Ava makes it her mission to get him to admit some feelings for her, purely because it would give her the upper hand. She obtained an English degree from Trinity College Dublin in 2016 and later a Master's Degree in Victorian Literature from Oxford University. As I started reading this novel, I realized I had to take my time with it. When you not only stalk her on subreddits, but worry about whether the algorithm will reveal to her the true extent of your stalking. This model of relationship-as-power-struggle is hardly new, but Dolan brings a fresh 21st-century sensibility to it. Its a layered book because of these factors, and it works in the storys favor. Naoise Dolan, 2020. Copyright 2023 Kirkus Media LLC. After a local waiter replies to her English greeting in Cantonese, an irritated Edith points out one of Avas blind spots: Youre not noticing because youre white, she says, people see me and assume Im from here. Edith might let Ava off the hook, but why should todays reader do the same? I liked Exciting Times a lot more than the average GR reviewer. About the author (2020) Naoise Dolan is an Irish writer born in Dublin. It is forbidden to copy anything for publication elsewhere without written permission from the copyright holder. She studied at Trinity College, followed by a master's in Victorian literature at Oxford. The novel goes on to discuss the history of colonialism by the British of the Irish and Hong Kong. I related to it immensely. "Jealousy and obsession, love and late capitalism, sex and the internet all come whirling together in a wry and bracing tale of class . Since the content is visually instructed, it creates excitement in learning by the users and improves the retention rate to a greater extent which . Sally Rooney-endorsed. 6 min read. Her debut novel, Exciting Times, was a Sunday Times bestseller, widely translated, and optioned for television. 2. Why do you like me? Ava asks him. Naoise Dolan. She is known for her debut novel Exciting Times . Exciting Timesfollows Ava, a young Irish woman living in Hong Kong and her relationship with Julian and Edith. Author Available in used condition with free delivery in the UK. The prose is interesting; the way Dolan writes the dialogue is natural; the conversations back home with family felt real in a way that many writing about calling home don't. Intermixed with some "politics" about late stage capitalism, marxism and the class systems. With Ava still living in Julians apartment, she and Edith fall into a quick friendship that evolves into a relationship. va, a 22-year-old Dubliner living in Hong Kong, describes herself as good at men. I don't do that often. Behind Ryles veneer of civility are his jealousy and resentment. The novel takes place a few years after the 2014 Umbrella Movement, peaceful demonstrations that galvanized Hong Kongs youth, who were demanding open elections, in a renewed spirit of protest. Edith is curious and enthusiastic, and Ava can no longer maintain her detached, ironical approach to life feelings flower all over the place. D I S C L A I M E RThese are all just my own opinion on the book. But real life is messy and people are messy, and this book dramatizes that in a way that rings profoundly true. Caitlin, on the other hand, lives part of the year with her wealthy mother Phoebe, whos just moved to Albuquerque, and summers with her father Lamb, equally affluent, on the Vineyard. - Kirkus Reviews Stories that focus on social issues such as class and LGBTQ+ are of interest to you. - Booklist (starred review) Article @what_leah_reads. 23 year old Ava moves to Hong Kong to escape Ireland. However, I soon grew to really like this, as I became used to her inner thoughts. But now theyre co-parenting a daughter, Emerson, who's almost a year old. If in part one, Ava feels held at a frustrating distance why is she so hard on herself? Available in used condition with free delivery in the UK. Exciting Times is an acerbic tale of sex and love, set in the social media age.' - The Herald Scotland. Youre not easily pleased with how other people put sentences together, Julian accuses, but when it comes to money, youve got no taste. This book is very clever and very busy being very clever making it tiring to read but being a millennial seems pretty exhausting so perhaps its captured a lived experience. "Exciting Timesfollows 22-year-old Ava as she leaves Ireland to teach in Hong Kong. As Ava grapples with the newfound vulnerability Edith has exposed in her, she finds herself observing her own actions like a zoologist peering into a cage. Trouble signing in? The Irish author, who will appear virtually at the Hong Kong International Literary Festival, set her multi-award winning novel in Hong Kong Dolan's debut novel, Exciting Times, is a smart, funny, . Some will find Ava absolutely intolerable and insufferable and won't be able to finish the first 25 pages. Now I know what the phrase razor sharp wit really means. Search String: Summary | An intimate, bracingly intelligent debut novel about a millennial Irish expat who becomes entangled in a love triangle with a male banker and a female lawyer. I laughed out loud at so many parts, especially in conversations with her parents! Ava wants to be herand wants her. Exciting Times, which was acquired in a seven-way bidding war, more than lives up to the . If youre looking for likable and well-rounded characters, a happy love story, and everything packaged up in a neat box, this isnt it. But I'm going to just get it out of the way, for Naoise Dolan . Membership Advantages. I really am. I am a huge Sally Rooney fan, ergo, this book was such a treat for me. A young Dubliner in Hong Kong struggles to connect in this fresh and funny debut about love and self-knowledge. Ava is a 21-year-old who leaves Ireland, where shes convinced everyone hates her, to become a teacher of English as a foreign language in Hong Kong. Though the novel had mixed reviews, one thing readers did agree on is that Dolan is a unique and smart writer who they'll continue to support throughout her career. Politically alert, heartbreakingly raw, and dryly funny, Exciting Times is thrillingly attuned to the great freedoms and greater uncertainties of modern love. She's sharing an Airbnb with roomies that don't like her. Some will declare Ava sharp and wise and funny, a hyper-relatable protagonist. Like Rooney, Dolan writes in a deadpan style. Bookshop For Authors Bookshop . Naoise Dolan has been compared to Sally Rooney, and I definitely think fans ofConversations With Friendsmay like this one more than I did!" @bookish_molly. Condition - Very Good. In her first months as an expat, she meets Juliana 28-year-old English bankerwho seems aloof about everything except his job. Condition - Like New. She talks to Ava about Ava, and delivers the odd riff on her mother or Judy Garland, but we never delve deep into her own feelings or get to see her vulnerabilities exposed. Noting that the school hires only white people, she remarks: Like sharks teeth, teachers dropped out and were replaced. From the jump, Ava approaches the world with cleareyed humor. 2019 Naoise Dolan (P)2019 Orion Publishing Group. In my opinion,Exciting Timesreads very similar. In stylish, uncluttered prose, Naoise Dolan dissects the personal and financial transactions that make up a lifeand announces herself as a singular new voice. The most insightful and raw of these are the caustic observations about Irelands repressive attitudes to homosexuality and abortionand how they damage individual lives. Lots of reviews are making the Rooney 'millennial lit' comparison which is fair but I'd add. Judy Blume, edited by Exciting Times is a fun, snappy read ordinarily, Id say its short chapters could be torn through on your commute, but itll brighten lockdown too. Ava admires how Julian handles his advantages, how he could calmly note where he benefited from unfairness not self-indulgently like I often did, but factually. As their undefined relationship goes on, she begins to develop her own brand of romantic longing, which begins with a desire for his life of privilege. I cant wait to read what Dolan writes next. Buy Exciting Times: THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER By Naoise Dolan. Theres a certain dry, almost deadpan quality in her observation of the lives of her twentysomething characters the complications of attraction, and the gap between whats felt and whats spoken; calmly articulated self-loathing, and precise capturing of class differences that both authors nail down dead. - Vogue RELEASE DATE: Oct. 18, 2022. [5] Dolan obtained an English degree from Trinity College Dublin in 2016 [6] [2] and later a Master's in Victorian literature from Oxford University. EXCITING TIMES is an acerbic tale of sex and love, set in the social media age * The Herald Scotland * Incredibly readable * Belfast Telegraph * With Naoise Dolan on the literary scene, there are EXCITING TIMES ahead * i-D * The Irish debut novel everyone is talking about * The Gloss * I savoured every shrewd line * Dazed * A sharp, witty and . Naoise Dolan and her debut novel, "Exciting Times." (Maria Bianchi / Ecco) The title of Naoise Dolan's debut novel, "Exciting Times," is a clever trick an ambivalent phrase that reads one way in millennial deadpan, an additional way as an earnest expression. The more I think about this novel the more it suffers in my estimations. Button, water, Tuesdayanything with two syllables zipped up then down like a Gothic steeple. Find books by time period, setting & theme, Read-alike suggestions by book and author. I definitely feltand enjoyedthat similar sparseness of language employed by both authors to cut to the crux of an emotion. "Hands down one of the most anticipated debuts of the yearA piercingly provocative look at modern love and power games." By contrast, Avas written correspondences social media posts and emails she labors over, analyzes, doesnt send or sends by accident become increasingly vulnerable in their disclosures as the book moves along. 3.5 out of 5 stars 3.7 out of 5.0 5 Stars . Judy Blume NOTE: I am coming in here a little over a year after writing this because I have changed a bit as a reader and reviewer, and want this, which is still getting eyes on it pretty constantly, to reflect that. This is one of the hottest debut authors of 2020, described as the new Sally Rooney and perfect for fans ofAnimalsandTrick Mirror. A banker who likes to spend money on Ava, to have sex and discuss fluctuating currencies with her. A Hong Kongborn lawyer, striking and ambitious, Edith takes Ava to the theater and leaves her tulips in the hallway. The story follows Ava, a quick witted, self-loathing Irish 22-year-old teacher and Julian, an almost-30-year-old British banker, both living as expats in Hong Kong. The fact that Naoise Dolan is being touted as "the new Sally Rooney" is nothing short of an insult to Rooney's work. She has been short-listed and long-listed for several prizes, including the Women's Prize for Fiction, the Dylan Thomas Prize, and the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award.She lives in Berlin. - Exciting Times [ Book Description ] When you leave Ireland aged 22 to spend your parents' money, it's called a gap year. She has been shortlisted and longlisted for several prizes, including The Women's Prize for Fiction, the Dylan Thomas Prize and The Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year . @kelseylovesbooks. Categories: Naoise Dolan: 'I'm not good at presenting myself as likable', 'The stakes were really high': the stars bringing Sally Rooney's Normal People to TV, 'My family are too frightened to read my book': meet Europe's most exciting authors, Sally Rooney: 'I want the next thing I do to be the best thing Ive ever done', Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan review a bracing, witty debut, 'All words are not equal': the debut novelist who's become a lockdown sensation, Tiger King and a bloody mary: Hilary Mantel, Simon Armitage and other writers on lockdown life, Introducing our 10 best debut novelists of 2020. Still, Dolan deserves her own praise for her debut novel that centers on a millennial Irish expat named Ava who teaches abroad in Hong Kong, and ends up in a love triangle with a banker, Julian, and a lawyer, Edith. The story is told through Avas eyes and she often diverges on topics, which are not always explained. But when she asks whether he loves her, he cannot say more than "I like you a great deal." Its a great pick for everyone whos sensitive and introspective, but also cynical and scared of relationships." As for the ending, given the character development up to that point, it just felt really implausible. Thats good to know about me, she thinks. Naoise Dolan's Exciting Times is shortlisted for the 2020 Young Writer of the Year Award. A young millennial finds herself in a love triangle with a man and woman. Read if you like Animals by Emma Jane Unsworth, Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath - Sunday Times Style. A literary and hilarious tour de force. Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over. Exciting Times. (For new readers, their history unfolds in heartfelt diary entries that Lily addresses to Finding Nemo star Ellen DeGeneres as she considers how Atlas was a calming presence during her turbulent childhood.) Politics, class, and race anxiously hover over the entire novel. Surely, Dolan has much in common with the immensely popular Rooney in terms of themes and style. "Gaydars . However, they did enjoy the political and historical references throughout the novel, albeit having to do a bit of research on the topics themselves. Often when I read a queer novel some of it feels forced; this was seamless. Books that read fast, cut fluff, and get to the point are your jam. This is it. Naoise Dolan is an Irish novelist. "Aimless Ava moves from Dublin to Hong Kong looking to find purpose for her life. Edith is a local, sophisticated, and enthusiastic lawyer who falls in love with Ava and isnt afraid to say so. It felt authentic, less an added 'interesting' point, but a way of being that felt effortless. But Im going to just get it out of the way, for Naoise Dolan is Irish, in her mid-20s, and her debut was previewed in literary magazine The Stinging Fly while Rooney edited it. And also coming out: Ava slowly falls for Edith, a Hong Kong lawyer. Only 2 left. Its a story about intimacy, vulnerability, being alone, and being different versions of yourself with different people. But boy, this novel feels so liveless and fake. She creates her own isolation, whilst being envious of those who are not lonely. Fiercely intelligent, brutally funny and written with such heart, Exciting Times announces an impressive new voice in literature. Naoise Dolan: seasons the novel with insights about class, gender, race and language. Ill update in the comments if I ever figure it out. Though the wedding briefly revives Vixs old feelings for Bru, whom Caitlin is marrying, Vix is soon in love with Gus, another old summer friend, and a more compatible match. Politically alert, heartbreakingly raw, and dryly funny, Exciting Times is thrillingly attuned to the great freedoms and greater uncertainties of modern love. That doesnt make for a worthy heroineor it might make me 'too old' to empathize. She writes fiction, essays, criticism and features for publications including The London Review of Books, The Guardian and Vogue.Her debut novel Exciting Times was published by W&N in the UK and by Ecco in the US in 2020, and became a Sunday Times . This book really does navigate the muddle of thought and inaction cleverly. @cc_bookclub, "There is definitely some exciting fiction coming out of Ireland and it's hard not to compare this book to Sally Rooney's work. Naoise Dolan is an Irish writer born in Dublin. Politically alert, heartbreakingly raw, and dryly funny, Exciting Times is thrillingly attuned to the great freedoms and greater uncertainties of modern love. So lucky us, really. More Books, Published Jun 2020 I loved Exciting Times and could see within the first few chapters why it's on lots of best books 2020 lists. I really enjoyed this novel and would recommend if you want to read something thats not the normal style." Title Ultimately, this one was a miss for me. Naoise is an author I know Ill follow throughout her writing career, and that excites me. Marie Claire is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Honestly. 1. Read more. Three-syllable words spread out like the spokes on an umbrella: "attaches" became "a-tach-iss.". In Irish author Dolan's debut novel, 22-year-old narrator Ava relocates from Dublin to Hong Kong to teach grammar at a school for English-language learners. When Julian leaves for London on an extended work project, Ava meets Edith, a Hong Kong local and ambitious lawyer. Enter Edith. NY 10036. $15 at Amazon. Regardless of whether this will be a standout favorite for you, I believe we can all appreciate the hype it has whipped up and the skill of Dolans writing." Exciting Times is the debut novel from Irish writer Naoise Dolan (and one of the Headstuff Picks of 2020 ). I love books about disaster women and unlike many of my bookish friends do not seem to tire of them at all. Oh my goodness. The years pass by at a fast and steamy clip in Blumes latest adult novel (Wifey, not reviewed; Smart Women, 1984) as two friends find loyalties and affections tested as they grow into young women. I wanted to like it, but the lack of plot and my lack of affection for the main character made it fall short. Noting that the school hires only white people, she remarks: "Like sharks' teeth, teachers dropped out and were replaced.". ISBN-10: 1474613446 . HarperCollins. Our parents had divorced when I was a baby, and now lived in different counties in the west of Ireland. That said, I did not always love this book. I wanted her life, Ava thinks. Have I compared this book to Sally Rooney enough times yet?? In fact, Exciting Times (talk about a misleading title) reads like a dry, emotionless version of Conversations with Friends without the subtle characterization and psychological realism that made Rooney a household name. <style> body { -ms-overflow-style: scrollbar; overflow-y: scroll; overscroll-behavior-y: none; } .errorContainer { background-color: #FFF; color: #0F1419; max-width . @brigittesbookshelf, "Lovers of Sally Rooney will absolutely devour this book. Its something I appreciate in memoirs and also in literary fiction. A heartbroken scientist searching for a cure finds a second chance at fatherhood when one of his test subjectsa pigdevelops the capacity for human speech. Naoise Dolan - Exciting Times: A Novel Audiobook. I need to have a protagonist I can rally behindand Avas self-pitying rants just made me irritated and wanting her to find a good therapist. Dolan is an Irish writer born in Dublin. This is the kind of book that people are going to have vastly different opinions on. - Book Riot After confiding that she called her college savings account her abortion fund, she says: I knew some women who saved with their friends, and they all helped whoever was unlucky. EXCITING TIMES, by Naoise Dolan. After graduating from Trinity, Dubliner Ava moves to Hong Kong to teach Englishthe only thing she is qualified to doand gets hired mostly because she is white. Every complaint you've ever read about "millenial fiction"? EXCITING TIMES. Here, she grapples with her feelings towards Julian, a rich, witty but largely emotionless banker, and Edith, an ambitious and striking lawyer. Welcome to Hong Kong, where Julian (English) is a banker and Ava (Irish) is a leech. Get help and learn more about the design. Dolan writes about some of the social and political changes happening on the island, and its really interesting to consider this novel a time capsule for some of the last, perhaps, 'golden years' of the Anglo-European expat life in Hong Kong. About a third into the story, when I was starting to wonder where everything was going, were introduced to Edith, a lawyer from Hong Kong who starts to capture Avas attention away from Julian. Visit our corporate site. (I mean, I love them both and what good company to be in! And then Julian writes to tell Ava he is coming back to Hong Kong Should Ava return to the easy compatibility of her life with Julian or take a leap into the unknown with Edith? Throughout the book, Ava makes incisive observations about the legacy of colonialism in both HK and Ireland, in addition to funny musings about the rules of English grammar she teaches her students, but can hardly explain, let alone justify, herself. If you love prose sprinkled with sarcasm, characters who could use some serious self-improvement, and complicated love stories, thenExciting Timeswill likely appeal to you. However, its the authors style of writing that really grew on me. Exciting Times is very funny in its cool observation and the way it takes us inside Avas spirals of overthinking. Emotions are dealt with baldly, dryly: Anyway, I hated her, says Ava about Victoria, a moneyed friend of Julians. Get ready to turn that frown upside down. Despite the chip on her shoulder, she falls in with Julian, an Eton-educated English banker who she enjoys being with because they (supposedly) arent that interested in each other: It wasnt like normal friendships where I worried if the other person still liked me. She moves into his swanky apartment, rent-free, and they have sex. Genre: Literary Fiction "The angst of your twentiestrying to figure out who you are can be exhaustingyoure trying on identities like outfits. Telling neither the full truth about the other, Ava finds herself falling in love with Edith. In fact, Now longlisted for the 2021 Desmond Elliott Prize for debut fiction and for the 2021 Women's Prize. "Droll, shrewd and unafraida winning debut." Never feel guilty about skipping book club again. While Julian is back in London for six months, Ava meets Mei Ling Edith Zhang, a corporate lawyer from a well-off Hong Kong family. East and West collide in a timely and bittersweet novel of loyalty, love, and the siren call of freedom. None of them will be wrong, really, it's just one of those books. This information about Exciting Times was first featured In addition to appearing in best selling lists in the original English, it has also been translated into Italian where it has got rave reviews. GENERAL FICTION, by The rumors are true: This does read like Sally Rooney. Overall. 5.79. Exciting Times was also nominated in the Best Newcomer Category at the An Post Irish Book Awards. When Naoise Dolan 's debut novel Exciting Times was released last year, she was swiftly earmarked as the " next Sally Rooney ". On a sentence level the novel delivers one perfect zinger after another. I really am. The young Irish writers first novel is dry and sharp in its observation of twentysomething expat lives. I loved the IG stalking references, so current and fun to read. BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfictionbooks that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us. Ahead, we're showcasing the best fashion and beauty looks you can recreate now. In November we went for brunch on Aberdeen Street with Ralph, pronounced 'Rafe', who'd gone to Balliol with Julian, now worked at . A gut-punch of a novel about a Cherokee child removed from her family and sent to a Christian boarding school in the 1950s. Offline, shes likely watching a Heat game or finding a new coffee shop. It finds her teaching English while abroad and indecisive about two lovers. Still, Naoise Dolan deserves her own praise. Por supuesto que la historia de esta joven irlandesa buscndose la vida como profesora de ingls en Hong Kong y tratando de sobrevivir a dos amores casi opuestos (aunque no tan diferentes) es maravillosa, sexy, extica y fascinante, pero es que ese personaje protagonista est tan bien construido que el libro sera igual de interesante si no le pasase nada de todo lo extraordinario que le sucede. But on this occasion, its more than just a question of biography: Dolans writing does genuinely occupy similar territory. Reviews: Trustpilot. Subscribe to receive some of our best reviews, "beyond the book" articles, book club info and giveaways by email. Its a brilliantly concise summation of her take on relationships, which she sees as a power game, an ultimately shallow emotional transaction in which the greatest potential benefit might be that you get to move into an apartment better than anything you can afford on your own. In June, we're reading author Naoise Dolan's debut book, Exciting Times a novel about an Irish millennial expat in Hong Kong who finds herself in a love triangle with a male banker and a female . Sure, her salary is good compared to the locals, but ending things with Julian would mean shed have to, gasp, live like they do, in coffin homes.. If Sally Rooney couldn't write, was more cynical and forgot everything about subtlety and realistic characterisation and dialogue. Nenia I yeet my books back and forth Campbell, review of Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan on LonesomeReader. How to Join Marie Claire's Online Book Club. Millennials floundering in the realms of the heart. 1. I also think the teaching English abroad aspect was well-researched and spot on. But Caitlin, whose own demons have been hinted at, will not be so lucky. In a theme park designed for terminally ill children, a cynical employee falls in love with a mother desperate to hold on to her infected son. Pre-publication book reviews and features keeping readers and industry You get annoyed when a book includes references to politics/political issues/cultural references and you have NO IDEA what they mean (lots of info on politics in Ireland and Hong Kong, neither of which I knew OR cared to Google), While this style is definitely not for me, if you were a fan ofNormal PeopleandEleanor Oliphant,I can see you really enjoying this read and encourage you to try. [4] She identifies as queer. Ava, newly arrived in Hong Kong from Dublin, spends her days teaching English to rich children. Ava feels safer, more shielded from harm with Julian, but happier with Edith. Naoise Dolan The dark and light sides of friendship breathlessly explored in a novel best saved for summer beachside reading. Add to cart. Which path does Ava end up taking? Edith Zhang Mei LingEnglish name Edith, Chinese name Mei Ling . Dolan was born in Dublin, Ireland. It also turned into a really beautiful queer love story, taking turns I hadnt anticipated at the outset of the novel. His privilege is the invisible third party in the relationship. Julian is a banker. "Volleying dialogue, rich interiority, and perceptive writing on money, politics, and classA clever and deep novel of sex, connection, and the complexities of self expression." 3. Politically alert, heartbreakingly raw, and dryly funny, Exciting Times is thrillingly attuned to the great freedoms and greater uncertainties of modern love. In Irish author Dolan's debut novel, 22-year-old narrator Ava relocates from Dublin to Hong Kong to teach grammar at a school for English-language learners. What listeners say about Exciting Times Average Customer Ratings. Exciting Times Naoise Dolan $27.99 $26.03 in cart add to cart I Might Regret This: Essays, Drawings, Vulnerabilities, and. Nine months later, out popped their new child known asExciting Times. I took some time getting used to the narrators voice, but once I did, I became completely absorbed in Avas story. EXCITING TIMES is a joy from start to finish, and the perfect balm for these times-fresh, funny, sharp. She's a young Irish woman, after all, and she'd written a . Exciting Times By: Naoise Dolan. Im sorry. Exciting Times is published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson. Margaret Verble is the author of several previous novels, including. Already drawing comparisons to Sally Rooney's work, "Exciting Times," by Naoise Dolan, has many of the familiar tropes of the "millennial . Dolan seasons the novel with insights about class, gender, race, colonialism, and language, though the result does not always bring depth of flavour. In Exciting Times, Naoise Dolan's debut novel, the characters have better problems than most of us do. This debut novel tells the story of a millennial Irish expat who becomes entangled in a love triangle with a male banker and a female lawyer