The Long Take

This audiobook is a must-listen for anyone interested in this acclaimed novel. Its subtitle--"a noir narrative"--is an apt description of this small book and the mood evoked by Kerry Shale's expert narration. He gives thoughtful voice to the mix of characters that make up the story, in particular, the main character, known only as Walker, a WWII vet from Canada who is struggling to find solid ground. In the wrong hands, the story could have sounded more like mockery than mastery. But Shale manages to take Roberton's lyrical writing and create vivid images of fog and trench coats, desert heat and postwar L.A. It's a remarkable telling of Robertson's outstanding blend of poetry and prose. J.P.S. � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine