In the Cut

I bought this book after seeing Jane Campion's film adaptation, which is wonderful. The book is even more captivating. Reading it, I had the uncanny feeling that it was told in the voice that runs through my own head-a voice unusually attentive to the words people use, that appear in ads and on walls and on pages and that seem to hover like poetry, waiting to be understood-a voice that is therefore strangely detached from the other aspects of living, even when fully, physically embroiled in them. Moore's narrator seems to know that she is a character in a text; even the erotic heights reached in this novel (the hottest I've read all year) and physical terror are felt as linguistic experiences, which only sharpens the edges of their sensuality.

I have read reviews on this book that go both ways. For the most part, people hate it, or they love it. Well, this is my opinion: Okay, this is a graphic book. This is also very good writing. Stumbled across this book at a friend's. Never heard of the movie; still have not seen it. Picked this novel up from a pile of romance novels and Johnathan Kellermans and summer beach books that she had lying about. Honestly, I love her, but her choices rarely interest me. But I read about two-thirds of the way through the summery on the dust jacket, closed it up, and decided then and there that I was going to read that unfamiliar book. The narrator is a teacher working on a book for slang words, and I personally feel that the narrator was drafted very well. I feel that the plot was interwoven and strong and it did in fact keep me guessing, which anymore is a rare find in most authors that I'd not read before. In other words, it is a wonderful feeling to read a great author unexpectedly. And Moore certainly is just that. Graphic sex scenes that reminded me of Kiss Me, Judas, but writing that is without a doubt originally and thoroughly hers alone. Not to say that I've never before read some of the story elements that she presents, but it is certainly an original write in a field that is constantly marred with ridicule for novels being copies of copies of copies. This book is far apart from most of the contemporaries that I have read, and I feel that it was a jewel of a find. Not two weeks after I'd read it, I'd thought on it, on different parts, the parts that I enjoyed most for this personal reason or that as you have no idea why you think some thoughts at random, and I had to order my own copy. Still spend time with it. Came here tonight to order a copy for one of my sisters as a Christmas gift. Kind of just stumbled into the reviews. Thought it important to explain why I enjoyed it, and still enjoy it. If for just a few dozen lines of commentary. And hey, just to throw this out there... If you are a fan of Ellis' work, or pay any attention to his recommendations on books, consider this read. Bret Ellis said that it has one of the most surprising endings that he had ever read. And I imagine that he is an avid reader. Many of us know that he is a fan of Chuck Palahniuk's. Well, he is also a fan of hers. And her work gets slept on far too much; this book is highly underrated. That is why I am writing this review. Found it by chance, and found it to be a very, very enjoyable chance. Graphic, but enjoyable. I enjoyed it slightly more than David Benioff's The 25th Hour, just to give an honest comparison. Kabol

This book is fantastic. Yes, it's brutal and yes, it's at times painfully graphic, but the prose is remarkably intelligent and witty, the story moving along at a mesmerizing clip. The ending truly is a jarring surprise. Moore keeps you guessing the entire time, but she also keeps you interested, something few novelists can do, in my estimation. I also loved the protagonist's preoccupation with etymology; I loved her narrative voice; I loved the gentle and not-so-gentle ironies laced throughout. It's refreshing to read a book where the narrator (and for that matter, the author) is expansively, demonstrably intelligent. It's refreshing not to have to read a rehash of Patterson or Cornwell or Kellerman. Moore's style and voice are decidedly different, authentic and full of life. I recommend this book wholeheartedly, though don't expect to be charmed. It's lovely like Silence of the Lambs (the book) was lovely. It's riveting like Lovely Bones was riveting. Which is to say although it is most certainly harsh, it's nonetheles cruelly captivating, therefore a worthwhile read.

I knew I was in for a rather dark and lurid read when I picked up In the Cut. Susanna Moore takes the reader to a disturbing ride in which sex and obsession play a major role.The female protagonist is a frustrated woman who tries to teach her students lessons about irony and other languages in literature. Her life takes a spin toward disarming when she witnesses an intimate moment between a man and a woman. The only things she was able to make out in the dark room were the man's tattoo and the woman's red hair. When the redhead is found murdered, the protagonist finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation that threatens her safety, especially when she embarks upon a sexual liaison with the mysterious Detective Malloy...The story is dark, the building of tension slow, and the language is brutally honest and raunchy from beginning to end. Also, the clues and foreshadows -- namely the mention of irony -- weren't lost on me as the story reached its flooring climax. I cannot fathom the bad reviews here. This is one of the best crafted erotic thrillers ever written. I hope the film does this excellent novel justice. I highly recommend this impressive literary offering.

Susanna Moore, who usually writes introspective, slowly graceful novels about lost love and Hawaiian breezes, has outdone herself with a ripping thriller. New York has never seemed so insidiously dangerous. Moore captures her heroine's naively foolish carelessness with the perfect tone of the curious culture dweller. I hope the movie catches this "innocent in darkville" tone as well. Read Moore's other novels and you will see a finely honed literary talent without the tension of this novel. But never forget, Moore is amused by life, not least by the absurd casual violence that lurks along New York's nameless streets. Great novel with a haunting main character, shallow and clueless as a lamb among invisible wolves.