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melliedm's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
0.5
Boy oh boy oh boy it’s been a while since I read something I despised so deeply. Each page felt wet with masculine hubris as a dreadfully dull and unoriginal tale was told wrapped up in a coat of artistic desperation.
House of Leaves is a stack of papers containing the academic paper an old shut-in wrote about a possibly non-existent documentary film, compiled by a young man who filched the work in progress from the old man’s apartment after he died. And all of that is put together by another editor. The piece is layered, absolutely, but not in an organic way, and not in a compelling way, just in a patience-testing way.
The academic essay goes from recounting the exact moments of the film to pontificating on echoes to recounting the moments on the film in a format that had me mourning the many trees turned to pulp for the thousands of copies of this book. (Single paragraphs, single words, single sentences at “””evocative””” angles, pages dedicated to telling us that what should be on the page is missing.) the essay is dotted with hundreds of footnotes, which are almost all meaningless, and stretch the read time unnecessarily. The essay is not all bad. On occasion there is something interesting raised, or a tension that begins to build… Each time something intriguing begins to happen in this recounting of the documentary, though, in comes the footnote from our other writer.
His name is Johnny Truant and he does drugs and drinks and has a lot of sex—graphic sex, sex written from the perspective of someone who clearly fetishizes women, to the point of fetishizing their skin colour if they happen to not be white. His constant interruptions to the essay are eyeroll inducing because nothing in his sob story is interesting, nothing in it is gripping, nothing in it makes him a character I feel interested in learning more about. I thought perhaps we were supposed to hate him—but then comes in a letter to the editor from an 18 year old girl who knew him talking about how cool he was. Uhhhh, what? So here I am, reading the women he objectifies in his life as the character objectifying them, but this “from the horse’s mouth” moment tells me that nah, you’re reading it wrong. Christ on a stick. This of course culminates in some horrific, gender-based violence later on, which is followed by some strangers wondering if this mysterious Johnny Truant ever got the love he deserves UWU
Gag.
In short, House of Leaves could have been a perfectly fine story about a strange house and the impact it has the relationship between the couple the documentary follows/is made by, which is the only effective throughline in the book for me. Unfortunately, the author or someone in his circle must have thought that wouldn’t be good enough, so he instead became the thing the first few pages try to satirize: a boring, pretentious attempt at making a mountain out of a molehill.
YMMV.
House of Leaves is a stack of papers containing the academic paper an old shut-in wrote about a possibly non-existent documentary film, compiled by a young man who filched the work in progress from the old man’s apartment after he died. And all of that is put together by another editor. The piece is layered, absolutely, but not in an organic way, and not in a compelling way, just in a patience-testing way.
The academic essay goes from recounting the exact moments of the film to pontificating on echoes to recounting the moments on the film in a format that had me mourning the many trees turned to pulp for the thousands of copies of this book. (Single paragraphs, single words, single sentences at “””evocative””” angles, pages dedicated to telling us that what should be on the page is missing.) the essay is dotted with hundreds of footnotes, which are almost all meaningless, and stretch the read time unnecessarily. The essay is not all bad. On occasion there is something interesting raised, or a tension that begins to build… Each time something intriguing begins to happen in this recounting of the documentary, though, in comes the footnote from our other writer.
His name is Johnny Truant and he does drugs and drinks and has a lot of sex—graphic sex, sex written from the perspective of someone who clearly fetishizes women, to the point of fetishizing their skin colour if they happen to not be white. His constant interruptions to the essay are eyeroll inducing because nothing in his sob story is interesting, nothing in it is gripping, nothing in it makes him a character I feel interested in learning more about. I thought perhaps we were supposed to hate him—but then comes in a letter to the editor from an 18 year old girl who knew him talking about how cool he was. Uhhhh, what? So here I am, reading the women he objectifies in his life as the character objectifying them, but this “from the horse’s mouth” moment tells me that nah, you’re reading it wrong. Christ on a stick. This of course culminates in some horrific, gender-based violence later on, which is followed by some strangers wondering if this mysterious Johnny Truant ever got the love he deserves UWU
Gag.
In short, House of Leaves could have been a perfectly fine story about a strange house and the impact it has the relationship between the couple the documentary follows/is made by, which is the only effective throughline in the book for me. Unfortunately, the author or someone in his circle must have thought that wouldn’t be good enough, so he instead became the thing the first few pages try to satirize: a boring, pretentious attempt at making a mountain out of a molehill.
YMMV.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Alcohol
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, and Forced institutionalization
ronan_lesh's review
dark
mysterious
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Suicide, and Alcohol
Minor: Cancer and Rape
reeb's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence
Moderate: Drug use, Sexual content, and Violence
Minor: Cursing
zaphod_beeblebrox's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug use, Gun violence, Mental illness, Sexual content, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Alcohol
Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Suicide, and Car accident
Minor: Cancer, Incest, and Rape
tristemono's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
booitsnathalie's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I can't stop thinking about what a nightmare this book must have been to design and print. I'm not sure any book will ever give me the sort of awe and revulsion I felt seeing a sentence span across the spine over two pages. It's obscene.
I didn't know much about House of Leaves beyond it's infamous typography, so it was surprising to learn it's functionally a book equivalent to found footage horror. It trades documentary "authenticity" for dense citations and pervert French, but conceptually I find a lot of similarities (both are primarily interested in the mechanics of their medium and how our trust in those forms can be exploited). How successful HoL is depends mostly on your willingness to indulge its most excessive elements, following footnotes to smaller footnotes and spinning the book around like it's the world thickest centerfold.
HoL slots into a weird segment of media that I conceptually appreciate but dread existing because it inevitably gets attached to the worst sort of gross art bro. It is a playful, surprisingly warm, darkly funny book, but also one that revels in masculine violence and the deification of male ambition. It is proud of its swamp, fascinated by the algae and mutated fish, but if you want to study the tadpoles you're forced to wade past crocodiles and a CW list longer than the terms you didn't read.
My metaphors are mixing and my mind is wandering, but this is all to say HoL is a challenging recommendation in 2022. A rewarding one if you can stomach the grime, but I wouldn't shame anyone for keeping it on the shelf a while longer.
I didn't know much about House of Leaves beyond it's infamous typography, so it was surprising to learn it's functionally a book equivalent to found footage horror. It trades documentary "authenticity" for dense citations and pervert French, but conceptually I find a lot of similarities (both are primarily interested in the mechanics of their medium and how our trust in those forms can be exploited). How successful HoL is depends mostly on your willingness to indulge its most excessive elements, following footnotes to smaller footnotes and spinning the book around like it's the world thickest centerfold.
HoL slots into a weird segment of media that I conceptually appreciate but dread existing because it inevitably gets attached to the worst sort of gross art bro. It is a playful, surprisingly warm, darkly funny book, but also one that revels in masculine violence and the deification of male ambition. It is proud of its swamp, fascinated by the algae and mutated fish, but if you want to study the tadpoles you're forced to wade past crocodiles and a CW list longer than the terms you didn't read.
My metaphors are mixing and my mind is wandering, but this is all to say HoL is a challenging recommendation in 2022. A rewarding one if you can stomach the grime, but I wouldn't shame anyone for keeping it on the shelf a while longer.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug use, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death of parent
Minor: Bullying and Child death
cosmicsapphic's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Vomit, and Grief
Minor: Rape
ggcd1981's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Eu remei esse livro, o que não deveria ter me surpreendido. House of leaves é uma obra a qual eu tinha ouvido vários Booktubers falar sobre, a maioria deles dando boas notas. Contudo todos os booktubers que vi deram o aviso de que o livro “não é para todo mundo” e que você precisa pesquisar para compreendê-lo melhor, e, segundo muitos, esse é um texto presunçoso. A proposta inicial é que a obra consiste de uma história dentro de uma história dentro de outra história. Todas essas informações sobre House of Leaves despertaram minha curiosidade, mas após a leitura do mesmo vejo que eu não sou a leitora para ele. Sendo justa com a obra minha leitura começou em desvantagem pois não tenho a cópia física então tive que ler a cópia digital para kindle e adaptação para esse formato teve problemas. Isso tornou a leitura um pouco distante da intencionada pelo autor e representou uma dificuldade a mais em um livro que já tem obstáculos por natureza. House of leaves faz diversas referências a uma ampla gama de fontes nas mais diversas áreas de interesse, Física, Mitologia Grega, Arquitetura, Psicologia, etc. Eu comecei tentando pesquisar as informações, mas se tornou cansativo bem rápido. No momento em que estou em minha vida não quis dedicar tanto tempo e esforço a um único livro que não estava me prendendo tanto. A obra não é ruim e com certeza é bastante original, mas a sensação geral que tive foi de uma boa história diluída em um monte de informações que muitas vezes não adicionam muito (por exemplo uma interminável lista de nomes de fotógrafos). A narrativa que o autor chama de The Navidson Records está no coração de House of Leaves, um suposto documentário de um evento inexplicável ocorrido na casa da família Navidson. A existência desse documentário é questionada no próprio livro, mas a partir dele se inicia a narrativa de Zampanò, e a partir dessas duas se inicia a narrativa de Johnny Truant. A história do documentário é a mais interessante e a mais próxima de ser coerente. As histórias de Zampanò e de Johnny são mais desconexas e cheias de buracos. Mas em geral ler essa obra é como tentar ouvir uma narrativa contada por alguém absurdamente dispersivo. Quando este narrador começa o conto ele logo envereda por uma tangente e nela se aprofunda, quando você não lembra mais do que ocorria no conto original o narrador retorna a este deixando você completamente perdido e cortando qualquer tipo de emoção que você deveria sentir durante a história. Essas muitas interrupções e tangentes que, diversas vezes, não tinham qualquer real relevância para o texto, acontecem durante todo livro diluindo os pontos de interesse e deixando meus sentimentos sobre a obra “Mornos”. Um ponto que não gostei da história, por se sensível a crueldade contra animais, foi um momento em que um cachorrinho foi morto de forma cruel. Eu realmente gostaria que autores achassem outra forma de mostrar que um personagem é mau. Outro ponto que achei irritante foi que todas as personagens femininas no livro foram sexualizadas mesmo quando não havia necessidade. Desde de Karen Green, esposa de Will Navidson, a todas as mulheres com quem Johnny Truant interagiu. As mulheres nesse livro pareciam existir em função dos personagens masculinos. Fosse como esposa de Navidson, como mãe de Johnny ou um simples encontro sexual ou fantasia do mesmo, as mulheres em House of Leaves giram ao redor dos personagens masculinos e existem para cumprir uma função na história desses. Um elemento que me surpreendeu na obra foi o realismo dos ataques de pânico de Johnny. Eu não esperava e quase foi um gatilho para mim, mas, mesmo assim, apreciei a representação. Em geral minha opinião é que há histórias interessantes no livro, mas elas se encontram diluídas no excesso de informação desnecessária. Informação esta que foi incluída por questões de estilo e não de pertinência a narrativa. Aliás fica claro que o estilo é prioridade em House of Leaves em detrimento do story telling. Se o autor pelo menos tivesse sido mais coeso e objetivo nas divagações o texto prenderia muito mais e não sentiria tão forte que o livro se auto sabota ao desarmar toda tensão, apreensão, medo, enfim qualquer emoção com tangentes longas, incoerentes e tediosas. Isso também contribuiu para a sensação de que os “finais positivos” para as histórias de Navidson e Truant não foram merecidos ou se quer fizeram sentido. A impressão passada é de que Mark Z. Danielewski queria aqueles finais para os personagens e foi isso. Enfim, eu aprecio que o autor tentou fazer algo diferente e original. Existe mérito nisso, contudo o resultado me deixou com a sensação de que poderia der sido melhor. Assim, dou 3 estrelas, o livro foi acima da média porem me deixou com as frustrações de que o meu “esforço não foi o suficiente” e do que a história “poderia ter sido”.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Moderate: Ableism, Alcoholism, Car accident, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape and Excrement
woweewhoa's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Violence, Forced institutionalization, and Blood
Moderate: Ableism, Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Car accident, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cancer and Homophobia
danielle2121's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I first bought this book in 2014… it took me eight years to finally feel ‘ready’ enough to read it and be able to feel like I would understand it properly, and boy am I glad I waited that long because I feel like I fully appreciated it for all its weirdness and complexity.
This was the most insane experience of reading a book, ever. Truly I’ve never read anything like House of Leaves in my life.
The more I keep thinking about it the more I keep slotting things into this giant puzzle of a story and the more real it feels even though I know it’s fictional. (I think…)
I’ve heard so many people say they felt a weird confusion between fiction and reality whilst reading this book and I kept thinking, surely not… there’s no way a book can do that! But it did! It delivered!
I was baffled, confused and disoriented within this mind f*** of a book, but not once did I find myself unable to follow the plot and I think that’s what I loved about this the most, I really do respect this book for what it did and how easily readable it was even when reading it… wasn’t physically easy at all.
If you’re going to read House of Leaves, go into it knowing almost nothing, I think that’s the best way. Just take every page at a time and try not to rush, bask in its strange glory and allow yourself to forget what’s rational or real.
This was the most insane experience of reading a book, ever. Truly I’ve never read anything like House of Leaves in my life.
The more I keep thinking about it the more I keep slotting things into this giant puzzle of a story and the more real it feels even though I know it’s fictional. (I think…)
I’ve heard so many people say they felt a weird confusion between fiction and reality whilst reading this book and I kept thinking, surely not… there’s no way a book can do that! But it did! It delivered!
I was baffled, confused and disoriented within this mind f*** of a book, but not once did I find myself unable to follow the plot and I think that’s what I loved about this the most, I really do respect this book for what it did and how easily readable it was even when reading it… wasn’t physically easy at all.
If you’re going to read House of Leaves, go into it knowing almost nothing, I think that’s the best way. Just take every page at a time and try not to rush, bask in its strange glory and allow yourself to forget what’s rational or real.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Blood, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail