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A review by justinkhchen
The Long Take by Robin Robertson
5.0
5 stars
Deeply moving and melancholic, The Long Take is an inventive piece of historical fiction, weaving a multi-faceted tale of urbanization in America, through the eyes of a disillusioned war veteran. True to its subtitle, 'A Noir Narrative', its free verse paints cinematic vignettes, juxtaposing the destruction of psychological innocence to the concrete jungle that is relentless for change.
While The Long Take's post-war America subject matter might restricts itself to a niche audience, the execution is razor sharp; the deliberately slow pace focuses more on exquisite mie-en-scene, rather than a constantly progressing plot. Which is not to say the book is all style and no substance; the protagonist, Walker, (love the double meaning behind his name) is fully fleshed out and closely felt; we experience alongside him as he copes with the recurrent of PTSD, attempting at normalcy in a world that's more than eager to leave him behind.
As someone who studied architecture and have an interest in old Hollywood cinema, I thoroughly enjoyed Robin Robertson's fact-based storytelling; accompanied by a labeled map and old photographs, the journey feels extremely immersive and authentic.
The Long Take is a somber, yet immersive tale about a time and place that was obsessed with newness and the image of perfection (urban modernization, movie magic), that it was willing to demolish anything in its way, including the humans. Even though it took me 3 months to finish a 220+ pages book, binging feels like the wrong approach; instead, like fine wine, I took sips at times, and let its flavor lingered. Definitely one of the most memorable reading experience I've had so far.
Deeply moving and melancholic, The Long Take is an inventive piece of historical fiction, weaving a multi-faceted tale of urbanization in America, through the eyes of a disillusioned war veteran. True to its subtitle, 'A Noir Narrative', its free verse paints cinematic vignettes, juxtaposing the destruction of psychological innocence to the concrete jungle that is relentless for change.
While The Long Take's post-war America subject matter might restricts itself to a niche audience, the execution is razor sharp; the deliberately slow pace focuses more on exquisite mie-en-scene, rather than a constantly progressing plot. Which is not to say the book is all style and no substance; the protagonist, Walker, (love the double meaning behind his name) is fully fleshed out and closely felt; we experience alongside him as he copes with the recurrent of PTSD, attempting at normalcy in a world that's more than eager to leave him behind.
As someone who studied architecture and have an interest in old Hollywood cinema, I thoroughly enjoyed Robin Robertson's fact-based storytelling; accompanied by a labeled map and old photographs, the journey feels extremely immersive and authentic.
The Long Take is a somber, yet immersive tale about a time and place that was obsessed with newness and the image of perfection (urban modernization, movie magic), that it was willing to demolish anything in its way, including the humans. Even though it took me 3 months to finish a 220+ pages book, binging feels like the wrong approach; instead, like fine wine, I took sips at times, and let its flavor lingered. Definitely one of the most memorable reading experience I've had so far.