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. Like Rooney, Dolan writes in a deadpan style. Heres how it works. His privilege is the invisible third party in the relationship. "Overall, this surprising novel is believable and piercingly written, with many hilarious linesFor fans of Rachel Khong's Goodbye, Vitamin." And damn I wish I could figure out why exactly. Politically alert, heartbreakingly raw, and dryly funny, Exciting Times is thrillingly attuned to the great freedoms and greater uncertainties of modern love. I cant believe it was written so geniously by someone so young. When Julian returns to London for six months for work, Ava meets Edith, a smart and beautiful Hong Kong lawyer. Naoise is an author I know Ill follow throughout her writing career, and that excites me. 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 . 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. Yet like many millennials, Ava exhausts the bulk of her mental energy on her bank account. I don't do that often. 3.5 out of 5 stars 3.7 out of 5.0 5 Stars . Politically alert, heartbreakingly raw, and dryly funny, Exciting Times is thrillingly attuned to the great freedoms and greater uncertainties of modern love. Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over. 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. Thats good to know about me, she thinks. This can be really interesting territory for a novel, but it didn't completely work for me here. Sally Rooney-endorsed. 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 . She studied English literature at Trinity College Dublin and Oxford University. But there are nuances that made me literally stop reading and think about what Dolan had wrote. EXCITING TIMES is a joy from start to finish, and the perfect balm for these times-fresh, funny, sharp. In fact, Now longlisted for the 2021 Desmond Elliott Prize for debut fiction and for the 2021 Women's Prize. The protagonist, Ava, is an intelligent, 22-year-old loner who moves from her native Dublin to Hong Kong to teach English, with no discernible qualifications other than being white. Exciting Times is her first novel, an excerpt from which was published in The Stinging Fly by Sally Rooney. Books that read fast, cut fluff, and get to the point are your jam. 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. Naoise Dolan's debut novel Exciting Times is to be made into a television series in the United States by Black Bear Pictures, whose credits include the 2014 Alan Turing biopic The Imitation Game. Incredibly readable.' - Belfast Telegraph. 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? 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. If youre looking for likable and well-rounded characters, a happy love story, and everything packaged up in a neat box, this isnt it. "Gaydars . The style is detached and detaching in an interesting way but if you like sinking teeth into a narrative this is not for you. 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. Ava wants to be herand wants her. "The angst of your twentiestrying to figure out who you are can be exhaustingyoure trying on identities like outfits. RELEASE DATE: May 8, 1998. She also launched and managed the sites virtual book club, #ReadWithMC. (I mean, I love them both and what good company to be in! Youre not a fan of unreliable narrators (hiit me), 3. Do you take delight in words like "gormless"? Ava, newly arrived in Hong Kong from Dublin, spends her days teaching English to rich children. 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. The story centers on conflict within Ava, the main character. That, or I wanted to be him., Ava is hyper-verbal and exacting, and Dolans writing excels when Ava turns her analytical eye on the intersections between English syntax, zeitgeist technology and interpersonal relationships: Because I lacked warmth, I was mainly assigned grammar classes, where children not liking you was a positive performance indicator. 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 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. Ava makes it her mission to get him to admit some feelings for her, purely because it would give her the upper hand. Dolan's debut novel, Exciting Times, is a smart, funny, . 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. Her debut novel, Exciting Times, was a Sunday Times bestseller, widely translated, and optioned for television. The rumors are true: This does read like Sally Rooney. New RRP 14.99. Welcome to Hong Kong, where Julian (English) is a banker and Ava (Irish) is a leech. ISBN-13: 9780062968746. Read an excerpt from Danielle Prescod's new memoir, here, then dive in with us throughout the month. Genre: Literary Fiction 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 . Dolan writes about some of the social and political changes happening on the island, and its really interesting to consider this novel a time capsule for some of the last, perhaps, 'golden years' of the Anglo-European expat life in Hong Kong. June 2, 2020. Dolan seasons the novel with insights about class, gender, race, colonialism, and language, though the result does not always bring depth of flavour. Exciting Times is an acerbic tale of sex and love, set in the social media age.' - The Herald Scotland. 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. But real life is messy and people are messy, and this book dramatizes that in a way that rings profoundly true. Ava, the narrator, is an Irish ex-pat living in Hong Kong. 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. Politically alert, heartbreakingly raw, and dryly funny, Exciting Times is thrillingly attuned to the great freedoms and greater uncertainties of modern love. The most insightful and raw of these are the caustic observations about Irelands repressive attitudes to homosexuality and abortionand how they damage individual lives. Though this model of relationship-as-power-struggle is hardly new, Dolan brings a fresh 21st-century sensibility to it. Exciting Times PDF Details. Ava is an accurately drawn emblem of the zeitgeist, but as such, she stands apart from it, isolated. - Booklist (starred review) Always fun reading the #readwithmc selection!" This book may be short, but it packs a huge punch. 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. It seemed farcical that I even needed to explain to Edith . Politics, grammar, and morality are explored with quick jabs and sharp wording. "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. 2019 Naoise Dolan (P)2019 Orion Publishing Group. 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. Ava, a 22-year-old Dubliner living in Hong Kong, describes herself as good at men. Everyone should read it right now. June 2, 2020. Find out exactly what #ReadWithMC loved and didn't love aboutExciting Times, below. Enter Edith. I'm highly anticipating another Naoise Dolan book, I wonder if there could be another instalment of Ava going by Exciting Times book ending. Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published. Politically alert, heartbreakingly raw, and dryly funny, Exciting Times is thrillingly attuned to the great freedoms and greater uncertainties of modern love. However, they did enjoy the political and historical references throughout the novel, albeit having to do a bit of research on the topics themselves. 256 pp. Exciting Times Naoise Dolan. It would definitely have been helpful to have a general idea of the geopolitics between Ireland/Britain/Hong Kong. The years in between are related in brief segments by numerous characters, but mostly by Vix. Article Naoise Dolan. She's lost as well as lonely. @compulsivereadersblog. I really am. Naoise Dolan captures perfectly the nauseating insecurity of growing up today. Characters who bottle up and wont say how they feel drive me crazy, and Ava was no exception here. Only 2 left. 1. Often when I read a queer novel some of it feels forced; this was seamless. I think I may be experiencing a personal jadedness with these narratives that prevented me from fully enjoying my reading. She's sharing an Airbnb with roomies that don't like her. Both are well-educated and earning a good living. 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. 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 . A gut-punch of a novel about a Cherokee child removed from her family and sent to a Christian boarding school in the 1950s. When you purchase an independently reviewed book through our site, we earn an affiliate commission. Visit our corporate site. This is the kind of book that people are going to have vastly different opinions on. Anyone can read what you share. PDF Preview: PDF Title : Exciting Times : A Novel: Total Page : 200 Pages: Author: Naoise Dolan: PDF Size : 592 KB: Language : English: . Droll, shrewd and unafraid - a winning debut. Given my absolute adoration of Rooney, its no surprise I loved this debut by a writer who counts Rooney as an inspiration and mentor. 1. The middle section was slightly better than the beginning, there was an ounce of truth to it, but then it nosedived again. Eileen was six years older than me. Author About the author (2020) Naoise Dolan is an Irish writer born in Dublin. With Ava still living in Julians apartment, she and Edith fall into a quick friendship that evolves into a relationship. She, a . Perhaps because Ava's first love interest, Julian, uncomfortably reminded me of someone from my past! 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 book is perfect for those who wants to read contemporary, lgbt books. The fact that Naoise Dolan is being touted as "the new Sally Rooney" is nothing short of an insult to Rooney's work. Ill update in the comments if I ever figure it out. 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. She studied at Trinity College, followed by a master's in Victorian literature at Oxford. Edith has much in common with Julian: an Oxbridge pedigree and a high-powered, high-paying job. Sentences are short. influencers in the know since 1933. by Dolan skilfully reveals to us how Avas choices are all made with self-protection in mind: her constant irony, her low expectations, her chilly relationship with Julian. Categories: It also turned into a really beautiful queer love story, taking turns I hadnt anticipated at the outset of the novel. 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 . 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. @suzylew_bookreview, "Love triangle. Its something I appreciate in memoirs and also in literary fiction. Some will declare Ava sharp and wise and funny, a hyper-relatable protagonist. DAS APASIONANTES es una novela social (casi generacional) disfrazada de historia de amor. Thats partly because Edith herself is only lightly sketched in. Naoise Dolan: seasons the novel with insights about class, gender, race and language. Publication Information. Just $45 for 12 months or Summary. 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. Dolan has a great eye and I was poised over my Kindle highlighting witty dialogue and observations more than a few times. Those whove spent time in Hong Kong cant help wondering what its like to be among the Anglophone transplants who work and party there. This is one of the hottest debut authors of 2020, described as the new Sally Rooney and perfect for fans ofAnimalsandTrick Mirror. Sentences are short. Straight romance. Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan is published by W&N (14.99), Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Naoise Dolan - Exciting Times: A Novel Audiobook. Emotions are dealt with baldly, dryly: Anyway, I hated her, says Ava about Victoria, a moneyed friend of Julians. m sorry. Like Rooney, Dolan writes in a deadpan style. The fact that Naoise Dolan is being touted as the new Sally Rooney is nothing short of an insult to Rooneys work. 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. 40+ in stock. Current research indicates that autistic people have higher rates of LGBT identities and feelings than the general population. Naoise Dolan is a queer and autistic Irish writer born in Dublin. Still, Naoise Dolan deserves her own praise. She is in a constant battle of inner conflicttotal social apathy, whilst silently scathing of her prejudiced workplace. Ava is pulled into the orbit of wealthy, privileged banker Julian who comes from London. Ava has left her life in Ireland behind to teach English to rich children in Hong Kong. Him needing me was strange and new. They trip her up and get in the way. In November we went for brunch on Aberdeen Street with Ralph, pronounced 'Rafe', who'd gone to Balliol with Julian, now worked at . Now 45% Off. exciting times naoise dolan ending explainedlivrer de la nourriture non halal. "Droll, shrewd and unafraida winning debut." Trouble signing in? Por supuesto que la historia de esta joven irlandesa buscndose la vida como profesora de ingls en Hong Kong y tratando de sobrevivir a dos amores casi opuestos (aunque no tan diferentes) es maravillosa, sexy, extica y fascinante, pero es que ese personaje protagonista est tan bien construido que el libro sera igual de interesante si no le pasase nada de todo lo extraordinario que le sucede. 5.79. 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. This month we are discussing. She's instructing the dispassionate topic of grammar to youngsters in Hong Kong. Click here and be the first to review this book! 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.
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