In the Cut

I don’t know what to make of this book. Really don’t.

Frannie, the  main character is a repressed (?), lonely English professor in New York city. Disaffected with her students, and with her life. Not long after seeing a woman giving a man oral sex in the basement of a bar, she learns that the woman has been murdered and becomes – somewhat indirectly – involved in the investigation. 

Which leads her to meet one of the investigating detectives and to… fall for him, I guess. It’s certainly not love. She’s distrustful, distant. He’s direct and to the point. They end up having sex, which comes across as rough and brutal. Sex as combat. Not a smidgeon of fun or pleasure in it anywhere. As if the two of them had opened the door on something, then slammed it shut before whatever was lurking inside could escape.

The book’s been filmed, and has a different ending, which isn’t as convincing as the end of the book. And being a film, not pornography, it can’t do justice to the portrayal of the sex. Which is graphic and forceful. And does make sense within the logic of the story.

But all the time I was reading this, I kept wondering, Who are these people? Where do they come from? Naïve me? Maybe. Very possibly, actually. But I’ve never met anyone like this in my life… and I'm rather glad I haven't.