Youre not a fan of unreliable narrators (hiit me), 3. They trip her up and get in the way. But boy, this novel feels so liveless and fake. 3.5 out of 5 stars 3.7 out of 5.0 5 Stars . Our parents had divorced when I was a baby, and now lived in different counties in the west of Ireland. She also launched and managed the sites virtual book club, #ReadWithMC. Judy Blume DAS APASIONANTES es una novela social (casi generacional) disfrazada de historia de amor. 1. Aleksandar Hemon's characters are romantics. "Hands down one of the most anticipated debuts of the yearA piercingly provocative look at modern love and power games." 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. 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. 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. Pre-publication book reviews and features keeping readers and industry @suzylew_bookreview, "Love triangle. Condition - Very Good. 2. Read an excerpt from Emiko Jean's new novel, here, then dive in with us throughout the month. Membership Advantages. Publication Information. But while it had a similar vibe and a cast of millennials, it definitely had more of a dry and cutting tone to it. @thefamilybookshelf, "Exciting Timesis a sharp, character-driven story about the complicated relationships of three 20-somethings.. By this I mean that Naise Dolan also focuses on love from a millennial point of view. 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." I personally found that to be utterly fascinating. This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers. Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan is published by W&N (14.99), Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. I think I may be experiencing a personal jadedness with these narratives that prevented me from fully enjoying my reading. Exciting Times is a beautiful novel written by the famous author Naoise Dolan. Welcome to Hong Kong, where Julian (English) is a banker and Ava (Irish) is a leech. "Aimless Ava moves from Dublin to Hong Kong looking to find purpose for her life. 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. Its free and takes less than 10 seconds! 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. Both are well-educated and earning a good living. She's lost as well as lonely. However, its the authors style of writing that really grew on me. What does she see in this man? Dolan is an Irish writer born in Dublin. Her debut novel, Exciting Times, was a Sunday Times bestseller, widely translated, and optioned for television. 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. She studied English literature at Trinity College Dublin and Oxford University. New RRP 8.99. 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. The following is excerpted from Naoise Dolan's debut novel, Exciting Times, an excerpt of which was published in The Stinging Fly by Sally Rooney. Naoise is an author I know Ill follow throughout her writing career, and that excites me. "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. Author Do you take delight in words like "gormless"? 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? But real life is messy and people are messy, and this book dramatizes that in a way that rings profoundly true. Exciting Times. 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. I wanted to like it, but the lack of plot and my lack of affection for the main character made it fall short. 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. Button, water, Tuesdayanything with two syllables zipped up then down like a Gothic steeple. 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. Exciting Times Naoise Dolan. 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. Its something I appreciate in memoirs and also in literary fiction. Publisher: Ecco, 256 pages, $27.99. Characters who bottle up and wont say how they feel drive me crazy, and Ava was no exception here. Ava has left her life in Ireland behind to teach English to rich children in Hong Kong. Why do you like me? Ava asks him. The dialog is brilliant throughout. A young Dubliner in Hong Kong struggles to connect in this fresh and funny debut about love and self-knowledge. Naoise Dolan: 'I'm not good at presenting myself as likable', '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', Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan review a bracing, witty debut, '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. Nolan does a brilliant job of harnessing technology to her story, specifically the phone. Read if you like Animals by Emma Jane Unsworth, Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath - Sunday Times Style. They were playful, charged, strained. 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. Naoise Dolan. It also turned into a really beautiful queer love story, taking turns I hadnt anticipated at the outset of the novel. Politically alert, heartbreakingly raw, and dryly funny, Exciting Times is thrillingly attuned to the great freedoms and greater uncertainties of modern love. If youre looking for likable and well-rounded characters, a happy love story, and everything packaged up in a neat box, this isnt it. Another month has whizzed by, seriously where is 2021 going so fast, and it is time for the latest #BookClub with Melanie and I. The comparison was mentioned repeatedly in the book's marketing materials, in reviews, in interviews, and in the 28-year-old's author biographies. 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. Naoise Dolan is an Irish writer born in Dublin. Like Rooney, Dolan writes in a deadpan style. Exciting Times is very funny in its cool observation and the way it takes us inside Avas spirals of overthinking. Exciting Times PDF Details. Or a good girlfriend? 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. Abbi Jacobson $28.00 in cart add to cart About Support / Help Become an Affiliate Gift Cards Careers - We're hiring! Politics FBI agents, prosecutors argued over Trump before raid 8:48pm Gophers Scoggins: Give . Categories: And others will find that not much happens and it's just meh. Naoise Dolan. Exciting Timesfollows Ava, a young Irish woman living in Hong Kong and her relationship with Julian and Edith. Heres how it works. @what_leah_reads. In July, we'll be reading Brit Bennett's bestselling novel,The Vanishing Half (opens in new tab). <style> body { -ms-overflow-style: scrollbar; overflow-y: scroll; overscroll-behavior-y: none; } .errorContainer { background-color: #FFF; color: #0F1419; max-width . 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. I enjoyed his money and he enjoyed how easily impressed I was by it.. Throughout the book, Ava makes incisive observations about the legacy of colonialism in both HK and Ireland, in addition to funny musings about the rules of English grammar she teaches her students, but can hardly explain, let alone justify, herself. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, The book is fast-paced, but with finely-wrought moments of stillness. Copyright 2023 Kirkus Media LLC. Have I compared this book to Sally Rooney enough times yet?? Now I know what the phrase razor sharp wit really means. If Sally Rooney couldn't write, was more cynical and forgot everything about subtlety and realistic characterisation and dialogue. She's a long way from her home in Ireland. RELEASE DATE: June 2, 2020. Eileen was six years older than me. 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. I'm highly anticipating another Naoise Dolan book, I wonder if there could be another instalment of Ava going by Exciting Times book ending. Her relationships are dysfunctional and we see her repeatedly make choices that we know (or think we know) are wrong for her. 2019 Naoise Dolan (P)2019 Orion Publishing Group. Results for "Exciting Times" "Naoise Dolan" 12,128 results. It finds her teaching English while abroad and indecisive about two lovers. I loved the IG stalking references, so current and fun to read. RELEASE DATE: May 8, 1998. D I S C L A I M E RThese are all just my own opinion on the book. Just $45 for 12 months or Secrets, shame, and adoption in the 1960sa poignant tale of a mother's enduring love. When you purchase an independently reviewed book through our site, we earn an affiliate commission. Search: I really am. All Rights Reserved. Its the closest well ever come to telepathy: she realises Edith is thinking about her at that moment, and it changes everything. I 'm sorry. 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. $15 for 3 months. Exciting Times, which was acquired in a seven-way bidding war, more than lives up to the . Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published. Ultimately, this one was a miss for me. 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. I cant wait to read what Dolan writes next. Sentences are short. Lily has to plan her dates carefully to avoid a confrontation. 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? The sequel to It Ends With Us (2016) shows the aftermath of domestic violence through the eyes of a single mother. 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. With Ava still living in Julians apartment, she and Edith fall into a quick friendship that evolves into a relationship. 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. Aperus are withering. , RIYL: Sally Rooney. , Something small I enjoyed was the depiction of Ava's queerness. 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.