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A review by thebobsphere
The Long Take by Robin Robertson
4.0
Before actually reviewing the book it is worth examining the cover.
It’s a black and white photo of a double tunnel, located in Los Angeles. There’s fog. Also there’s a lone figure. If one looks behind the tunnel, one side is rural, while the other consists of a more urbane setting with parked cars. There’s a noirish feel to the picture, it looks like a film still from an early Hitchcock movie or maybe Joseph Lewis , even Howard Hawks (incidentally films by all three of these directors are namechecked)
This cover is a great summary of The Long Take, for it is a book about cities, mainly Manhattan and Los Angeles. In Robertson’s world these post war cities are vulgar, vibrant and, yet have a dark underbelly. They are also populated by two types of people: those you want to embrace the city and those who are suffering as a consequence of living in the city.
The main protagonist, Walker falls into the latter category. Like the lone coyotes he sees in his ramblings, Canadian soldier Walker just wanders into Manhattan. It is 1946 and he has finished fighting in the second world war and is suffering from PTSD. His flashbacks are merged with city life, which increases the sense of isolation he is experiencing. Later he moves to Los Angeles and becomes a journalist, his main ‘project’ being to report the poverty that is found in cities and expose that filthy underbelly hidden among the lights, glamour and glitz. There’s one quote which I think sums up this main plot, this is when Walker tell s his future boss that he is interested in cities:
What about American cities?
How they fail?
The other theme is the futility of war. Billy understands the after effects of war. At one point in the novel he understands the irony of being a hero and then in the context of a city he is nothing and the other ‘heroes’ of WWII are now unemployed and homeless. In Walker’s travels he sees the madness that war brings, and his flashbacks do not help him cope, no matter how hard he tries. Somehow Walker has to adapt to city in order to survive but can he?
Although it has been said quite a few times, this novel is told entirely in verse and it is fantastic. There are description which bring out emotions, references to films, having knowledge of film noir helps as Walker walks in on directors and actors in the midst of crucial scenes in their movies. Jazz musicians are name dropped, plus some small nuggets of Los Angeles’ history. Not to mention symbolism such as the aforementioned coyote and the famous Pike, who may represent the younger generation.
Like the previous novels I have read on the Booker Longlist, we readers are getting a portrayal of the ugly side of America. In the Long Take there’s a shiny city with gaudy carnivals and bright lights but as The Mars Room, Sabrina and The Overstory all display, there is something rotten. In the case of The Long Take, we are seeing an America that is evolving towards decadence, whilst in the other novels all the problems in the US’ have reached maturation (or saturation) point.
The title of the book refers to a shot that has the appearance of a continuous take but really is the result of good editing, one such example and is mentioned in the book is Hitchcock’s Rope or Orson Welles’ A Touch of Evil. The Long Take is similar in style as the verses are broken up but the themes segue into each other deftly.
The Long Take is such a book where a mere review like this cannot do it complete justice. This a book to experience, pick apart and allow time for reflection. In a year where most of the Booker nominees are left field choices, The Long Take is a novel that takes an interesting left turn and the end result is a thought provoking read.
It’s a black and white photo of a double tunnel, located in Los Angeles. There’s fog. Also there’s a lone figure. If one looks behind the tunnel, one side is rural, while the other consists of a more urbane setting with parked cars. There’s a noirish feel to the picture, it looks like a film still from an early Hitchcock movie or maybe Joseph Lewis , even Howard Hawks (incidentally films by all three of these directors are namechecked)
This cover is a great summary of The Long Take, for it is a book about cities, mainly Manhattan and Los Angeles. In Robertson’s world these post war cities are vulgar, vibrant and, yet have a dark underbelly. They are also populated by two types of people: those you want to embrace the city and those who are suffering as a consequence of living in the city.
The main protagonist, Walker falls into the latter category. Like the lone coyotes he sees in his ramblings, Canadian soldier Walker just wanders into Manhattan. It is 1946 and he has finished fighting in the second world war and is suffering from PTSD. His flashbacks are merged with city life, which increases the sense of isolation he is experiencing. Later he moves to Los Angeles and becomes a journalist, his main ‘project’ being to report the poverty that is found in cities and expose that filthy underbelly hidden among the lights, glamour and glitz. There’s one quote which I think sums up this main plot, this is when Walker tell s his future boss that he is interested in cities:
What about American cities?
How they fail?
The other theme is the futility of war. Billy understands the after effects of war. At one point in the novel he understands the irony of being a hero and then in the context of a city he is nothing and the other ‘heroes’ of WWII are now unemployed and homeless. In Walker’s travels he sees the madness that war brings, and his flashbacks do not help him cope, no matter how hard he tries. Somehow Walker has to adapt to city in order to survive but can he?
Although it has been said quite a few times, this novel is told entirely in verse and it is fantastic. There are description which bring out emotions, references to films, having knowledge of film noir helps as Walker walks in on directors and actors in the midst of crucial scenes in their movies. Jazz musicians are name dropped, plus some small nuggets of Los Angeles’ history. Not to mention symbolism such as the aforementioned coyote and the famous Pike, who may represent the younger generation.
Like the previous novels I have read on the Booker Longlist, we readers are getting a portrayal of the ugly side of America. In the Long Take there’s a shiny city with gaudy carnivals and bright lights but as The Mars Room, Sabrina and The Overstory all display, there is something rotten. In the case of The Long Take, we are seeing an America that is evolving towards decadence, whilst in the other novels all the problems in the US’ have reached maturation (or saturation) point.
The title of the book refers to a shot that has the appearance of a continuous take but really is the result of good editing, one such example and is mentioned in the book is Hitchcock’s Rope or Orson Welles’ A Touch of Evil. The Long Take is similar in style as the verses are broken up but the themes segue into each other deftly.
The Long Take is such a book where a mere review like this cannot do it complete justice. This a book to experience, pick apart and allow time for reflection. In a year where most of the Booker nominees are left field choices, The Long Take is a novel that takes an interesting left turn and the end result is a thought provoking read.