"The sequel is a rip-off, pure and simple," said a lawsuit filed in a Manhattan district court last week on behalf of the 90-year-old Catcher in the The Rye author, JD Salinger. The author went to the courts after learning that 60 Years Later: Coming Through The Rye by a fan calling himself John David California was to be published in September.
It's not often that the reclusive author makes public pronouncements, but then again, his desire to stop the publication of a work that purports to be Catcher In The Rye's sequel is understandable. The new book features a character apparently based on Salinger's teenage protagonist, Holden Caulfield, as a 76-year old escapee from a retirement home.
Writers, and particularly their families, don't like it when other authors publish a work that effectively uses their ideas to get a leg up. Call it a tribute, a sequel or a prequel - it ruffles literary feathers every time.
In 2001, when Lauretta Hugo, the wife of the great-grandson of Victor Hugo, discovered a journalist intended to publish a follow-up to Hugo's Les Miserables, she fumed: "The distortion of works of heritage for commercial ends must be stopped. It's time to defend culture and creativity against the savagery of free enterprise, which seems to want to tarnish everything and reduce every cultural product to the level of the market place."
Unfortunately, the trend - which has been around at least since James Joyce ripped off Homer with Ulysses - is unstoppable. Sometimes, the results can be ugly. Maybe Salinger is right to be worried.
Seven of the worst literary spin offs:
Scarlett Author: Alexandra Ripley Blurb: Frankly my dear, you shouldn't give a damn.
What's the gist? The "most anticipated sequel of the 20th century" was drubbed by critics for being convoluted (it's 896 pages long), too close to a modern blockbuster for comfort and a cynical attempt to cash in by Margaret Mitchell's estate. They denied it, but the TV rights were sold for $8 million (Dh30m). The mini series starred Timothy Dalton.
See also: Rhett Butler's People (Donald McCraig); The Wind Done Gone (Alice Randall).
They said: The New York Times described Scarlett as "cultural cannibalism".
An Unequal Marriage: Pride and Prejudice Twenty Years Later
Author: Emma Tennant Blurb: That sound you hear is Jane Austen rotating in her grave.
What's the gist? An Unequal Marriage is yet another update of the Austen classic (Pemberley was Tennant's previous, much more successful sequel). Twenty years after they wed, things have not gone well for Elizabeth and Darcy. He's aloof and cold and Elizabeth is trapped in a loveless marriage. Plus, their son has married a barmaid. Where's Mr Bingley when you need him?
See also: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (Seth Grahame-Smith) Humor and Humility (Genevieve Wilmer), Jane Austen in Boca, A Novel (Paula Marantz Cohen)
They said: "A badly written soap opera." - Eras of Elegance.com
The Adventure of the Laughing Jarvey Author: Stephen Fry Blurb: TV's favourite manic depressive "does" Sherlock Holmes.
What's the gist? Fry, recently described as "a stupid person's idea of a clever person", pads Paperweight, his accurately titled collection of old newspaper articles, with this pastiche of Arthur Conan Doyle. The plot involves Sherlock Holmes and a missing manuscript. Were manuscripts on the author's mind as he hurriedly finished this slim tale?
See also: The Last Sherlock Holmes Story (Michael Dibdin); The West End Horror (Nicholas Meyer); The Chess Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes (Raymond Smullyan)
They said: "Something of a mixed bag." - The Times
The Da Vinci Hoax: Exposing the Errors in the Da Vinci Code Author: Carl E Olson Blurb: If you are looking for an even easier read, look no further.
What's the gist? This 300-page refutation sets out to prove in microscopic detail that the Da Vinci Code - which, let's not forget, is a work of fiction that has sold seven million copies - is not true. But before you can say "pointless exercise", it turns out the Catholic Church has done much the same.
See also: Truth and Fiction in The Da Vinci Code (Bart D Ehrman); De-coding Da Vinci: The Facts Behind the Fiction of The Da Vinci Code (Amy Welborn); The Da Vinci Code: Fact or Fiction (Hank Hanegraff)
They said: "The title of this book says it all." - Cardinal Francis George, Archbishop of Chicago.
The Tales of Beedle The Bard Author: JK Rowling, 2007 Blurb: The world's most successful author pens a spin-off title that no one can read.
What's the gist? When JK Rowling wrote her first non-Harry Potter book, she decided against taking unnecessary risks. The book, a collection of five wizardly fairy tales, got a mention in her final blockbuster, Harry Potter and the Deathly Gallows. The print run was limited to just seven copies and only one was put on sale. Rowling called it her goodbye to her multimillion pound Potter franchise; everyone else called it a shrewd marketing exercise.
See also: Any unofficial Harry Potter spin offs are ruthlessly put to the sword by Rowling's brigade of lawyers.
They said: No review copies were made available.
Cosette/The Time of Lost Illusions Author: Francois Ceresa Blurb: It's Les Miserable 2, says the author. Oh no it isn't, says Victor Hugo's estate.
What's the gist? Victor Hugo's family were so angry when the French journalist Francois Ceresa published a sequel to Hugo's masterpiece, Les Misérables, that they took legal action to ban the book and sought almost £500,000 (Dh2.93m) in damages from the publishers Plon for undermining the author's "moral rights". Cosette sold 65,000 copies in its first week of release.
See also: The Temptation of the Impossible (Mario Vargas Llosa)
They said: "A colourless melodrama." - Le Monde
The Story of Heathcliffe's Journey Back To Wuthering Heights
Author: Lin Haire Sargeant Blurb: Filling in gaps in the original that didn't need filling in.
What's the gist? A literary professor blunders into the self-contained romantic world of Emily Bronte and "corrects" various plot points in the original work. Explaining what Heathcliffe was up to when he disappeared for three years, said Seargeant's critics, was "farcical".
See also: The Semaphore Version of Wuthering Heights (Monty Python's Flying Circus); Literature and Evil (George Bataille)
They said: "A travesty." - Entertainment Weekly
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Unresolved crisis
Russia and Ukraine have been locked in a bitter conflict since 2014, when Ukraine’s Kremlin-friendly president was ousted, Moscow annexed Crimea and then backed a separatist insurgency in the east.
Fighting between the Russia-backed rebels and Ukrainian forces has killed more than 14,000 people. In 2015, France and Germany helped broker a peace deal, known as the Minsk agreements, that ended large-scale hostilities but failed to bring a political settlement of the conflict.
The Kremlin has repeatedly accused Kiev of sabotaging the deal, and Ukrainian officials in recent weeks said that implementing it in full would hurt Ukraine.
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20WATCH%20SERIES%208
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2041mm%2C%20352%20x%20430%3B%2045mm%2C%20396%20x%20484%3B%20Retina%20LTPO%20OLED%2C%20up%20to%201000%20nits%2C%20always-on%3B%20Ion-X%20glass%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProcessor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Apple%20S8%2C%20W3%20wireless%2C%20U1%20ultra-wideband%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECapacity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2032GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMemory%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPlatform%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20watchOS%209%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EHealth%20metrics%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203rd-gen%20heart%20rate%20sensor%2C%20temperature%20sensing%2C%20ECG%2C%20blood%20oxygen%2C%20workouts%2C%20fall%2Fcrash%20detection%3B%20emergency%20SOS%2C%20international%20emergency%20calling%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConnectivity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20GPS%2FGPS%20%2B%20cellular%3B%20Wi-Fi%2C%20LTE%2C%20Bluetooth%205.3%2C%20NFC%20(Apple%20Pay)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDurability%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20IP6X%2C%20water%20resistant%20up%20to%2050m%2C%20dust%20resistant%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20308mAh%20Li-ion%2C%20up%20to%2018h%2C%20wireless%20charging%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECards%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20eSIM%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFinishes%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Aluminium%20%E2%80%93%20midnight%2C%20Product%20Red%2C%20silver%2C%20starlight%3B%20stainless%20steel%20%E2%80%93%20gold%2C%20graphite%2C%20silver%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Watch%20Series%208%2C%20magnetic-to-USB-C%20charging%20cable%2C%20band%2Floop%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Starts%20at%20Dh1%2C599%20(41mm)%20%2F%20Dh1%2C999%20(45mm)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Five ways to get fit like Craig David (we tried for seven but ran out of time)
Start the week as you mean to go on. So get your training on strong on a Monday.
Train hard, but don’t take it all so seriously that it gets to the point where you’re not having fun and enjoying your friends and your family and going out for nice meals and doing that stuff.
Think about what you’re training or eating a certain way for — don’t, for example, get a six-pack to impress somebody else or lose weight to conform to society’s norms. It’s all nonsense.
Get your priorities right.
And last but not least, you should always, always chill on Sundays.
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
In numbers
1,000 tonnes of waste collected daily:
- 800 tonnes converted into alternative fuel
- 150 tonnes to landfill
- 50 tonnes sold as scrap metal
800 tonnes of RDF replaces 500 tonnes of coal
Two conveyor lines treat more than 350,000 tonnes of waste per year
25 staff on site
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Haltia.ai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202023%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECo-founders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Arto%20Bendiken%20and%20Talal%20Thabet%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20AI%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2041%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20About%20%241.7%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Self%2C%20family%20and%20friends%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 380hp at 5,800rpm
Torque: 530Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Price: From Dh299,000 ($81,415)
On sale: Now
'HIJRAH%3A%20IN%20THE%20FOOTSTEPS%20OF%20THE%20PROPHET'
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEdited%20by%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Idries%20Trevathan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPages%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20240%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hirmer%20Publishers%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EAvailable%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Race card
6.30pm: Emirates Holidays Maiden (TB), Dh82,500 (Dirt), 1,900m
7.05pm: Arabian Adventures Maiden (TB), Dh82,500 (D), 1,200m
7.40pm: Emirates Skywards Handicap (TB), Dh82,500 (D), 1,200m
8.15pm: Emirates Airline Conditions (TB), Dh120,000 (D), 1,400m
8.50pm: Emirates Sky Cargo (TB), Dh92,500 (D)1,400m
9.15pm: Emirates.com (TB), Dh95,000 (D), 2,000m
