Scan barcode
izzydelaya's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Moderate: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Alcohol
abandonedmegastructure's review
- 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
A suspenseful tale of exploration into the unknown is enhanced with layers of symbolism, discussion, meta-discussion, and mythological allusions. The result is an enthralling novel, fundamentally mysterious yet deeply compelling, which invites its reader to join in the analytical discussions that take center stage from time to time. The book plays with page structure, footnotes, the fourth wall, text markup, and anything else you could imagine. It goes beyond having an unreliable narrator and straight-up invites us to question the narrator's existence; just another part of the fun it's having exploring the concept of writing (not writing - chronicling? depicting? recording? knowing?) itself. It touches on themes of cosmic horror, religion, mental illness, and the human subconscious, though if I had to pin down a single theme I'd say this is a book about absences first and foremost.
I realize I might be making this book sound like a pretentious tome that's more concerned with being clever than being readable. And to be fair, there are some pseudo-academic bits that go on for too long, and they're the reason I'm not giving this a 5/5. But the various narratives interwoven through the book are insanely well-written and evocative (not to mention disturbing), the main characters slowly reveal more of their fascinating yet flawed selves, and the references and metatextual elements add to their stories, rather than distracting from them. Even when viewed purely as a story, House of Leaves holds up extremely well; everything else is just a bonus.
A final thought: I've seen a lot of people call this a horror novel, and I get where they're coming from, but I found the text intriguing more than scary even at the most uncanny points. If you've been put off by the horror label, and would otherwise have considered reading the book, I encourage you to try it out anyway.
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Alcohol
Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Child death, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Death of parent
venusmage's review
- 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
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.
Graphic: Animal death, Sexual content, and Suicide
Moderate: Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Alcohol
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, and Death of parent
cuppachaii's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
If you like books that get you obsessed, scouring forums, and uncovering secrets: read this. I cannot suggest it highly enough. It's impossible to describe the plot in less than a paragraph, which is the point. This is the kind of book you want to discuss with other fans as you make a spiderweb of twine on a corkboard. If you like subtle horror and interesting writing, read this. Do not miss this book.
Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Alcohol
Moderate: Child abuse, Rape, Forced institutionalization, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
mobymaize's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Animal death, Cancer, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Lesbophobia
hazelbynature's review
- 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
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Gaslighting
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Bullying, Cancer, Terminal illness, Excrement, and Vomit
avacadosocks's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Alcohol
Moderate: Gore, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, and Death of parent
Minor: Cancer, Incest, Pedophilia, Terminal illness, and Vomit
badtzmarus's review
- 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
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Grief
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal death, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
lynxpardinus's review
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, Incest, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, Vomit, Car accident, and War
voidkisses's review
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail