Wow- it's been a while since anyone's blogged, and this is probably a dead subject in most people's minds, I really feel like Elliot is unique as a writer because he creates an intense collage of images that don't have a known linear flow about them. They seem random and strung together. They lack a perfect succession of time and place, but they do evoke strong emotions in the reader. I think this is where you can clearly see the connection to literature and art- there are those who love the abstract and feel that those who do not appreciate it do not understand it, and others who find it junk.