Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

81 reviews

venusmage's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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

5.0

A brilliant work of narrative meta analysis, looking childhood/family trauma and the failures of parents (and the children left behind), and as the author put it, a love story. Wrapped up in delightfully twisted imagery. Pokes fun at the way academics can almost over-discuss art to the point it starts becoming dehumanizing, while acknowledging that every analyst inherently brings their own biases to the table. You’re forced to be included in that. 

Less “overt” horror and more conceptual, based on metaphors. If reality-breaking narratives wig you out then maybe skip it, otherwise I’d highly recommend. I hate to say it’s an “you get it, or you don’t” sort of book, but I believe that is indeed the case. It’s a modern classic for a reason.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Sexual content, and Animal death

Moderate: Alcohol, Violence, Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Sexual assault

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, and Pedophilia

itsbumley's review

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Cancer, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, Gore, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Murder, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Xenophobia, War, Gun violence, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, and Vomit

mobymaize's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This book is very important. Reading it, at times, is very much a challenge. I had fun with it, despite taking me nearly 5 months to read. Take into advice the first line of House of Leaves: This is not for you, but the novel is also very interesting, so you might want to read it. Be prepared to flip your book upside down, and to be interrupted in the middle of a description of abyssal hallways leading on for infinity with a (NSFW)

very explicit scene where a main character gets a finger up his butt and cums from it

. Great & wild book, will never read again /pos.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Addiction, Child abuse, Cursing, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Mental illness, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Violence, Murder, Sexism, Sexual assault, Abandonment, and Vomit

Moderate: Ableism, Animal death, Cancer, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Lesbophobia

hazelbynature's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Confinement, Death, Murder, Physical abuse, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Sexual assault, Child abuse, Abandonment, Death of parent, Gore, Incest, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Alcohol, Infidelity, Rape, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Body horror

Minor: Bullying, Cancer, Terminal illness, Vomit, and Excrement

anemosise's review

dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

so happy I reread this and it lived up to what I remembered it being when I read it in high school. genuinely changed the way I engage with reading, and continues to be a story I reflect back to on the most random of days. I totally understand why some people cannot get into this book and think it's pretentious garbage but I find it to be simply incredible and I'm so glad it exists

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Death of parent

Moderate: Death

avacadosocks's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Blood, Animal death, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Body horror, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Gore, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Violence

Minor: Terminal illness, Incest, Vomit, Cancer, and Pedophilia

rowbean's review

mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Blood, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Drug use, Child abuse, Animal cruelty, Rape, Death, Mental illness, Violence, Body horror, Addiction, and Alcoholism

thesupermassive's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Animal death

Moderate: Addiction, Sexual assault, Rape, Grief, Drug use, and Death of parent

lynxpardinus's review

challenging dark mysterious tense

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Animal cruelty, Confinement, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Animal death, Drug use, Addiction, Medical content, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Sexual content

Moderate: Sexual assault, Car accident, Child death, Domestic abuse, Vomit, Excrement, Incest, Suicidal thoughts, and War

sasquatch_3's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Sexual content, Medical content, Mental illness, Cursing, Drug use, Alcoholism, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, and Grief

Moderate: Blood, Violence, Gun violence, Body horror, Torture, and Cancer