House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
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Book Reviews of House of Leaves
Book Review: "this is not for you"
Summary: 5 Stars
people seem very passionate about this book: either the reader loves it, or the reader hates it, and no reader seems to fall somewhere in between without writing something like "this would have been an excellent STORY without the baggage of esoteric 'marginalia' (i.e., the footnotes, which i would probably argue are margins in the derridean sense, pulling apart the STORY - your longed for 'center' or 'point' or 'enlightenment'), and without the submersion of the 'scary' stuff about the uncanny house beneath many layers of "unimportant" and "extraneous" material which a reader expecting a straightforward readerly novel (like king or other pop fiction) with beginning-middle-resolution. this is not the way to approach house of leaves, and if you begin it expecting a linear, clear, authoritative narrative, then you are going to be disappointed. in that case i suggest that you do not even attempt house of leaves, because you are going to dislike it and struggle with it. if you are going to enjoy this book - and it is a wonderful book, playing always with the very expectations of the reader, but also the possible forms of narrative itself, and concepts of authority, centrality, power (political & personal, for they are the same) - then you are going to have to approach it expecting it to violate all of the descriptive rules you have in your mind about narrative form and STORYtelling. you are going to have to read it carefully, thinking about every word, reading every footnote, but also remaking the text for yourself, making it your own and divorcing it from the sense and reference of the words themselves. you must be willing to work through the text slowly and carefully to get from it any pleasure, untainted by disappointment. if you are not willing to give that effort, then this book "is not for you." pass it, and the hype by, and pick up the next king novel, which you will enjoy, because he will meet your expectations rather than challenging them. however, i think it would be excellent for you to let lax your preconceptions and opinions, and put much effort into this amazing text, and to decolonize your "STORY" and "center" and "point/moral" and enlightenment" obsessed mind by combatting this text.Book Review: Intense and Challenging
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is not for people who do not like to read. Period. Nor is it one for those who dislike challenges, either. But, for those who can penetrate its muddled format, this is one of the most absorbing, eerie books in recent years."House of Leaves" tells two tales, in a way. The primary is that of the Navidson family, who discover that the house they bought, to escape the pressures of city living, is more then they bargained for. The second is that of Johnny Truant, who discovers the account of the former, and how it affects him.
The primary story is presented as "The Navidson Record," an essay based on the filmed record of a - well, phenomenal - house. This essay was supposedly written by old Zampano, after having seen the film. Problem is, Zampano was blind. Upon Zampono's death, Johnny truant takes on the task of pulling it all together, which is no small feat, considering the old man wrote it on anything he could get his hands on. What we read is Truant's final product, with his own story told in a series of footnotes.
As written, there are long periods of footnotes, sometimes even footnoted themselves. Print goes in all directions on the page, intersecting and enmeshing with itself. There are even long periods with but one or two words per page. For those whose dedication is weak, this is a daunting task, and as if that weren't enough, there are even two appendices, and a collection of photographs. (Someone stop me if I've forgotten something.)
All of this would mean nothing if the material were dull, though, and it is my pleasure to say that it is not. The two different tales play off wonderfully, with "The Navidson Record" a sweeping account of a fascinating, if not particularly frightening, story, and Truant himself telling of his increasingly more disturbing hallucinations and paranoia in a personal and gritty fashion.
You may even learn a few things, as well. Included as a part of "TNR" are several more educational essays, including one on echoes, and another on Greek mythology.
All in all, this book is well worth the money if you're a dedicated reader. If not, I would reccomend finding it at the local library before you make any final decisions.
Book Review: creepy and postmodern
Summary: 5 Stars
Definitely not like any book you've ever read. I found this book to be a page-turner and not at all as intimidating to read as I thought. The actual book itself is 530 pages, and I admit I haven't read the entire appendix. It was actually an pretty easy read, except for when you physically have to turn the book upside or hold it in front of a mirror. The prose is mostly simplistic and straightforward with occasional forays into a stream-of-consciousness style in the footnotes. The comparisons to Pynchon and Wallace are indeed absurd, as another reviewer stated... in terms of the strength of the prose or the encyclopedic intellect of their respective works.
I found the Navidson story to be genuinely unnerving and unsettling. I used to have dreams where I found myself exploring secret tunnels in the basement of my house or finding extra rooms that didn't exist in reality.... apparently Jung talked about similar dreams. Supposedly in dreams, houses represent ourselves...so exploring a house correlates with expanding your own awareness. The Johnny Truant story did seem a little cliche in comparison.
The innovations in the spatial layout of the text were constantly inventive and added an extra dimension to the narrative. I have no idea how many of the ideas have been used before, as I am not familiar with the entire canon of modern fiction. In addition to the layering and exploration of narrative art-forms (a film within a story within a book within a book being edited being read) you are never sure which sources are actual books or total BS...as he references both real books and invents his own facetious scholarly books/journals...as well as pens in cameos from famous artists and thinkers (D impersonating Kubrick for example) in addition to real quotes from literature.
In the end, this HOUSE leaves you with the sense of experiencing someone else's nightmare..similar to watching Eraserhead. A HOUSE where you leave (but yet don't) to descend into the darkness, a HOUSE where the layout is as transient as the rustling of leaves...which is in fact where the couple ultimately end up... outside on the front lawn. I have said enough, I will take my leave now.
Book Review: Astounding!
Summary: 5 Stars
"House of Leaves" is beyond a shadow of a doubt the best novel I have read in the last five years. It intertwines so many elements, so masterfully, it's hard to know where to begin describing it. I guess the first comment I make should be: if you like your literature squarely in the mainstream, this is not a book for you. However, if you're open-minded this novel will not disappoint you.At it's heart, "House of Leaves" is the journal of a man who is piecing together a manuscript about a movie about a house that is getting bigger on the inside without any external change. Sound confusing? It is; but that's what draws you in. There are so many plot threads (many of them told through footnotes), and so many narrative voices that the reader is constantly being buffeted by "perception" vs. "reality". Within the context of the book you're never really sure what is going on, and you're therefore forced to think about what the novel as a whole, and its component parts, means. Furthermore, since the novel is supposed to represent an assemblage of manuscripts, there are frequently gaps in the available information, or it is only partially complete. As a result, I don't think any two people will ever have the same reading of this book, as your imagination is left free to fill in critical gaps, or leave them empty.
In terms of categorization, "House of Leaves" defies it. I imagine most people would categorize it simply as Literature. However, it is undeniably one of the scariest books I have ever read. I wouldn't paint it with the "Horror" brush, but the explorations of the house's new rooms are among the most intense passages I have ever read. On the flip side, there are lines in this novel that had me laughing out loud. Finally, everything about "House of Leaves" makes you think. It is definitely a novel that will stay with you for a long time.
In the end, what you take out of this book has a lot to do with what you bring to it. If you approach it with an open mind, and really take the time to think about what you're reading, I guarantee it will leave an indelible impression. If you aren't committed to trying something new, however, I'd recommend passing on this book.
Book Review: A dream, a nightmare, a hated love, an unfinished myth - there are no words to classify the experience.
Summary: 5 Stars
Mark Z. Danielewski's incredible first novel remains beyond classification or genre placement. This might be because - beyond showing an incredible talent at post-modern storytelling - the story has a lot going on. Most notably: 1)a small time tattoo artist's discovery of an almost academic monograph called The Navidson Record, 2) written by a blind man named Zampanò, 3)about a nonexistent documentary film about a photojournalist who finds a house that has some disturbing quirks. For one, the house is bigger on the outside than it is on the inside, with a mysterious hallway that shouldn't exist and continuously changes shape. Woven between this layering of narrators, Danielewski packs in footnotes, poems, scientific lists, collages, Polaroids, appendices of fake correspondence and "various quotes"; single lines of prose or sometimes single words on a page, and even crossed-out passages.
While this story may seem, at first, to be too broken to induce actual fear in the reader, the story within unfolds in such a way that the reader can not help but grow unsettled. Because of this, the closest classification I can think of would be "psychological thriller," though that is hardly all inclusive. Each interwoven story has a different taste, almost comparable to spices in a complex soup.
The first time I read this book, I couldn't put it down - I was almost frantic at some moments, flipping wildly through the pages with few words and turning the book upside down to read other passages. 'House of Leaves' is a full blown experience, one that not only left me breathless, but also with a vague sense of unease. It was hard to resist the impulse of tacking measuring tape all over my walls :)
This novel is not for everyone. The story lines are disjointed, and there are a few chapters that really slow down before the spectacular intensity of the finish. There are also a number of fairly violent scenes, that, while not overly graphic, are still hard to stomach. Not a story to read to the kids! My only other suggestion would be to get the full color edition. It's the best way to grasp the full experience of Danielewski's incredible vision.