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/lit/ - Literature

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7941275 No.7941275 [Reply] [Original]

What does /lit/ think of House of Leaves? I just bought it (full colour edition) and have no clue what to expect of it. Anything I should know before I start?

>> No.7941301

>>7941275
Hi OP, House of Leaves is one of my favourite books, I really recommend it. Expect to find lots of different ways the book can reference itself. You'll end up coming up with (and finding) lots of different theories that contradict other theories that you've either heard of or come up with yourself. Also, the book is big and heavy but half of it is either footnotes you needn't read or just blank space. There are also Appendixes which you don't need for the basic story but which upon inspection really make you think differently of a lot of passages. [/spoiler]Like how in one photo in the Appendixes you can see a short blurb from the house itself as if it were sentient (and how evil it is).[/spoiler] Regardless, it's a really good read with lots of emotional ups and downs. There's some really beautiful language used, in a kind of proto-hipster way that despite itself manages to rub off on you in a really delightful way. There are also some really terrific scares in there, too. Have fun OP.

>> No.7941306

>>7941275
Don't expect understanding everything. It is in part a pastiche of academia hyperanalizing something. But it's good. Some parts stick out more than others, though. Johnny Truant's bits were always a bit more boring than Navidson's explorations. The Whalestoe Letters were the best part of the book.

>> No.7941310

>>7941275
I think HoL is a very good POP FICTION novel. It's pretty much a Stephen King story broken into little "post-modern" experiments. There really isn't anything too deep about it. However, it's very entertaining. And it gives you the excuse to enjoy the fun of a typical pop-fiction thriller book without all of the baggage /lit/ will give you for liking it.

In my opinion, however, Danielewski puts himself on way too high a pedestal, and his fans seem to buy into it. He's a second rate writer at best.

>> No.7941352

Is it me or, despite us mentioning this book a lot, so we not analyze it in any great detail? /lit/ seems to be a fan of "puzzle lit" (like Book of the New Sun and Infinite Jest) so I'm surprised that we barely discuss this book.