During his career, Elkin published novels, volumes of novellas and short stories, a collection of essays, a (unproduced) screenplay and a radio play. His extravagant, satirical fiction revolves around obsessive characters in darkly comic situations. Dialogue and prose style often take full precedence over plot. Elkin’s intense focus on language means he does not hold back. The results can be blunt, exuberant and baroque, sometimes all on the same page, taking the reader on fantastic flights from his characters’ incesssant patter.

Always bordering on the outlandish, Elkin’s work did not receive the popular reception given that of many of his peers. It was, however, greeted enthusiastically by critics and reviewers and brought him numerous literary awards, including a National Book Critics Circle Award for George Mills (1983) and Mrs. Ted Bliss (1995).