I found this compelling and vivid, but I am still unsure about it - the protagonist, Walker, dwindles as the book progresses, and I know it wouldn’t, couldn’t work as prose. I found the ending disappointing. It’s clear that there are only two paths - a somewhat phoney redemption or an equally unpersuasive tragic lapse. But the ending was not satisfying, although overall this is an extraordinary piece of poetic construction. Robertson opts for the dark ending, and I can see how and why, but the bleakness felt unreal and detached from the film noir structure and metaphors underpinning the poem.

Still, a fascinating work and well worth exploring and re-reading.