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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is exhausting—but fascinating. I’ve been picking it up and putting it down for about 20 years, and now that I’m far enough removed from my college days, I appreciate it so much more. Back then, it felt too much like assigned reading to be fun; now the dense, academic formatting hits a little nostalgic. The way the rigid structure slowly unravels as the story does is genuinely creepy and brilliant.
It’s still pretty pretentious, though, and definitely not for everyone. The narrator in the footnotes reads like a drunk, condescending third-year philosophy student who corners you at a bar to lecture you about Nietzsche when you’re just trying to have a good time. But the sheer amount of effort put into the formatting and tiny details is seriously impressive—it’s visually unlike anything else I’ve read.
It’s still pretty pretentious, though, and definitely not for everyone. The narrator in the footnotes reads like a drunk, condescending third-year philosophy student who corners you at a bar to lecture you about Nietzsche when you’re just trying to have a good time. But the sheer amount of effort put into the formatting and tiny details is seriously impressive—it’s visually unlike anything else I’ve read.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A genre-defying masterpiece. Quite simply the most impressive piece of fiction I have read, ever. On completing the book, you are left with the feeling that this is just the beginning and have the urge to re-read from the start and gain new insights and meaning. So I’d say although I have completed the book, it’s by no means finished. The book is hugely rewarding and leaves your mind expanded. For those looking for a genre summary, I’d say a literary metaphysical horror and academic satire, with themes of epistemology, identity, reality, trauma and love. But this does no justice to the text which is immersive and engrossing. The book makes the reader feel like a participant. Trigger warning- there are some very tough scenes and I found spacing out reads and reading in smaller doses and in the morning to be helpful but people will vary in the best approach for them. In summary, never have I read a book that’s intellectually enriched me with its analysis, emotionally engaged me in the characters and gripped my interest in the mystery of the plot in equal measure. The author is nothing short of a genius.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape, Sexual violence
challenging
mysterious
adventurous
challenging
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Really interesting and thought provoking read. I enjoyed the mystery of the house, however I did not find this book scary almost at all. I also liked Johnny's story more so than that of the Navidson Record but I do appreciate how they are intertwined and neither would be as effective without the other. I regret not reading Johnny's mother's letters when they were referred to in the text, I instead read them at the end and felt like I missed out on how the book was supposed to be consumed. I also enjoyed the infinitely many references and hidden messages between the multiple perspectives and narrators. I found the ergodic writing style effective even if confusing at times. Minor inconsistencies and it did drag a bit at times but definitely worth the read.
While I definitely have my complaints with some of the sections of this book, I can't help but love it. The way it plays with formatting to make you feel t he same way the characters are feeling makes this a joy to read.
My one gripe is the way the women are written. This book has a bit of a case of written-by-a-man-itis. All the sexual encounters (except for one that is actually plot relevant) that Johnny has feel very self indulgent in a way I didn't enjoy. Luckily they are easy to skim and get back to the actually interesting parts of the book.
My one gripe is the way the women are written. This book has a bit of a case of written-by-a-man-itis. All the sexual encounters (except for one that is actually plot relevant) that Johnny has feel very self indulgent in a way I didn't enjoy. Luckily they are easy to skim and get back to the actually interesting parts of the book.
solid 3 stars; I’ve had this book for nearly 10 years and finally got around to reading it, after having it ominously stare at me for so long; this book about a book about a movie about a house definitely gets gold stars for concept and style and format; unfortunately, it was also a sludge to get through and felt like work a lot of the time, and left me with too many open questions to feel satisfied