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.. In November we went for brunch on Aberdeen Street with Ralph, pronounced 'Rafe', who'd gone to Balliol with Julian, now worked at . But on this occasion, its more than just a question of biography: Dolans writing does genuinely occupy similar territory. dynamic. - Book Riot
If you, like me, answered yes to all three of those questions, then you're in for a treat. 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. Rooney writes more stream of consciousness and this is more tightly bound, but the emotions and ways of being felt so similar." Reviews |
Naoise Dolan, 2020. When Ava leaves Ireland aged 22 to make her own money . Naoise Dolan and her debut novel, "Exciting Times." (Maria Bianchi / Ecco) 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 earnest expression. They were playful, charged, strained. 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. Overall, the #ReadWithMC community had trouble relating to Ava, mainly due to her passive aggressiveness and inability to speak the truth to fellow characters in the book. Eek! 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. Lily has to plan her dates carefully to avoid a confrontation. Naoise Dolan will be an auto-buy for me in the future." But even though shes divorced, Lily isnt exactly free. Those whove spent time in Hong Kong cant help wondering what its like to be among the Anglophone transplants who work and party there. Dolan is particularly good at capturing the way men talk to women whom they mistakenly think are not as smart as they are. Him needing me was strange and new. If you like this book that's totally up to you, I just wanted to share some of my own thoug. Subscribe to receive some of our best reviews, "beyond the book" articles, book club info and giveaways by email. All Rights Reserved. Avas character provides us with biting social commentary. She's instructing the dispassionate topic of grammar to youngsters in Hong Kong. Let the BookTokking Begin, New Colleen Hoover Book Sells 800K Copies, Colleen Hoover Dominated Book Sales in 2022. In stylish, uncluttered prose, Naoise Dolan dissects the personal and financial transactions that make up a lifeand announces herself as a singular new voice. In my opinion,Exciting Timesreads very similar. You have to understand that this is the kind of story I have very high standards for because the plot is an evergreen plot: young person at loose ends making her way in the world and deciding who to love. Lily Bloom is still running a flower shop; her abusive ex-husband, Ryle Kincaid, is still a surgeon. Naoise Dolan captures perfectly the nauseating insecurity of growing up today. It seemed farcical that I even needed to explain to Edith . Dolans writing is extremely sharp both cutting and tart but there are places where it feels overly cynical. But I didnt trust anyone.The richer I got, the harder it would be for anyone to force me to do anything. Dolans preoccupation with power is often couched in humor but always expertly observed. Its good to know thats how I behave in this situation.. A sharp, witty and ultimately moving debut . I like cool detached styling, I like complex unlikeable protagonists, I like dissections of class, I like explorations of sexuality. Get ready to turn that frown upside down. Characters who bottle up and wont say how they feel drive me crazy, and Ava was no exception here. Trouble signing in? This model of relationship-as-power-struggle is hardly new, but Dolan brings a fresh 21st-century sensibility to it. Thats good to know about me, she thinks. Our parents had divorced when I was a baby, and now lived in different counties in the west of Ireland. 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. 23 year old Ava moves to Hong Kong to escape Ireland. "Exciting Timesby Naoise Dolan follows a young 20-something as she flees Dublin for Hong Kong in search of a life that matches her desires. Categories: Not so much. "Okay wow, what a great book! EXCITING TIMES, by Naoise Dolan. But while it had a similar vibe and a cast of millennials, it definitely had more of a dry and cutting tone to it. Instead of just a romance or coming-of-age narrative, Dolan dives a bit deeper to probe what we carry into the relationships we form (like our personal politics and gendered expectations) and how those either weigh us down or perhaps end up setting us free., Exciting Timeslost me a bit in the second half with its pacing. She is known for her debut novel Exciting Times . Now 45% Off. Welcome to Hong Kong, where Julian (English) is a banker and Ava (Irish) is a leech. 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. - Library Journal
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. By Naoise Dolan. The fact that Naoise Dolan is being touted as "the new Sally Rooney" is nothing short of an insult to Rooney's work. ), She and Edith are a love story, but also a fear story. , Dry humor can be hard to execute on the page, but Naoise Dolan does so effortlessly and its evident from the very first pages. This book is incredibly fine. 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. Here, she grapples with her feelings towards Julian, a rich, witty but largely emotionless banker, and Edith, an ambitious and striking lawyer. @bookcrazyblogger. When Lily runs into Atlas Corrigan, a childhood friend who also came from an abusive family, she hopes their friendship can blossom into love. This is the kind of book that people are going to have vastly different opinions on. I personally found that to be utterly fascinating. 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. Soon they are sleeping together, and Ava moves into Julians flat. I am a huge Sally Rooney fan, ergo, this book was such a treat for me. Ava makes it her mission to get him to admit some feelings for her, purely because it would give her the upper hand. Nine months later, out popped their new child known asExciting Times. Are they as insensitive and indifferent as they seem to the foreign city they call home? However, I soon grew to really like this, as I became used to her inner thoughts. Until she got pregnant at fifteen, she'd . 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 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. The most insightful and raw of these are the caustic observations about Irelands repressive attitudes to homosexuality and abortionand how they damage individual lives. Naoise Dolan is an Irish writer born in Dublin. But real life is messy and people are messy, and this book dramatizes that in a way that rings profoundly true. Always fun reading the #readwithmc selection!" This information about Exciting Times was first featured
"Droll, shrewd and unafraida winning debut." I wanted her life, Ava thinks. 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. During an evening stroll, she thinks: I didn't need to know how other women went about being together. Politically alert, heartbreakingly raw, and dryly funny, Exciting Times is thrillingly attuned to the great freedoms and greater uncertainties of modern love. Ava, newly arrived in Hong Kong from Dublin, spends her days teaching English to rich children. ISBN-13: 9780062968746. Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan. But when she asks whether he loves her, he cannot say more than "I like you a great deal." Publication Information. Exciting Times. 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 Her relationships are dysfunctional and we see her repeatedly make choices that we know (or think we know) are wrong for her. In fact, Now longlisted for the 2021 Desmond Elliott Prize for debut fiction and for the 2021 Women's Prize. New RRP 14.99. RELEASE DATE: June 2, 2020. 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. It is forbidden to copy anything for publication elsewhere without written permission from the copyright holder.
Do you re-read witty comebacks to try and bake them into your mind should you ever need them? - Booklist (starred review)
If in part one, Ava feels held at a frustrating distance why is she so hard on herself? Because truly, if you love her books, dont sleep on this one. Julian is a banker. Both intonations feel native to its 22 .
This book also brought back so many memories from my trip to Hong Kong with my friends after college graduation (swipe!). It reads fairly quickly and isnt long, so would make a great summer poolside story!" With Julian away, the women bond and Ava must interrogate herself over a whole new range of feelings. (How can you tell whether you like someone? Its free and takes less than 10 seconds! I know its frustrating that any new young female writer must find themselves compared to Sally Rooney. Naoise Dolan: seasons the novel with insights about class, gender, race and language. "Much likeNormal Peopleby Sally Rooney, I expect there will be polarizing opinions onExciting Times. She's sharing an Airbnb with roomies that don't like her. Why do you like me? Ava asks him. His privilege is the invisible third party in the relationship. 40+ in stock. 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 know its frustrating that any new young female writer must find themselves compared to Sally Rooney. She, a . Again, this recalls Rooney, who uses emails both sent and unsent as a potent fictional technique, and writes in Normal People that the network is a form of intelligence in itself, containing them both, and containing their feelings for each other. I know it's frustrating that any new young female writer must find themselves compared to Sally Rooney. Yet like many millennials, Ava exhausts the bulk of her mental energy on her bank account. 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. DAS APASIONANTES es una novela social (casi generacional) disfrazada de historia de amor. . Add to cart. Feelings for Edith but, confusingly, also for Julian. Julian, her posh banker boyfriend, has such an apartment which is just as well, since he also has an arrogance to match his salary. The novel goes on to discuss the history of colonialism by the British of the Irish and Hong Kong. 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. Aperus are . The book was first published in April 1st 2020 and the latest edition of the book was published in April 16th . Edith is curious and enthusiastic, and Ava can no longer maintain her detached, ironical approach to life feelings flower all over the place. 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. 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. Sentences are short. Youre not easily pleased with how other people put sentences together, Julian accuses, but when it comes to money, youve got no taste. Often when I read a queer novel some of it feels forced; this was seamless. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added. She creates her own isolation, whilst being envious of those who are not lonely. 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. Naoise Dolan The book is perfect for those who wants to read contemporary, lgbt books. Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over. Thats partly because Edith herself is only lightly sketched in. GENERAL FICTION, by 2. I hope youll give her debut a tryit was exceedingly worth it!" influencers in the know since 1933. by More Books, Published Jun 2020
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. 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 . The dark and light sides of friendship breathlessly explored in a novel best saved for summer beachside reading. NY 10036. Already drawing comparisons to Sally Rooney's work, "Exciting Times," by Naoise Dolan, has many of the familiar tropes of the "millennial . I wasn't immediately sucked inI think when Edith entered the picture, I became a lot more engaged. 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. But that's what I really enjoyed about thisthe characters felt real and the uncertainty and non-committal situations also felt very real. , Something small I enjoyed was the depiction of Ava's queerness. Emotions are dealt with baldly, dryly: Anyway, I hated her, says Ava about Victoria, a moneyed friend of Julians. 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. Nenia I yeet my books back and forth Campbell, review of Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan on LonesomeReader. The story follows Ava through two loosely defined relationshipswith Julian, a wealthy British banker, and with Edith, a Hong Kong born, Cambridge-educated lawyer. As for Julian, he is a closed book he wouldnt fulfil his function in the storyline otherwise and the rest of the characters, barring Avas hilariously frank Mam on the phone from Ireland, are similarly unforthcoming. I also really loved how the author addresses the Irish English references in the novel and wondered if non-Irish readers understand them. 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. June 3, 2020 7 AM PT. That doesnt make for a worthy heroineor it might make me 'too old' to empathize. Have I compared this book to Sally Rooney enough times yet?? The story is told through Avas eyes and she often diverges on topics, which are not always explained. About the author (2020) Naoise Dolan is an Irish writer born in Dublin. Incredibly readable.' - Belfast Telegraph. 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!
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