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Title:
House of Leaves Author:
Mark Z. Danielewski Hardback: 709 pages Publisher: Pantheon (2000) Amazon: Instant Look Up Appraising Eyeballs: |
About the Book:
House
of Leaves begins with a first person narrative by Johnny Truant, a
In
Zampanò's apartment, Truant discovers a manuscript
written by Zampanò which turns out to be a very
academic study of a documentary film called The Navidson
Record.
The
rest of the novel alternates between Zampanò's report
on the fictional film, Johnny's autobiographical interjections, and occasional
brief notes by unidentified editors, all woven together by a mass of footnotes.
There is also a fourth narrator, Johnny's mother, whose voice is presented
through a self-contained set of letters titled The Whalestoe
Letters. Each narrator's text is printed in a distinct font, making it easier
for the reader to follow the sometimes challenging format of the novel.
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Bruce’s
Appraisal: A
refreshing take on the form of the novel, and a series of interwoven tales,
each as compelling as the last. There
is humor enough to bring bursts of laughter and anecdotes that beg to be
shared with friends. There is horror
enough to bring chills down some of the most hardened spines. There is adventure, as well, and also
romance. Like some of the best horror
tales, this one is at its heart a love story.
This is one of those rarest of all stories in which every beat hits on
time. It is as precise as it is full
of heart. I’ve
been told that Mark Z. Danielewski took years to complete this book, and the
polished diamond that remains never loses its luster. There is nothing mundane or typical about
it. Every aspect of it, from the
troubled romance to Johnny’s horrific breakdown, captivates and compels,
pushing from one page to the next, or from one
section of the page to another. House of Leaves weaves mythological
and genre tropes into something that transcends our expectations for popular
fiction. Danielewski invokes dread
from the first page, with the ominous message, “This is not for you.” Throughout the story, whether it comes in
Johnny’s recurring and escalating episodes or the downward spiral of the Navidson Record, foreshadowing builds into moments of
revelatory shock. I’ve never been so
chilled by a list of measurements, but this story creates a verisimilitude
that makes the reader believe that this really happened. Better, that it could happen. There is
very little disbelief to suspend, and when macabre events begin to pile up,
we are trapped right along with the characters themselves. Just like the characters themselves. No
matter how good the story, though, the real strength of the tale comes from
the full realization of its characters.
Johnny Truant could be no more different from Will Navidson
could be no more different from Holloway Roberts. They are archetypes, fleshed out and
presented to their strengths. This
story leaves nothing to be desired, but much that lingers on in the mind for
months, even years to come. It is that
rare volume that flies by, eight hundred pages in the blink of an eye and
still it is not enough. Danielewski
brings us wholly into his world, traps us there, and leaves us desperate with
his characters as we try to escape—or understand—with them. The book appears formidable, but investing
the time required to read House of
Leaves is well worth the effort.
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