Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Books! House of Leaves


Are you up for an extraordinarily challenging, completely unusual book? Check out House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. It combines several different narratives in different fonts, a horde of footnotes, a ghost story, a love story, a movie, a monster and a tattooed stripper named Thumper.
Johnny Truant is the narrator and protagonist. Johnny uncovers a trunk full of notes written by a man named Zampano. Zampano's notes make up The Navidson Record. The Navidson Record is about photographer Will Navidson and his unusual house that seems to grow beyond all proportion. These stories unwind and intertwine to create a complex and spooky tale.
The text itself is unusual, changing font and color. At times, it slants, reverses and disappears altogether. The book is full of code, riddles and dark magic. It remains one of the most amazing books I've ever read, and, honestly, after reading it several times, I'm still not sure exactly what happened.
Oh, the book has its own forum, where people discuss theories and secrets and all kinds of stuff. When a book starts with a dedication that says, "This book is not for you," you know you're headed on an unusual ride. Enter at your own risk, huh?

3 comments:

  1. Sounds so interesting. I love the odd and unusual.

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  2. I may just have to read this one!!

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  3. This sounds so cool, I'm always on the lookout for a unique read!

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