House of Leaves, by Mark Danielewski

House of Leaves
Mark Danielewski

If you haven't yet read House of Leaves, you must immediately drop what you are doing and go get it. Seriously. Now. This is one of the craziest, freakiest, and smartest books I've ever read.

The story: Johnny Truant, a drug-addicted resident of Los Angeles, helps his friend clear out the apartment of the recently deceased Zampano, a blind old man who hoarded his possessions and sealed every crevice of his apartment shut. Johnny takes along an old trunk, inside of which is the life's work of the dead man--a collection of fragments, narratives, and research entitled "The Navidson Report." This report is the true (?) story of Will Navidson and his family, who move into an idyllic home.

This home is perfect -- until (insert ominous music here) the family goes away for the weekend; when they return, a closet is in the master bedroom. The problem? This closet was not there before. It's pitch black, devoid of all the usual closet-type stuff, and cold. The family is spooked. Navidson measures, checks the house plans; to his dismay, he discovers the house's interior measurements exceed the exterior measurements. Then a hallway "grows" downstairs where it could not possibly exist. Navidson, against the wishes of his wife, explores it. He finds cavernous spaces, pitch black, and something hunting him.

This frame-within-frame-within-frame story mixes elements of the horror story, academic research, mythological references, and a little extra craziness on the side. It's been dubbed "experimental," and it obviously is - but it's an experimental novel that actually works. The "plot" is composed of a central narrative offset by footnotes, diversions, appendices, and the like. You'll find yourself with finger in page as you track down a footnote or search out an appendix. You'll find yourself turning the book around and around, as Navidson enters the labrynth within his walls and the text mimics his movements. It's insane, it's wonderful, it's the most unique thing I've ever read.

That said, one reading isn't going to cut it. By far. I'm on my second read, and I'll need at least one more. I'm at the point where I can formulate some pretty good theories about the book, and I've got some opinions as to the "meaning" of certain things (i.e., I think this character and this character are really the same, and that the book is really this, not this) but it won't make sense unless you've read the book once, and I don't want to ruin any surprises. I'll be happy to provide my theories in the comments, if anyone is interested.

House of Leaves offers commentary on the nature of space, stability, madness, reality, and more. However, I can't even get to that point yet. I'm still trying to figure out exactly what is going on. I mean, what is really going on. But it's a hell of a ride getting there.

By the way, if you've ever heard of the singer Poe, you might be interested to know that her second cd Haunted, is meant to accompany the book. She and the author are brother and sister. So, after you've wrapped your mind around the book, you can throw the cd into the mix! Have fun with that. (I'm not being sarcastic, either--analyzing this book ad nauseum actually is fun.)

In a nutshell: Absolutely a must-read, House of Leaves is not without its flaws, but it is one of the most thought-provoking works I've ever read. And it's pretty creepy at times too, which is always fun.

Bibliolatry Scale: 6 out of 6 stars