in chapter or anything so you get confused easily. The middle part was quit well but the last two or three chapter were somehow boring because they stretched so much . ...more
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All in all the book was okay . I needed nearly the 100 pages to really get into the story and still then I was slightly confused because of the 11 people you get to know in the book. Their perspectives aren't separated in chapter or anything so you get confused easily. The middle part was quit well but the last two or three chapter were somehow boring because they stretched so much . ...more

Eleven by Mark Watson
Recommended for people who like: Love Actually, Crash, Sleepless in Seattle
“Genre” Tags: Everyone is Connected, People Trying to Find Happiness
The Official Summary: ONE MOMENT... ELEVEN LIVES... ENDLESS CONSEQUENCES (Yup. That’s it. It’s ok, I’ll fill it in for you)
Review:
I worry I might be missing something. Several reviews for this book that I have read on GoodReads talk about how hilarious and smartly done it is. I will agree that the writing is well done, but I though ...more
Recommended for people who like: Love Actually, Crash, Sleepless in Seattle
“Genre” Tags: Everyone is Connected, People Trying to Find Happiness
The Official Summary: ONE MOMENT... ELEVEN LIVES... ENDLESS CONSEQUENCES (Yup. That’s it. It’s ok, I’ll fill it in for you)
Review:
I worry I might be missing something. Several reviews for this book that I have read on GoodReads talk about how hilarious and smartly done it is. I will agree that the writing is well done, but I though ...more

I’m always a bit prejudiced when it comes to authors who are already famous for doing other things – thinking maybe their writing doesn’t have to be as good as an unknown person’s would have to be to secure a publishing deal. These fears proved to be out of place here, though, as the writing was superb. And despite being written by a comedian, humour is not its main concern. It has drama, romance, real life, and a fair bit of tragedy. There are funny bits – the image of the person’s gut “imposin
...more

Eleven is a very quick read that offers up themes of moving forward after a loss and the interconnections among people, akin to the butterfly effect of a small distant change causing large changes at a later point in time. These effects are like a web of connections that we are either trapped in or spinning as we go depending on your perspective. The characters are realistic and the humor of London lives bubbles gently throughout, even as the protagonist wrestles with his own loss and connection
...more

Picked almost at random as something that looked good to read on holiday. Wow. This is one of the best books I've read this year. Xavier Ireland is a late night radio DJ, working with his friend Murray to help listeners with their problems. Xavier has a secret though, and it's the reason he is in London instead of his home country, Australia. When Xavier fails to help a teenage boy from being bullied it sets in motion a chain of events that affect the lives of eleven strangers.
The "butterfly eff ...more
The "butterfly eff ...more

This was a sweet book with a great tone. I could really relate to the protagonist, who was a deeply caring person who often tried too much until a great calamity befell him, which suppressed his benevolent character.
And, although the concept of tying people's lives together through seemingly inconsequential events is not new, I liked how the author presented the domino effect of missed opportunities that, in the end, make for a spectacular and unforeseen climax to the novel. How often, in retro ...more
And, although the concept of tying people's lives together through seemingly inconsequential events is not new, I liked how the author presented the domino effect of missed opportunities that, in the end, make for a spectacular and unforeseen climax to the novel. How often, in retro ...more

I love Mark Watson's comedy and thought that this novel would be Laugh Out Loud funny like Watson's stand up routines, however 'Eleven'differed completely from my expectations. I really loved Xavier as a main character and the whole narrative and perspective. The subplots were as interesting and appealing as the main plot and the interweaving of characters was well thought-out. The only negative really was that I found the connections to be a bit too clunky, I would have liked more of subtlety,
...more

Yes, this was a good one.....didn't love it, but liked it lots.
The main character was a likeable believable guy, and that always helps a story, but what really made it good, was the way the whole thing came together,a knock on effect of one action and how it spread out from one person to the next, causing big waves and minor ripples.
The last few pages have a nice unexpected ending, which is all too rare three days.....especially in a book like this, where the future of a lot of the minor charact ...more
The main character was a likeable believable guy, and that always helps a story, but what really made it good, was the way the whole thing came together,a knock on effect of one action and how it spread out from one person to the next, causing big waves and minor ripples.
The last few pages have a nice unexpected ending, which is all too rare three days.....especially in a book like this, where the future of a lot of the minor charact ...more

We're all familiar with films such as Short Cuts, Love Actually, or Amorres Perros, or the dreadful Crash, that express a theme using various characters who happen to cross paths and trigger events in the other characters' lives. It's the narrative form of the butterfly effect -- the idea that a small, apparently inconsequential action (or inaction) by one person can trigger a cascade of effects in the lives of countless number of people whom that first person has never met. One of the weaknesse
...more

Wasn't sure what to expect from this book, you can never be sure about what tone a 'known' comedian is going to take. As it was, it was an interesting little book, Mark Watson has a nice turn of phrase and his sense of humour shows through in the way he writes.
So this is a book about coincidences and degrees of separation. It follows the intersecting lives of eleven people over eleven chapters and the main character is Xavier Ireland (XI.... ok the eleven thing was a bit heavy handed).
Xavier is ...more
So this is a book about coincidences and degrees of separation. It follows the intersecting lives of eleven people over eleven chapters and the main character is Xavier Ireland (XI.... ok the eleven thing was a bit heavy handed).
Xavier is ...more
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Mark Andrew Watson (born 13 February 1980) is an English stand-up comedian and novelist.
Watson was born in Bristol to Welsh parents. He has younger twin sisters called Emma and Lucy and brother Paul. He attended Henleaze Junior school and then Bristol Grammar School, where he won the prize of 'Gabbler of the year', before going to Queens' College, Cambridge, where he studied English, graduating wi ...more
Watson was born in Bristol to Welsh parents. He has younger twin sisters called Emma and Lucy and brother Paul. He attended Henleaze Junior school and then Bristol Grammar School, where he won the prize of 'Gabbler of the year', before going to Queens' College, Cambridge, where he studied English, graduating wi ...more
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