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Sean Flynn

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House of Leaves

by Mark Z. Danielewski (Goodreads Author)

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Reading for the 2nd time

read in December 2014

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Sean Flynn said:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

" My experience with this book is not unparalleled to Will Navidson's experiences into the dark and infinite labyrinth of the titular house (I would mark that word in blue, if I could). When I first purchased "House of Leaves", I made a couple of unsuc My experience with this book is not unparalleled to Will Navidson's experiences into the dark and infinite labyrinth of the titular house (I would mark that word in blue, if I could). When I first purchased "House of Leaves", I made a couple of unsuccessful attempts to explore its intricate and maddening hallways, only to abandon it for something "saner". However, the book (like the house) was always an omnipresent force on my s(h)elf, beckoning me to return and fully plunge myself into its depths for good.

This I did -- finally -- and read the book in a feverish three days, including all of the footnotes (even those exhaustive lists of names of architects, building materials, architectural styles, etc.) and appendixes, leaving only the Index for what it is: a guide of reference if I ever wish to explore the house(book) in detail later on. I do not know if I will ever wish to do this. The initial impressions/insights that one full reading have provided may just be enough to last me for a good time to come (such as: Does Johnny Truant exist, or was the book written by his mother? Are the ground-to-air emergency codes peppered throughout the text Johnny's attempt to communicate with his father in Heaven (or his Father in Heaven) or his mother with her husband? Zampano's name translates from the German to "the big cheese" or something like that. Is Zampano God? Does Zampano exist (does God exist?) Other thoughts: The beast in the house growling -- like Truant's father when his mother tried to strangle him -- suggests the beast is the father and the house is the mother (which a great deal of the footnotes want me to believe) -- but the beast attacks Johnny at work and leaves a scratch on the back of his neck like his mother left when she attacked him. So is the beast the mother? Is the house a symbol of unresolved childhood conflicts (a combination of mother/father)? Does applying a Freudian reading like this reduce me to simply another pompous and meaningless footnote, squeaking out my mind in the face of the infinite?)

This only scratches the surface. But, in actuality, none of the above really matters. The reading of "House of Leaves" is a profound experience in and of itself -- and such experiences require deep personal reflection to derive meaning. And any book that accomplishes this (and requires this of me) is a masterful achievement. ...more "

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(page 74 of 709)
— Mar 11, 2025 09:50AM

Jun 02, 2021 05:54PM · see review