The Cutting Room by Louise Welsh
The charismatic lead character in The Cutting Room, Rilke, is unconventional, funny, and frequently outrageous. He works as an auctioneer and is recognized as an expert in antiques, but he also sees himself as knowledgeable in many other areas. He becomes drawn to learn more about the deceased owner who coveted the horrifically violent erotic photos after discovering a hidden collection of them. The subsequent voyage is one of compulsive discovery, decadence, and cunning, guided in part by Rilke’s homosexual promiscuity and inquisitiveness. The writing of Louise Welsh is elegant and engrossing; she blends elements of a detective thriller with gothic undertones in a vibrant Glasgow that includes aristocratic neighbourhoods, a transvestite club, an auction house, bookies, a pub, and a porn shop. The end product is a debut novel that is captivating, atmospherically gloomy, and deliciously unique.
The Cutting Room by Louise Welsh
Amazon.com
- Used Book in Good Condition
THE CUTTING ROOM is about an auctioneer named Rilke who, when he’s not specializing in items of questionable origin, solicits sex by night and frequently frequents homosexual bars. Rilke is a fantastic character since he blends seamlessly into the noir novels of the 1950s while still being much more current (and gay!). He also fits in perfectly with the tone and mood of his predecessors who were gumshoes.
A woman who recently lost her sibling is his most recent client. She asks Rilke to clean out their house in less than a week, but because the pay is so substantial, the nearly impossible task becomes an alluring allure. A woman who recently lost her sibling is his most recent client. She asks Rilke to clean out their house in less than a week, but because the pay is so substantial, the nearly impossible task becomes an alluring allure. When Rilke climbs into her brother’s office and discovers a variety of books, images, and artwork devoted to morbidly sadistic fetishes that border on the psychotic: an obsession not only for inflicting pain but also for mortally wounding… even murder—the reason for her haste quickly becomes apparent. Rilke soon begins to question whether the person he is dealing with would kill…
