I know everyone says this, but there are so many similarities I saw between this andNormal People. An entire novel in this vein might become wearing, but Dolan takes her narrative to a new level when she brings in a character Ava actually likes: Edith, a local who went to boarding school in England. 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. 6 min read. Ava feels safer, more shielded from harm with Julian, but happier with Edith. , Something small I enjoyed was the depiction of Ava's queerness. They trip her up and get in the way. Button, water, Tuesdayanything with two syllables zipped up then down like a Gothic steeple. Margaret Verble is the author of several previous novels, including. Naoise Dolan is an Irish writer born in Dublin. 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. 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 . But that's what I really enjoyed about thisthe characters felt real and the uncertainty and non-committal situations also felt very real. Characters who bottle up and wont say how they feel drive me crazy, and Ava was no exception here. Sigh. Abbi Jacobson $28.00 in cart add to cart About Support / Help Become an Affiliate Gift Cards Careers - We're hiring! Spam Free: Your email is never shared with anyone; opt out any time. Copyright 2023 Kirkus Media LLC. Exciting Times is the debut novel from Irish writer Naoise Dolan (and one of the Headstuff Picks of 2020 ). Its unusual and contemplative and just very different. Naoise Dolan's debut novel Exciting Times is to be made into a television series in the United States by Black Bear Pictures, whose credits include the 2014 Alan Turing biopic The Imitation Game. Who said I liked you? he counters. Read an excerpt from Danielle Prescod's new memoir, here, then dive in with us throughout the month. Author Retrieve credentials. Have I compared this book to Sally Rooney enough times yet?? 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. This years Womens Prize for Fiction longlist includes quite a few of these disaster women books and I for one am really pleased with that. She is in a constant battle of inner conflicttotal social apathy, whilst silently scathing of her prejudiced workplace. @bookcrazyblogger. She's a young Irish woman, after all, and she'd written a . The actual experiences of local people her age have no effect whatsoever on Ava, the details of their lives mentioned, by the author, only in passing. The most insightful and raw of these are the caustic observations about Irelands repressive attitudes to homosexuality and abortionand how they damage individual lives. "[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." It finds her teaching English while abroad and indecisive about two lovers. She's a long way from her home in Ireland. 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. Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published. EXCITING TIMES, by Naoise Dolan. With Naoise Dolan on the literary scene, there are Exciting Times ahead.' - i-D. , I think it's easy to dislike this and dismiss it; on the surface, it's a young woman who can't make up her mind while living for free in someone's flat. Add to cart. - Exciting Times [ Book Description ] When you leave Ireland aged 22 to spend your parents' money, it's called a gap year. GENERAL FICTION, by Most recently, she was the Managing Editor at Coveteur, where she oversaw the sites day-to-day editorial operations. - Book Riot in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. 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. GENERAL FICTION, by A young Dubliner in Hong Kong struggles to connect in this fresh and funny debut about love and self-knowledge. At some point, the millennial-ness of it all became too much for me and I felt my eyes glaze over a bit. - Library Journal $15 at Amazon. In my opinion,Exciting Timesreads very similar. What listeners say about Exciting Times Average Customer Ratings. ), 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. 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. This novel is a tedious account of one girls romantic flings during a year of living abroad in Hong Kong. Which path does Ava end up taking? Eek! I also think the teaching English abroad aspect was well-researched and spot on. Offline, shes likely watching a Heat game or finding a new coffee shop. Here goes apologies if this review gets a bit ranty. Let the BookTokking Begin, New Colleen Hoover Book Sells 800K Copies, Colleen Hoover Dominated Book Sales in 2022. Julian is a banker who likes spending time with Ava, but incapable (or simply unwilling) to express his feelings for her. Because truly, if you love her books, dont sleep on this one. Very . The more I think about this novel the more it suffers in my estimations. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. 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. Politics, grammar, and morality are explored with quick jabs and sharp wording. ISBN: 9781474613446. I liked Exciting Times a lot more than the average GR reviewer. 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. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. @book_gal. This book also brought back so many memories from my trip to Hong Kong with my friends after college graduation (swipe!). Add to cart. Unfortunately, Dolans superficial evocation of the island is conjured mostly through Instagram latte art geotagged on fashionable streets. The novel goes on to discuss the history of colonialism by the British of the Irish and Hong Kong. She's sharing an Airbnb with roomies that don't like her. Naoise Dolan is an Irish writer born in Dublin. "Gaydars . 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 HarperCollins. The style is detached and detaching in an interesting way but if you like sinking teeth into a narrative this is not for you. 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. 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 mean, I love them both and what good company to be in! Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. Noting that the school hires only white people, she remarks: "Like sharks' teeth, teachers dropped out and were replaced.". 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. - Publishers Weekly More from Star Tribune. Exciting Times Book Rating. @booktrax. Ava, a 22-year-old Dubliner living in Hong Kong, describes herself as good at men. You didnt likeNormal Peopleor are not a fan of Sally Roonys writing style (like, I readNormal Peoplea year ago and still am unsure how I feel), 2. The sequel to It Ends With Us (2016) shows the aftermath of domestic violence through the eyes of a single mother. 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. She said "completely" a lot and usually dropped the "t" in the middle. 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. New York, 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. This is it. Its good to know thats how I behave in this situation.. Naoise Dolan. "This debut novel about an Irish expat millennial teaching English and finding romance in Hong Kong is half Sally Rooney love triangle, half glitzy Crazy Rich Asians high livingand guaranteed to please." 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 creates her own isolation, whilst being envious of those who are not lonely.
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