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

5.0

Probably the most interesting book I've read from a formalistic perspective and certainly a tour de force in terms of using a medium to convey a message. The story itself is purposely complex, being a story about a story about a documentary, all of which are never really confirmed to be fully "true" in universe. I have no major complaints about the Navidson plot upon which everything else lies aside from wanting more of it. Zampanó is a clear satire of modern academia, and Johnny's ramblings and slow descent into mental illness obviously act as a more "real" foil to the Navidson story, and the way the book layers these stories is masterful and impressively conveys the themes of the corresponding passages/chapters alongside the larger theme of the book. That being said, boy were some sections hard to get through. I didn't mind it with Zampanó as much as I did with Johnny, but there are parts of the book where Danielewski's formalistic storytelling proves a bit boring to actually read. I largely found Zampanó's faux intellectualism humorous, but there were times where sections that fit thematically were just boring to read, and Johnny's long ramblings about sex fantasies got old fast (though luckily got more interesting towards the end). Even with that said, I'd still prefer the book as it is now as opposed to removing those parts because they do fit the purpose of the book well and are intentionally laborious. The mystery of the story as a whole is also engrossing. You're never really sure who (if anyone) is telling the truth, and there's so many moments that hint to a much deeper story behind the scenes. Or maybe not. Either way the use of color, ergodicism, and formalism make for an avant garde book that is most certainly not for everyone, but one which I found quite enjoyable.