I'll Take You There: A Novel
Film scholar Felix Funicello from Wishin' and Hopin' is confronted by the ghost of a Hollywood silent film director who invites him to revisit scenes from his past and gain insights into the lives of three women who indelibly shaped his life.
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Community Reviews
A Brief Q&A Between Myself and Myself
Q: Why did you pick up I'll Take You There in the first place, Natalie?
A: Well, Natalie, I had read Wishin' and Hopin' but had lukewarm feelings about it (cute, quick Christmas tale but didn't feel as Wally Lamb as other Wally Lamb books), so that did not push me to read this one. However, Wally Lamb is one of my FAVORITE authors. Even when I don't L-O-V-E his book, I love his writing. I also feel a lot of guilt when I don't L-O-V-E his book, but that's another conversation that I like to save for the therapist's couch.
Q: I've heard there is a whole lotta feminism going on in this book. How do you feel about that?
A: I have a few thoughts/feelings on this, so I'm going to start a list.
Thought #1: I do not consider myself to be a feminist. This is not because I disagree with feminism but because I've never taken the time to see what it's all about. I'll admit my ignorance.
Oh, hi! It's now 2022 and I've grown up a bit. Strike the above from the records.
Thought #2: I loved the "levels" of feminism shown. Felix's sister, ex-wife, and daughter all share different ideas on the rights of women with different levels/extremes that are based on their life experiences, their ages, their environment, etc. I found this very interesting and identified with a more modern approach (his daughter) than the radical approach (his ex-wife).
Thought #3: Felix's awareness of the struggles of women is unlike that of most (all?!) men I know, which makes it difficult for me to gauge the authenticity. Once again, Wally Lamb writes more like a woman than most women. It's not an insult.
Q: There are ghosts in this book. Did you have to sleep with all your lights on?
A: The "ghosts" in this book were mostly old movie stars, so my electric bill stayed nice and low. Although this "supernatural" angle seemed very unlike Wally Lamb to me, I actually liked it. I liked that it was not taken too seriously. Maybe I should call 911. But what would I tell them? That I've been chatting with a couple of ghosts? That I take a size large in straitjackets? I kept thinking about what movies stars from the past I would like to visit me and what conversations we'd have. #nerdalert #iheartTCM
Q: What was your favorite part?
A: I don't know if I can pick one certain part. I really enjoyed Felix's relationship with his daughter. I really enjoyed Felix being put back into his past because he would NEVER have had the awareness as a young boy that he had as an adult to see the hardships of women (or just his family in general) when he was growing up. I loved his sisters, especially Francis. I liked this book a LOT more than I suspected. Although it has the same characters as Wishin' and Hopin', it has a completely different vibe. It's no [b: She's Come Undone|5203|She's Come Undone|Wally Lamb|https:i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1543505339l/5203._SX50_.jpg|1003370] or [b: I Know This Much is True|227711|I Know This Much Is True|Wally Lamb|https:i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1373532198l/227711._SY75_.jpg|1191096] but WHAT IS?
Q: Are you hungry?
A: STARVING.
4 Stars
------------------------------------------------
A new Wally Lamb book?!
I'msoexcited!
Even though I have to admit that Wishin' and Hopin' was my least favorite Wally Lamb book by far, I'm all about second chances.
Q: Why did you pick up I'll Take You There in the first place, Natalie?
A: Well, Natalie, I had read Wishin' and Hopin' but had lukewarm feelings about it (cute, quick Christmas tale but didn't feel as Wally Lamb as other Wally Lamb books), so that did not push me to read this one. However, Wally Lamb is one of my FAVORITE authors. Even when I don't L-O-V-E his book, I love his writing. I also feel a lot of guilt when I don't L-O-V-E his book, but that's another conversation that I like to save for the therapist's couch.
Q: I've heard there is a whole lotta feminism going on in this book. How do you feel about that?
A: I have a few thoughts/feelings on this, so I'm going to start a list.
Oh, hi! It's now 2022 and I've grown up a bit. Strike the above from the records.
Thought #2: I loved the "levels" of feminism shown. Felix's sister, ex-wife, and daughter all share different ideas on the rights of women with different levels/extremes that are based on their life experiences, their ages, their environment, etc. I found this very interesting and identified with a more modern approach (his daughter) than the radical approach (his ex-wife).
Thought #3: Felix's awareness of the struggles of women is unlike that of most (all?!) men I know, which makes it difficult for me to gauge the authenticity. Once again, Wally Lamb writes more like a woman than most women. It's not an insult.
Q: There are ghosts in this book. Did you have to sleep with all your lights on?
A: The "ghosts" in this book were mostly old movie stars, so my electric bill stayed nice and low. Although this "supernatural" angle seemed very unlike Wally Lamb to me, I actually liked it. I liked that it was not taken too seriously. Maybe I should call 911. But what would I tell them? That I've been chatting with a couple of ghosts? That I take a size large in straitjackets? I kept thinking about what movies stars from the past I would like to visit me and what conversations we'd have. #nerdalert #iheartTCM
Q: What was your favorite part?
A: I don't know if I can pick one certain part. I really enjoyed Felix's relationship with his daughter. I really enjoyed Felix being put back into his past because he would NEVER have had the awareness as a young boy that he had as an adult to see the hardships of women (or just his family in general) when he was growing up. I loved his sisters, especially Francis. I liked this book a LOT more than I suspected. Although it has the same characters as Wishin' and Hopin', it has a completely different vibe. It's no [b: She's Come Undone|5203|She's Come Undone|Wally Lamb|https:i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1543505339l/5203._SX50_.jpg|1003370] or [b: I Know This Much is True|227711|I Know This Much Is True|Wally Lamb|https:i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1373532198l/227711._SY75_.jpg|1191096] but WHAT IS?
Q: Are you hungry?
A: STARVING.
4 Stars
------------------------------------------------
A new Wally Lamb book?!
I'msoexcited!
Even though I have to admit that Wishin' and Hopin' was my least favorite Wally Lamb book by far, I'm all about second chances.
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