Kastie Pavlik’s Reviews > House of Leaves > Status Update

497 certainly sobers you up right quick.

Spoilers maybe...

I finished it! ✧\(>o<)ﾉ✧

But I have no idea what I just read. Was I right with any theory? Was it madness? Was it another dimension and time distortion? Did any of it happen at all? Was it the firing synapses of a dying brain? Did Johnny do that?? Lies and truths and myths. Wow. Lots to unpack. I'm not crazy. The book is.

P465 ... HOL w(°ｏ°)w

Potentially spoilerish thoughts as I read through this section (pausing on p412)

The Jamestown history provided correlates to the excursions in the house, esp. Holloway's finale. It's still like a dimension where all time exists and doesn't exist. And Johnny's notes with "f" "s" either further imply a time warp or his mind warping.

I think the poem on p563 sums up the book title nicely.

Spoilers...
Spoilers!!

Jonny's dream begin p402...he's the Minotaur cast into the maze. But then the morphing attacker - does this imply that Thumper is his mom and the "happiest place on earth" is the womb? What should be the safest house before being expelled into the cruel world?

Damn. Navy's letter is so sad. Way more Lovecraftian vibes, too. There a constant contradictory theme in addition to the bigger/smaller in/out/beyond space (literally) and/or time and the condition of being human and ashamed and loving with grief and regret and love and all the coulda, woulda, shouldas in the world. Yeah this tackkes a higher question, but really, can't we love our imperfect selves? Seems maybe not.

Mid-page. Just too tired to finish this section. I think about this book too much. Also, my cat's name is Jonny.

It's a little nuts (a little?) That the book's madness and quirky formatting make complete sense with the scenes portrayed in the Navidson Record as they pay out, and somehow - maybe I've thought this before, or it was said previously in the book (it has been a few years since I read back that far) - that The Navidson Record has to be much longer than it was stated. Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought it wasn't too long.

Ok. Looks like I continue from here and will hit pp 312-322, which were read through a footnote in p.82. and then p323 to the end of the Minotaur chapters p.346.

After that, have read 347-382 of Karen's chapters. Start new 383.

Does not appear any of ch XXI - XXIII has been read.

Numerous exhibits and apps read as referenced.

Karen: Navidson Record Chapters XIV - XVII (pp. 347-407)
House of Leaves: Navidson Record Chapter XVIII - XX (pp. 408-490)
A Strange Light: Navidson Record Chapters XXI - XXIII (491-528)
Exhibits and Appendices I - III (pp. 529-709)

Muss Es Sein: Navidson Record Chapters I - IV (pp. 3-40)
Echoes: Navidson Record Chapter V (pp. 41-73)
Appendix II-D, II-E/The Whalestoe Letters (pp. 584-644)
Worse, It Knows Nothing of Whim: Chapters VI - VIII (pp. 74-106)
The Labyrinth: Navidson Record Chapter IX (pp. 107-152)
Rescues: Navidson Record Chapters X - XI (pp. 153-274)
The Minotaur: Navidson Record Chapters XII - XIII (pp. 275-346)