nopewhat reviewed House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
None
Yesod: Foundation - The Unconscious | Element: Water | Psychology, dreams, occult practice, digital consciousness
709 pages
English language
Published July 15, 2000 by Anchor.
Michelle reviewed House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
House of Leaves: A slow-burn horror that will leave you sleepless
5 stars
This is easily one of my all time favorite books. Full of world-building, hidden information, and connections that will make you feel a little like a mad detective with your red string as you read. The unsettling nature of this story creeps up on you slowly, leaving you pensive and breathless when you least expect it. It walks you hand-in-hand through the suspension of your own disbelief, culminating in an experience that's creepy, disturbing, and strange. It is part sci-fi, part mystery, part classic horror, and part mythos. A long commitment that's well-worth the time spent. A closet that's larger on the inside than physically possible. A strange warp of physics and reality, and it's play on human relationships as they dramatically tangle and untangle.
This is easily one of my all time favorite books. Full of world-building, hidden information, and connections that will make you feel a little like a mad detective with your red string as you read. The unsettling nature of this story creeps up on you slowly, leaving you pensive and breathless when you least expect it. It walks you hand-in-hand through the suspension of your own disbelief, culminating in an experience that's creepy, disturbing, and strange. It is part sci-fi, part mystery, part classic horror, and part mythos. A long commitment that's well-worth the time spent. A closet that's larger on the inside than physically possible. A strange warp of physics and reality, and it's play on human relationships as they dramatically tangle and untangle.
nix reviewed House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
In All the Best Ways, a Challenging Book
5 stars
This is a book that challenges the reader and pushes the boundaries of what a book can be. I'll be thinking about it for a long time.
This is a book that challenges the reader and pushes the boundaries of what a book can be. I'll be thinking about it for a long time.
noisenerd reviewed House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
I did not find the juice to be worth the squeeze
2 stars
I will open by saying that my estimation of this book may have suffered from its reputation. I generally try not to expose myself to a lot of hype around books I'm interested in, but that was how this one even ended up on my radar. I will also say that it may appeal more to fans of horror (which is not a description I would apply to myself). That is not to say that this is strictly a horror story, but I think it overlaps more with horror than anything else. I was mostly interested because I like weird stuff, and the way this was described made it sound like it qualified there. I suppose it does a bit, but I expected more.
That said, I will give the author some credit, as I imagine this took some thought and effort to put together. I think the presentation …
I will open by saying that my estimation of this book may have suffered from its reputation. I generally try not to expose myself to a lot of hype around books I'm interested in, but that was how this one even ended up on my radar. I will also say that it may appeal more to fans of horror (which is not a description I would apply to myself). That is not to say that this is strictly a horror story, but I think it overlaps more with horror than anything else. I was mostly interested because I like weird stuff, and the way this was described made it sound like it qualified there. I suppose it does a bit, but I expected more.
That said, I will give the author some credit, as I imagine this took some thought and effort to put together. I think the presentation does add another layer of enjoyment, and I like that there are a few little tidbits that open up possibilities for interpretation. However, in my opinion, none of that was enough to overcome the fact that most of the actual contents are fluff wrapped around what amounts to a pretty short story. It's not exactly pointless fluff, because it does play a role, but it is fluff nonetheless. This is where my comment in the title line comes from. A lot of it I didn't even find to be enjoyable fluff, and some of it outright annoyed me.
Despite not loving it, I don't regret reading it, because I would have been forever curious. Clearly there are people who do love it, so if you're curious I'd say it might be worth a shot.
Jim Rion reviewed House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
Monumental...
5 stars
In pretty much every sense of the word. And I'm so glad I got it on paper. This is an experiential read... I'll have to retry someone, I think.
In pretty much every sense of the word. And I'm so glad I got it on paper. This is an experiential read... I'll have to retry someone, I think.
imadnyc reviewed House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
Tests your patience, in a good way
4 stars
There's a lot of purposeful filler in here, but it serves the same purpose as the blanks on a canvas -- it adds to the composition. That said, my expectations were a bit high going into the book after watching the myhouse.wad videos on youtube -- the mod was much more dynamic, and the book feels flat in comparison. Still an excellent read, worth your time.
There's a lot of purposeful filler in here, but it serves the same purpose as the blanks on a canvas -- it adds to the composition. That said, my expectations were a bit high going into the book after watching the myhouse.wad videos on youtube -- the mod was much more dynamic, and the book feels flat in comparison. Still an excellent read, worth your time.
FediversalPublicFriend reviewed House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
Best known for an underused gimmick
4 stars
The typesetting stuff in House of Leaves is unique, clever, impressive from a technical standpoint, and certainly not like anything I had ever seen before. Unfortunately, it is often little more than a gimmick — some of the most striking and complex printing in the entire book is used for what amounts to filler, never used for anything with more depth than adding some visual flair to a linear text. That might be enough for some, but it was hard not to be disappointed after hearing so much about the the novel's legendary reputation.
I enjoyed the book. I enjoyed the academic/informational presentation of the main text, I enjoyed the house and the analysis surrounding it, and I enjoyed some of the narrative around Johnny Truant, even if I found his footnote interjections mostly tedious and annoying, particularly earlier into the novel. I don't think I would have enjoyed …
The typesetting stuff in House of Leaves is unique, clever, impressive from a technical standpoint, and certainly not like anything I had ever seen before. Unfortunately, it is often little more than a gimmick — some of the most striking and complex printing in the entire book is used for what amounts to filler, never used for anything with more depth than adding some visual flair to a linear text. That might be enough for some, but it was hard not to be disappointed after hearing so much about the the novel's legendary reputation.
I enjoyed the book. I enjoyed the academic/informational presentation of the main text, I enjoyed the house and the analysis surrounding it, and I enjoyed some of the narrative around Johnny Truant, even if I found his footnote interjections mostly tedious and annoying, particularly earlier into the novel. I don't think I would have enjoyed these elements any less if the book's strange typesetting was taken out entirely, though, which seems like a real missed opportunity.
Steve reviewed House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
House of Leaves
Great book with great twists and turns.
Had me measuring the inside of my house and comparing it with the outside.
foxrain reviewed House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
None
1 star
I didn't like this book, so I didn't finish. It's very difficult to keep up with, and once I got the idea, I decided that it was too out there for me. An interesting idea, but very arduous to read. The way the text jumps between the recovered notes and the main character's marginal notes makes the story proceed very slowly, and every time something interesting happens, you have to wait for several pages before you get to read what happens next. In between, there's jumbled academic nonsense about this and that.
I didn't like this book, so I didn't finish. It's very difficult to keep up with, and once I got the idea, I decided that it was too out there for me. An interesting idea, but very arduous to read. The way the text jumps between the recovered notes and the main character's marginal notes makes the story proceed very slowly, and every time something interesting happens, you have to wait for several pages before you get to read what happens next. In between, there's jumbled academic nonsense about this and that.
BOOitsnathalie reviewed House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
Review of 'House of Leaves' on 'Storygraph'
4 stars
I can't stop thinking about what a nightmare this book must have been to design and print. I'm not sure any book will ever give me the sort of awe and revulsion I felt seeing a sentence span across the spine over two pages. It's obscene.
I didn't know much about House of Leaves beyond it's infamous typography, so it was surprising to learn it's functionally a book equivalent to found footage horror. It trades documentary "authenticity" for dense citations and pervert French, but conceptually I find a lot of similarities (both are primarily interested in the mechanics of their medium and how our trust in those forms can be exploited). How successful HoL is depends mostly on your willingness to indulge its most excessive elements, following footnotes to smaller footnotes and spinning the book around like it's the world thickest centerfold.
HoL slots into a weird segment of media …
I can't stop thinking about what a nightmare this book must have been to design and print. I'm not sure any book will ever give me the sort of awe and revulsion I felt seeing a sentence span across the spine over two pages. It's obscene.
I didn't know much about House of Leaves beyond it's infamous typography, so it was surprising to learn it's functionally a book equivalent to found footage horror. It trades documentary "authenticity" for dense citations and pervert French, but conceptually I find a lot of similarities (both are primarily interested in the mechanics of their medium and how our trust in those forms can be exploited). How successful HoL is depends mostly on your willingness to indulge its most excessive elements, following footnotes to smaller footnotes and spinning the book around like it's the world thickest centerfold.
HoL slots into a weird segment of media that I conceptually appreciate but dread existing because it inevitably gets attached to the worst sort of gross art bro. It is a playful, surprisingly warm, darkly funny book, but also one that revels in masculine violence and the deification of male ambition. It is proud of its swamp, fascinated by the algae and mutated fish, but if you want to study the tadpoles you're forced to wade past crocodiles and a CW list longer than the terms you didn't read.
My metaphors are mixing and my mind is wandering, but this is all to say HoL is a challenging recommendation in 2022. A rewarding one if you can stomach the grime, but I wouldn't shame anyone for keeping it on the shelf a while longer.
I didn't know much about House of Leaves beyond it's infamous typography, so it was surprising to learn it's functionally a book equivalent to found footage horror. It trades documentary "authenticity" for dense citations and pervert French, but conceptually I find a lot of similarities (both are primarily interested in the mechanics of their medium and how our trust in those forms can be exploited). How successful HoL is depends mostly on your willingness to indulge its most excessive elements, following footnotes to smaller footnotes and spinning the book around like it's the world thickest centerfold.
HoL slots into a weird segment of media that I conceptually appreciate but dread existing because it inevitably gets attached to the worst sort of gross art bro. It is a playful, surprisingly warm, darkly funny book, but also one that revels in masculine violence and the deification of male ambition. It is proud of its swamp, fascinated by the algae and mutated fish, but if you want to study the tadpoles you're forced to wade past crocodiles and a CW list longer than the terms you didn't read.
My metaphors are mixing and my mind is wandering, but this is all to say HoL is a challenging recommendation in 2022. A rewarding one if you can stomach the grime, but I wouldn't shame anyone for keeping it on the shelf a while longer.
Clare reviewed House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
Review of 'House of Leaves' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Indescribable. This book will haunt me
chrisamaphone reviewed House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
Review of 'House of Leaves' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
This book was a slog, and there's a lot to roll one's eyes at, but I'm glad I read it given its influence on other works I enjoy and its relationship to interactive narrative.
This book was a slog, and there's a lot to roll one's eyes at, but I'm glad I read it given its influence on other works I enjoy and its relationship to interactive narrative.
tim reviewed House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
Review of 'House of Leaves' on Goodreads
4 stars
It was cool and weird, but like 200 pages longer than i needed it to be. I was just here for the house metaphysics, not the truant side story.
lokroma reviewed House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
Review of 'House of Leaves' on 'Goodreads'
1 star
I read about 30 pages...an appallingly pretentious crack at postmodernism. Another reviewer said this is probably what drove David Foster Wallace to suicide, and although irreverent, it's a good perspective on the book. It's embarrassing to think about equally pretentious college professors teaching this as a substantive piece of literature.
I read about 30 pages...an appallingly pretentious crack at postmodernism. Another reviewer said this is probably what drove David Foster Wallace to suicide, and although irreverent, it's a good perspective on the book. It's embarrassing to think about equally pretentious college professors teaching this as a substantive piece of literature.
Joerg reviewed House of leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski (Anchor fiction)
Review of 'House of leaves' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Wow this book. The layers upon layers, going Inception and Sixth Sense on you except better; though a little lull in the middle. The total mindfuck, the multiple truths at the same time and the deep sadness. Our inability to deal with space, and more importantly, our concept of time even if we project it into space, but when it comes down to it, just our inability to ever deal with what "an ending" means.
Wow this book. The layers upon layers, going Inception and Sixth Sense on you except better; though a little lull in the middle. The total mindfuck, the multiple truths at the same time and the deep sadness. Our inability to deal with space, and more importantly, our concept of time even if we project it into space, but when it comes down to it, just our inability to ever deal with what "an ending" means.
