"Exciting Timesby Naoise Dolan follows a young 20-something as she flees Dublin for Hong Kong in search of a life that matches her desires. <style> body { -ms-overflow-style: scrollbar; overflow-y: scroll; overscroll-behavior-y: none; } .errorContainer { background-color: #FFF; color: #0F1419; max-width . RELEASE DATE: June 2, 2020. I would have liked for Dolan to explore the experiences of native Hong Kong residentsfor instance, she allude to coffin homes and student protests without going into detail. In stylish, uncluttered prose, Naoise Dolan dissects the personal and financial transactions that make up a lifeand announces herself as a singular new voice. I am not in my twenties although still full of angst. The characters are refreshing, I think particularly for me because they are not American, thus allowing for some exploration of how differing cultures analyze and observe class, race, and politics. In this, shes reminiscent of Sally Rooneys precarious young women, whose struggle for self-affirmation is so snarled up with the power dynamics of sex. @readtotheend. If Sally Rooney couldn't write, was more cynical and forgot everything about subtlety and realistic characterisation and dialogue. Bookshop For Authors Bookshop . This model of relationship-as-power-struggle is hardly new, but Dolan brings a fresh 21st-century sensibility to it. However, its the authors style of writing that really grew on me. Three-syllable words spread out like the spokes on an umbrella: "attaches" became "a-tach-iss.". Politically alert, heartbreakingly raw, and dryly funny, Exciting Times is thrillingly attuned to the great freedoms and greater uncertainties of modern love. Dolan skilfully reveals to us how Avas choices are all made with self-protection in mind: her constant irony, her low expectations, her chilly relationship with Julian. 23 year old Ava moves to Hong Kong to escape Ireland. This information about Exciting Times was first featured She creates her own isolation, whilst being envious of those who are not lonely. And yet its so original. 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. Spam Free: Your email is never shared with anyone; opt out any time. In fact, Now longlisted for the 2021 Desmond Elliott Prize for debut fiction and for the 2021 Women's Prize. Do you take delight in words like "gormless"? 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. Categories: I also really loved how the author addresses the Irish English references in the novel and wondered if non-Irish readers understand them. evenings that often end in drunken blackouts or in bed with her sort-of boyfriend Julian, who . GENERAL FICTION, by A refreshingly wry and insightful debut." Like Rooney, Dolan writes in a deadpan style. I like cool detached styling, I like complex unlikeable protagonists, I like dissections of class, I like explorations of sexuality. As for the ending, given the character development up to that point, it just felt really implausible. Never feel guilty about skipping book club again. When Julian leaves for London on an extended work project, Ava meets Edith, a Hong Kong local and ambitious lawyer. - Book Riot She studied at Trinity College, followed by a master's in Victorian literature at Oxford. 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. [1] For faster navigation, this Iframe is preloading the Wikiwand page for Naoise Dolan . Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan is published by W&N (14.99), Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. They trip her up and get in the way. Heavily influenced by Sally Rooneys Normal People in terms of the tiresome indecisiveness of committing to a relationship, its as if Exciting Times is just Normal People set in China with some extra LGBT content packed in. The story is told through Avas eyes and she often diverges on topics, which are not always explained. I definitely feltand enjoyedthat similar sparseness of language employed by both authors to cut to the crux of an emotion. Thats good to know about me, she thinks. As I started reading this novel, I realized I had to take my time with it. Her elegantly simple writing allows her ideas and musings to shine. Its good to know thats how I behave in this situation.. Most recently, she was the Managing Editor at Coveteur, where she oversaw the sites day-to-day editorial operations. A widowed painter and her teenaged . Straight romance. I loved the IG stalking references, so current and fun to read. 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. $15 for 3 months. But that's what I really enjoyed about thisthe characters felt real and the uncertainty and non-committal situations also felt very real. This book really does navigate the muddle of thought and inaction cleverly. Find out exactly what #ReadWithMC loved and didn't love aboutExciting Times, below. Overall, the #ReadWithMC community had trouble relating to Ava, mainly due to her passive aggressiveness and inability to speak the truth to fellow characters in the book. 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. In July, we'll be reading Brit Bennett's bestselling novel,The Vanishing Half (opens in new tab). How to Join Marie Claire's Online Book Club. Summary. Naoise Dolan is an Irish writer born in Dublin. Trouble signing in? While there, Ava meets Julian, a rich banker from London, who invites her to move into his home. The Irish debut novel everyone is talking about.' - The Gloss. I was more interested in her thoughts and experiences with class than her relationships, to be honest, even as they played proxy for amplifying her feelings around status. "Dolan's preoccupation with power is often couched in humor but always expertly observed. I don't do that often. Emotions are dealt with baldly, dryly: Anyway, I hated her, says Ava about Victoria, a moneyed friend of Julians. 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. Nordstrom has been the go-to destination for fashion editors alike, and this season is no different. Available in used condition with free delivery in the UK. 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. Lots of reviews are making the Rooney 'millennial lit' comparison which is fair but I'd add. Both intonations feel native to its 22 . Read an excerpt from the bookhere (opens in new tab). Politically alert, heartbreakingly raw, and dryly funny, Exciting Times is thrillingly attuned to the great freedoms and greater uncertainties of modern love. Meanwhile, Atlas mother returns with shocking news. This book also brought back so many memories from my trip to Hong Kong with my friends after college graduation (swipe!). (How can you tell whether you like someone? I really enjoyed this novel and would recommend if you want to read something thats not the normal style." Victoria, or more commonly Vix, lives in a small house; her brother has muscular dystrophy; her mother is unhappy, and money is scarce. this book is insane because not only does the protagonist have the same birthday as me but also the male love interest has the same birthday as the man i didn't shut up about all of last year. Spare by Prince Harry and Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld: The biggest new books of 2023,Expect a reading frenzy for Prince Harry's memoir to kick off a year that also sees releases from 'Exciting Times' author Naoise Dolan and 'Open Water' writer Caleb Azumah Nelson Tags: culture inews.co.uk uconn edu The years in between are related in brief segments by numerous characters, but mostly by Vix. A Hong Kongborn lawyer, striking and ambitious, Edith takes Ava to the theater and leaves her tulips in the hallway. "Telling Time to Minute" contains high-end 3D animations that explain abstract topics visually in detail to understand it more easily. 1. Her elegantly simple writing allows her ideas and musings to shine. 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. EXCITING TIMES, by Naoise Dolan. - Exciting Times [ Book Description ] When you leave Ireland aged 22 to spend your parents' money, it's called a gap year. Ava is an accurately drawn emblem of the zeitgeist, but as such, she stands apart from it, isolated. Heres how it works. New York, 40+ in stock. ISBN-13: 9780062968746. June 2, 2020. Article Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over. Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan. @suzylew_bookreview, "Love triangle. "Droll, shrewd and unafraida winning debut." Ava, newly arrived in Hong Kong from Dublin, spends her days teaching English to rich children. Eek! LITERARY FICTION | Who said I liked you? he counters. Reviews: Trustpilot. Another month has whizzed by, seriously where is 2021 going so fast, and it is time for the latest #BookClub with Melanie and I. Her debut novel, Exciting Times, was a Sunday Times bestseller, widely translated, and optioned for television. 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 Search String: Summary | An exquisitely rendered portrait of a unique father-daughter relationship and a moving memoir of family and identity. white authors writing books that are set in asia, but have a set of characters that are 98% white with only a few token, stereotypical asian characters . 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 . When he leaves to go work in London again, Ava is left wondering what their exact relationship status is, caught between being a sugar baby or being Julians girlfriend. But real life is messy and people are messy, and this book dramatizes that in a way that rings profoundly true. I also think the teaching English abroad aspect was well-researched and spot on. In stylish, uncluttered prose, Naoise Dolan dissects the personal and financial transactions that make up a life - and announces herself as a singular new voice. Ill update in the comments if I ever figure it out. None of them will be wrong, really, it's just one of those books. 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. anyway i picked this novel up solely because of the sally rooney comparisons and in the second chapter itself a sentence begins like because i lacked warmth [] which reminded me of the quote in rooney's second novel that goes [..] marianne lacks warmth, by which she means the ability to beg for love from people who hate her. what i will say in my measured judgement is that rooney's writing, especially considering. GENERAL FICTION, by - Vogue In stylish, uncluttered prose, Naoise Dolan dissects the personal and financial transactions that make up a lifeand announces herself as a singular new voice. [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. It was as if someone else ironed everything for her her whole life, Ava thinks, and her role was to make new creases. Dolan is also funny about Irishness, pointing out the irony of Ava having to teach her young ESL students how to aspirate the th in things when, as a Dubliner, she has gone 22 years without once pronouncing it herself. Overall. Exciting Times is a wily, caustic story about young love.It is set in Hong Kong in 2016, where Ava, a recent graduate from Dublin, has moved to teach English, ostensibly until she works out what . 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. 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. But even though shes divorced, Lily isnt exactly free. Have I compared this book to Sally Rooney enough times yet?? Since the content is visually instructed, it creates excitement in learning by the users and improves the retention rate to a greater extent which . 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. About the author (2020) Naoise Dolan is an Irish writer born in Dublin. Exciting Times Book Rating. The story explores the freedoms and dangers of modern love and expression through Avas relations with these two people and her teaching of the often non-sensical semantics of the English language to her students. Blume knows the way kids and teens speak, but her two female leads are less credible as they reach adulthood. Exciting Times PDF Details. Though this model of relationship-as-power-struggle is hardly new, Dolan brings a fresh 21st-century sensibility to it. 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. Ava makes it her mission to get him to admit some feelings for her, purely because it would give her the upper hand. Results for "Exciting Times" "Naoise Dolan" 12,128 results. Naoise Dolan is an Irish writer born in Dublin. With a similar rhythm of detachment and sparsity found in Rooney and Ottessas writing, I can see why comparisons are being drawn, and I dont think this comparison does Dolan any disservice. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. I have a feeling this one is going to be popping up on lots of summer 2020 must read lists! @compulsivereadersblog. Also, his father had been ill. "Aimless Ava moves from Dublin to Hong Kong looking to find purpose for her life. She's a young Irish woman, after all, and she'd written a . 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. ISBN-10: 1474613446 . Retrieve credentials. Feelings for Edith but, confusingly, also for Julian. I wanted her life, Ava thinks. Buy Exciting Times: THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER and shortlisted for the An Post Irish Book Awards 2020 By Naoise Dolan. She said "completely" a lot and usually dropped the "t" in the middle. Find books by time period, setting & theme, Read-alike suggestions by book and author. ), On a personal level, I found Avas character very insular and detached, but the moments that worked their way under my skin were those where she drafted text messages which she didnt send. Read if you like Animals by Emma Jane Unsworth, Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath - Sunday Times Style. Some will declare Ava sharp and wise and funny, a hyper-relatable protagonist. Why do you like me? Ava asks him. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. (I mean, I love them both and what good company to be in! I really am. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added. Naoise Dolan's Exciting Times drew instant comparisons to Sally Rooney's Conversations with Friends (2017) and Normal People (2019)perhaps because Dolan and Rooney are both brilliant Irish . She hinges on the idea of a strong female, but then plays out the stereotype. From the jump, Ava approaches the world with cleareyed humor. Magazine Subscribers (How to Find Your Reader Number), 6 Queer Debuts To Read During Pride Month, Shortlists for Dalkey Literary Awards Are Revealed, Colleen Hoover Is Back. "The angst of your twentiestrying to figure out who you are can be exhaustingyoure trying on identities like outfits. I wanted to like it, but the lack of plot and my lack of affection for the main character made it fall short. Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan, review: a wily, caustic debut novel about young love Soon Ava falls for sternly witty British banker Julian - for his mind in a way, and certainly for his wallet. Naoise Dolan, 2020. Its the closest well ever come to telepathy: she realises Edith is thinking about her at that moment, and it changes everything. 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. "When you are craving a loveable story with depth and true character developmentthis should be your next read.". Naoise Dolan. 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. 5.79. Nine months later, out popped their new child known asExciting Times. Ultimately, this one was a miss for me. I could see it forever, for us: walking through cities, laughing at things that werent that funny. When Julian tells her hes returning to Hong Kong, she must navigate the precarious situation shes inadvertently created. Previously, she was an editor at Marie Claire, where she wrote and edited culture, politics, and lifestyle stories ranging from op-eds to profiles to ambitious packages. She, a . She's a long way from her home in Ireland. 4. Offline, shes likely watching a Heat game or finding a new coffee shop. Do put it on your TBR and let me know what you think." This is one of the hottest debut authors of 2020, described as the new Sally Rooney and perfect for fans ofAnimalsandTrick Mirror. Just $45 for 12 months or Those whove spent time in Hong Kong cant help wondering what its like to be among the Anglophone transplants who work and party there. Exciting Times is her first novel, an excerpt from which was published in The Stinging Fly by Sally Rooney. An upcoming glossy series based on the debut novel of the same name by 29-year-old Irish author Naoise Dolan - and streaming giant Amazon will be behind it. It also turned into a really beautiful queer love story, taking turns I hadnt anticipated at the outset of the novel. After high school, Caitlin travels the world and cant understand why Vix, by now at Harvard on a scholarship and determined to have a better life than her mother has had, wont drop out and join her. Youre not a fan of unreliable narrators (hiit me), 3. @thereaderignites. Its a great pick for everyone whos sensitive and introspective, but also cynical and scared of relationships." But boy, this novel feels so liveless and fake. A young Dubliner in Hong Kong struggles to connect in this fresh and funny debut about love and self-knowledge. Exciting Times is an acerbic tale of sex and love, set in the social media age.' - The Herald Scotland. Her relationships are dysfunctional and we see her repeatedly make choices that we know (or think we know) are wrong for her. That doesnt make for a worthy heroineor it might make me 'too old' to empathize. I love books about disaster women and unlike many of my bookish friends do not seem to tire of them at all. HarperCollins. I know its frustrating that any new young female writer must find themselves compared to Sally Rooney. Unfortunately, I cant give this book the raving review I want to because not only is Ava aimless, but shes SO passive-aggressive within her relationships." Atlas, who is single and running a restaurant, feels the same way. Phoebe Dynevor, the glamorous lead of Netflix's Bridgerton, is set to star and executive produce Exciting Times. - Publishers Weekly DAS APASIONANTES es una novela social (casi generacional) disfrazada de historia de amor. 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. There is just something I really appreciate about women writing about women making terrible choices and being honest about that while they are doing it. Judy Blume. . Often when I read a queer novel some of it feels forced; this was seamless. "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." Exciting Times is published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson. Aperus are withering. 2019 Naoise Dolan (P)2019 Orion Publishing Group. Why do you like me? Ava asks him. 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. However, they did enjoy the political and historical references throughout the novel, albeit having to do a bit of research on the topics themselves. 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? I enjoyed his money and he enjoyed how easily impressed I was by it.. And also coming out: Ava slowly falls for Edith, a Hong Kong lawyer. Sentences are short. . She is also obsessive and over-analytical in her thoughts about both Julian and Edith.