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The Long Take: A noir narrative by Robin Robertson - 4* - My Review

Set in the late 1940s and early 1950s, this novel follows Walker, a World War II veteran from Nova Scotia, as he travels through post-war America. He starts out in New York, then travels by train to Los Angeles, and spends a bit of time in San Francisco. Haunted by his experiences in the war and struggling with the changes in society, Walker is experiencing what we now call post-traumatic stress disorder. He becomes a reporter. He witnesses gentrification, economic inequality, racism, the “red scare,” and crime.

The author is a Scottish poet, and this novel is a blend of prose and poetry. The writing is gritty and atmospheric. The reader gradually learns of Walker’s experiences during the war that led to his PTSD. He meets displaced people struggling with physical and emotional war-related wounds. The cities are being transformed in the name of economic progress but the impact on those living at the edges is far from positive. There is no specific plot, but it contains many references to jazz and film noir. It is more of a portrait of Walker’s mental deterioration. I was not familiar with all of the film references, but I appreciated it as an artistic (albeit grim) work.