The Second Cut by Louise Welsh

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To write the sequel to your debut novel after a wait of 20 years is an interesting move (there has been plenty of other work published in between) – that long pause contrasts with the 14 months between my reading of this pair.

Rilke’s world is no less seedy, there is an edge to his existence which is attractive – he remains an outside in a society that increasingly invites cis-gender gay white men to become part of what counts as “conformity” - we are given the choice of being part of “normal” or remaining with our queerer siblings.

That Louise Welsh writes Rilke with such authenticity is a real skill – he is rough around the edges in a way that makes him a fully rounded character – you feel you have probably meet him somewhere – there are not cardboard cut outs in the core cast.

One insight I particularly enjoyed was this:

“… he had offered me a whisky. Some other night I might have accepted, but it was late, and a whisky with a lonely man is never one whisky.” (p171)

A piece of wisdom I have sometimes missed – there was a time I fell for the “come on now, one for the road” line into double figures.

I will now read some of her other works – these two books about Rilke are so well crafted I wonder if Rilke is a particular muse or if the rest at equally pitch prefect…