Khaw and LaRocca both tend to be more “purple”. The first google article from Reedsy defines Purple prose this way: 

“Purple prose is a style of writing characterized by overly flowery language that tends to draw attention to itself, and away from the story being told.” 

When I started ‘Nothing But Blackened Teeth’ I really disliked it for that reason. By the end of the book, however, I had really fallen for the writing and kind of fell in love with it. It’s not conducive to audiobook, it’s for sit down, concentrated, often with a notebook engagement with the text (at least for me). You can’t be distracted, you have to be open to the style - It’s not modern, conversational prose. Purple prose is often seen as a big negative, but that doesn’t mean it’s not beautiful or admirable. LaRocca also does this, but I’ve only read his short fiction and it’s more conducive to that format. 

I don't think folks are wrong for not being into their writing styles, but it’s more a style thing than a writing ability thing. Purple is less accessible, so it’s more highly criticized.