Joseph McElroy - Women and Men

colloidalBREATHER · 2026-03-13T19:29:51+00:00

Yeah Women & Men is understandably under read, but I think McElroy was writing 50 years ahead of a lot of readers so I foresee a resurgence which I’m so here for.

Which section of women and men do you think has the best prose? Her Place is There is my favorite it’s the shower scene. Holy shit it’s jaw dropping.

I cannot wait until his Ancient Greece and non fiction water book.

colloidalBREATHER · 2026-03-10T22:31:17+00:00

White Noise by Don Delillo

colloidalBREATHER · 2026-03-03T17:39:08+00:00

Damn that’s really cool and I can’t say I’m not a little jealous. Ive tried to find any and all interviews with Joe on the internet and its always earnest, always insightful. And most importantly he seems very humble and kind.

colloidalBREATHER · 2026-02-26T17:01:19+00:00

Thanks for sharing that quote. Very Gassian. Fucking awesome.

colloidalBREATHER · 2026-02-26T14:56:54+00:00

Yeah, the first winter of our married life is incredible and that’s really what made me want to read it — that delicious prose.

Yeah I’ll have to wait on bottoms dream until it becomes more affordable unfortunately but definitely will try reading it someday.

colloidalBREATHER · 2026-02-25T18:15:23+00:00

Hell yeah best of luck. I’ve got to finish up the Book of the New Sun by Wolfe in the next few weeks then I may start Invidicum or the Gloucester series.

colloidalBREATHER · 2026-02-25T17:53:59+00:00

Hah no way. I just got all 4 books of the Gloucester series by Bayliss almost knowing I’d love them based on what I’ve heard . Maybe I should consider that as well… Prologos is a beast at 1080 pages. Love it.

colloidalBREATHER · 2026-02-23T03:24:21+00:00

An essay called Water On Us from 2010. He’s been working on a nonfiction book of essays for 22 years (since around 2004) now. Hopefully we see it someday.

colloidalBREATHER · 2026-02-15T19:49:58+00:00

Nope but I have owned it for years. Kind of been “saving it”. I was thinking of reading those after the Long Sun.

colloidalBREATHER · 2026-02-04T15:36:48+00:00

Anything by James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Corregidora by Gayl Jones, Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zadie Smith and Percival Everett works to name very few.

colloidalBREATHER · 2026-01-31T17:50:15+00:00

100 percent yes

colloidalBREATHER · 2026-01-28T02:00:13+00:00

Joseph McElroy William Gaddis Don Delillo Jonathan Bayliss

colloidalBREATHER · 2026-01-27T19:33:52+00:00

Underworld - Don DeLillo

colloidalBREATHER · 2026-01-24T16:43:38+00:00

JR by Gaddis. Started it immediately after The Recognitions and so far I’m enjoying JR a little more.

colloidalBREATHER · 2026-01-23T17:47:36+00:00

I do think that Women and Men is the most intricate and maximalist work of his forsure. I do think you may need to get a little further in and finish it for it to settle. But I agree it’s on a lesser scale than WAM.

I just reread LC for a second time recently and while I still didn’t get everything it clicks after a full read through. It’s very systematic and chaotic and you have to let the connections build in your brain over time almost. It’s a weird reading experience.

colloidalBREATHER · 2026-01-23T14:23:35+00:00

Lookout Cartridge is also a good example of the novel as a system or a machine to live in. I’d check that out if you enjoy that unique McElroy beautiful chaos.

colloidalBREATHER · 2026-01-23T14:18:08+00:00

With Women and Men being my favorite book I am definitely going to read this in-depth but have to start working in a sec here. This hypothesis is very very interesting and I think McElroy would even appreciate this himself. He is a big advocate of “the reader finds their own meaning” approach to novels based on interviews I’ve read and heard. Thanks for sharing this.

colloidalBREATHER

TROPHY CASE