The Businessman

Is compulsively readable even as it should not be.  It's a weird mishmash of gothic horror, pop culture, traditional Minnesota, philosophy, poetry, random spearing of science fiction tropes and authors, homage, and satire, with all kinds of pompous random asides.  Of course I love it.

I disagree with her on the book's appeal/success, but here's an intersting review by Marion Zimmer Bradley back in the day from the NYT.  I find the book deeply entertaining, like the whole Supernatural Minnesota series, and the horror is not the supernatural hoohah but the aspects of Minnesota and America that he satirizes, as clearly as he does in his futuristic SF.  Plus I like the word and idea games he plays, very Melville, especially The Confidence Man, which dove in so wholeheartedly to allegory and satire and all the trickster talents.

Here's a more sympathetic review, with more background, from the Tor blog.  The comments mention that Disch once sold the magnegic potholders a character buys, like the creepy kid who sells them in the book.  Cool detail.