Meta (A Book Review)

For many people, the nature of horror lies in the acceptable not happening. If you let an item loose from your grip ten times, that item will fall to the floor ten times. So the question of the horror writer is "What happens when, on the tenth drop, the dropped thing simply floats in air?"

Mark Z. Danielewski released House of Leaves in March of 2000 generating an underground following ever since. What makes the book exceptional, however, is that it simply defies explanation, a book that is more an experience than something simply read. By nearly abandoning the traditional structure of the fictional novel, Danielewski creates a literary nightmare that alludes to both fact and fiction that is both touching and repulsive.

House of Leaves primarily follows Johnny Truant, a resident of Los Angeles who is tormented by the shadows of his unfortunate past and a disturbing new reality. Late one evening, a friend contacts Johnny regarding a deceased blind man named Zampano and the sprawling mess of book he was writing, entitled The Navidson Record. Once introduced, Zampano's work becomes a second but equally important plot which runs parallel to the dramatic "crash and burn" that Truant undergoes.

"The Navidson Record" tells the story of Will Navidson, a photojournalist who is abandoning the wild life of seeking out tragic stories around the globe. He and his family settle in to a new home, hoping to use their relocation as a starting point for a more reserved and peaceful life. Soon the calm is shattered by a growing spatial disparity in the structure of their house, an ever-expanding black hole that threatens the life and sanity of all who enter the house.



Lesser writers would render a tale of this complexity to a hackneyed ghost story. Danielewski, on the other hand, swings masterfully between extreme darkness and light-hearted humor. Claustrophobia gives way to vast expanses in the space of a few chapters, often running the two plot lines literally side by side. The first words of House of Leaves warn and challenge us: "This is not for you." The statement is apt; the book does not have a broad appeal. It's very layout does not allow for a passive reading experience. Instead, House of Leaves demands that the audience dive head-first in to a labyrinth of shadows and leave all preconceptions regarding narrative behind them.

For those who might be interested, the album Haunted by POE (who is Danielewski's sister) was written as a partial companion piece to the book and is, on it's own merits as well as it's literary connection, worth purchasing.