With the story taking place within a certain era there's some outdated misogynist language used throughout. So proceed with caution if your not familiar with Cole's extensive back catalogue. Nora Beaman. I actually had a really hard time getting into this novel. Despite taking awhile to get into once I did I couldn't put this book down.
The film and book couldn't have been more different and I actually preferred the novels ending. Freddie Jackson is that quintessential character that you love to hate. He's a drug snorting beer guzzling philandering murdered but you can't help turning the page to see what he'll do next. Jimmy is sort of the stereotypical straight man to begin with but of all the characters I think he has the largest change in the novel.
The rest of the assorted characters Maggie, Jackie, Ozzy, Pat, little Freddie are all such large personalities themselves it makes for a very engaging book that I would highly recommend.
After reading for this for the second time the moral of the story is don't mix business and family it doesn't work. Could have been a bit shorter as it got a bit repetitive.
Similar formula to many of MC's other books. Eddie Owens. Author 6 books 21 followers. I have very mixed feelings about this, so let's be positive and start with the good things. Good things- The author really understands her characters and spends a lot of time in their heads. This allows us to understand their motivations, simple as they may be.
This is a strong family drama that focuses entirely on relationships, and some of those are quite interesting. Bad things - Constant head hopping and multiple POV's in the same paragraph or page. Lots of time is spent re-reading passages to work out whose head you are in. NB: A decent editor should have pointed this out to the author. The dialogue is excruciatingly unrealistic. The author doesn't use contractions, so the sentences sound completely false.
This is the same as Lynda La Plante. I suspect that Martina may have used Prime Suspect as her template for writing and thought that that was how to write dialogue.
Again, where was the editor? There is no real plot, so if you aren't interested in lots of swearing and EastEnders type family rows, it's not for you.
An interesting point to note is the huge amount of misogyny in the book. If it was only from the male characters who are meant to be misogynists then that would be fine. But the narrator describes every woman in totally sexual and demeaning terms.
Of course the author is a woman so maybe it's allowed, like black people using the N word. Essentially, this is a screenplay that has been written as a novel. But it held my attention long enough to read over pages. However, I won't be reading any more, because I suspect that all of the books will be the same. This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers. Show full review. Stan Armiger. I had a love hate relationship with this book, sometimes I could not put it down and and then I would find myself scan reading passages.
This occured when the author to me seemed to repeat herself at length on describing characters and relationships and this caused me to think "I know all that, just get on with it. Sexism, even if it's deliberate sexism as I presume it is in this book, is fucking irritating.
Women are constantly insulted and abused. A prostitute is raped and murdered? Oh who cares? She basically begged for it! Maggie is raped by her sociopath brother-in-law? Guess who's to blame there! Wives are expected to get beaten, get cheated on and do nothing but keep their mouths shut. A man can sleep around all he wants, father as many 'outside' children as he wants but if a women even looks at another man she can expect to be murdered.
I know this was all mostly intentional; giving us an insight into how these sort of men actually think but it still made me sick to my stomach reading it. None of these characters are likeable at all, except for maybe Maggie. She has flaws like the rest of them but her flaws aren't as serious, sociopathic or destructive and she has the shittiest luck on the planet.
Rape, death of her child, destructive family; I felt so sorry for her. All three characters are vile, despicable human beings. I tried to feel some sympathy for Jackie but I just really couldn't. It's also annoying that every single female character revolves around her husband or boyfriend. They're nothing without them and have no lives of their own. This is the 21st century. This book was written in for fucks sake, not the 70s. Cole is one of the worst writers I've read in a while.
The only style she has to speak of is a tendency to repeat herself and treat the reader like an idiot. Yes, Ms. Cole, I can remember what happened two chapters ago, thank you; there's no need to keep reminding me. She has no idea what characterisation or character development are. Her characters don't learn or grow; they're the same from start to finish. That said, I did actually like the plot and this book would have probably gotten a higher rating if written by a better writer; someone who can develop characters better and leave out an obscene amount of sexist bullshit.
Leonie Hinch. Another of my favourite Martina Coles ok I may seem weird for saying it but I love the ones that shock you, the ones that deal with issues you don't want to face up to in the real world. The things we brush aside and pretend like they don't happen. The take has all of this and more if it was a film it would have the tag line 'some viewers may find some scenes upsetting'. Not as good as others she has written, tends to repeat herself in places.
Catherine Yarwood. The cover of this book describes it as a cross between Eastenders and the Sopranos. It kind of is like a hour long episode of Eastenders, just darker and more violent without some comedy gingers for light relief.
This book is pages of unrelenting misery. The book starts on the day that Freddie Jackson is released from prison in after a six year stint. Then we spend the rest of the book watching him destroy everything and everyone around him. He lives where he was raised, on a council estate in East London, where it seems everyone is involved in crime.
These four are the main characters - though there is almost a dickensian list of characters popping up. I struggled at points to remember who was who. The women put up with an unimaginable amount of crap. They are raped, beaten and murdered. Whilst it became over-stated, I appreciated the message that society often sees prostitutes as not-quite-human and therefore not subject to the same respect and rules as the rest of us like not being murdered.
The good women particularly Maggie were always drawn as pretty, well-put together, slim, nice hair and keeping a tidy home. My question is, if this is a novel that claims to be on the side of women, why is it subscribing to the belief that in order for a woman to be a success, she must be pretty, thin and good at cooking and cleaning? Any other state is to be a deviant. I thought there was a skillful creation of the world of 80s and 90s crime. There were some parts of this book that built up pace and tension before darting through another door and giving you a shock twist.
I gasped out loud in a coffee shop, and was far too engrossed to care. It was a bit too long, and too miserable, for my taste. But I could see that it was a strong contender in its genre. If you like crime, grit, Eastenders and thrills - this would be a great book for you. The Take is a page turner from the onset. Freddie Jackson is the kind of antagonist who keeps the reader guessing. You never truly know what this insatiably unstable character that Martina Cole created will do next.
At one step, you realize what the character is capable of, yet, his debauchery, knowing no bounds, becomes more and more surprising as you read.
Starting in , this is a story of the London underworld, filled with violence, lewd language, and an overall excess of depravity.
The stable existence and likability that Jackie lacks is ingrained in the character of her sister, protagonist, Maggie. I loved this book despite it not being the type of novel I generally gravitate towards. I wanted the characters to respond as I had come to expect them to, not as Cole chose them to.
Despite this, the book was a raucous romp into an exciting world -- not one I would ever wish to be a part of personally, but certainly one entertaining enough to visit. I was instantly scavenging for anything with actor Tom Hardy in it after seeing his extraordinary performance in "Bronson" and his scene-stealing part in Christopher Nolan's "Inception".
So soon after finding out about the four-part mini-series called "The Take" starring him, I immediately sought out to watch it. I loved every episode, and was blown away by Hardy's performance in it.
I couldn't help but read the novel of the same name. It pretty much had the same effect on me as the mini-series, it was very intense and I couldn't put the book down for long periods of time. I actually didn't want it to end, but when it eventually did, I couldn't have been more satisfied.
Martina Cole's writing was incredibly gripping and fast-paced, I couldn't get enough of it. Highly recommended for anyone into great crime novels and I would definitely check out the TV series soon after reading it. In the beginning, I had mixed feeling about the book, but as I caried on reading, I realised it was the characters that were causing those feeling.
The book is great and so are the characters. My initial problem was that their world is so different to my world. I find it easier to identify myself with Star Wars characters, wizard or time travellers than with gangsters and all their habits. But I persevered. The book was gripping and it showed how good Martina Cole is at analysing human behaviour.
Yes, she uses the criminal world as an example and as a metaphor, but shows how we are all guilty, to some extent, of justifying our hardships, finding excuses for our bad habits, frustrations, deflecting, assigning blame etc. Some of the events in the book were predictable, but that was more due to hints well placed by the author and when they came to happen, they fitted well.
Summer Lambert. I enjoyed this book very much, it was pages and I felt like it could maybe have been a few less.
But enjoyed it none the less. Deborah Jean Stalker. Brilliant different out outcome to the take on dvd. It's really good. Very good different outcome to the take dvd. I watch dvd of these it was very outcome compare to book.
Jane Shambler. Be prepared! This book follows the life of one family making a name for themselves. In a way they experienced the same ups and downs as any family. There was great times, some even funny. But there are always sad times. This book will make you laugh and cry. Sometimes both together. Top cast Edit. Shaun Evans Jimmy as Jimmy. Tom Hardy Freddie as Freddie.
Charlotte Riley Maggie as Maggie. Kierston Wareing Jackie as Jackie. Margot Leicester Lena as Lena. Brian Cox Ozzy as Ozzy. Jane Wood Maddie as Maddie. Steve Nicolson Lewis as Lewis. John Ashton Joseph as Joseph. Megan Jossa Kim as Kim.
Sara Stewart Patricia as Patricia. Obi Abili Des as Des. Jenny Kavanagh Kimberly as Kimberly. More like this. Watch options. Storyline Edit. He's got family, he's got power, but he's got issues. Did you know Edit. Both Tom Hardy's and Sara Stewart's characters become intimate later on in the series. Soundtracks Club Foot Performed by Kasabian. User reviews 21 Review. Top review. Stunning performances in a brilliant crime thriller.
Director David Drury pairs with English actor Tom Hardy to create as brilliant a hard case criminal as you will ever see on film. You've seen Hardy in major pictures probably going back to Band of Brothers, but you would never have imagined his overwhelming power as a major star, an actor so exceptional and so explosive he's more menacing than Al Pacino has ever been let alone any movie villain of the sort we see all the time being defeated by superheros. Hardy, as an ex-con drug kingpin, brutal, terrifying, a rapist, walking around projecting so much menace people practically poop in their pants.
The supporting cast is a collection of English character actors as always superb, and the great Brian Cox guest stars as the incarcerated criminal mastermind. Drury's camera-work is integral to the constant tension; you'll even be blown away by the opening credits. He's clearly an actor's director first, but this miniseries is a masterpiece overall.
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