Chat: Book One

by Nan McCarthy

In the days before Facebook, Skype, and Twitter...

Two strangers begin a conversation online. It's 1995, and the Internet is new and uncharted territory. No status updates, no photos, no tweets, no video chats. All they have to share with one another are their words.

Max, a restless advertising copywriter who's new to the online world, boldly strikes up an email conversation with Bev, a tough-minded book editor who's been online since...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1888354046
• ISBN13: 9781888354041
• Release Date: March 2020
• Publisher: Rainwater Press
• Length: 134 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 4.7" x 7.5"

Customer Reviews

Cyberspace romance - witty, original, surprsing

The Bridges of Cyperspace County with a surprise twistReviewer: jcorn59483 from Indianapolis, IN USAFirst off, do NOT buy one of these books without buying all three (Chat, Connect, Crash) at the same time - they really do have to be read all together. Secondly, do yourself a favor and don't download these books. Try to find them in book form becaue you'll want the originals to stay on your shelf, ready to be picked up and read again and again.Finally, here's the reason you should read this series: it is an orignal, well-done and witty flirtation and eventually full-blown romance between a man and woman who meet online. This is the FIRST romance series I ever read which was written from a cyber perspective, complete with emoticons (a crash course in them, in fact, useful if you've not particularly computer-savvy). I've read others since then but this is still my favorite. If you don't have much time to read but love a good romance, this one moves quickly but is fullfilling and emotionally engaging. Be forewarned: Have a box of Kleenex nearby!

Quick, but great read

Once you read Chat you will indeed want to complete the next two books in Nan McCarthy's series. Being an online addict and former chat junkie, I was so into this book, I emailed the author (no actual reply of course), but still felt good just venting. If you enjoy light suspense, romance and high-tech flirtations, get crackin' on this 3 book mini-series. All three books can be read at one time. Their small size is also great for trading with friends.

Can't put it down

Chat is a breath of fresh air, a true modern interpretation of romance and illicit love, crafted at its' finest level. The book is impossible to put down, and when it ends the feeling of loss stays with you for days...until you obtain your copy of Connect..book two in the trilogy!

Fun and Refreshing Read

If you are looking for a short and fun read for an afternoon, Nan McCarthy's novel Chat would be an excellent choice. This short novel allows the reader to eavesdrop on the conversation between two people that are communicating through a series of emails. In the beginning the focus characters, Max and Beverly, are innocently chatting online about computers, but in time their relationship develops into an online love story. This book weighs in at mere 115 pages, so it is understandable that within this length there is not enough time to develop characters in much detail.Computers play a big role in all of our lives today. People have had their attention span shortened by the intense contact we have with computers and television. We are thirsty for information, but only in little doses, and this book does just that. The series of emails used to develop the plot introduce a man named Max who is new to online chatting and emails.Initially Max is just looking for some information on what kind of computer system to buy, but he meets Bev, a book editor that has been logging on for years. With each email exchange more is learned about each of the characters, and the lives they live. Max likes to speak his mind asking searching questions early in the relationship, "Are you happy?" (10). Bev is initially portrayed as one who is online strictly for a tool of communication, and does not take kindly to some stranger hitting on a married woman, "You, on the other hand, are probably wearing a smelly jogging suit with your butt hanging out the back and Cheetos crumbs hanging off your beard." (8). With each email exchange the two grow closer together sharing more personal information and quickly this develops into a powerful online relationship.Additionally, the characters are developed through the use of emoticons in some of the emails. Early in the book, the emails exchanged are just straight text, but as time moves on we begin to see the characters using emoticons to help express their feelings or tone of voice. It is through this we can begin to see something deeper than just an online friendship starting to evolve. Even though it is not hard to guess where the book is leading, it will still be hard to put down, and the ending will be left up to you as the reader to write the next email. Chat gives those who have not yet experienced the world of email and the Internet a glimmer of what endless possibilities are out there. From finding actual information (like Max originally intended) to finding the love of your life, the Internet might hold your answers.