McGlue
Remarkable
Dark
Depressing

McGlue

Darkly exquisite as drowning, McGlue inhabits the DTs of a dissolute man in the hold on a rough sea voyage.
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Reviews

Photo of Alma
Alma@burningjellies
2.5 stars
Jan 26, 2025

oh my god..... that ending is so suffocating.... :-(

+1
Photo of lara anand
lara anand@lizarrrd
3 stars
Jul 27, 2024

obsessed with Moshfegh’s ability to create such surreal grotesque worlds

Photo of Ghofran Mustafa
Ghofran Mustafa @ghfooo
3 stars
Jul 14, 2024

I'm starting to love Moshfegh!

Photo of azliana aziz
azliana aziz@heartinidleness
3 stars
Jan 13, 2024

beautifully brutal.

Photo of Syahla Aurel
Syahla Aurel@owhrel
2 stars
Jan 10, 2024

After I read Homesick for Another World and Eileen, I had the impression that I would always enjoy Ottessa's writing, but McGlue proved me wrong.

Photo of Jessica Van Wart
Jessica Van Wart@jess_mvw
4 stars
Jan 15, 2023

A disgusting and dark novella, but well written and intriguing

+2
Photo of maggie
maggie@magseh
5 stars
Aug 12, 2022

fellas is it gay to be so in love with your best friend that you kill him when he asks you to?

Photo of Anthony Sabourin
Anthony Sabourin@anthonysabourin
4 stars
Mar 31, 2022

I read this wrong - fractured over months instead of one good sitting. Felt unsure about it upon completion but the ending is a stunner and when I started reading my next book all of its characters were void of depth and insight by comparison. Read all Moshfegh it's good for the soul.

Photo of Noel Antonio Lopez
Noel Antonio Lopez@jupitersun
2 stars
Mar 9, 2022

Eh

Photo of Shea Newton
Shea Newton@shnewto
5 stars
Dec 11, 2021

more disgusting, despicable, and ugly than i’ve could have wished for :)

Photo of Jill Swan
Jill Swan@jswan
4 stars
Dec 2, 2021

I'm not quite sure why I love Moshfegh's writing. All of her characters are unpleasant and horrible, and they say and think terrible things, and make irresponsible decisions, but I can't stop reading her work. This is much better than Eileen, I think, but I don't feel the same way about it as I did My Year of Rest and Relaxation. Her language is beautiful, she manages to state complex thoughts in really simple ways, which feels good to read. Her books don't feel like they're meant to be enjoyable but I love them.

Photo of Kath Lau
Kath Lau@kath_reads
3 stars
Nov 18, 2021

Maybe I missed something? My Year of Rest and Relaxation was my first read from Moshfegh and it's on my top ten favorite reads last year so I was really looking forward on reading (and loving) her debut novel, McGlue. This book has 145 pages but it took me days to finish it. I had a hard time getting into the story and it was confusing most of the time. I was lost when I finished it. It's historical fiction, with a little mystery featuring an unreliable narrator. Sounds perfect to me but sadly, I ended up disappointed. I still appreciate the writing style though. I'm just glad that MYoRaR was my first read and I still want to read Eileen. *ARC from PenguinPress

Photo of Gary Homewood
Gary Homewood@GaryHomewood
3 stars
Jul 28, 2021

Drunk sailor may have murdered his best friend. Vivid, nihilistic, authentically atmospheric fever dream, verges on being too bleak.

Photo of Kate Standing
Kate Standing @serendipitous
2.5 stars
Nov 17, 2024
Photo of Aris
Aris @aris_stocratic
0.5 stars
Aug 4, 2024
Photo of Emma Schnellberger
Emma Schnellberger @emma_speed
3.5 stars
Feb 14, 2024
Photo of Greta Keller
Greta Keller@gretzka
3.5 stars
Feb 7, 2024
Photo of Sophie Neuman
Sophie Neuman@sophien
3 stars
Jul 1, 2023
Photo of Roo Lampione
Roo Lampione@rooroo
2 stars
Aug 11, 2022
Photo of Joanne Chavali
Joanne Chavali@thesaucegoddess
4 stars
May 14, 2024
Photo of Molly M
Molly M@molsmcq
4 stars
May 1, 2024
Photo of Jim Hagan
Jim Hagan@aranyalma
3 stars
Mar 3, 2024
Photo of Christine Frisbie
Christine Frisbie@frisbie
4 stars
Feb 24, 2024
Photo of Mariana
Mariana@marsimu
2 stars
Jan 8, 2024