Very coherent thoughts on this book. It would take a 5 hr video to cover 50% of what's going on in this book. I completely agree with Johnny being an unlikable character. I didn't like him at all. You talked about the reader actively participating in this book. That's a good way to put it. You kinda have to play detective. I think MZD is an acquired taste. You have to really work to read any of his books. I was excited about The Familiar. I read the first book and part of the second. It ended up being more work that I was willing to invest. Too bad really because I think he's a genius and I'm just not bright enough to follow along. I am glad that I finished HoL. I had a friend reading with me at the time (early 2000s) and that really helped. I needed someone to discuss ideas with. Talk about incoherent thoughts, look at this comment. lol. I have so much more I want to write, but I don't want to bore you.
Thank you ever so much. I think The Familiar (1 and 2) at least were fun and a lot of it 'dawned on me' once I put the books down. I think having a shared reading experience with his kind of work is really valuable. :)
I know some people hated this book. And I understand it, because some parts of it are really annoying. Specially the extense footnotes. I started to read it -in parallel- on tablet in its original language, I found its reading is more fluid in that particular format. When you need to move to a new house and get rid of your copy consider to sell it. I like books with handwritings. Nice bookshelf. Cheers!
Sophie! A huge weight off my shoulders as I finally finished House of Leaves last night. It was a great comfort to wake up this morning and sit down and hear you chat about it in this video. Overall, I did not get along with the book but I still have many thoughts. I am by no means dismissive of the work and its huge following but it certainly is not something I connected with. I will make a video soon after I have organized my thoughts better. I am still a bit hungover after 2 months of stomping through this :D All that aside, I LOVED hearing your talk about this book. You made me think about loads of things I hadn't thought of relating to the book. I have been wanting to read this book since I was a teenager so THANK YOU for making me pick it up sooner or later. Even though I didn't get along with it as much as I wanted to, I still am happy I finished it.
Very well done! I am really looking forward to hearing you chat about the book and I think that you found it something you didn't enjoy will mean the review will be even more interesting for me given my history with it. That is my pleasure and I am glad that you are happy with having experienced the book even if it wasn't enjoyable. I really enjoyed our little back and forths and am looking forward to hearing more soon!
I'm still working my way through House Of Leaves - unfortunately life has gotten in the way this month (uni applications etc.) so I haven't finished it yet but I'm enjoying what I've read so far :)
Hey Sophie! So I recently finished reading House of Leaves! I'm so so late I know but I needed to find the right time when I'd be able to give it my full attention. I had a lottt of thoughts on it (as you can probably imagine) so I've made a review of it on my channel in case you want to hear the 30 min video that HoL has spawned 😅 Thank you for giving me the courage to take on more massive books in the future!
I find that the pages with very little text also serve as a relief to the reader. After reading something heavy, it’s a nice respite to be able to cut through 30 pages a minute like it’s a children’s book.
Thank you for this! This is the fourth video review of House of Leaves I have watched and its the first time I've been able to see and understand the layers.
Another fantastic reflection about your reading journey! Though I did not particularly enjoy _House of Leaves_ (I found it overwrought, tedious and frustrating), I can certainly appreciate that it raises some intriguing questions. I especially liked the point you made about both Z. and JT being unreliable narrators. By choosing this form of storytelling Danielewski cleverly performs the theme of the labyrinth by having his reader's established beliefs about the narratives constantly shift in much the same way as the hallways and rooms of the house on Ash Tree Lane. As you said, both Z and JT reveal themselves as the frauds they are almost immediately, AND YET, I too found myself repeatedly drawn into their stories. Not just Z's story of the Navidson family's trials, but also JT's stories of his personal traumas and the traumas of those around him (e.g. Lude, Thumper, and the traumas of his various sexual conquests -- I don't think it would be accurate to describe them as anything more). (Perhaps I was compelled. The same way that Navidson was compelled to explore the hallways of his house even after the initial exploration revealed that those hallways probably contained nothing.) 3 Thoughts: 1. As personal and seemingly genuine as the Navidson family's story was, there's an argument to be made that the JT "layer" of narrative was _even more real_ for its lack of fantastical elements. The pathos experienced by the characters on this layer of the story wasn't driven/influenced by a supernatural house, a monster of myth, divine forces or whatever you wanted to call it. They were just... unlucky. 2. Where the _Gatsby/House of Leaves_ comparison breaks down in terms of the unreliability of their respective narrators is that while Nick Carraway was biased, his narrative was at least internally consistent. Therefore the _manner_ in which he told his story itself carried semantic content about a specific perspective through which to view the values of America circa the 1920s. C.f. what Danielewski has done with his narrators Z and JT is to establish, at every conceivable turn (e.g. the multiple stages of narrative framing, the references to altered states of mind via drug and alcohol abuse, allusions to mental and physical impairment whether due to biology, age, or malnutrition), that the reader can trust _nothing_ that is read... In which case, what content does _that_ communicate? Narratively, Danielewski's entire venture here strikes me as far more "_Dallas_ dream sequence"/"Reichenbach Falls fake death" in tone than, say, similar explorations in _Total Recall_ or _The Presteige_. 3. Which, as you so perspicaciously point out, results in a huge disconnect. Why would Danielewski use themes of trauma/recovery, family strife/reconciliation, and absence of purpose/search for meaning in a story where every argument he makes, whether logos or pathos-based, is just going to be undermined by his own central mechanism of unreliable narration? What is the point of this book? Is it "absolute negation" -- to the point that the author is willing to negate the very themes he's worked at creating?
I think you're reading it too literally. It's all a metaphorical allegory told by people who are trying to figure out the themes themselves (just as the reader is trying to do). You aren't supposed to be told the truth, but hopefully by shuffling around in the dark with these companions by your side you've come to find your own truth (your own meaning for the work). And I don't think the characters are discredited. They're just confused. You have to humor them ;)
Great review...I think I'll read this soon. I just finished The Unauthorised Biography Of Ezra Maas and loved it so was looking for a book written in a similar style. This does sound fairly similar so think I'll buy it (second hand as it is 30 quid new!)
I struggle with reading. My mind wanders quickly. Probably undiagnosed ADHD. What do you all think? Would the varying format help and potentially keep me engaged, or am I more likely to get lost?
I have the same problem and I read this book. I think because it changes so much, it might keep your interest. However, do you find that difficult tasks are harder to concentrate on? This book is not an easy read.
@@toreedonnelly2932 thanks for replying. I am currently reading Geek Love and thoroughly enjoying it. If I actually finish it, then I am going to look into House of leaves
I'm glad I caught everything you did and I'm somewhat relieved you no longer think it's Great as I gave it a 3...I liked Johnny but I'm confused what a read along is...I was so looking forward to reading this with you and Adam because of the intimation factor, but there were no instructions on how many pages to read a day, nowhere to go for discussion...I'm so confused about the read along more than the book....
Haha, I think it's still a really damn interesting book and that there is a lot to gain from it but I'm not at a stage where those things make it 'the best book' if that makes sense! There was a goodreads group www.goodreads.com/group/show/200081-house-of-leaves-readalong - sorry you missed out!
I think main Denielewski's goal is to destroy as many forests as he can in one lifetime. It was an okay book. It looks gorgeous and main text (I consider house part to be main one) is pretty good, but damn that Johnny part sucked. If was like reading B.E. Ellis without having things that make Ellis entertaining. Blah. But it does look good on a shelf. :P
Haha, I think I enjoy a lot about the book but Johnny just wasn't good. I'm surprised you think it's pretty, I think it's one of the ugliest books I own.
I had a different edition, though. If you google the cover, it's the one with blue 'house' on it. The main cover was kinda shorter than the rest of the book so you can see part of this weird drawing in the back. And the material was top notch. I dunno, it kinda looked like it will glow in the dark. Alas, it didn't. Still liked it, though. :) But yeah, one with the knob... Ain't beautiful.
This book sounds so different and interesting but the hype of how it’s scary is making me not want to read it... I have read a few psychological thrillers and enjoyed them but the way this book is described as messing with minds is making me chicken out lol
Oh no! Do you think your English is good enough to give it a go in English?
8 років тому+1
+Portal in the Pages I dont know, actually. I have tried to read girl with curious hair by David Foster Wallace, and that book beat me. do you think its something a foreign person could read? i can read books like fight club, Daniel clowes comics and stuff like that, but i dont think i could áreas and get all of it in books like infinite jest. só, what you think, is it a hard book in lamguage terms?
8 років тому
+Arqueólogos do Impossível p.s. i read infinite jest in portuguese, my mother language, and even translated it was kinda heavy haha. but i crazily fell in love by the language of it. ill definetely would love to read it in the original someday. like ten years from now haha
I think it's not overly complex in terms of language and probably it is accessible. I struggled with Infinite Jest's language and English is my mother tongue so don't feel disheartened!
8 років тому
+Portal in the Pages thanks! i guess ill give it a shot then :D
That is an interesting way to engage a reader.
i love how challenging it is for us to talk about
Very coherent thoughts on this book. It would take a 5 hr video to cover 50% of what's going on in this book. I completely agree with Johnny being an unlikable character. I didn't like him at all. You talked about the reader actively participating in this book. That's a good way to put it. You kinda have to play detective. I think MZD is an acquired taste. You have to really work to read any of his books. I was excited about The Familiar. I read the first book and part of the second. It ended up being more work that I was willing to invest. Too bad really because I think he's a genius and I'm just not bright enough to follow along. I am glad that I finished HoL. I had a friend reading with me at the time (early 2000s) and that really helped. I needed someone to discuss ideas with. Talk about incoherent thoughts, look at this comment. lol. I have so much more I want to write, but I don't want to bore you.
Thank you ever so much. I think The Familiar (1 and 2) at least were fun and a lot of it 'dawned on me' once I put the books down. I think having a shared reading experience with his kind of work is really valuable. :)
I know some people hated this book. And I understand it, because some parts of it are really annoying. Specially the extense footnotes. I started to read it -in parallel- on tablet in its original language, I found its reading is more fluid in that particular format.
When you need to move to a new house and get rid of your copy consider to sell it. I like books with handwritings. Nice bookshelf. Cheers!
Sophie! A huge weight off my shoulders as I finally finished House of Leaves last night. It was a great comfort to wake up this morning and sit down and hear you chat about it in this video.
Overall, I did not get along with the book but I still have many thoughts. I am by no means dismissive of the work and its huge following but it certainly is not something I connected with. I will make a video soon after I have organized my thoughts better. I am still a bit hungover after 2 months of stomping through this :D
All that aside, I LOVED hearing your talk about this book. You made me think about loads of things I hadn't thought of relating to the book. I have been wanting to read this book since I was a teenager so THANK YOU for making me pick it up sooner or later. Even though I didn't get along with it as much as I wanted to, I still am happy I finished it.
Very well done! I am really looking forward to hearing you chat about the book and I think that you found it something you didn't enjoy will mean the review will be even more interesting for me given my history with it.
That is my pleasure and I am glad that you are happy with having experienced the book even if it wasn't enjoyable. I really enjoyed our little back and forths and am looking forward to hearing more soon!
I'm still working my way through House Of Leaves - unfortunately life has gotten in the way this month (uni applications etc.) so I haven't finished it yet but I'm enjoying what I've read so far :)
Glad to hear it! Feel free to pop back in again once you finish up. :)
Hey Sophie! So I recently finished reading House of Leaves! I'm so so late I know but I needed to find the right time when I'd be able to give it my full attention. I had a lottt of thoughts on it (as you can probably imagine) so I've made a review of it on my channel in case you want to hear the 30 min video that HoL has spawned 😅 Thank you for giving me the courage to take on more massive books in the future!
Wow. A superb review! Congratulations and thank you!
Yeah, Johnny is really horrible, but I don't see that as a problem.
I find that the pages with very little text also serve as a relief to the reader. After reading something heavy, it’s a nice respite to be able to cut through 30 pages a minute like it’s a children’s book.
Thank you for this! This is the fourth video review of House of Leaves I have watched and its the first time I've been able to see and understand the layers.
That's great! I love this book
@@SophieIslington I just received my copy in the mail and am excited to have my mind messed with!
Another fantastic reflection about your reading journey! Though I did not particularly enjoy _House of Leaves_ (I found it overwrought, tedious and frustrating), I can certainly appreciate that it raises some intriguing questions.
I especially liked the point you made about both Z. and JT being unreliable narrators. By choosing this form of storytelling Danielewski cleverly performs the theme of the labyrinth by having his reader's established beliefs about the narratives constantly shift in much the same way as the hallways and rooms of the house on Ash Tree Lane.
As you said, both Z and JT reveal themselves as the frauds they are almost immediately, AND YET, I too found myself repeatedly drawn into their stories. Not just Z's story of the Navidson family's trials, but also JT's stories of his personal traumas and the traumas of those around him (e.g. Lude, Thumper, and the traumas of his various sexual conquests -- I don't think it would be accurate to describe them as anything more). (Perhaps I was compelled. The same way that Navidson was compelled to explore the hallways of his house even after the initial exploration revealed that those hallways probably contained nothing.)
3 Thoughts:
1. As personal and seemingly genuine as the Navidson family's story was, there's an argument to be made that the JT "layer" of narrative was _even more real_ for its lack of fantastical elements. The pathos experienced by the characters on this layer of the story wasn't driven/influenced by a supernatural house, a monster of myth, divine forces or whatever you wanted to call it. They were just... unlucky.
2. Where the _Gatsby/House of Leaves_ comparison breaks down in terms of the unreliability of their respective narrators is that while Nick Carraway was biased, his narrative was at least internally consistent. Therefore the _manner_ in which he told his story itself carried semantic content about a specific perspective through which to view the values of America circa the 1920s. C.f. what Danielewski has done with his narrators Z and JT is to establish, at every conceivable turn (e.g. the multiple stages of narrative framing, the references to altered states of mind via drug and alcohol abuse, allusions to mental and physical impairment whether due to biology, age, or malnutrition), that the reader can trust _nothing_ that is read... In which case, what content does _that_ communicate? Narratively, Danielewski's entire venture here strikes me as far more "_Dallas_ dream sequence"/"Reichenbach Falls fake death" in tone than, say, similar explorations in _Total Recall_ or _The Presteige_.
3. Which, as you so perspicaciously point out, results in a huge disconnect. Why would Danielewski use themes of trauma/recovery, family strife/reconciliation, and absence of purpose/search for meaning in a story where every argument he makes, whether logos or pathos-based, is just going to be undermined by his own central mechanism of unreliable narration? What is the point of this book? Is it "absolute negation" -- to the point that the author is willing to negate the very themes he's worked at creating?
I think you're reading it too literally. It's all a metaphorical allegory told by people who are trying to figure out the themes themselves (just as the reader is trying to do). You aren't supposed to be told the truth, but hopefully by shuffling around in the dark with these companions by your side you've come to find your own truth (your own meaning for the work). And I don't think the characters are discredited. They're just confused. You have to humor them ;)
You have explained the book in the simplest way that I have heard so far, thanks
My pleasure. :)
Great review! Much better and more in-depth than mine haha. I doubt I'll re-read it but I totally agree it's well worth the read!
Thank you. :) I think we spoke about different things so both are interesting. :)
Great insight to a wonderful book.
Thank you! :)
Great review...I think I'll read this soon. I just finished The Unauthorised Biography Of Ezra Maas and loved it so was looking for a book written in a similar style. This does sound fairly similar so think I'll buy it (second hand as it is 30 quid new!)
I somehow managed to get this on Argentina! Thanks for the review :)
Great job! I hope you enjoy it.
I struggle with reading. My mind wanders quickly. Probably undiagnosed ADHD. What do you all think? Would the varying format help and potentially keep me engaged, or am I more likely to get lost?
I have the same problem and I read this book. I think because it changes so much, it might keep your interest. However, do you find that difficult tasks are harder to concentrate on? This book is not an easy read.
@@toreedonnelly2932 thanks for replying. I am currently reading Geek Love and thoroughly enjoying it. If I actually finish it, then I am going to look into House of leaves
I'm glad I caught everything you did and I'm somewhat relieved you no longer think it's Great as I gave it a 3...I liked Johnny but I'm confused what a read along is...I was so looking forward to reading this with you and Adam because of the intimation factor, but there were no instructions on how many pages to read a day, nowhere to go for discussion...I'm so confused about the read along more than the book....
Haha, I think it's still a really damn interesting book and that there is a lot to gain from it but I'm not at a stage where those things make it 'the best book' if that makes sense! There was a goodreads group www.goodreads.com/group/show/200081-house-of-leaves-readalong - sorry you missed out!
Portal in the Pages Now you tell me!?!? 😱😱
I think main Denielewski's goal is to destroy as many forests as he can in one lifetime.
It was an okay book. It looks gorgeous and main text (I consider house part to be main one) is pretty good, but damn that Johnny part sucked. If was like reading B.E. Ellis without having things that make Ellis entertaining. Blah.
But it does look good on a shelf. :P
Haha, I think I enjoy a lot about the book but Johnny just wasn't good. I'm surprised you think it's pretty, I think it's one of the ugliest books I own.
I had a different edition, though. If you google the cover, it's the one with blue 'house' on it. The main cover was kinda shorter than the rest of the book so you can see part of this weird drawing in the back. And the material was top notch. I dunno, it kinda looked like it will glow in the dark. Alas, it didn't. Still liked it, though. :)
But yeah, one with the knob... Ain't beautiful.
Ah yes! I do like that one. :)
This book sounds so different and interesting but the hype of how it’s scary is making me not want to read it... I have read a few psychological thrillers and enjoyed them but the way this book is described as messing with minds is making me chicken out lol
I'm struggling to read this one at the moment so I've come back to watch your review to get some inspiration!
Good luck! I would say you need to keep at it at least until they get inside.
i AM dying to read thisnone, but theres no translation here in Brasil ://
Oh no! Do you think your English is good enough to give it a go in English?
+Portal in the Pages I dont know, actually. I have tried to read girl with curious hair by David Foster Wallace, and that book beat me. do you think its something a foreign person could read? i can read books like fight club, Daniel clowes comics and stuff like that, but i dont think i could áreas and get all of it in books like infinite jest. só, what you think, is it a hard book in lamguage terms?
+Arqueólogos do Impossível p.s. i read infinite jest in portuguese, my mother language, and even translated it was kinda heavy haha. but i crazily fell in love by the language of it. ill definetely would love to read it in the original someday. like ten years from now haha
I think it's not overly complex in terms of language and probably it is accessible. I struggled with Infinite Jest's language and English is my mother tongue so don't feel disheartened!
+Portal in the Pages thanks! i guess ill give it a shot then :D
Its zampanO not zampino.