House of Leaves: The Dark Souls of books
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House of Leaves: The Dark Souls of books
"This is not for you"
...the first words you read when you open this novel.
It's not entirely unfair. The book is hostile unlike any other that I have read. It bombards you with useless information. It redacts words and letters in a chapter. An external narrator tells a story within the end notes, so you have to keep track of two narratives.
If you take out the experimental storytelling, would this story be as compelling? I dunno. All I can say is that it's all a part of the experience.
Having just finished the story, I can't help but be surprised. "Huh, I guess I just read a story." I must have cared about the characters and their ultimate fates. But more than anything, I wanted answers. Why was this story told this way? Why is the word "house" written in blue? Why? Why why?
And I guess that's the experience of House of Leaves. You go in, like an explorer in the dark. Maybe there's some answers out there, maybe there's not.
And it's a heavy book. Maybe it's not as dense as it appears, but that doesn't take away the sting from the lack of a digital version.
Can I recommend it? Maybe not? Do I want someone to read it and tell me what they think of it? Hell yeah I want that.