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

dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

 
This book is truly one of a kind when it comes to the structure, similarly to the house itself. Maybe that says more about me but I’ve never seen a book formatted like this. It happened many times that there was a narrative within a narrative within a narrative and sometimes within another narrative. Amazingly enough, I never got lost. When I started reading I, knowing the reputation the book has, expected I will have to focus on every page but somehow I’ve found I was reading 50 pages at a time. It flows very easily despite the interweaving storylines. 
 
Speaking of storylines… in my opinion, the weakest point is definitely the Truant plot line.
Although some claim the events regarding the house and the events of Johnny’s life are supposed to mirror each other I found little correlation which would have some significant meaning. It’s not that he was unlikeable, just kind of annoying with the recurring sexual escapades that added nothing significant to the overall story and frankly, it was all getting quite boring. I mean come on, you have all that imagination to come up with such a cool concept as is the house, why do I have to be stuck with Johnny doing drugs over and over for almost half the book? His ending also left me feeling unsatisfied. Overall, I am still not sure how to feel about the ending of the book, there are just so many untied ends. I get it, it’s a horror book and mystery adds to the fear, explaining everything away would most probably be the worst option. I like some of the lingering mysteries, for example the fact that the samples from the house show it’s older than our solar system or the whole bit about people in the 17th century getting lost in the cold, stumbling upon a staircase. The house or more likely the spatial entity is simply incomprehensible. But what about Zampano? Was he simply crazy, had he made this all up? What about Johnny? Was he succumbing to hereditary schizophrenia or was there a monster after all? To me, these questions are just frustrating because I feel like I didn’t get enough hints to even form a cohesive theory on that. Again, maybe it’s just a me thing. But it’s a shame because I was so sure I will give this 5 stars (but honestly Johnny is a way bigger problem here).
 
The ending of The Navidson’s Record on the other hand is just right.
And the horror is just incredible. I’ve never been this scared while reading a horror book. Maybe I’ve been desensitised by this point. There are a few scenes that will be popping up in my mind for the rest of my life I believe.
The Great Hall, The Staircase… Overall, I do believe the message is about accepting the unknown within and beyond us, be it our own demons or death.
 
Not life-changing but most definitely worth the read in my opinion. 
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