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, Naoise Dolan: 'I'm not good at presenting myself as likable', Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan review a witty, deadpan debut, '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', '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. In November we went for brunch on Aberdeen Street with Ralph, pronounced 'Rafe', who'd gone to Balliol with Julian, now worked at . That, or I wanted to be him., Ava is hyper-verbal and exacting, and Dolans writing excels when Ava turns her analytical eye on the intersections between English syntax, zeitgeist technology and interpersonal relationships: Because I lacked warmth, I was mainly assigned grammar classes, where children not liking you was a positive performance indicator. This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers. If you like this book that's totally up to you, I just wanted to share some of my own thoug. 2019 Naoise Dolan (P)2019 Orion Publishing Group. <style> body { -ms-overflow-style: scrollbar; overflow-y: scroll; overscroll-behavior-y: none; } .errorContainer { background-color: #FFF; color: #0F1419; max-width . I rolled my eyes a few times. This book is incredibly fine. The sequel to It Ends With Us (2016) shows the aftermath of domestic violence through the eyes of a single mother. Stories so good, you won't need a bookmark. Anyone can read what you share. Ava wants to be herand wants her. My main problem was Ava. But Julians impending return means Ava must decide not so much between her lovers as between Edith and the expensive flat that she doesnt pay for. Not so much. A sharp, witty and ultimately moving debut . 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. Heres how it works. By Naoise Dolan. Lots of reviews are making the Rooney 'millennial lit' comparison which is fair but I'd add. Find out exactly what #ReadWithMC loved and didn't love aboutExciting Times, below. Or a good girlfriend? 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. I loved Exciting Times and could see within the first few chapters why it's on lots of best books 2020 lists. 3.79. - Hilary Mantel. , RIYL: Sally Rooney. What listeners say about Exciting Times Average Customer Ratings. GENERAL FICTION, by Ava herself would give much the same impression, which is a sign the book is successful even if it doesn't make it universally appealing. Naoise Dolan. In stylish, uncluttered prose, Naoise Dolan dissects the personal and financial transactions that make up a lifeand announces herself as a singular new voice. Books that read fast, cut fluff, and get to the point are your jam. In sixth grade, when Victoria Weaver is asked by new girl Caitlin Somers to spend the summer with her on Marthas Vineyard, her life changes forever. The Irish author, who will appear virtually at the Hong Kong International Literary Festival, set her multi-award winning novel in Hong Kong dynamic. Reviews: Trustpilot. 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. This is the kind of book that people are going to have vastly different opinions on. Buy Exciting Times: THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER and shortlisted for the An Post Irish Book Awards 2020 By Naoise Dolan. She's instructing the dispassionate topic of grammar to youngsters in Hong Kong. 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 . EXCITING TIMES. June 2, 2020. 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. New York, 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. Its a Euro-centric story, despite its Asian setting." Exciting Times is an acerbic tale of sex and love, set in the social media age.' - The Herald Scotland. I found this an invigorating respite from how people usually assessed women.. D I S C L A I M E RThese are all just my own opinion on the book. Ava makes it her mission to get him to admit some feelings for her, purely because it would give her the upper hand. 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. Copyright 2023 Kirkus Media LLC. Let the BookTokking Begin, New Colleen Hoover Book Sells 800K Copies, Colleen Hoover Dominated Book Sales in 2022. Lily has to plan her dates carefully to avoid a confrontation. 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 . 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. 4. "[A] wry, tender debutDolan's smart, brisk debut works as charming comedy of manners, though it packs less of a punch when it comes to class consciousness." . Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan. Naoise Dolan will be an auto-buy for me in the future." 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. Exciting Times. She is also obsessive and over-analytical in her thoughts about both Julian and Edith. "If I had to describe this book to someone in two sentences it would be like this:Eleanor OliphantandNormal Peoplegot together and had a baby. I often had to re-read passages, as subtext also plays a huge part in the book. Aperus are . 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. She's a young Irish woman, after all, and she'd written a . 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 . 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. Dolan is an Irish writer born in Dublin. Now I know what the phrase razor sharp wit really means. Multiple friends of mine whove read Sally Rooneys phenomenally popular novel. Visit our corporate site. This gives the novel a strangely solipsistic feel, like a hall of mirrors, where every attempt to gaze outward is met only by your own face. (Ecco, 256 pp., $16.99.) 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 When the two begin a romance, Ava pretends Julian is only a roommate. Its a story about intimacy, vulnerability, being alone, and being different versions of yourself with different people. I wasnt good at most things but I was good at men, Ava confides in the reader, and Julian was the richest man Id ever been good at.. About the author (2020) Naoise Dolan is an Irish writer born in Dublin. 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." I love books about disaster women and unlike many of my bookish friends do not seem to tire of them at all. Her elegantly simple writing allows her ideas and musings to shine. 5.79. Don't get me wrong, it's not the story itself, the story as a concept it totally up my alley (it has to be, because it sounds like a Sally Rooney novel): A 22 year old Irish expat living in Hong Kong who finds herself in a love triangle with a cold English banker who doesn't want to be her partner but will let her live in his expensive appartment for free, and a young woman from Hong Kong. If you, like me, answered yes to all three of those questions, then you're in for a treat. Noting that the school hires only white people, she remarks: "Like sharks' teeth, teachers dropped out and were replaced.". Given my absolute adoration of Rooney, its no surprise I loved this debut by a writer who counts Rooney as an inspiration and mentor. "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." 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. . 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. 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. LITERARY FICTION | 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 I also think the teaching English abroad aspect was well-researched and spot on. As they fall into a quasi-relationship, Ava moves into his apartment, where Julian allows her to live rent-free. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Enter Edith. Get ready to turn that frown upside down. Exciting Times takes place in Hong Kong around 2015, when 22 year-old Ava leaves Ireland to take a job as a TEFL teacher and find her own way in the world.This is a novel of many layers. 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. The dialog is brilliant throughout. @kelseylovesbooks. 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. 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. Feelings for Edith but, confusingly, also for Julian. Ava feels safer, more shielded from harm with Julian, but happier with Edith. Dolan explores the uncertainty that can come with queer dating in Exciting Times, Ava spending hours analysing Edith's Instagram for clues about her sexuality when they first meet. A widowed painter and her teenaged . I dove right in and read from beginning to end, and now Im giving thanks that such a book exists in the worldlight, sweet, sad, true. Naoise Dolan is an Irish writer born in Dublin. I enjoyed his money and he enjoyed how easily impressed I was by it.. Regardless, I encourage you to seek outExciting Timesfor yourself because I know so many of you are hungry for reading experiences that capture the complexities of love, personal politics, and the precariousness that comes with being young and lost and in love. All rights reserved.Information at BookBrowse.com is published with the permission of the copyright holder or their agent. Retrieve credentials. 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. Ava makes it her mission to get him to admit some feelings for her, purely because it would give her the upper hand. Though this model of relationship-as-power-struggle is hardly new, Dolan brings a fresh 21st-century sensibility to it. But Caitlin, whose own demons have been hinted at, will not be so lucky. 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. Droll, shrewd and unafraid - a winning debut. Every time she typed out a note in her phone to send to the other characters, only to delete it, my soul died a little. Naoise Dolan, 2020. Judy Blume, edited by Who said I liked you? he counters. Thats good to know about me, she thinks. On a sentence level the novel delivers one perfect zinger after another. Read an excerpt from the bookhere (opens in new tab). Julian is a banker. Phoebe Dynevor, the glamorous lead of Netflix's Bridgerton, is set to star and executive produce Exciting Times. How to Join Marie Claire's Online Book Club. Categories: Naoise is an author I know Ill follow throughout her writing career, and that excites me. Deadline reports that the actress will star in and produce Exciting Times, a "contemporary romance with a twist" adapted from Irish author Naoise Dolan's novel of the same name. Nine months later, out popped their new child known asExciting Times. 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. Its good to know thats how I behave in this situation.. In stylish, uncluttered prose, Naoise Dolan dissects the personal and financial transactions that make up a lifeand announces herself as a singular new voice. Politically alert, heartbreakingly raw, and dryly funny, Exciting Times is thrillingly attuned to the great freedoms and greater uncertainties of modern love. Exciting Times? The protagonist, Ava, is an intelligent, 22-year-old loner who moves from her native Dublin to Hong Kong to teach English, with no discernible qualifications other than being white. Julian is a banker who likes spending time with Ava, but incapable (or simply unwilling) to express his feelings for her. ISBN: 9781474613446. @brigittesbookshelf, "Lovers of Sally Rooney will absolutely devour this book. Her debut novel, Exciting Times, was a Sunday Times bestseller, widely translated, and optioned for television. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. HarperCollins. 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. Already drawing comparisons to Sally Rooneys work, Exciting Times, by Naoise Dolan, has many of the familiar tropes of the millennial novel covered: Jealousy and obsession, love and late capitalism, sex and the internet all come whirling together in a wry and bracing tale of class and privilege. This book may be short, but it packs a huge punch. Nenia I yeet my books back and forth Campbell, review of Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan on LonesomeReader. Dolan has a great eye and I was poised over my Kindle highlighting witty dialogue and observations more than a few times. Honestly. I hope youll give her debut a tryit was exceedingly worth it!" But even though shes divorced, Lily isnt exactly free. Ava, the narrator, is an Irish ex-pat living in Hong Kong. 2 junio, 2022; couples challenge tiktok; dome structure examples . 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.
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