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Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'
House of Leaves: The Remastered, Full-Color Edition by Mark Z. Danielewski
84 reviews
sydneyjn's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I don't even know how to describe this book. It can only ever be in a physical format. The way the book was printed added SO much. In any other medium this would be a fairly normal found-footage horror movie, but on the physical page you're drawn into being the researcher and exploring and uncovering what happened, following clues and footnotes and hints. A+.
Okay, someone on reddit has the perfect description: It’s a post-modernist horror novel based around three intertwining stories. Think David Foster Wallace writing a Poe story while radio static plays in the background of your dingy apartment and two homeless guys argue outside. It’s fantastic.
Okay, someone on reddit has the perfect description: It’s a post-modernist horror novel based around three intertwining stories. Think David Foster Wallace writing a Poe story while radio static plays in the background of your dingy apartment and two homeless guys argue outside. It’s fantastic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death, Addiction, Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Violence
bark's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Drug use, Death, Sexual content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Car accident, Animal cruelty, Confinement, Animal death, Violence, Cursing, Murder, Forced institutionalization, and Drug abuse
my_corner_of_the_library's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
My feelings on The House of Leaves are so complicated... By the end of this book I felt that I could give it any rating between 1 and 5 and make a convincing argument for why it fits there. After a day to let it sit I ultimately decided to give it 4 stars...
The Writing
How do I even talk about this...I feel like I could both boast and rant about the writing of this book. I feel like I need to break this down into a few different parts.
John's POV
I would have loved getting John's POV if I wasn't so annoyed by it. The decision to incorporate the POV of someone experiencing the story with us was such a unique and amazing thing to read, however...It felt like it didn't come a satisfying conclusion and ultimately was unreliable and useless given the fact that it quickly become clear that John had inherited his mother's schizophrenia and was experiencing the onset through paranoia and hallucinations triggered by the House of Leaves . At the same time getting John's POV as he worked to bring the book to life and make sense of it all and give his commentary really added an extra layer to the story.
Zampano's POV/The Meta Analysis
This was...interesting. I absolutely loved when the formatting would change and become obscure. It felt as though it added an extra level of immersion to the story. Spirling down the staircase with the characters, and having the lines draw out into a tight three lines while crawling through a tight space gave a unique experience that I will be longing to find in other books.
Now, I'm not sure if the analytic writing style added or took from the story. It often felt like we were going on random rants that were meant to show just how smart Zampano thought he was, but at the same time it all eventually felt necessary and useful, like the analysis of the meaning of echo's that ultimately taught us just how massive the house and hallways were.
The Plot
I adored the actual story of this book. It felt real and at the same time insane and supernatural. It didn't feel like any characters were safe and I felt as though I never knew what would happen or how it would end. I found myself physically gasping on several occasions. I kept feeling like I understood what was happening and how things would go, only for the exact opposite to happen.
It was interesting and captivating.
Conclusion
There are many many many other aspects of this book I could touch on, but I feel like I'll need several re-reads before I am actually in a place to give a critical analysis.
The Writing
How do I even talk about this...I feel like I could both boast and rant about the writing of this book. I feel like I need to break this down into a few different parts.
John's POV
I would have loved getting John's POV if I wasn't so annoyed by it. The decision to incorporate the POV of someone experiencing the story with us was such a unique and amazing thing to read, however...It felt like it didn't come a satisfying conclusion and ultimately was unreliable and useless given the fact that
Zampano's POV/The Meta Analysis
This was...interesting. I absolutely loved when the formatting would change and become obscure. It felt as though it added an extra level of immersion to the story. Spirling down the staircase with the characters, and having the lines draw out into a tight three lines while crawling through a tight space gave a unique experience that I will be longing to find in other books.
Now, I'm not sure if the analytic writing style added or took from the story. It often felt like we were going on random rants that were meant to show just how smart Zampano thought he was, but at the same time it all eventually felt necessary and useful, like the analysis of the meaning of echo's that ultimately
The Plot
I adored the actual story of this book. It felt real and at the same time insane and supernatural. It didn't feel like any characters were safe and I felt as though I never knew what would happen or how it would end. I found myself physically gasping on several occasions. I kept feeling like I understood what was happening and how things would go, only for the exact opposite to happen.
It was interesting and captivating.
Conclusion
There are many many many other aspects of this book I could touch on, but I feel like I'll need several re-reads before I am actually in a place to give a critical analysis.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Death, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Alcohol, Blood, Drug use, and Sexual content
Moderate: Child abuse
sara_berlin's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“I have no idea whether it’s on purpose or not. Sometimes I’m certain it is. Other times I’m sure it’s just one big fucking train wreck.” (Page 149)
I could tell this book would be a trip just from the introduction (little did I know to what extent). It unnerved me to my core, was strange and exhilarating but also at times hilariously absurd. I liked the random tangents of linguistics, physics, chemistry and psychology that it went on (although the one about echoes was just boring almost-nonsense, even though I understood the purpose it was still my least favorite) but other people might find that annoying so depends on your taste. I’ll be honest, I didn’t read entirety of the insanely long lists of names or random other things like architectural features, just enough to get the gist of what it was.
Some parts of this were borderline erotica (blame Truant trying to bury his fear using sex, drugs and alcohol), so definitely not appropriate for younger readers.
It did get a bit slower about halfway through when the actual plot was mostly over with and we just got some final reveals, more background on the characters, the aftermath of the events and reactions to the film, but I still appreciated and enjoyed it. I really like how the relationships between all the characters, especially Karen and Navy, are examined and how there’s different theories and views on them. It also leaves some stuff up for interpretation by us. Oh, and there's three appendices so that was interesting. My favorite part of those were the letters.
One of my many favorite aspects of the book was how trauma was examined. At first I was like “aren’t they overreacting a little to this whole house thing?” But when I thought about it, I would probably react the same way. I’m just so used to characters in Young Adult books being seemingly immune to trauma, seeing people die and killing people without any huge impacts on their mental health (with the exception of Six of Crows, which did it pretty well, my compliments to Leigh Bardugo). Pretty much every character got at least a bit of an explanation of the impacts the house had on them and why it was different for different people. I really appreciate that.
I tabbed the hell out of this book, probably like more than thirty tabs. I enjoyed it to the very last page (excluding the index, obviously). Despite many things not being explained the way they normally are in books, I didn't feel annoyed or like it was unfinished. This is definitely a book I’ll be rereading soon. Definitely isn’t a book that's easy to read and relaxing, it takes real effort to focus and understand. I feel like the resilience I’ve gained from reading this in only a little under three weeks makes me capable of reading anything, lol. Although it did hook me so that definitely made it easier. Also it’s crazy to think how my perception has changed since reading the first page, even since being halfway through.
-1st reread/2nd read-
I don’t reread books very often, but this was one where the second I finished it I was like I want to forget it all and do it over again, and while I will say that I forgot a lot more than I thought I did and I definitely gained some new observations and things that stood out to me on this reread, I did remember a fair bit. It took me a lot longer this time around, I think partly because of life circumstances and partly because there wasn’t that much suspense since, even if I didn’t remember the details, I still kinda knew what to expect. Overall, I did enjoy rereading it and will probably do it again at some point in the future.
Some parts of this were borderline erotica (blame Truant trying to bury his fear using sex, drugs and alcohol), so definitely not appropriate for younger readers.
It did get a bit slower about halfway through when the actual plot was mostly over with and we just got some final reveals, more background on the characters, the aftermath of the events and reactions to the film, but I still appreciated and enjoyed it. I really like how the relationships between all the characters, especially Karen and Navy, are examined and how there’s different theories and views on them. It also leaves some stuff up for interpretation by us. Oh, and there's three appendices so that was interesting. My favorite part of those were the letters.
One of my many favorite aspects of the book was how trauma was examined. At first I was like “aren’t they overreacting a little to this whole house thing?” But when I thought about it, I would probably react the same way. I’m just so used to characters in Young Adult books being seemingly immune to trauma, seeing people die and killing people without any huge impacts on their mental health (with the exception of Six of Crows, which did it pretty well, my compliments to Leigh Bardugo). Pretty much every character got at least a bit of an explanation of the impacts the house had on them and why it was different for different people. I really appreciate that.
I tabbed the hell out of this book, probably like more than thirty tabs. I enjoyed it to the very last page (excluding the index, obviously). Despite many things not being explained the way they normally are in books, I didn't feel annoyed or like it was unfinished. This is definitely a book I’ll be rereading soon. Definitely isn’t a book that's easy to read and relaxing, it takes real effort to focus and understand. I feel like the resilience I’ve gained from reading this in only a little under three weeks makes me capable of reading anything, lol. Although it did hook me so that definitely made it easier. Also it’s crazy to think how my perception has changed since reading the first page, even since being halfway through.
-1st reread/2nd read-
I don’t reread books very often, but this was one where the second I finished it I was like I want to forget it all and do it over again, and while I will say that I forgot a lot more than I thought I did and I definitely gained some new observations and things that stood out to me on this reread, I did remember a fair bit. It took me a lot longer this time around, I think partly because of life circumstances and partly because there wasn’t that much suspense since, even if I didn’t remember the details, I still kinda knew what to expect. Overall, I did enjoy rereading it and will probably do it again at some point in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Sexual content, Violence, Cursing, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Gun violence, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
13octopus's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Ableism, Blood, Body horror, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Infidelity
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, and Incest
orcgrotto's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I have a lot of difficulty recommending this book -- as it is, a piece of ergodic literature, it is arguably the most unique book I have ever read. At its time, no doubt one of the most groundbreaking books ever written.
In general, if you are looking for a piece of media that will break the fourth wall, or just be wacky/meta/self-referential, there's a lot out there that you can consume in less time than the reading of these 723 pages. As it stands, there are so many movies and videogames that do just the same in a more interactive way. But I will reiterate that this book is unlike anything else I have ever read. It filled me with a genuine fear and anxiety unlike one I have ever felt. I think I went through all five stages of grief in the process of reading it.
If you want to give it a shot, know that no part of it is an 'easy' read. The author expects a lot of you, and the content warnings are no joke. Take your time, and take heed of what heavy topics exist within its pages.
In general, if you are looking for a piece of media that will break the fourth wall, or just be wacky/meta/self-referential, there's a lot out there that you can consume in less time than the reading of these 723 pages. As it stands, there are so many movies and videogames that do just the same in a more interactive way. But I will reiterate that this book is unlike anything else I have ever read. It filled me with a genuine fear and anxiety unlike one I have ever felt. I think I went through all five stages of grief in the process of reading it.
If you want to give it a shot, know that no part of it is an 'easy' read. The author expects a lot of you, and the content warnings are no joke. Take your time, and take heed of what heavy topics exist within its pages.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Rape, and Suicide
aubreyhi's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
House of Leaves remains one of my favorite novels. The playfulness with which the author looks at cinema, academia, Hollywood, masculinity, photography ... literature. It's a gorgeous piece of art, doesn't seem like it would be as much fun without the physicality of the book. Like a film, the author uses font and typsetting to engage the reader in time and space. You sit with the novel, it sits with you.
I won't tell you what it's about ... plenty of other reviews do that. Instead, I will say if you are interested in language or film or space or placemaking or grief or mental illness or explorations within this is the book for you.
I won't tell you what it's about ... plenty of other reviews do that. Instead, I will say if you are interested in language or film or space or placemaking or grief or mental illness or explorations within this is the book for you.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual violence, Violence, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexism, and Suicidal thoughts
miagw962's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
...and this great blue world of ours seems a house of leaves moments before the wind.
What a wild ride! Didn't really know what to expect with this one so kind of went into it blind. I had a feeling it would blow me away and it did to some extent (but maybe not in the way I thought it would). I've heard people discuss this book and say how life-changing it was, how disturbing, 'they couldn't have the physical book in their room while they slept' things like that. I kind of wanted to feel something so intense like that but I didn't. I just felt that this was a really well-constructed and thought-provoking story. Endlessly interesting and frustrating, it continually held my focus and kept me thinking what would happen next. I love the story-within-a-story concept and I think Danielewski did such a good job at creating such an ambiguous piece to be interpreted by many. Who really wrote House of Leaves? I'm of the house of thought that Zampano wrote all of it, even Johnny's parts. Also, I very much believe that Zampano inserted himself into the narrative in the form of
Anyway, this book was just so interactive in the way that yes, you physically have to move the book around to read some parts but you also have to think really hard about what it all means. OR you don't have to think hard and just read it at face value. There are a lot of passages that critically analyse aspects of the fictitious plot that we are reading about AS YOU READ IT which was super cool and also gave me many more ideas. Overall, I just did have a great time with this book. In my opinion, it all boils down to family relationships - everything you are is related to what your parents were to you. Your relationship with your siblings also affects the way you think and act. Your relationship to your spouse and your children also fuels your actions and feelings. At every twist and turn, whether from The Navidson Record or from Johnny's perspective, it all boiled down to relationships (
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Confinement, Death of parent, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Death, Drug use, Grief, and Panic attacks/disorders
5am's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Dementia, Drug abuse, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Car accident
Moderate: Rape
Minor: War, Cancer, and Cannibalism
pourrir's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I really loved this book, and for a couple of reasons.
First, Danielewski really pokes fun at dense, useless academic writing by presenting the neverending footnotes, side-subjects, and haughty language as the ramblings of Zampano. It made reading the text fun, to gleefully skip past lists of fake names, books, magazine articles, and interviews that have never existed and are used only to frame the story.
Also, the formatting was used to further the suspense or the theme of each chapter perfectly, making it an engaging read. I could understand why some may not like this book, as it was challenging to follow at times (jumping back and forth through the text) but was so worth it.
Without getting into what actually happens, I really enjoyed that there was a satisfying ending (imo) to both the Navidson story and Johnny's story. At any moment I honestly expected Zampano's transcript to just end, leaving the ending even more ambiguous than it already is.
Also, filling out the content warning section of this review made me realize how messed up this book is.
First, Danielewski really pokes fun at dense, useless academic writing by presenting the neverending footnotes, side-subjects, and haughty language as the ramblings of Zampano. It made reading the text fun, to gleefully skip past lists of fake names, books, magazine articles, and interviews that have never existed and are used only to frame the story.
Also, the formatting was used to further the suspense or the theme of each chapter perfectly, making it an engaging read. I could understand why some may not like this book, as it was challenging to follow at times (jumping back and forth through the text) but was so worth it.
Without getting into what actually happens, I really enjoyed that there was a satisfying ending (imo) to both the Navidson story and Johnny's story. At any moment I honestly expected Zampano's transcript to just end, leaving the ending even more ambiguous than it already is.
Also, filling out the content warning section of this review made me realize how messed up this book is.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Child abuse, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Violence, and Mental illness
Moderate: Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Rape, and Vomit
Minor: Cancer, Gun violence, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, and War