Exciting Times

A Novel

By: Naoise Dolan

Narrated by: Aoife McMahon

Length: 6 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

“This debut novel about an Irish expat millennial teaching English and finding romance in Hong Kong is half Sally Rooney love triangle, half glitzy Crazy Rich Asians high living - and guaranteed to please.” (Vogue)

An anticipated book from:

• Vogue
• Elle
• O, the Oprah Magazine
• Esquire
• Harper's Bazaar
• Popsugar
• Lithub

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.

Ava, newly arrived in Hong Kong from Dublin, spends her days teaching English to rich children.

Julian is a banker. A banker who likes to spend money on Ava, to have sex and discuss fluctuating currencies with her. But when she asks whether he loves her, he cannot say more than "I like you a great deal".

Enter Edith. A Hong Kong-born lawyer, striking and ambitious, Edith takes Ava to the theater and leaves her tulips in the hallway. Ava wants to be her - and wants 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. 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.

©2020 Naoise Dolan (P)2020 HarperAudio

a bit of a yawn

I chose this title to get a glimpse of things through fresh eyes. Mission accomplished. Beyond that, the self-absorbed, neurotic, dependent main character just put me off, Over the course of about a year...nothing much at all happens. Nothing exciting, really.

A different take on modern life.

Audio book went quickly. Fascinating characters in an exotic locale. Enjoyed the reader's performance as well!

Worth a listen

The writing was okay. It was witty, but too woke and the story didn’t go anywhere. I only listened until the end because of how awesome the narration was.

Exquisite

If you like Sally Rooney this is right up your alley. Dry humor, very smart. I don’t know what it says about me that I absolutely adore Julian but that’s for me and my therapist to discuss.

Some say boring, I say literary

How I found a book about an Irish teacher who moved to Hong Kong & made two (fuck) friends so enticing is beyond me… This book is very smart, brilliantly written and from my own point of view, accurate in its representation of a millennial mind. Plus the performance is excellent, I very much enjoyed the Irish accent.
I was hooked from beginning to end.

Colonially oppressed Olympics?

Acerbic anti-heroine who mirrors youthful insecurities in an intellectual but amusing way. The narrator is great with the variety of accents required.

Enjoyable story about relationships

This is an enjoyable story. I wasn't sure how many people/relationships it would introduce, so was half-expecting more to come, and the ending came quickly. It really illustrates the complications of relationships and the different purposes they can serve. The main character is likeable, even in her confusion. It is easy to root for her, all while admonishing her.

It was ok...

Having lived in hk most of my life as an expat this had a nostalgic appeal for me, and I can see why it has been compared to Normal People (Irish, slow moving, nothing much actually happens...) but I felt a bit let down by this book - it was perhaps a bit too slow. Also found the narrator a bit limited - she managed the two main female characters' accents well, but the rest were a bit hit and miss. Also her pronunciation of Cantonese words and HK places was off. Overall is was ok, not terrible, not brilliant.

Enjoyable

I loved the potrayed dimensions of the various characters and the complex relationships. I couldn't help getting drawned to the witty, humorous and obsessive thoughts and views of Ava (the protagonist).

On the other hand, I'm not sure if a male audience would enjoy it though.

hilarious

I loved the way it was written. Dry humor all the way. other people may find it less appealing, but I enjoyed listening for the language. it's not PG-13, so don't listen around kids. having lived abroad on more than one occasion, I found it accurate. emotionally refreshing...