It’s one of the stranger ways into an ostensibly straightforward family drama spanning the generations.
Rather than a narrator reminiscing about bad choices – or, indeed, the successful device employed by Salley Vickers in Cousins, in which multiple perspectives and ages weave into a coherent narrative – Wally Lamb’s film professor Felix Funicello sees a ghost. Not just any ghost, but the wisecracking ghost of groundbreaking silent-film director Lois Weber, who persuades Funicello to watch little movies of his early years so that he might understand himself, and the world, a little better. Later, Ingrid Bergman’s spirit also turns up to explain why 1965 was such a seismic year for America.
Even Funicello thinks the ghosts are ridiculous, and though I’ll Take You There is a breezier, more comic read than some of Lamb’s previous work, the spectres set a rather annoying tone from which the book never quite recovers.
This is a shame because hiding in here somewhere is a good idea. During a six-book career, Lamb has tackled big subjects with some aplomb – most notably the Oprah Winfrey-endorsed chronicle of paranoid schizophrenia, I Know This Much Is True. And once the ghosts literally disappear into the background, there are some neatly nostalgic depictions of the 1950s and 1960s, Funicello’s present-day relationship with his aspiring journalist daughter Aliza is full of sharply observed dialogue, and the story of a family that ends up being not quite the traditional unit it appears pulls on the right heartstrings.
Unfortunately, Lamb tries to shoehorn in his own feelings about feminism, sexism and the objectification of women, and far too heavy handedly at that. Aliza writes a huge “article” about a beauty contest that almost stops the narrative dead in its tracks, while a similar “blog post” from her at the end is dreadfully preachy.
Admittedly, I'll Take You There started out as a multimedia storytelling project, with the ghosts voiced by actors (Kathleen Turner does Weber), 360-degree galleries of locations, an original soundtrack and film clips.
The story was licensed to a traditional publisher later, and it does feel like – perhaps diverted by the possibilities the electronic version offered – Lamb has had too much fun with the creative process and failed to apply enough rigour to the actual mechanics of writing a story.
After all, there are some serious issues bubbling under the surface here which deserve a less throwaway approach.
artslife@thenational.ae
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Autumn international scores
Saturday, November 24
Italy 3-66 New Zealand
Scotland 14-9 Argentina
England 37-18 Australia
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
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COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
Three ways to boost your credit score
Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:
1. Make sure you make your payments on time;
2. Limit the number of products you borrow on: the more loans and credit cards you have, the more it will affect your credit score;
3. Don't max out all your debts: how much you maximise those credit facilities will have an impact. If you have five credit cards and utilise 90 per cent of that credit, it will negatively affect your score.
The biog
Family: He is the youngest of five brothers, of whom two are dentists.
Celebrities he worked on: Fabio Canavaro, Lojain Omran, RedOne, Saber Al Rabai.
Where he works: Liberty Dental Clinic
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
RESULT
Arsenal 1 Chelsea 2
Arsenal: Aubameyang (13')
Chelsea: Jorginho (83'), Abraham (87')
