When I opened up The Long Take, which I was reading for both my Walter Scott prize and Booker prize projects, I was not delighted to discover it is mostly a poem. However, it is fairly easy to read, so my next challenge was a search for the plot.
Walker, a World War II veteran from Nova Scotia, first arrives in New York City in 1946. He haunts skid row and dive bars as he tries to find a place for himself. Later, after an invitation, he travels to Los Angeles and gets a job with a newspaper.
This novel is more atmospheric and thematic than plot-driven. It is about droves of homeless ex-soldiers occupying the downtown areas of all the large cities Walker visits. It is about Walker’s feelings about what he saw and did in the war. And it is about the gutting of downtown Los Angeles to make room for parking lots and freeways and the racism underlying the planning decisions.
The Long Take is beautifully written. It is not a noir work, as described on the cover, but it is gritty and depressing.
whatmeread 
I don’t think I’ll read it soon if it’s depressing, but will keep it on my TBR because it’s beautifully written and I might be reading it at a better, sunny time of the year đŸ™‚ Thanks for sharing !
You’re welcome!