The most insightful and raw of these are the caustic observations about Irelands repressive attitudes to homosexuality and abortionand how they damage individual lives. Aperus are . The story of how this casual invitation turns the two girls into what they call "Summer sisters" is prefaced with a prologue in which Vix is asked by Caitlin to be her matron of honor. How to Join Marie Claire's Online Book Club. An exquisitely rendered portrait of a unique father-daughter relationship and a moving memoir of family and identity. I am not in my twenties although still full of angst. 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 . 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.. This novel is a tedious account of one girls romantic flings during a year of living abroad in Hong Kong. Exciting Times PDF Details. Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published. She hinges on the idea of a strong female, but then plays out the stereotype. None of them will be wrong, really, it's just one of those books. If you like this book that's totally up to you, I just wanted to share some of my own thoug. 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. Eek! Reviews: Trustpilot. Ava eventually comes to recognise that her cynicism is the protective garb of youth, but it is something the book also struggles to shrug off. @thefamilybookshelf, "Exciting Timesis a sharp, character-driven story about the complicated relationships of three 20-somethings.. Debut novelist Naoise Dolan is no Sally Rooney, for better and worse 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. Who said I liked you? he counters. 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. 'There was something Shakespearean about imperious men going down on you: the mighty have fallen.'. I loved Exciting Times and could see within the first few chapters why it's on lots of best books 2020 lists. However, as a TEFL teacher, Ava struggles with a myriad of contemplative problems and inner issues as she comes to terms with her feelings for both Julian and Edith. A young millennial finds herself in a love triangle with a man and woman. Fiercely intelligent, brutally funny and written with such heart, Exciting Times announces an impressive new voice in literature. In November we went for brunch on Aberdeen Street with Ralph, pronounced 'Rafe', who'd gone to Balliol with Julian, now worked at . 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. The novel goes on to discuss the history of colonialism by the British of the Irish and Hong Kong. Eileen was six years older than me. I enjoyed his money and he enjoyed how easily impressed I was by it.. The Irish author, who will appear virtually at the Hong Kong International Literary Festival, set her multi-award winning novel in Hong Kong Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan | W&N - Ground-breaking, award-winning 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. Which path does Ava end up taking? Politics, grammar, and morality are explored with quick jabs and sharp wording. But even though shes divorced, Lily isnt exactly free. Naoise Dolan More from Star Tribune. This is the kind of book that people are going to have vastly different opinions on. Omnipresent yet subtle, Hong Kong doesn't overshadow the characters and their struggles in trying to figure out life. Her first novel. East and West collide in a timely and bittersweet novel of loyalty, love, and the siren call of freedom. Marie Claire is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. I am a huge Sally Rooney fan, ergo, this book was such a treat for me. This book may be short, but it packs a huge punch. GENERAL ROMANCE | Exciting Times is published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson. @booktrax. (I mean, I love them both and what good company to be in! Are they as insensitive and indifferent as they seem to the foreign city they call home? I definitely feltand enjoyedthat similar sparseness of language employed by both authors to cut to the crux of an emotion. However, this isnt anotherNormal Peopleand dont expect it to be. 2. I love the unconventional, the interpersonal, the relatable *but not talked about,* and this book had all of that and more. Retrieve credentials. @compulsivereadersblog. I think these were used as great insights. I personally found that to be utterly fascinating. Politically alert, heartbreakingly raw, and dryly funny, Exciting Times is thrillingly attuned to the great freedoms and greater uncertainties of modern love. In her first months as an expat, she meets Juliana 28-year-old English bankerwho seems aloof about everything except his job. Ava is pulled into the orbit of wealthy, privileged banker Julian who comes from London. Here goes apologies if this review gets a bit ranty. "Overall, this surprising novel is believable and piercingly written, with many hilarious linesFor fans of Rachel Khong's Goodbye, Vitamin." Join BookBrowse today to start discovering exceptional books! Im not sure how many of you will actually love this novel. Stories so good, you won't need a bookmark. Review: 'Exciting Times,' by Naoise Dolan - Star Tribune @kelseylovesbooks. I also think the teaching English abroad aspect was well-researched and spot on. Noting that the school hires only white people, she remarks: "Like sharks' teeth, teachers dropped out and were replaced.". Politically alert, heartbreakingly raw, and dryly funny, Exciting Times is thrillingly attuned to the great freedoms and greater uncertainties of modern love. Ahead, we're showcasing the best fashion and beauty looks you can recreate now. [3] A college debater, she co-convened the Irish Mace competition in 2015/16. Naoise Dolan: 'The way people use on the spectrum is straight-up wrong Just $45 for 12 months or This month we are discussing. Exciting Times is the debut novel from Irish writer Naoise Dolan (and one of the Headstuff Picks of 2020 ). Absent the textures of a real city that is sharply divided along generational, ideological and class lines, Dolans novel could have taken place in any other major Asian metropolis. NY 10036. 3.79. audible mp3, ePUB (Android), kindle, and audiobook. Because truly, if you love her books, dont sleep on this one. RELEASE DATE: Oct. 18, 2022. Were glad you found a book that interests you! @suzylew_bookreview, "Love triangle. I wanted her life, Ava thinks. Dolan's debut novel, Exciting Times, is a smart, funny, . In fact, Now longlisted for the 2021 Desmond Elliott Prize for debut fiction and for the 2021 Women's Prize. Exciting Times - HarperCollins Exciting Times is a sad, yet hopeful coming of age story set in a Hong Kong immediately recognizable to the many expats like Julian, Ava and globalized locals like Edith who end up there. Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan | Waterstones Books that read fast, cut fluff, and get to the point are your jam. In 'Exciting Times,' Echoes of Sally Rooney, but With a Queer Twist And also coming out: Ava slowly falls for Edith, a Hong Kong lawyer. 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. I'm highly anticipating another Naoise Dolan book, I wonder if there could be another instalment of Ava going by Exciting Times book ending. D I S C L A I M E RThese are all just my own opinion on the book. I like cool detached styling, I like complex unlikeable protagonists, I like dissections of class, I like explorations of sexuality. 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. "Jealousy and obsession, love and late capitalism, sex and the internet all come whirling together in a wry and bracing tale of class . Julian is a banker. Exciting Times | Naoise Dolan | Granta Exciting Times? EXCITING TIMES is a joy from start to finish, and the perfect balm for these times-fresh, funny, sharp. Naoise Dolan. Do you take delight in words like "gormless"? Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan | Goodreads It is forbidden to copy anything for publication elsewhere without written permission from the copyright holder. The young Irish writers first novel is dry and sharp in its observation of twentysomething expat lives. 1. - Publishers Weekly What I've Loved Reading 2023 - Bookshop.org This is it. This can be really interesting territory for a novel, but it didn't completely work for me here. In Exciting Times, Naoise Dolan's debut novel, the characters have better problems than most of us do. 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 . Naoise Dolan - Exciting Times: A Novel Audiobook. Your ultimate guide to the (arguably) best film genre: the romantic comedy. Exciting Times Naoise Dolan $27.99 $26.03 in cart add to cart I Might Regret This: Essays, Drawings, Vulnerabilities, and. Feelings for Edith but, confusingly, also for Julian. Though this model of relationship-as-power-struggle is hardly new, Dolan brings a fresh 21st-century sensibility to it. Him needing me was strange and new. Most recently, she was the Managing Editor at Coveteur, where she oversaw the sites day-to-day editorial operations. However, I soon grew to really like this, as I became used to her inner thoughts. Thats partly because Edith herself is only lightly sketched in. 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. Victoria, or more commonly Vix, lives in a small house; her brother has muscular dystrophy; her mother is unhappy, and money is scarce. Find books by time period, setting & theme, Read-alike suggestions by book and author. "Gaydars . Categories: Get ready to turn that frown upside down. Nine months later, out popped their new child known asExciting Times. . What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading, you wish the author that wrote it was a Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes! . exciting times naoise dolan ending explainedlivrer de la nourriture non halal. Its a great pick for everyone whos sensitive and introspective, but also cynical and scared of relationships." "Okay wow, what a great book! You liked the writing style ofNormal People. In between, Lily and Atlas steal away for romantic moments that are even sweeter for their authenticity as Lily struggles with child care, breastfeeding, and running a business while trying to find time for herself. Caitlin, determined never to be ordinary, is always testing the limits, and in adolescence falls hard for Von, an older construction worker, while Vix falls for his friend Bru. Politics, class, and race anxiously hover over the entire novel. Let the BookTokking Begin, New Colleen Hoover Book Sells 800K Copies, Colleen Hoover Dominated Book Sales in 2022. 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 . Sally Rooney-endorsed. Exciting Times: A Novel - Naoise Dolan - Google Books "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. Identity Politics and the English Language: Naoise Dolan's Exciting Times Its the closest well ever come to telepathy: she realises Edith is thinking about her at that moment, and it changes everything. Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan is published by W&N (14.99), Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. When you not only stalk her on subreddits, but worry about whether the algorithm will reveal to her the true extent of your stalking. The more I think about this novel the more it suffers in my estimations. It also turned into a really beautiful queer love story, taking turns I hadnt anticipated at the outset of the novel. A variety of explanations for this have been proposed; The Lancet's "Commission on the future of care and clinical research in autism" commented that it "might be part of a different concept of self, less reliance on or reference to social norms, or part of a . By Naoise Dolan. Never feel guilty about skipping book club again. I love books about disaster women and unlike many of my bookish friends do not seem to tire of them at all. Naoise Dolan is an Irish writer born in Dublin. 3. It read as slow-paced indecisiveness. Exciting Times Book Rating. ), She and Edith are a love story, but also a fear story. Im sorry. 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. Its a layered book because of these factors, and it works in the storys favor. His privilege is the invisible third party in the relationship. - Book Riot It finds her teaching English while abroad and indecisive about two lovers. Exciting Timesfollows Ava, a young Irish woman living in Hong Kong and her relationship with Julian and Edith. 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. "I have to say I really liked this debut novel by Naoise Dolan. She's a young Irish woman, after all, and she'd written a . Exciting Times, which was acquired in a seven-way bidding war, more than lives up to the . Summary. Copyright 2023 Kirkus Media LLC. The book centres on Ava (Dynevor), an Irish woman who moves to Hong Kong . Naoise Dolan, the Queer New Prodigy of Irish Literature Lily wont send Emerson to her fathers house overnight until shes old enough to talkSo she can tell me if something happensbut she doesnt want to fight for full custody lest it become an expensive legal drama or, worse, a physical fight. 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. - Booklist (starred review) Naoise Dolan - Wikipedia Nolan does a brilliant job of harnessing technology to her story, specifically the phone. Both are well-educated and earning a good living. Emotions are dealt with baldly, dryly: Anyway, I hated her, says Ava about Victoria, a moneyed friend of Julians. Julian, her posh banker boyfriend, has such an apartment which is just as well, since he also has an arrogance to match his salary. Exciting Times a book by Naoise Dolan - Bookshop Ava, newly arrived in Hong Kong from Dublin, spends her days teaching English to rich children. Naoise Dolan. It would definitely have been helpful to have a general idea of the geopolitics between Ireland/Britain/Hong Kong. Ill update in the comments if I ever figure it out. She spends so much time telling us how lacking she is that I started to believe her. 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. 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? A young Dubliner in Hong Kong struggles to connect in this fresh and funny debut about love and self-knowledge. 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. They form a digital counterbalance to Avas aloof and guarded in-person presence, and through this duality Dolan captures perfectly the nauseating insecurity of growing up today. Bookshop For Authors Bookshop . @what_leah_reads. She is highly attuned both to the power dynamics at play (do you want me to depend on you? she asks him) and to her moral predicament, as she adds up how much money she is saving on rent, as well as on the clothes and meals Julian pays for with the funds he doesnt know what to do with. About the author (2020) Naoise Dolan is an Irish writer born in Dublin. Judy Blume, edited by Exciting Times | Naoise Dolan | Review | Swirl and Thread "Aimless Ava moves from Dublin to Hong Kong looking to find purpose for her life. 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. She, a . I know its frustrating that any new young female writer must find themselves compared to Sally Rooney. 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. Naoise Dolan'sExciting Times (opens in new tab)drew instant comparisons to Sally Rooney'sConversations with Friends (opens in new tab)(2017) andNormal People (opens in new tab)(2019)perhaps because Dolan and Rooney are both brilliant Irish writers who instill a dry sense of humor in their characters. 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. 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. That doesnt make for a worthy heroineor it might make me 'too old' to empathize. ISBN-10: 1474613446 . ), 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. They trip her up and get in the way. Abbi Jacobson $28.00 in cart add to cart About Support / Help Become an Affiliate Gift Cards Careers - We're hiring! 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. Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan - 9781474613460 - Book Depository But real life is messy and people are messy, and this book dramatizes that in a way that rings profoundly true. I know it's frustrating that any new young female writer must find themselves compared to Sally Rooney. @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. Youre not a fan of unreliable narrators (hiit me), 3. Dolan encapsulates this in a perfect image near the end of Exciting Times, when Ava is tensely watching the three little dots on her messaging app: Edith is typing reads her screen. Trouble signing in? Phoebe Dynevor set to executive produce and star in 'Exciting Times Honestly. Naoise Dolan is an Irish writer born in Dublin. She dissects language and her humor is so deadpan I sometimes read sentences twice. exciting times naoise dolan ending explained But that's what I really enjoyed about thisthe characters felt real and the uncertainty and non-committal situations also felt very real. But boy, this novel feels so liveless and fake. Its not plot-driven and Ava as a character distances herself from people in the book, so shes not intrinsically likeable. 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. Reviews: Trustpilot. Ava is an accurately drawn emblem of the zeitgeist, but as such, she stands apart from it, isolated. [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. 23 year old Ava moves to Hong Kong to escape Ireland. Phoebe Dynevor Set To Star In 'Exciting Times' Series In Works At Or a good girlfriend? 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. Atlas, who is single and running a restaurant, feels the same way. [2] She experienced homophobic bullying in school. When Julian returns to London for six months for work, Ava meets Edith, a smart and beautiful Hong Kong lawyer. "Much likeNormal Peopleby Sally Rooney, I expect there will be polarizing opinions onExciting Times. And damn I wish I could figure out why exactly. Naoise's 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 bestseller, widely translated and optioned for TV. Ava feels safer, more shielded from harm with Julian, but happier with Edith. 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. EXCITING TIMES | Kirkus Reviews More Information | Naoise Dolan, 2020. And sometimes youre just not sure anything looks good and nothing quite fits right. 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? Condition - Like New. Ava wants to be herand wants her. Get help and learn more about the design. But Caitlin, whose own demons have been hinted at, will not be so lucky. Autism and LGBT identities - Wikipedia "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." Her debut novel, Exciting Times, was a Sunday Times bestseller, widely translated, and optioned for television. 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. Naoise Dolan: seasons the novel with insights about class, gender, race and language. @bookcrazyblogger. 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. 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. The fact that Naoise Dolan is being touted as the new Sally Rooney is nothing short of an insult to Rooneys work. , RIYL: Sally Rooney. Exciting Times (Dolan) Summary Guide - LitLovers Exciting Times: Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2021 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. What does she see in this man? Review | In Naoise Dolan's 'Exciting Times,' an Irish ex-pat in Hong Often when I read a queer novel some of it feels forced; this was seamless. Who said I liked you? he counters. In my opinion,Exciting Timesreads very similar. Exciting Times Naoise Dolan.
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