It used to be a bit of a slur on a novel to say that it seemed to have been written with the film adaptation in mind. But who today could begrudge any mid-list literary toiler the hope of a production company cheque? It isn't as if there's still a living to be made from books. Besides, novelists have something better than movies to aspire to, something nobler and more expansive. Now that television dramas are the supreme art form of the age, a television adaptation actually counts as a step up, a vindication of the printed source. The likes of Michael Chabon queue up to write for subscription channels and an HBO treatment no more counts against a novel than a Library of America edition does.
So you might not immediately see the problem when I complain that The Dazzle seems desperately to want a television adaptation; who doesn't? Nevertheless, Robert Hudson, who is perhaps better known as a writer of comedy on BBC Radio 4, has set about the task of winning one with such a bleak fixity of purpose as to provide as a cautionary example for the rest of his peers.
Hudson's first novel, The Kilburn Social Club, was a moderately successful high-concept affair about an idealistic football team in a parallel universe version of London. A tough sell, in other words. He takes no chances with the second, which is set in the 1930s in Scarborough, a seaside resort in the north-east of England. There was a society craze for tuna fishing during the inter-war years, so big game is afoot when the (real) English aristocrat Lorenzo Mitchell-Hughes challenges the (real) American adventure novelist Zane Grey to a "tunny" fishing contest. The (fictional) notorious playboy, Johnny Fastolf, Earl of Caister, agrees to host their encounter on his big vulgar motor yacht, and a handful of other historical personages (the adventurer and fabulist Mike Mitchell-Hedges plus a giddy young journalist by the name of Martha Gellhorn) descend to take in the show.
The fish and the northern setting are mildly quirky elements, but otherwise we are squarely in Downton Abbey world, the wheelhouse of the British prestige drama industry. Toffs and the aftermath of the First World War are practically the only things the British know how to make television programmes about; they are immoderately rewarded whenever they do and they already have all the props and costumes, so at a certain level Hudson evidently knew what he was about when making his calculations.
Alas, there are things you can pull off on TV that just look cheap or confused in fiction. In particular, even the most reputable shows - The Wire or Breaking Bad, say - tend to run on a fuel of thillerish hokum, and rely on their funereal pace and eye for detail to generate the stately atmosphere of Serious Art. It's hard to manage the same trick in a novel. David Mitchell, of Cloud Atlas fame, is British fiction's acknowledged master of august froth, but even he raised eyebrows with his last novel, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, which began as an opulent evocation of a Dutch trading post in 18th-century Japan and then squandered its fabulous scenery on a story about escaping from an evil wizard. Television, like opera, can dignify stupidity. Novels can sometimes get away with it, but they had better not try to claim snob value in the same breath.
At first, The Dazzle seems like it ought to be able to get quite a long way on snob value alone. Hudson has decent literary chops. He juggles points of view, descending frequently into the epistolary first person as Grey, Gellhorn and Mitchell-Hedges maintain their various correspondences, each in his own, differently vigorous voice. On her first encounter with Falstolf, the coltish and smitten Martha Gellhorn writes: "Please, please don't think me under any illusions! Johnny is merely a charming, aristocratic millionaire with a bad reputation and a castle who makes me laugh." Over the page she recounts a party thrown at an English dog-breeder's manor house: "a kennel complex as splendid as a hospital for Brahmin grandees … " Soon enough, a kind of board game is being played with live Great Danes as pieces, ordered to their positions with commands "not fit for a lady to hear … but no one seemed to mind".
There's a beguiling liveliness and oddness about all this. One feels that things might develop in unpredictable ways. Glittering period references pile up with gossipy casualness; each character is granted flashes of introspective insight and epigrammatic wisdom of a kind that would be wasted in a straight potboiler. "It is easy enough to say that this is not 'real life'," Gellhorn announces, but "it happens to be the life that I lead and what could be more real than that?" A lot of The Dazzle's dialogue, if not quite dazzling, comprises quasi-philosophical exchanges of about this calibre, and everyone seems to spend the bulk of his time pop-psychoanalysing everyone else. A good deal of exertion, in other words, has gone into making these characters appear mercurial and complex, to one another if not to the reader.
Zane Grey, in particular, enters the stage as a splendid monster, a fantastically egotistical "natural man" type who is forever acquiring fresh female consorts and telling his wife all about them. Of one of these, he writes: "Brownie reads Hemingway's books at the breakfast table. She pretends she likes them, but it is clearly to torment me." The peculiarity of this marriage (drawn from life, it would seem), seems at first like a promising portal onto disquieting psychological equivalences. Alas, it soon becomes clear that Hudson is too intolerant of moral doubt to stay long among these shades of grey, and so he sets in train a wearyingly mechanical series of plot contrivances to demonstrate that Grey is not only a philanderer but also a deluded narcissist, a blackmailer, a pervert and a dreadful writer: in short, he's as close to thoroughly bad as makes no difference.
When it comes to Johnny Falstolf, Hudson's discomfort with subtlety works against even his most populist instincts. The earl is meant to give off a Byronic whiff of corruption and danger, surrounding himself with amoral society parasites and operating above the law from his floating pleasure palace, also called The Dazzle. We are encouraged to think of him, so to speak, as a misery wrapped in an enigma (or vice versa: "He is just playing at being a soul in torment, like he is playing at everything else …").
Yet one doesn't have to be reminded that "dazzle" is a kind of camouflage to twig that a heart of purest white-knight beats beneath Johnny's sulphurous exterior. And indeed, as soon as we learn, a couple of pages in, about his manful disdain for dope fiends, we know what seemingly none of the other characters in all their minute self-examination seems able to intuit, namely that we are in the company of a square-jawed, two-fisted English gentleman of the old school. Before long, we are embroiled in an espionage plot involving a dastardly, allegedly Chinese criminal mastermind known as "the Sphinx". (Characteristically, Hudson allows his characters to remark knowingly on the low-rent absurdity of a Chinese character so named, as if they, too, are better than this Sax Rohmer, boys' magazine stuff.)
Perhaps the idea with Falstolf was to make him a Don Draper-style ambiguous blank, a beautiful surface with troubled depths. I have heard it argued that Draper's melodramatic secret past is one of the crudest of Mad Men's narrative resources, that it purchases a convenient metaphor for American self-invention at the cost of cheapening the whole. People never used to talk about television this way. Be that as it may, it seems unlikely that the series could have survived for very long if Jon Hamm's antihero had, besides burying his original identity and fleeing the past, also ponyed up and joined an elite crime-fighting duo.
It is in The Dazzle's final, hopeful moments that such a vision dances for an instant: a sequel, a second season, "The Further Adventures of …", more crimes and parties, perhaps more north-eastern seaside resorts.
But it cancels itself as soon as you notice it, vanishing like a sparkle on the waves.
Ed Lake is a former deputy editor of The Review.
thereview@thenational.ae
Getting there
The flights
Flydubai operates up to seven flights a week to Helsinki. Return fares to Helsinki from Dubai start from Dh1,545 in Economy and Dh7,560 in Business Class.
The stay
Golden Crown Igloos in Levi offer stays from Dh1,215 per person per night for a superior igloo; www.leviniglut.net
Panorama Hotel in Levi is conveniently located at the top of Levi fell, a short walk from the gondola. Stays start from Dh292 per night based on two people sharing; www. golevi.fi/en/accommodation/hotel-levi-panorama
Arctic Treehouse Hotel in Rovaniemi offers stays from Dh1,379 per night based on two people sharing; www.arctictreehousehotel.com
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mountain Classification Tour de France after Stage 8 on Saturday:
- 1. Lilian Calmejane (France / Direct Energie) 11
- 2. Fabio Aru (Italy / Astana) 10
- 3. Daniel Martin (Ireland / Quick-Step) 8
- 4. Robert Gesink (Netherlands / LottoNL) 8
- 5. Warren Barguil (France / Sunweb) 7
- 6. Chris Froome (Britain / Team Sky) 6
- 7. Guillaume Martin (France / Wanty) 6
- 8. Jan Bakelants (Belgium / AG2R) 5
- 9. Serge Pauwels (Belgium / Dimension Data) 5
- 10. Richie Porte (Australia / BMC Racing) 4
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Results
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 Group 1 (PA) US$75,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner: Ziyadd, Richard Mullen (jockey), Jean de Roualle (trainer).
7.05pm: Al Rashidiya Group 2 (TB) $250,000 (Turf) 1,800m
Winner: Barney Roy, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
7.40pm: Meydan Cup Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,810m
Winner: Secret Advisor, Tadhg O’Shea, Charlie Appleby.
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Plata O Plomo, Carlos Lopez, Susanne Berneklint.
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: Salute The Soldier, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.
9.25pm: Al Shindagha Sprint Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Gladiator King, Mickael Barzalona, Satish Seemar.
Premier League results
Saturday
Tottenham Hotspur 1 Arsenal 1
Bournemouth 0 Manchester City 1
Brighton & Hove Albion 1 Huddersfield Town 0
Burnley 1 Crystal Palace 3
Manchester United 3 Southampton 2
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 Cardiff City 0
West Ham United 2 Newcastle United 0
Sunday
Watford 2 Leicester City 1
Fulham 1 Chelsea 2
Everton 0 Liverpool 0
Profile of Foodics
Founders: Ahmad AlZaini and Mosab AlOthmani
Based: Riyadh
Sector: Software
Employees: 150
Amount raised: $8m through seed and Series A - Series B raise ongoing
Funders: Raed Advanced Investment Co, Al-Riyadh Al Walid Investment Co, 500 Falcons, SWM Investment, AlShoaibah SPV, Faith Capital, Technology Investments Co, Savour Holding, Future Resources, Derayah Custody Co.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
England's Ashes squad
Joe Root (captain), Moeen Ali, Jimmy Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.
Fanney Khan
Producer: T-Series, Anil Kapoor Productions, ROMP, Prerna Arora
Director: Atul Manjrekar
Cast: Anil Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai, Rajkummar Rao, Pihu Sand
Rating: 2/5
DUBAI WORLD CUP RACE CARD
6.30pm Meydan Classic Trial US$100,000 (Turf) 1,400m
7.05pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,400m
7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas Group Three $250,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
8.15pm Dubai Sprint Listed Handicap $175,000 (T) 1,200m
8.50pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 Group Two $450,000 (D) 1,900m
9.25pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,800m
10pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,400m
The National selections
6.30pm Well Of Wisdom
7.05pm Summrghand
7.40pm Laser Show
8.15pm Angel Alexander
8.50pm Benbatl
9.25pm Art Du Val
10pm: Beyond Reason
Tailors and retailers miss out on back-to-school rush
Tailors and retailers across the city said it was an ominous start to what is usually a busy season for sales.
With many parents opting to continue home learning for their children, the usual rush to buy school uniforms was muted this year.
“So far we have taken about 70 to 80 orders for items like shirts and trousers,” said Vikram Attrai, manager at Stallion Bespoke Tailors in Dubai.
“Last year in the same period we had about 200 orders and lots of demand.
“We custom fit uniform pieces and use materials such as cotton, wool and cashmere.
“Depending on size, a white shirt with logo is priced at about Dh100 to Dh150 and shorts, trousers, skirts and dresses cost between Dh150 to Dh250 a piece.”
A spokesman for Threads, a uniform shop based in Times Square Centre Dubai, said customer footfall had slowed down dramatically over the past few months.
“Now parents have the option to keep children doing online learning they don’t need uniforms so it has quietened down.”
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
box
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Letstango.com
Started: June 2013
Founder: Alex Tchablakian
Based: Dubai
Industry: e-commerce
Initial investment: Dh10 million
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 300,000 unique customers every month
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Celta Vigo 2
Castro (45'), Aspas (82')
Barcelona 2
Dembele (36'), Alcacer (64')
Red card: Sergi Roberto (Barcelona)
Step by step
2070km to run
38 days
273,600 calories consumed
28kg of fruit
40kg of vegetables
45 pairs of running shoes
1 yoga matt
1 oxygen chamber
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPowertrain%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle%20electric%20motor%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E201hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E310Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E53kWh%20lithium-ion%20battery%20pack%20(GS%20base%20model)%3B%2070kWh%20battery%20pack%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETouring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E350km%20(GS)%3B%20480km%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh129%2C900%20(GS)%3B%20Dh149%2C000%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Miss Granny
Director: Joyce Bernal
Starring: Sarah Geronimo, James Reid, Xian Lim, Nova Villa
3/5
(Tagalog with Eng/Ar subtitles)
