(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.) More from Star Tribune. But did I like Exciting Times? 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 . Ava is positioned for a quarter life crisis. Naoise Dolan: seasons the novel with insights about class, gender, race and language.
Written in a Woolf-esque internal monologue from Ava's perspective, we are met with an inner conflict that struggles to reconcile her disapproval of capitalism and a hyper-sensitivity to class structures . @readtotheend. 2019 Naoise Dolan (P)2019 Orion Publishing Group.
Why do you like me? Ava asks him. Spam Free: Your email is never shared with anyone; opt out any time. 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. 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 . The dark and light sides of friendship breathlessly explored in a novel best saved for summer beachside reading. 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. 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 . The rumors are true: This does read like Sally Rooney. Current research indicates that autistic people have higher rates of LGBT identities and feelings than the general population. Thats good to know about me, she thinks. If Sally Rooney couldn't write, was more cynical and forgot everything about subtlety and realistic characterisation and dialogue. Ava wants to be herand wants her. You like an unreliable narrator (thinkEleanor Oliphant) as you read. 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. Im sorry. The forthcoming book from 'We Are Not Like Them' authors Jo Piazza and Christine Pride asks the question: Who gets to make the choice to be a mom? [1] For faster navigation, this Iframe is preloading the Wikiwand page for Naoise Dolan . The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. It would definitely have been helpful to have a general idea of the geopolitics between Ireland/Britain/Hong Kong. With Julian away, the women bond and Ava must interrogate herself over a whole new range of feelings. (Ecco, 256 pp., $16.99.) Susan Blumberg-Kason is the author of . 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. [2] She experienced homophobic bullying in school. Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published. Let the BookTokking Begin, New Colleen Hoover Book Sells 800K Copies, Colleen Hoover Dominated Book Sales in 2022. Multiple friends of mine whove read Sally Rooneys phenomenally popular novel. Him needing me was strange and new. When Julian plans to return to Hong Kong, Ava must come clean to Edith and decide for herself which life she wants to live: one with romance and adventure or money and comfort. This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers. I wanted her life, Ava thinks. They trip her up and get in the way. Her sentences are sharp and confident, especially for a debut. "Okay wow, what a great book! "Gaydars . 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. 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. Oh . With Naoise Dolan on the literary scene, there are Exciting Times ahead.' - i-D. I really am. 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. Heres how it works. Judy Blume As they fall into a quasi-relationship, Ava moves into his apartment, where Julian allows her to live rent-free. Ultimately, this one was a miss for me. Exciting Times Naoise Dolan $27.99 $26.03 in cart add to cart I Might Regret This: Essays, Drawings, Vulnerabilities, and. Avawho has struggled throughout the novel to be vulnerable in often maddening waysmust make a decision: live comfortably or live truthfully. Both intonations feel native to its 22 . DAS APASIONANTES es una novela social (casi generacional) disfrazada de historia de amor. Perhaps because Ava's first love interest, Julian, uncomfortably reminded me of someone from my past! She is also obsessive and over-analytical in her thoughts about both Julian and Edith. Straight romance. I definitely feltand enjoyedthat similar sparseness of language employed by both authors to cut to the crux of an emotion. 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. Naoise Dolan A gut-punch of a novel about a Cherokee child removed from her family and sent to a Christian boarding school in the 1950s. Both are well-educated and earning a good living. Exciting Times was also nominated in the Best Newcomer Category at the An Post Irish Book Awards. I worried this might endanger our friendship, but so far it seemed to be facilitating it., Their friendship eventually moves through phases of awkward flirtation into a romantic affair, taking place mostly in Julians apartment, and in secret, as Edith is not out to her parents. 3. ROMANCE | I 'm sorry. How to Join Marie Claire's Online Book Club. Droll, shrewd and unafraid - a winning debut. She obtained an English degree from Trinity College Dublin in 2016 and later a Master's Degree in Victorian Literature from Oxford University. She, a . Edith is curious and enthusiastic, and Ava can no longer maintain her detached, ironical approach to life feelings flower all over the place. ISBN-13: 9780062968746. When you purchase an independently reviewed book through our site, we earn an affiliate commission. Its a story about intimacy, vulnerability, being alone, and being different versions of yourself with different people. New York, "The angst of your twentiestrying to figure out who you are can be exhaustingyoure trying on identities like outfits. Exciting Times PDF Details. Though this model of relationship-as-power-struggle is hardly new, Dolan brings a fresh 21st-century sensibility to it. 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. This novel is a tedious account of one girls romantic flings during a year of living abroad in Hong Kong. New RRP 8.99. Ava feels safer, more shielded from harm with Julian, but happier with Edith. By Naoise Dolan. Figures such as Victoria serve to generate much of the books caustic wit. June 3, 2020 7 AM PT. The book centres on Ava (Dynevor), an Irish woman who moves to Hong Kong . Politically alert, heartbreakingly raw, and dryly funny, Exciting Times is thrillingly attuned to the great freedoms and greater uncertainties of modern love. 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. 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.. Stories that focus on social issues such as class and LGBTQ+ are of interest to you. Categories: I love books about disaster women and unlike many of my bookish friends do not seem to tire of them at all. I really enjoyed this novel and would recommend if you want to read something thats not the normal style." Youre not easily pleased with how other people put sentences together, Julian accuses, but when it comes to money, youve got no taste. Ava has left her life in Ireland behind to teach English to rich children in Hong Kong. She's sharing an Airbnb with roomies that don't like her. Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan is published by W&N (14.99), Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. However, its the authors style of writing that really grew on me. Omnipresent yet subtle, Hong Kong doesn't overshadow the characters and their struggles in trying to figure out life. This is the kind of book that people are going to have vastly different opinions on. GENERAL FICTION, by She dissects language and her humor is so deadpan I sometimes read sentences twice. I also think the teaching English abroad aspect was well-researched and spot on. CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE | But real life is messy and people are messy, and this book dramatizes that in a way that rings profoundly true.
GENERAL FICTION, by "Hands down one of the most anticipated debuts of the yearA piercingly provocative look at modern love and power games." In a novel where human connection is such a challenge, these flickering pixels provide one of the most affecting and powerful moments. Exciting Times Book Rating. Not long after her arrival, she finds herself on a lunch date with Julian, an Oxford-educated British banker in his late 20s. In Exciting Times, Naoise Dolan's debut novel, the characters have better problems than most of us do. Exciting Times. "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. But on this occasion, its more than just a question of biography: Dolans writing does genuinely occupy similar territory. When Julian returns to London for six months for work, Ava meets Edith, a smart and beautiful Hong Kong lawyer. 4. Its good to know thats how I behave in this situation.. A refreshingly wry and insightful debut." 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. It all adds up to a bracing, refreshing first novel, with hints of greater things to come. Its free and takes less than 10 seconds! [4] She identifies as queer. 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 . It read as slow-paced indecisiveness. During an evening stroll, she thinks: I didn't need to know how other women went about being together. @what_leah_reads. "I have to say I really liked this debut novel by Naoise Dolan. Exciting Timesfollows Ava, a young Irish woman living in Hong Kong and her relationship with Julian and Edith. Phoebe Dynevor, the glamorous lead of Netflix's Bridgerton, is set to star and executive produce Exciting Times. The fact that Naoise Dolan is being touted as "the new Sally Rooney" is nothing short of an insult to Rooney's work. Victoria, or more commonly Vix, lives in a small house; her brother has muscular dystrophy; her mother is unhappy, and money is scarce. 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. Eek! Always fun reading the #readwithmc selection!" None of the English-speaking characters seek to venture beyond their established social circles, where even brief references to elections or the conditions of domestic workers are dismissed as white savior-ish. They barely notice the Chinese characters on street signs, let alone try to understand them. Exciting Times : A Novel [PDF] PDF Under: Categories eBooks & Readings. The literary rumor mill portrays Naoise Dolan as the new Sally Rooney, and that suggestion alone might push a writer onto the bestseller list these days.
3.5 out of 5 stars 3.7 out of 5.0 5 Stars . So lucky us, really. Edith Zhang Mei LingEnglish name Edith, Chinese name Mei Ling . @thereaderignites. What listeners say about Exciting Times Average Customer Ratings. 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. Founded in 2009, The Rumpus is one of the longest running independent online literary and culture magazines.Our mostly volunteer-run magazine strives to be a platform for risk-taking voices and writing that might not find a home elsewhere. Naoise Dolan is an Irish writer born in Dublin. 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. Read an excerpt from Danielle Prescod's new memoir, here, then dive in with us throughout the month. Dolan is an Irish writer born in Dublin. Exciting Times is very funny in its cool observation and the way it takes us inside Avas spirals of overthinking.
Naoise Dolan. More Books, Published Jun 2020
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 She also launched and managed the sites virtual book club, #ReadWithMC. Avas character provides us with biting social commentary. She said "completely" a lot and usually dropped the "t" in the middle. va, a 22-year-old Dubliner living in Hong Kong, describes herself as good at men. Dolans writing is extremely sharp both cutting and tart but there are places where it feels overly cynical. Like Rooney, Dolan writes in a deadpan style. 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. 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. Retrieve credentials. I'm highly anticipating another Naoise Dolan book, I wonder if there could be another instalment of Ava going by Exciting Times book ending. 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. 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. In stylish, uncluttered prose, Naoise Dolan dissects the personal and financial transactions that make up a lifeand announces herself as a singular new voice. "Jealousy and obsession, love and late capitalism, sex and the internet all come whirling together in a wry and bracing tale of class . She's a long way from her home in Ireland. Copyright 2023 Kirkus Media LLC. June 2, 2020. <style> body { -ms-overflow-style: scrollbar; overflow-y: scroll; overscroll-behavior-y: none; } .errorContainer { background-color: #FFF; color: #0F1419; max-width . Emotions are dealt with baldly, dryly: Anyway, I hated her, says Ava about Victoria, a moneyed friend of Julians. Telling neither the full truth about the other, Ava finds herself falling in love with Edith. When Naoise Dolan 's debut novel Exciting Times was released last year, she was swiftly earmarked as the " next Sally Rooney ". She studied English literature at Trinity College Dublin and Oxford University. And others will find that not much happens and it's just meh. But there are nuances that made me literally stop reading and think about what Dolan had wrote. 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 . 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. Exciting Times is an acerbic tale of sex and love, set in the social media age.' - The Herald Scotland. "Exciting Timesfollows 22-year-old Ava as she leaves Ireland to teach in Hong Kong. The book is perfect for those who wants to read contemporary, lgbt books. What does she see in this man? Ava is constantly trying to make sense of her situation by framing it in terms of identity: does sleeping with Julian make her a bad feminist? Sigh. Exciting Times is the debut novel from Irish writer Naoise Dolan (and one of the Headstuff Picks of 2020 ). Available in used condition with free delivery in the UK. $15 for 3 months. Abbi Jacobson $28.00 in cart add to cart About Support / Help Become an Affiliate Gift Cards Careers - We're hiring! Were glad you found a book that interests you! Naoise Dolan is in her late 20s and has often been compared to Sally Rooney. The young Irish writers first novel is dry and sharp in its observation of twentysomething expat lives. 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 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. I personally see the appeal for Sally Rooneys fans (and thats why I chose it as my next rec), but I also think that Dolan deserves praise of her own. Incredibly readable.' - Belfast Telegraph. Its the closest well ever come to telepathy: she realises Edith is thinking about her at that moment, and it changes everything. Rachel Epstein is a writer, editor, and content strategist based in New York City. @bookcrazyblogger. Julian, her posh banker boyfriend, has such an apartment which is just as well, since he also has an arrogance to match his salary. Soon they are sleeping together, and Ava moves into Julians flat. It felt authentic, less an added 'interesting' point, but a way of being that felt effortless. Nine months later, out popped their new child known asExciting Times. She hopes hell be as impressed by her youth and attractiveness as she is by his salary, which she has Googled, thoroughly. Unfortunately, Dolans superficial evocation of the island is conjured mostly through Instagram latte art geotagged on fashionable streets. 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. It seemed farcical that I even needed to explain to Edith . 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. 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. Do you re-read witty comebacks to try and bake them into your mind should you ever need them? 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. 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. Button, water, Tuesdayanything with two syllables zipped up then down like a Gothic steeple. I know it's frustrating that any new young female writer must find themselves compared to Sally Rooney. Categories: Lily has to plan her dates carefully to avoid a confrontation. EXCITING TIMES, by Naoise Dolan. 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. Your ultimate guide to the (arguably) best film genre: the romantic comedy. I wasn't immediately sucked inI think when Edith entered the picture, I became a lot more engaged. She studied at Trinity College, followed by a master's in Victorian literature at Oxford. Her debut novel, Exciting Times, was a Sunday Times bestseller, widely translated, and optioned for television. in part two, we watch her coming into the light. Similarly to her feelings about Julian, Ava becomes obsessed with Edith, to the point where she begins wondering if Edith will be her girlfriend. 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 . In Naoise Dolan's 'Exciting Times,' an Irish ex-pat in Hong Kong lands in a love triangle. , RIYL: Sally Rooney. Still, Naoise Dolan deserves her own praise. The project, based on Irish writer Naoise Dolan's debut novel, hails from U.S. financier-producer Black Bear Pictures, which optioned rights to the book ahead of its June 2020 U.S. release to . 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. 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. Who said I liked you? he counters. Judy Blume. Nolan does a brilliant job of harnessing technology to her story, specifically the phone. Like New Very Good Good. 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. Exciting Times is published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson. Its a great pick for everyone whos sensitive and introspective, but also cynical and scared of relationships." Do you take delight in words like "gormless"? Very . Blume knows the way kids and teens speak, but her two female leads are less credible as they reach adulthood. Edith has much in common with Julian: an Oxbridge pedigree and a high-powered, high-paying job. Given my absolute adoration of Rooney, its no surprise I loved this debut by a writer who counts Rooney as an inspiration and mentor. It is forbidden to copy anything for publication elsewhere without written permission from the copyright holder. ISBN: 9781474613446. She's lost as well as lonely. Lots of reviews are making the Rooney 'millennial lit' comparison which is fair but I'd add. I found this an invigorating respite from how people usually assessed women.. I took some time getting used to the narrators voice, but once I did, I became completely absorbed in Avas story. 1. Yet like many millennials, Ava exhausts the bulk of her mental energy on her bank account. I loved Exciting Times and could see within the first few chapters why it's on lots of best books 2020 lists. PDF Preview: PDF Title : Exciting Times : A Novel: Total Page : 200 Pages: Author: Naoise Dolan: PDF Size : 592 KB: Language : English: . As for the ending, given the character development up to that point, it just felt really implausible. 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. I think these were used as great insights. When Lily runs into Atlas Corrigan, a childhood friend who also came from an abusive family, she hopes their friendship can blossom into love. 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 . When Ava leaves Ireland aged 22 to make her own money . "Aimless Ava moves from Dublin to Hong Kong looking to find purpose for her life. But when she asks whether he loves her, he cannot say more than "I like you a great deal."
This can be really interesting territory for a novel, but it didn't completely work for me here. Its unusual and contemplative and just very different. @book_gal. They were playful, charged, strained. Read an excerpt from Emiko Jean's new novel, here, then dive in with us throughout the month. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, 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." 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? While there, Ava meets Julian, a rich banker from London, who invites her to move into his home. 1. 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. I enjoyed his money and he enjoyed how easily impressed I was by it..