A review by effemar
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Almost didn't give this a star rating because it seems to me like neither a 'good' or a 'bad' book, in that it exists on some other axis entirely. It's an experience. I completely loved it, by the way. I think probably I will have to keep reading it for the rest of my life. I will note for my reading progress that I first started this book a while ago, but took a long intermission, after which I picked it back up and consumed it from the beginning in about a week. This is not a book to read in bed, after dark, and certainly not when you are trying to sleep. I would recommend reading House of Leaves at a well-lit dining room table, with clear space in which to accumulate notes and teacups.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Body horror, Drug abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Alcoholism, Rape, Death of parent

Minor: Pedophilia

I won't lie to you the mom stuff caught me off guard and DID get me a little fucked up. I have a family history of mental illness and sometimes reading this hit a bit close to home. That being said, I think this book has a serious capacity for transcendent thought -- monsters, even if unconquered, exist simply as a part of a greater monster that has no specificity with which to affect you personally. It's blanket violence, and it's defeated by scope.