Reviews with content warning for Drug use - House of Leaves

I don't even know what to say. This is my favourite book. It makes sense that it's becoming popular right now, since --despite coming out twenty years ago-- it blends all the current horror trends of lost media, liminal horror, analogue horror, and coded-lore-horror. I cannot recommend this enough for someone who wants to read a really difficult book and flip wildly between footnotes, indexes, and appendices to reveal some of the most subtle, creeping horror I've read. This is the only horror novel that's gotten me so scared it stopped me in my tracks, and it did it several times. The way it accomplishes this is by getting under your skin and slowly worming its way into your psyche so it can rearrange itself (ha) without you noticing. This book was good enough that my illiterate ass pushed through and read a paper copy (which you must do).

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.

Content Warnings

lookleft's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

5.0

What a mesmerising book. Truly special and haunting. A horror story and a love story, separate and together. I love the way it plays with the look of the text and uses that to create atmosphere and tension.

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itsbumley's review against another edition

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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

Content Warnings

mobymaize's review

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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.

Content Warnings