I'm not quite sure what I just read.

On one hand, this is a haunted house mystery. On the other hand, it is a family drama. On a third hand (or on a foot), it is a story by two men(?) who may be losing it.

But parts of it are quite scary.

Do not read in ebook format.

It takes a bit to get into. But once you let yourself get into the book, it does take you away.

It is very, very, very, very, very male driven.

But what I enjoyed best about wasn't the horror or the plot. It was the mocking of literary and film criticism. That is really the most brilliant part of the book, especially the interview section. Parts of the book scare you half to death, and then you burst into laughter.

Either way, you stand a good chance of peeing youself. Fair warning.

I attempted to finish this book. Truly, I did. But I couldn’t even make it halfway through. I’ll still count it as read since I spent so much time on it (its freaking HUGE), and I am certain that I’ll never pick it up again. For me, in this case, it will count as read and done (and I can finally move on), thank you.

The core concept behind this book (that nothing is real) left me feeling disoriented and frustrated. While the narrative itself was fine, it was the constant barrage of fake footnotes and fake analysis that became exhausting to read and ultimately frustrated me. It felt like every time I turned a page, I was losing touch with any sense of truth or value of knowledge. Everything in this book, no matter how well-researched it seems, is fake. You begin to question every single word, and it really messed with my analytical mind as I tried to make sense of it. The problem is, there is no sense to be made. Nothing is real.

For me, reading is about expanding my knowledge, about feeling like I'm gaining something real and valuable in order to grow as a person or to at least have fun and feeling happy while reading it. But this book, with its deliberate blurring of reality, made me feel the exact opposite. Instead of deepening my understanding or offering any genuine takeaway, it only left me with a sense of confusion and frustration. I felt stupid, like I was failing to grasp something vital that everyone else seemed to understand. That’s not the kind of reading experience I crave.

I do enjoy reading fiction, don't get me wrong. I don’t only read non-fiction, but even with "regular" fiction, I feel like I'm gaining something. I get to see the world through someone else’s eyes, understand how they might handle a specific situation, or simply experience a harrowing event from their perspective. But a house that changes its dimensions? I couldn’t see how that would ever help me in a real-life situation, no matter how hard I tried. Then there is also the fact that it did not make me feel comfortable and happy but confused, frustrated and annoyed. I’m not sure if any of this makes sense to anyone, or if I’m just rambling to try and put my thoughts and feelings into words.

Now, I do want to acknowledge that this book is undeniably creative. The author's ingenuity is clear, and the concept is an intriguing exercise in avant-garde literature. It's a different kind of art, pushing boundaries and challenging norms. But for all its innovation, it simply wasn't the right fit for me and what I like about reading. The idea that nothing in the book was real, that everything was built on a foundation of falseness, made me feel like I was wasting my time. Instead of enjoying the journey, it gave me a headache.

This book will undoubtedly resonate with some readers who are open to abstract, boundary-pushing literature and I wish everyone, who dares to challenge themselves with this creative book, a good time (and good luck).

This book is not for you...
I would recommend this book to very few people, and those who I did dare to read it Im sure would not finish it. This book is an enigma, following three story layers that bleed into one another. The story lines alone are a tangled maze. The real labyrinth of this novels stems from the fact that things are written upside down, backwards, to the left, to the right, to be read in mirrors, in three fonts, in braille, in German, falsely, truly, in red, in blue, and any other possible combination of confusion. This book is the hardest thing I have ever attempted to read. If you feel as though you are up to the challenge, by all means proceed. From page one, the novel will leave you wandering...

I picked this book up, concerned that it would be gimicky, and I was right. 400 pages in and I quit. There's a kernel of a good story here. Someone suggested I turn to the last page to see how it wnds but lol it's not that kind of book. There's no way to keep up with the bit of story I care about without being bogged down in everything I don't. Kudos to the people who were emotionally gripped. Wish I had been, but though the mystery of the house was mildly intriguing, I just didn't feel anything more than that.

I'm not sure what to think of this book. I like the Navidson story, I liked Johnny at the beginning, but towards the end I wasn't sure what was going on with him.
I enjoyed the experimental nature of the book; it was kind of fun to read sometimes, but other times I was just confused. There's, of course, a ton of discussion about it online, but that can also get confusing and a bit patronizing I guess. It's an interesting read but leaves so much unclear.

yup

I really did not like this. Bottom line, it just wasn't for me. I can see why some people love it, I'm just not those people. I'm REALLY proud of myself for finishing it. I probably would have DNFed it if it wasn't a book club read. I can't recommend it, but plenty of other people do, so make your own decision. But just be ready... It's A LOT.