The Cutting Room

The Cutting Room marks the arrival of an outstanding contemporary novelist. Its charismatic protagonist, Rilke, is eccentric, witty, and frequently outrageous. An auctioneer by profession, he is an acknowledged expert in antiques but also considers himself something of an expert in many other fields. When Rilke comes upon a hidden collection of graphically violent erotic photographs, he feels compelled to unearth more about the deceased owner who coveted them. What follows is a compulsive journey of discovery, decadence, and deviousness, steered in part by Rilke's gay promiscuity and inquisitive nature. Welsh's writing is stylish and captivating; she combines aspects of a detective story with shades of the Gothic in a colorful Glasgow ranging from the genteel suburbs to a transvestite club, an auction house to the bookies parlor, pub to porn shop. The result is a page-turning and deliciously original debut.