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thatswhatshanread's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Naoise Dolan is very sarcastic. My kind of person.
The humor in this book is incredibly dry and clever, sneaks up on you. Story and dialogue is simple but full of intellect. Characters feel evasive but real, monotonous day-to-day life of twentysomethings who hate harping on their privilege but definitely take advantage of it. Dolan’s wit is sharp and relentless at times, which works well for the temperament of our main character, Ava. Her not-boyfriend Julian is very noncommittal and quite dull, actually, but his and Ava’s routine of being somewhere between roommates and FWB is interesting although played out. Thus, it is with the turn of the arrival of Edith into Ava’s life that shoots the plot into more compelling territory, though not altogether interesting, even with the announcement of love between them. In any case, the writing is great and very introspective. Many comparisons can be drawn to Sally Rooney, beyond them both being Irish authors of the same age. This one was quite similar to the plot of “Conversations With Friends”, but less engaging, and I do find that Rooney’s writing carries more weight to it.
Dolan’s take on the daily rituals of an Irish millennial living abroad is very functional and slice of life. I didn’t really care for any of the characters, which is not always great when a story is character-driven. In the end, I found myself skimming through paragraphs. I wished for more plot. But that is another pointed joke of Dolan’s—a book called “Exciting Times” with very little excitement.
There were many quotes I liked, especially this one:
“We were the sum of the routines we’d built around each other.”
The humor in this book is incredibly dry and clever, sneaks up on you. Story and dialogue is simple but full of intellect. Characters feel evasive but real, monotonous day-to-day life of twentysomethings who hate harping on their privilege but definitely take advantage of it. Dolan’s wit is sharp and relentless at times, which works well for the temperament of our main character, Ava. Her not-boyfriend Julian is very noncommittal and quite dull, actually, but his and Ava’s routine of being somewhere between roommates and FWB is interesting although played out. Thus, it is with the turn of the arrival of Edith into Ava’s life that shoots the plot into more compelling territory, though not altogether interesting, even with the announcement of love between them. In any case, the writing is great and very introspective. Many comparisons can be drawn to Sally Rooney, beyond them both being Irish authors of the same age. This one was quite similar to the plot of “Conversations With Friends”, but less engaging, and I do find that Rooney’s writing carries more weight to it.
Dolan’s take on the daily rituals of an Irish millennial living abroad is very functional and slice of life. I didn’t really care for any of the characters, which is not always great when a story is character-driven. In the end, I found myself skimming through paragraphs. I wished for more plot. But that is another pointed joke of Dolan’s—a book called “Exciting Times” with very little excitement.
There were many quotes I liked, especially this one:
“We were the sum of the routines we’d built around each other.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Infidelity
Moderate: Sexual content, Alcohol, Gaslighting, and Classism
Minor: Rape, Drug use, Emotional abuse, and Sexual assault
pmrichard1's review against another edition
3.0
Wizzed through this, very readable. Not the most amazing thing I’ve ever read but i do see (and enjoy) the Rooney vibes. Plotless and irritating characters and yet somehow pleasing! I do wonder about the Hong Kong of it all vs how insular Ava was to that, but I guess that’s kind of the point.
rlpietraszek's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Fantastic writing style, you root for the characters even when they’re behaving badly
taonga17's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
storeytale's review against another edition
3.0
Self-absorbed narration a bit tedious, but kind of relatable.
mymidnightbooks's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
hazelnutperson's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25