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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
I had been extremely excited for this book, as I enjoy both horror and experimental literature. The reality of it, however, was a book I had to force myself to pick up. I understand the ties between Johnny Truant's writing in the footnotes and the contents of the Navidson record, but I found them tiring to read. Some became mildly enjoyable as the book progressed, but overall I found his ramblings about his sexual exploits and substance use (and his admittance to lying about some of them) tedious at best.
There were some parts of this book I enjoyed, but they were few and far between.
I understand many people love this book, but for me, the dedication of this book was accurate; it was not for me.
There were some parts of this book I enjoyed, but they were few and far between.
I understand many people love this book, but for me, the dedication of this book was accurate; it was not for me.
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I don’t know how to rate this book. At times it felt like work just to pick this up every night, other times it was easy to enjoy. This book needs to be accompanied by a movie/tv series just explaining each page of each chapter. Not for everyone.
I'm not sure I have a literary-enough mind to properly appreciate this book, as Johnny Truant's story just wasn't really adding anything for me. I liked the fact that the Navidson record didn't really exist even in the in-story universe, but I didn't think anecdotes about his life did much. I did like the Navidson Record story, though I also found Zampano's rambling a bit much to handle at times. I did enjoy reading the letters from Johnny's mother though.
It felt a bit like a book version of watching a found footage movie but with a couple unreliable narrators jumping in to add their feelings on the topic between (or even within) cuts. I haven't read it, but I remember a discussion of Pale Fire from when I was reading My Dark Vanessa, and I think it might have a similar format to that.
Also - it's definitely not the main point of the book, but I actually hadn't heard of the brazen bull of Pharalis until now, and when I read the Library at Mount Char I didn't understand that reference, so I do really appreciate it pointing me towards that significance.
Also - I know it's just a general labyrinth connection, but it gave Piranesi vibes (though I know Piranesi was much later), and it just didn't live up to the standards that book had set for me on labyrinth stories
It felt a bit like a book version of watching a found footage movie but with a couple unreliable narrators jumping in to add their feelings on the topic between (or even within) cuts. I haven't read it, but I remember a discussion of Pale Fire from when I was reading My Dark Vanessa, and I think it might have a similar format to that.
Also - it's definitely not the main point of the book, but I actually hadn't heard of the brazen bull of Pharalis until now, and when I read the Library at Mount Char I didn't understand that reference, so I do really appreciate it pointing me towards that significance.
Also - I know it's just a general labyrinth connection, but it gave Piranesi vibes (though I know Piranesi was much later), and it just didn't live up to the standards that book had set for me on labyrinth stories
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
There's a really cool sci fi mystery story in here buried under uninteresting side plots and distracting meaningless footnotes. My neck hurts from contorting to read an ever changing layout -- I get it, you want to be edgy. But honestly all the attempts at being different detract from the meat of the tense and exciting explorations of the house on Ash Tree Lane.
Review and rating to come, because having just finished reading, I am not quite sure how I feel about this right now....
So it’s what, 8 months later? I’m still not sure how I feel about it. I wanted to love it and I did find it fascinating and interesting and super weird, but I also got tired of some of the “look at me” cleverness and it wasn’t nearly as scary as I expected - I was planning to be scared to death and it was at most mildly creepy. I’m sure I missed a ton as I read - the attention to detail is insane and the layers would take a lot to untangle - and I did kind of skim some of the lists and poems and things like that. But it’s worth reading just so say that you did, you conquered it (sort of).
So it’s what, 8 months later? I’m still not sure how I feel about it. I wanted to love it and I did find it fascinating and interesting and super weird, but I also got tired of some of the “look at me” cleverness and it wasn’t nearly as scary as I expected - I was planning to be scared to death and it was at most mildly creepy. I’m sure I missed a ton as I read - the attention to detail is insane and the layers would take a lot to untangle - and I did kind of skim some of the lists and poems and things like that. But it’s worth reading just so say that you did, you conquered it (sort of).
This is one of those books that's incredibly polarizing. While many people who read House (is there some way I can put that in blue?) of Leaves will sing its praises to their dying breath, there are just as many who will condemn it as pretentious nonsense. The bottom line is, simply, that this is a weird book, and it's a breed of weirdness that's not for everyone, due in no small part to the fact that it's a bizarre concoction of genres that, anywhere else, have little to no business being together. The book shifts, almost effortlessly, between sounding like an academic thesis, a postmodern fable, a cosmic horror tale, and a descent through hell myth. It darts between these without ever fully identifying itself as any of them, defying classification, rather fittingly, just as the house itself does. The book is unsettling, frustrating, disorienting, psychologically draining (there were a few instances where I needed to stop and rest between chapters), and at times even off-putting, but, as strange as it sounds, that's all part of its charm.
Be patient with this book. It's worth it.
Be patient with this book. It's worth it.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
How can you not become obsessed with a book about obsession?