KATG Book Club: House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

[DWarrior]

Originally Posted by 36D

Since I am apparently by myself in this book club thing, I think we should all read up to Chapter 13 by Friday. Everyone good with that? Yes? okay then

Yeah...I kinda failed miserably this week

[paul_r]

Originally Posted by 36D

Since I am apparently by myself in this book club thing, I think we should all read up to Chapter 13 by Friday. Everyone good with that? Yes? okay then

you should have chose a better book

[DWarrior]

Originally Posted by 36D

As tough as it is to follow, I enjoy the way the book is shifting and changing as the inside of the house is. I need fishing line and neon markers to find my way back to where I started. I lose my place and panic, worried that I won't find where I started from. When we come to the pages of only a few words, I read

each word

on

the page

so

slowly

and it

sinks
in
and
resonates.


We're now at a point in the Navidson Plot where we can try and figure out all of the many things that the house could symbolize. Internal fear and phobias. The mind. Insanity. Zampano's fears. Truant's mind. Our insanity.

Exploration #4 and Holloway remind me of Heart of Darkness and Kurtz. Morality changes in the darkness, and Holloway adapts this new sense of moral code. He is more affected by the darkness than Jed or...the other guy (I don't have the book in front of me). Darkness, barbarianism.

What is the purpose of the long lists that Zampano includes as footnotes? Is it to distract us? Do you think that the discombobulated format the book has taken on is Truant's or Zampano's? I'd prefer it to be Zampano's, because I want him to be the crazy one, not Truant. I'd rather have Truant be a trustworthy guide through Zampano's work, even though we have already been misled by him.

My favorite character is the house.

Alright, so this might be too late, but I just finished chapter 10 tonight so I'll comment on the last week's assignment.

I actually found it difficult to locate the footnotes when they started going all over the place, and in some places they're misnumbered and on different pages. I thought the book began to resemble the house with the weird side-passages that go back and forth (some go nowhere figuratively, the andy rooney lists; some literally bring you right back to the page you sidetracked from).

If I had to guess, I'd say the layout was Zampano's, although the guy was blind, so I don't know how well he could have create such an elaborate text. It could be that he wrote scribbles on the side or stuck sticky notes, then Truant formatted that (although I have no idea what the deal with "see-through" passages is). Notice how Truant's footnotes are always formatted well, I think if it were his design, his notes would be in the same format as the rest of the book, at least some of them.

Also, Truant's starting to resemble Zampano (when Hailey describes his studio), although it's hard to say if Zampano was in the same mental state. If I remember correctly, Truant wasn't able to find any traces of the film, as he repeatedly says "Zampano assumes the film exists", and we can therefore assume the references Zampano makes discussing the films don't exist (otherwise Truant would have to assume the film exists). If that's true, then the film can just be a byproduct of Zampano's growing madness and the format of the book resembles his own journey through that house. As Truant goes through Zampano's writing, he becomes victim of the same affliction and takes on Zampano's characteristics. If that's true, then the "House of Leaves" is the book itself (leaves meaning pages, and the dimensions of the house existing within them).

Obviously that theory could be false, mainly if I missed some passage where Truant or the Editor says he checks out the references and they exist. Also, I'm not sure what timeframe the footnotes Truant writes are in relation to his going through the book. Did he read over all of the material once and is now going back and putting it together with footnotes? Seems like the most likely explanation, as there isn't much that's happened up till now that would cause him to have panic attacks, so he probably has gone over the material at least once.

Oh, and I guess my earlier dismissal of StuartPants's theory could be wrong because there is a passage citing several references (whether real or not) describing that. However, seems like it would be too early in the book to give out a true explanation.

Still not enough data to form rigid theories imo. Although, if the house does really exist, Danielewski will have to elegantly explain the existence of hyperspace without totally nerding it up. Meanwhile, psychosis is a fairly common theme in horror.

[DWarrior]

So what's happening? I read through chapter 13.

So far Truant seems to have supported my hypothesis, that it's turning out to be a made up story. Will have to see where it goes though, it could always take some unexpected twist. I didn't notice much more in terms of new info, just moving the story along.

[36D]

Originally Posted by DWarrior

So what's happening? I read through chapter 13.

So far Truant seems to have supported my hypothesis, that it's turning out to be a made up story. Will have to see where it goes though, it could always take some unexpected twist. I didn't notice much more in terms of new info, just moving the story along.

I'm on chapter 17...but I don't know if anyone else is so I don't want to spoil anyone

I think the focus now is on how the house and the darkness are affecting each of the characters in the book - it's interesting to see the different characters reaction to it.

[DWarrior]

I'm on 15, so don't roon it plz.

[36D]

Originally Posted by DWarrior

I'm on 15, so don't roon it plz.

I won't

Stu's somewhere behind you and I think we've losted william!

[DWarrior]

Originally Posted by 36D

I won't

Stu's somewhere behind you and I think we've losted william!

Didn't william already read the book?

[StuartPants]

I'm still here. I'm trolling more than anything. I just finished the letters from his mom and the chapter right after that. The one where the dog chases the cat down the hall, but then they are outside.

[36D]

For those New Yorkers/New Jerseyers out there:

Mark Danielewski will be at the Astor Place Barnes & Noble (4 Astor Place) on Thursday, October 4th at 7pm to discuss his book Only Revolutions



Granted, we're not reading this book, but still, it'd be interesting to see the mind that created House of Leaves.

Let me know if anyone wants to go, I'll be there!