I don't do that often. 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.
Exciting Times for Naoise Dolan: A Review - HeadStuff Already drawing comparisons to Sally Rooney's work, "Exciting Times," by Naoise Dolan, has many of the familiar tropes of the "millennial . Secrets, shame, and adoption in the 1960sa poignant tale of a mother's enduring love. Do you take delight in words like "gormless"? 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. Missed out on our June book club pick? I think these were used as great insights. New RRP 14.99. $15 at Amazon. 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 .
Exciting Times Literary Hub Edith has much in common with Julian: an Oxbridge pedigree and a high-powered, high-paying job. audible mp3, ePUB (Android), kindle, and audiobook. Dolan was born in Dublin, Ireland. But real life is messy and people are messy, and this book dramatizes that in a way that rings profoundly true. 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. More Information |
Lily Bloom is still running a flower shop; her abusive ex-husband, Ryle Kincaid, is still a surgeon. 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. 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. That said, I did not always love this book. The years in between are related in brief segments by numerous characters, but mostly by Vix. 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. Naoise Dolan: seasons the novel with insights about class, gender, race and language. I love the unconventional, the interpersonal, the relatable *but not talked about,* and this book had all of that and more. @book_gal. 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. Another month has whizzed by, seriously where is 2021 going so fast, and it is time for the latest #BookClub with Melanie and I. Until she got pregnant at fifteen, she'd . EXCITING TIMES is a joy from start to finish, and the perfect balm for these times-fresh, funny, sharp.
This is the kind of book that people are going to have vastly different opinions on. 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. 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 . 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. The middle section was slightly better than the beginning, there was an ounce of truth to it, but then it nosedived again. But boy, this novel feels so liveless and fake. Colleen Hoover. Available in used condition with free delivery in the UK. The more I think about this novel the more it suffers in my estimations. It finds her teaching English while abroad and indecisive about two lovers. However, I soon grew to really like this, as I became used to her inner thoughts. Multiple friends of mine whove read Sally Rooneys phenomenally popular novel. Nolan does a brilliant job of harnessing technology to her story, specifically the phone. Politics, class, and race anxiously hover over the entire novel. Exciting Times, which was acquired in a seven-way bidding war, more than lives up to the . Naoise Dolan is an Irish writer born in Dublin. Her relationships are dysfunctional and we see her repeatedly make choices that we know (or think we know) are wrong for her. . - Library Journal
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. 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. Its the closest well ever come to telepathy: she realises Edith is thinking about her at that moment, and it changes everything. Fiercely intelligent, brutally funny and written with such heart, Exciting Times announces an impressive new voice in literature. What listeners say about Exciting Times Average Customer Ratings. She studied at Trinity College, followed by a master's in Victorian literature at Oxford. 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. 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. dynamic. It felt authentic, less an added 'interesting' point, but a way of being that felt effortless. Books that read fast, cut fluff, and get to the point are your jam.
The Problem with Naoise Dolan's Exciting Times *a rant* I like cool detached styling, I like complex unlikeable protagonists, I like dissections of class, I like explorations of sexuality. However, this isnt anotherNormal Peopleand dont expect it to be. 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 think I may be experiencing a personal jadedness with these narratives that prevented me from fully enjoying my reading. Here, she grapples with her feelings towards Julian, a rich, witty but largely emotionless banker, and Edith, an ambitious and striking lawyer. She's sharing an Airbnb with roomies that don't like her. Im sorry. Genre: Literary Fiction
I often had to re-read passages, as subtext also plays a huge part in the book. Retrieve credentials. @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. Him needing me was strange and new. Exciting Times is the debut novel from Irish writer Naoise Dolan (and one of the Headstuff Picks of 2020 ). 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. I cant wait to read what Dolan writes next. 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. Shortly after, she meets native Hong Kong-turned-boarding-school-broad, Edith. "Much likeNormal Peopleby Sally Rooney, I expect there will be polarizing opinions onExciting Times. Publisher: Ecco, 256 pages, $27.99. At some point, the millennial-ness of it all became too much for me and I felt my eyes glaze over a bit. Politically alert, heartbreakingly raw, and dryly funny, Exciting Times is thrillingly attuned to the great freedoms and greater uncertainties of modern love.
There are intimate moments here, even if they do occur at one remove. Eileen was six years older than me. 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. Droll, shrewd and unafraid - a winning debut. Naoise Dolan The rumors are true: This does read like Sally Rooney. @kelseylovesbooks.
Naoise Dolan on the joy of literary threesomes But while it had a similar vibe and a cast of millennials, it definitely had more of a dry and cutting tone to it. 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. It read as slow-paced indecisiveness.
Exciting Times | Naoise Dolan | Review | Swirl and Thread 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. HarperCollins. 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 . 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.
June 3, 2020 7 AM PT. 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? 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. "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.
How High We Go in the Dark - HarperCollins June 2, 2020. 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. Behind Ryles veneer of civility are his jealousy and resentment. If youre looking for likable and well-rounded characters, a happy love story, and everything packaged up in a neat box, this isnt it. By contrast, Avas written correspondences social media posts and emails she labors over, analyzes, doesnt send or sends by accident become increasingly vulnerable in their disclosures as the book moves along. But did I like Exciting Times? 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.
In 'Exciting Times,' Echoes of Sally Rooney, but With a Queer Twist 3. Ava has left her life in Ireland behind to teach English to rich children in Hong Kong. The Irish debut novel everyone is talking about.' - The Gloss. From the jump, Ava approaches the world with cleareyed humor.
"Exciting Times" by Naoise Dolan - asianreviewofbooks.com Like New Very Good Good. Still, Naoise Dolan deserves her own praise. 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. Overall. Condition - Very Good.
Naoise Dolan - Wikipedia She's a long way from her home in Ireland. Julian is a banker who likes spending time with Ava, but incapable (or simply unwilling) to express his feelings for her. Exciting Times is published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson. Naoise Dolan captures perfectly the nauseating insecurity of growing up today. - Publishers Weekly
ISBN: 9781474613446. "Echoes of Sally Rooney's Conversations with Friends resound in this exacting debut novel about a young Irish woman living in Hong Kong who becomes embroiled in a love triangle with a wealthy man and woman." The dialog is brilliant throughout. 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. @thefamilybookshelf, "Exciting Timesis a sharp, character-driven story about the complicated relationships of three 20-somethings.. - Booklist (starred review)
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. 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. If you like this book that's totally up to you, I just wanted to share some of my own thoug. Colleen Hoover
Exciting Times a book by Naoise Dolan - Bookshop Exciting Times was also nominated in the Best Newcomer Category at the An Post Irish Book Awards. Sally Rooney-endorsed.
Naoise Dolan, the Queer New Prodigy of Irish Literature Or a good girlfriend? Naoise Dolan. ), She and Edith are a love story, but also a fear story. PDF Preview: PDF Title : Exciting Times : A Novel: Total Page : 200 Pages: Author: Naoise Dolan: PDF Size : 592 KB: Language : English: . , RIYL: Sally Rooney.
What I've Loved Reading 2023 - Bookshop.org Exciting Times By Naoise Dolan | Used | 9781474613460 | World of Books Here goes apologies if this review gets a bit ranty. 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. @brigittesbookshelf, "Lovers of Sally Rooney will absolutely devour this book. Never feel guilty about skipping book club again. in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Naoise Dolan is an Irish writer born in Dublin. 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. 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. Current research indicates that autistic people have higher rates of LGBT identities and feelings than the general population. Ava feels safer, more shielded from harm with Julian, but happier with Edith. That doesnt make for a worthy heroineor it might make me 'too old' to empathize.
Autism and LGBT identities - Wikipedia @readtotheend. This book is incredibly fine. Offline, shes likely watching a Heat game or finding a new coffee shop. Results for "Exciting Times" "Naoise Dolan" 12,128 results. Ava makes it her mission to get him to admit some feelings for her, purely because it would give her the upper hand.
The novel takes place a few years after the 2014 Umbrella Movement, peaceful demonstrations that galvanized Hong Kongs youth, who were demanding open elections, in a renewed spirit of protest. 23 year old Ava moves to Hong Kong to escape Ireland. 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. Read an excerpt from the bookhere (opens in new tab). Soon they are sleeping together, and Ava moves into Julians flat. In stylish, uncluttered prose, Naoise Dolan dissects the personal and financial transactions that make up a lifeand announces herself as a singular new voice. Lots of reviews are making the Rooney 'millennial lit' comparison which is fair but I'd add. But Caitlin, whose own demons have been hinted at, will not be so lucky. Now I know what the phrase razor sharp wit really means. Were glad you found a book that interests you!
Amazon.com: Exciting Times: A Novel: 9780062968746: Dolan, Naoise: Books I related to it immensely. Every time she typed out a note in her phone to send to the other characters, only to delete it, my soul died a little. But that's what I really enjoyed about thisthe characters felt real and the uncertainty and non-committal situations also felt very real.
Phoebe Dynevor set to executive produce and star in 'Exciting Times Debut novelist Naoise Dolan is no Sally Rooney, for better and worse The novel goes on to discuss the history of colonialism by the British of the Irish and Hong Kong. Meanwhile, Atlas mother returns with shocking news. (How can you tell whether you like someone? Enter Edith. Stories that focus on social issues such as class and LGBTQ+ are of interest to you. I found her style of writing very unusual and can see why people would compare her to Sally Rooney based on that. A Hong Kongborn lawyer, striking and ambitious, Edith takes Ava to the theater and leaves her tulips in the hallway. [3] A college debater, she co-convened the Irish Mace competition in 2015/16. 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. She said "completely" a lot and usually dropped the "t" in the middle. 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.
Exciting Times: Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2021 Exciting Times on the way with Bridgerton's Phoebe Dynevor set for new Emotions are dealt with baldly, dryly: Anyway, I hated her, says Ava about Victoria, a moneyed friend of Julians. .
What does she see in this man? But the intellectual aura inserted across the novel felt taut and occasionally reaching.
Phoebe Dynevor Set To Star In 'Exciting Times' Series In Works At Get ready to turn that frown upside down. Yet like many millennials, Ava exhausts the bulk of her mental energy on her bank account. This book really does navigate the muddle of thought and inaction cleverly. "Overall, this surprising novel is believable and piercingly written, with many hilarious linesFor fans of Rachel Khong's Goodbye, Vitamin." Its free and takes less than 10 seconds! @what_leah_reads. Ultimately, this one was a miss for me. (Ecco, 256 pp., $16.99.) Everyone should read it right now. Its something I appreciate in memoirs and also in literary fiction. Add to cart. 2019 Naoise Dolan (P)2019 Orion Publishing Group. An exquisitely rendered portrait of a unique father-daughter relationship and a moving memoir of family and identity.
FREE Exciting Times PDF Book by Naoise Dolan (2020) Download or Read With Ava still living in Julians apartment, she and Edith fall into a quick friendship that evolves into a relationship. 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. She obtained an English degree from Trinity College Dublin in 2016 and later a Master's Degree in Victorian Literature from Oxford University. Not long after her arrival, she finds herself on a lunch date with Julian, an Oxford-educated British banker in his late 20s. 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. Exciting Times takes place in Hong Kong around 2015, when 22 year-old Ava leaves Ireland to take a job as a TEFL teacher and find her own way in the world.This is a novel of many layers. 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 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. Find books by time period, setting & theme, Read-alike suggestions by book and author. . Exciting Times By: Naoise Dolan. I love books about disaster women and unlike many of my bookish friends do not seem to tire of them at all. Naoise Dolan - Exciting Times: A Novel Audiobook. Honestly. The answer Exciting Times seems to offer is yes, in this case they are just as shallow and myopic as one would assume. In November we went for brunch on Aberdeen Street with Ralph, pronounced 'Rafe', who'd gone to Balliol with Julian, now worked at . 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.
Summary and reviews of Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan - BookBrowse I know everyone says this, but there are so many similarities I saw between this andNormal People. Noting that the school hires only white people, she remarks: "Like sharks' teeth, teachers dropped out and were replaced.". Exciting Times : A Novel [PDF] PDF Under: Categories eBooks & Readings. Your ultimate guide to the (arguably) best film genre: the romantic comedy. Trouble signing in? Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan. I personally found that to be utterly fascinating. Edith is curious and enthusiastic, and Ava can no longer maintain her detached, ironical approach to life feelings flower all over the place. EXCITING TIMES. They were playful, charged, strained. But I'm going to just get it out of the way, for Naoise Dolan .