Naoise Dolan’s “Exciting Times” is a deceptive title for a novel that spends much of its time meticulously examining the unexciting minutiae of human relationships. The story follows Ava, a self-deprecating Irish expat teaching English in Hong Kong, who finds herself entangled in a love triangle with Julian, a wealthy British banker, and Edith, an ambitious Hong Kong lawyer. Through Ava’s razor-sharp observations and overthinking, Dolan delivers a novel that is at times brilliantly insightful and at others frustratingly cold.
A Character Study in Self-Sabotage
At the center of “Exciting Times” is Ava, a 22-year-old who has fled Dublin to teach English in Hong Kong. She’s the kind of narrator who analyzes every social interaction to death, picking apart language and class signifiers with surgical precision. Her inner monologue is simultaneously her greatest strength and most glaring weakness:
“I wanted other people to care more about me than I did about them.”
Ava’s characterization is remarkably consistent—she’s intelligent, caustic, and perpetually unsatisfied. Her self-awareness about her own problematic behaviors doesn’t translate into any real growth until the final pages. This makes for a protagonist who, while authentic, can be exhausting company for 250+ pages.
The novel’s supporting characters fare less well. Julian, the posh British banker who becomes Ava’s lover and landlord, remains something of a cipher throughout, defined primarily by his wealth and emotional unavailability. Edith, who appears halfway through the novel as Ava’s second love interest, serves more as a foil to Julian than a fully realized character in her own right.
Class and Language as Battlegrounds
Where Dolan truly excels is in her exploration of language and class. The novel is obsessed with how we speak and what our speech reveals about us. As an English teacher, Ava is hyperaware of linguistic differences:
“Irish English kept things after Brits dropped them. ‘Tings’ was incorrect, you needed to breathe and say ‘things’, but if you breathed for ‘what’ then that was quaint. If the Irish didn’t aspirate and the English did then they were right, but if we did and the English didn’t then they were still right. The English taught us English to teach us they were right.”
This preoccupation with language extends to Ava’s relationships, where conversations become psychological chess matches. She overthinks every text message, every pause in conversation, mining them for hidden meanings and power dynamics. It’s an accurate portrayal of modern dating anxiety, particularly for those who use irony and intellectualization as emotional shields.
The Politics of Romance
“Exciting Times” by Naoise Dolan is a novel acutely aware of the political implications of personal choices. Ava’s feminist ideals clash with her willingness to be financially supported by Julian. Her sexuality becomes another area where theory meets complicated practice. The novel examines how capitalism, colonialism, and patriarchy infiltrate even our most intimate connections:
“There was something Shakespearean about imperious men going down on you: the mighty have fallen.”
Unfortunately, the novel’s politics sometimes feel more like intellectual window dressing than deeply explored themes. Ava’s critiques of colonialism and capitalism exist alongside her passive acceptance of their benefits. This contradiction could be fascinating if more thoroughly examined, but the novel often glances at these tensions without fully reckoning with them.
Prose Style: Clinical and Controlled
Dolan’s prose is remarkably assured for a debut novelist. Her sentences are precise, often clinically so, with a fondness for the well-turned observation:
“I’d had more of my drink than Julian had of his, which meant it was again my job to make conversation.”
The writing is at its best when capturing the awkward social dynamics between characters from different cultures and classes. Dolan has a particular talent for dialogue that reveals what characters are trying to hide.
However, the novel’s emotional temperature runs consistently cool. Dolan’s prose is so controlled that even moments of supposed passion or heartbreak feel intellectualized. This creates a curious effect where readers understand Ava’s emotions conceptually without necessarily feeling them.
Structure and Pacing Issues
The novel’s three-part structure—broadly centered around Julian, then Edith, then both—creates pacing problems. The first section, establishing Ava and Julian’s relationship, feels overlong, while Ava’s relationship with Edith develops at a quicker clip that doesn’t allow for the same depth of examination. By the time all three characters interact in the novel’s final section, there’s insufficient space to fully resolve the tensions the narrative has established.
This structural imbalance contributes to the feeling that the novel’s conclusion, while emotionally satisfying, hasn’t been entirely earned by the preceding pages.
Strengths and Weaknesses
What Works
- Linguistic precision: Dolan’s attention to language as both subject matter and stylistic tool is impressive
- Class consciousness: The novel deftly examines how socioeconomic differences shape relationships
- Authentic portrayal of overthinking: Ava’s exhausting self-analysis will be painfully familiar to many readers
- Cultural observations: The portrayal of expatriate life in Hong Kong captures the peculiar bubble such communities often inhabit
What Falls Short
- Emotional distance: The clinical prose creates a barrier between reader and characters
- Uneven character development: Supporting characters, particularly Edith, lack the depth afforded to Ava
- Pacing issues: The novel’s three-part structure creates imbalances in narrative development
- Limited growth: Ava’s character arc, while present, feels somewhat compressed into the novel’s final pages
Comparison to Contemporary Fiction
“Exciting Times” by Naoise Dolan inevitably invites comparisons to Sally Rooney’s work, particularly “Normal People” and “Conversations with Friends.” Both authors are young Irish writers crafting stories about millennial relationships steeped in class consciousness and emotional complication. However, where Rooney’s prose often burns with sublimated emotion, Dolan’s maintains a cooler, more analytical distance.
The novel also shares DNA with works like Ottessa Moshfegh’s “My Year of Rest and Relaxation” in its portrayal of a caustic, self-sabotaging protagonist, though Dolan’s tone is less grotesque and more wryly observational.
Final Assessment
“Exciting Times” is an impressive but flawed debut that showcases Naoise Dolan’s considerable talents. Her precision with language, eye for social dynamics, and unflinching portrayal of a certain type of millennial anxiety mark her as a writer to watch. However, the novel’s emotional distance and structural imbalances prevent it from fully realizing its potential.
As a debut, it suggests that Dolan possesses the raw materials for greatness, even if this particular novel doesn’t quite achieve it. Readers who appreciate linguistically precise, socially astute fiction will find much to admire, even if they may not always find characters to love.
For Readers Who Enjoyed…
If you appreciated “Exciting Times” by Naoise Dolan, you might also enjoy:
- “Conversations with Friends” and “Normal People” by Sally Rooney
- “My Year of Rest and Relaxation” by Ottessa Moshfegh
- “Chemistry” by Weike Wang
- “Little Fires Everywhere” by Celeste Ng
- “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous” by Ocean Vuong
Each shares Dolan’s interest in complicated relationships, class dynamics, or linguistic precision, while offering their own unique perspectives on contemporary life.
The Verdict: Promise Amid Precision
Naoise Dolan’s debut novel, “Exciting Times”, demonstrates remarkable control and intelligence, even when that same control sometimes keeps readers at arm’s length. “Exciting Times” offers a clinically precise dissection of modern romance that’s more interested in analysis than passion. Readers who value keen social observation and linguistic dexterity will find much to appreciate, even as they may yearn for more emotional warmth beneath the novel’s polished surface.
This is a writer with important things to say and the technical skill to say them well—next time, perhaps, with a bit more heart to balance the considerable intellect already on display.