Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan - 9781474613453 - Book Depository You liked the writing style ofNormal People. New York, 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 . va, a 22-year-old Dubliner living in Hong Kong, describes herself as good at men. ISBN-10: 1474613446 . - Booklist (starred review) 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? Ava, newly arrived in Hong Kong from Dublin, spends her days teaching English to rich children. "Aimless Ava moves from Dublin to Hong Kong looking to find purpose for her life. The fact that Naoise Dolan is being touted as "the new Sally Rooney" is nothing short of an insult to Rooney's work. Exciting Times Naoise Dolan. Pre-publication book reviews and features keeping readers and industry Here goes apologies if this review gets a bit ranty. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. 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. [2] She experienced homophobic bullying in school. The comparison was mentioned repeatedly in the book's marketing materials, in reviews, in interviews, and in the 28-year-old's author biographies. The story of how this casual invitation turns the two girls into what they call "Summer sisters" is prefaced with a prologue in which Vix is asked by Caitlin to be her matron of honor. Copyright 2023 Kirkus Media LLC. This book may be short, but it packs a huge punch. 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. If in part one, Ava feels held at a frustrating distance why is she so hard on herself? This gives the novel a strangely solipsistic feel, like a hall of mirrors, where every attempt to gaze outward is met only by your own face. Condition - Like New. Caitlin, on the other hand, lives part of the year with her wealthy mother Phoebe, whos just moved to Albuquerque, and summers with her father Lamb, equally affluent, on the Vineyard. Though this model of relationship-as-power-struggle is hardly new, Dolan brings a fresh 21st-century sensibility to it. Available in used condition with free delivery in the UK. With Naoise Dolan on the literary scene, there are Exciting Times ahead.' - i-D. Its not easy to sustain interest in someone so relentlessly floundering for self-knowledge, and the book flags once Ava and Edith are together. Naoise Dolan is an Irish writer born in Dublin. "I have to say I really liked this debut novel by Naoise Dolan. (Image credit: Design By Morgan McMullen), (Image credit: Design by Morgan McMullen), We're InspiredCrisp Suiting and Bold Beauty is All We Can Currently Think About, Revolve Is Having a Huge One-Day-Only Saleand You Can Get $100 Off These Legendary Gucci Sunglasses, Jo Piazza and Christine Pride Tackle the Complicated Topic of Motherhood in 'You Were Always Mine', 'Token Black Girl' Is Our October Book Club Pick, 25 Books by Latinx Authors You Should Read Immediately, Join #ReadWithMC: Marie Claire's Virtual Monthly Book Club, 'Mika In Real Life' Is Our September Book Club Pick. this book is insane because not only does the protagonist have the same birthday as me but also the male love interest has the same birthday as the man i didn't shut up about all of last year. Ahead, we're showcasing the best fashion and beauty looks you can recreate now. 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 . Subscribe to receive some of our best reviews, "beyond the book" articles, book club info and giveaways by email. Marie Claire is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. In between, Lily and Atlas steal away for romantic moments that are even sweeter for their authenticity as Lily struggles with child care, breastfeeding, and running a business while trying to find time for herself. I think these were used as great insights. 256 pages And damn I wish I could figure out why exactly. - Hilary Mantel. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published. As I started reading this novel, I realized I had to take my time with it. 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. Politically alert, heartbreakingly raw, and dryly funny, Exciting Times is thrillingly attuned to the great freedoms and greater uncertainties of modern love. This debut novel tells the story of a millennial Irish expat who becomes entangled in a love triangle with a male banker and a female lawyer Add to cart. 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. Its something I appreciate in memoirs and also in literary fiction. Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan. , Dry humor can be hard to execute on the page, but Naoise Dolan does so effortlessly and its evident from the very first pages. Rushed in some places, dragged out in others. Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan, review: a wily, caustic debut novel 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. Search: Exciting Times | Naoise Dolan | Granta But when she asks whether he loves her, he cannot say more than "I like you a great deal." Nine months later, out popped their new child known asExciting Times. [4] She identifies as queer. In stylish, uncluttered prose, Naoise Dolan dissects the personal and financial transactions that make up a lifeand announces herself as a singular new voice. Current research indicates that autistic people have higher rates of LGBT identities and feelings than the general population. She spends so much time telling us how lacking she is that I started to believe her. Susan Blumberg-Kason is the author of . I know its frustrating that any new young female writer must find themselves compared to Sally Rooney. I found this an invigorating respite from how people usually assessed women.. 1. Some will declare Ava sharp and wise and funny, a hyper-relatable protagonist. 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. 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 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. 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. Blume knows the way kids and teens speak, but her two female leads are less credible as they reach adulthood. Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan - Audiobook - Audible.com 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. Noting that the school hires only white people, she remarks: "Like sharks' teeth, teachers dropped out and were replaced.". She obtained an English degree from Trinity College Dublin in 2016 and later a Master's Degree in Victorian Literature from Oxford University. More from Star Tribune. A refreshingly wry and insightful debut." ISBN-13: 9780062968746. 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. Naoise Dolan - Wikiwand Search String: Summary | Eileen was six years older than me. Fiction Friday: An Excerpt From Naoise Dolan's 'Exciting Times' Already drawing comparisons to Sally Rooney's work, "Exciting Times," by Naoise Dolan, has many of the familiar tropes of the "millennial . Edith is curious and enthusiastic, and Ava can no longer maintain her detached, ironical approach to life feelings flower all over the place. 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 . 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. Exciting Times, which was acquired in a seven-way bidding war, more than lives up to the . 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. It was ok, but I was disappointed and wanted a little more." Our parents had divorced when I was a baby, and now lived in different counties in the west of Ireland. More Information | I cant believe it was written so geniously by someone so young. ISBN: 9781474613446. Exciting Times (Dolan) Summary Guide - LitLovers Stories so good, you won't need a bookmark. The style is detached and detaching in an interesting way but if you like sinking teeth into a narrative this is not for you. Until she got pregnant at fifteen, she'd . In stylish, uncluttered prose, Naoise Dolan dissects the personal and financial transactions that make up a lifeand announces herself as a singular new voice. Read an excerpt from Danielle Prescod's new memoir, here, then dive in with us throughout the month. I really am. From the jump, Ava approaches the world with cleareyed humor. Honestly. Secrets, shame, and adoption in the 1960sa poignant tale of a mother's enduring love. With Ava still living in Julians apartment, she and Edith fall into a quick friendship that evolves into a relationship. I really enjoyed this novel and would recommend if you want to read something thats not the normal style." However, this isnt anotherNormal Peopleand dont expect it to be. Bookshop For Authors Bookshop . 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. Nordstrom has been the go-to destination for fashion editors alike, and this season is no different. Lily Bloom is still running a flower shop; her abusive ex-husband, Ryle Kincaid, is still a surgeon. 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. 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. "Okay wow, what a great book! Review: 'Exciting Times,' by Naoise Dolan - Star Tribune Exciting Times | Naoise Dolan | Review | Swirl and Thread Read an excerpt from the bookhere (opens in new tab). GENERAL FICTION, by She is known for her debut novel Exciting Times . Who said I liked you? he counters. @booktrax. Politics, class, and race anxiously hover over the entire novel. In July, we'll be reading Brit Bennett's bestselling novel,The Vanishing Half (opens in new tab). Your ultimate guide to the (arguably) best film genre: the romantic comedy. 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." This novel is a tedious account of one girls romantic flings during a year of living abroad in Hong Kong. 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. Dolan has a great eye and I was poised over my Kindle highlighting witty dialogue and observations more than a few times. She's sharing an Airbnb with roomies that don't like her. Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan | Goodreads - Library Journal Title Edith has much in common with Julian: an Oxbridge pedigree and a high-powered, high-paying job. I know it's frustrating that any new young female writer must find themselves compared to Sally Rooney. Julian is a banker who likes spending time with Ava, but incapable (or simply unwilling) to express his feelings for her. 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? Politically alert, heartbreakingly raw, and dryly funny, Exciting Times is thrillingly attuned to the great freedoms and greater uncertainties of modern love. 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. @kelseylovesbooks. @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. She said "completely" a lot and usually dropped the "t" in the middle. 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. 3.5 out of 5 stars 3.7 out of 5.0 5 Stars . It read as slow-paced indecisiveness. "[A] wry, tender debutDolan's smart, brisk debut works as charming comedy of manners, though it packs less of a punch when it comes to class consciousness." This book really does navigate the muddle of thought and inaction cleverly. Exciting Times : A Novel [PDF] PDF Under: Categories eBooks & Readings. It is forbidden to copy anything for publication elsewhere without written permission from the copyright holder. I wanted her life, Ava thinks. I love the unconventional, the interpersonal, the relatable *but not talked about,* and this book had all of that and more. GENERAL FICTION, by Her debut novel, Exciting Times, was a Sunday Times bestseller, widely translated, and optioned for television. Naoise Dolan on the joy of literary threesomes Unfortunately, I cant give this book the raving review I want to because not only is Ava aimless, but shes SO passive-aggressive within her relationships."