McGlue By Ottessa Moshfegh

 

McGlue

By Ottessa Moshfegh

 My first experience with Moshfegh, McGlue is about a man who is accused of the murder of his best friend. He is being held on a sailing ship awaiting his fate. He doesn't remember the murder and is an alcoholic. Through the story he recalls meeting his friend, who kept him drunk, but also looked out for him. As he begins to sober up, McGlue starts to remember.

This was a great novella. It was dark, gritty, immersed in the filth of living in a body. I found the writing to be razor sharp. Moshfegh does not worry about the reader feeling uncomfortable. She is a writer's writer, telling the tale in all of its messy grandeur. These are characters you will not like, right up to the end. The setting is so immersive you can almost hear the water lapping at the wood and smell the rankness of McGlue's prison. I loved it.

This is an easy 4 stars. I'm excited to read more of Moshfegh's work.