House of Leaves Reading Vlog // I read House of Leaves so you don't have to!

[@depitydog]

It’s not a horror book... the dude literally wrote a labyrinth. There are dead ends, turns with no payoff you have to choose to take, reroutes, puzzles, wasted space, anxiety, parts where you feel relief going through 100 pages in an hour and parts where yer weighed down thinking you might 10 pages because the writing is so dense and you never fully know what’s important and the end isn’t really satisfying because that’s not the important part... even that grating font he chose to start off the book with and Johnny’s hatable demeanor... he’s literally pushing you in agitated... If you think about it this way it’s much more rewarding... and allows for a lot more analysis afterwards

[@M_bags6463]

Large parts of the book are skippable, but I don’t consider Truant’s notes to be. He is very central to the story, possibly even the main character, but that’s not something that becomes clear until near the end. His passages are gross and dark, but not too surprising as he is a very disturbed character. I agree that if you strip the story down to the plot points it is very simple and could be told much more concisely. But the impression I got of the book is that it is more like an art piece; it’s about the experience of going through the twists and turns and jumping through the hoops the book demands of you. The way it’s written and formatted is designed to immerse you more in the world and reenforce the narrative events. When the characters become lost in the labyrinth of the house then the book itself takes on the form of a labyrinth, the book becomes more disjointed as the characters deteriorate mentally from the stress and trauma they’ve experienced, etc. It’s fair to call it gimmicky, but a unique and kind of fun experience nonetheless. It’s not for everyone, but if you like reading and don’t mind taking your time with a book that’s trying to do something different then you might enjoy it.

[@SarahAsYouWish]

I completely agree that House of Leaves is one of those books that you’ll only get out of it as much as you put into it. People who like to read at the surface level and want to be entertained by the story are only going to be interested in the Navidson storyline, and they won’t get a big payoff. However, if you go into it looking to analyze it and look at it from a literary perspective, there is a ton going on in it. There is so much symbolism and clever things like how the physical book mirrors the passage inside the house in terms of them both being mazes with passages that meander and go nowhere and lead to you getting lost. There are some great videos out there that explain the book in a more analytical way if you’re curious. That said, I had the same thoughts that Johnny Truant’s tales of his escapades were very off-putting for me and also that this is a book most casual readers could safely skip.

[@ashleyslittlelibrary]

Definitely! I feel like it’s one of those books you can enjoy and appreciate more over time after reading more analyses of it and really falling down the rabbit holes out there.

[@304Blaise]

@@ashleyslittlelibrary in my mind house of leaves really centers on mental health, negative masculine family dynamics, and I’m not sure skipping Johnny’s sections entirely quite makes that work, but I can understand why some could be put off. I think it’s a book that when it “clicks” down the line with certain male readers as they mature, it gives them a certain hit of existential dread that’s probably very powerful. I’ve read works that had a similar effect on me as a young man, but I sort of had some preconceived ideas about it going in. It feels to me like a very abstract work that executes on basically everything it attempts to do, but is extremely indifferent to the reader. It also seems worth mentioning that navidson seems to parallel a famous photographer who killed himself in real life. Great review though I can understand why if you go in expecting more of a proper haunted house storyline it’ll disappoint. The true horror is Johnny.

[@frankalfar]

If you haven't yet, check out the BBC radio theater dramatization of House of Leaves. It deals exclusively w the Navidson video, it is excellent.

[@WolfataDoor]

House of Leaves is undoubtedly a monster of a book. But it’s intentionally designed that way, you’re supposed to be like Johnny, rapidly flipping through the book in a messy and uncategorized way trying to figure out what everything means. Whether or not you enjoy that process is obviously subjective, but it’s a neat book you can always revisit. It’s one of a kind, but not for everyone

[@ashleyslittlelibrary]

Totally agree!

[@k4yser]

the book is a mirror.

[@MrKylePopovich]

Yeah the Johnny sections are definitely "lonely 15 year old boy" vibes haha, pretty nasty

[@ripwednesdayadams]

I watched this hoping to get a summary and analysis of “House of Leaves” because there doesn’t seem to be many on KZbin. I was unfortunately disappointed. 70% of the video is her talking about how many pages she has left to read, the timeframe in which she wants to have the book finished and some time lapse videos of her reading with music. (Cute dog though.) The summary is a few sentences, you could find out more from looking at the Wikipedia and there is basically no analysis. If you’re like me and we’re hoping for a summary and analysis you’ll be disappointed.

[@w4lker]

"70% of the video is her talking about how many pages she has left to read, the timeframe in which she wants to have the book finished and some time lapse videos of her reading with music". The definition of a Vlog.

[@bonniewolf8662]

I agree that you're not going to get much out of it if you dismiss Johnny's storyline. There is a great deal of the plot and background in Pelafina's letters to Johnny. In addition, many of the footnotes are, in fact, to real sources. Some bring immense meaning and value to the story. If you're not going to commit to reading the whole thing, including the footnotes and appendices, then there's really no point. 🤔 It's like sucking the chocolate shell off a peanut butter M&M, spitting out the filling, and then remarking that it only vaguely tasted of peanut.

[@badarulislam8751]

How Bonnie can you pls tell me some metanarratives that Danielewski shattered in this book from a postmodern perspective? kindly respond because you seems so sound about this book.

[@internaloptometrist2702]

If you don’t recommend because it takes too long to read, then it’s not worth the read. But if you take your time with it, it’s so layered and nuanced. It’s a book you study not consume and move on. It’s kinda like abstract art, every time you look at it you find something new. I consider it a work of art, not for all but ambitious In trying something different.

[@graphixvizion]

Pretty much It's like setting the goal 🥅 of completing James Joyce's "Ulysses" or Leo Tolstoy's "War and Peace", in the shortest time possible; just so you could say you 'read' them 😒 Hard to really take a synopsis about certain books 📚 seriously, if the reader has little desire to meet the work on it's terms; and hates on it, because they decided beforehand that they had better things to do, but wants to be part of the discussion...

[@jwyldeck]

you can't skip on johnny. All of his story is in relation to the Navidson record. Tonnes of clues etc. If you are just reading his commentary literally for what he says, there is no point.

[@LadyJaneBooks]

House of Leaves intrigues me! I own a copy and have it on my TBR but it intimidates me every year. Awesome vlog!!!!!

[@slowflow4265]

Was waiting for you to say the word Minotaur at least once, also I agree you don’t have to analyze everything but I think you do have to read Johnny’s inappropriate stories, especially to get more info on Zampano, his mother, and Lude as they are as crucial to the Minotaur as is the hallway

[@bonniewolf8662]

Indeed

[@jennyjumpjump]

The way you described the weird hallway in the house reminds me a bit of the book "Hollow Places" T. Kingfisher. Especially since they both have a weird door/opening suddenly found in a house.

[@ashleyslittlelibrary]

Haven’t read that yet but have it on my TBR - sounds like something I’d like!

[@robsmith1017]

It's a novel about schizophrenia. Johnny Truant is a sex addict and his drug use further pushes him into psychosis, the same illness his mother suffered from. It might not be pleasent to read, but that is what the book is about rather than a haunted house story. I enjoy the Truant sections and feel if the book was stricly about the Navidsons It would be a fairly conventional, non memorable haunted house story.

[@k4yser]

im still not sure if in the end its all made up by zampano, for his institutionalized wife (pelafina), to create a fake son for her, to overcome her grief. (the story at the end, of the mother who lost her child 4 days after birth) or if pelafina (johnnys "mother) made the story up. The citations within zampanos work, where he included different languages are very close to the way pelafina expressed herself (when she was of clear mind) in her letters to johnny. This all could be the work of a woman who never got over the loss of her child and is dealing with schizophrenia, which is expressed in both the story of the house and johnnys degrading mental facilites.

[@annedixon7609]

House of leaves sound like it's better to read in book form rather than Kindle so I intend on buying it to try to read it sounds like it's 4:30

[@mattyirvine6298]

Fair if you didn't like it, but you literally missed the entire point of the book. Its not about the Navidson record. You say you skipped chunks of the rest and didn't pay attention, and that this one part of the story is 3 stars? That's like only reading the top half of every page in a book and saying "meh, it was just okay, bit confusing, only 5/10" though

[@frankalfar]

I've read it twice and saw and read something different both times. I plan to read it again and enjoy it all over again because I'm older and want to see how I'll perceive it. Also the internet connection and the emergence of an ARG is interesting.

[@BohoBookworm]

Stopped 3.54 minutes in because I'm reading House of Leaves now! I only just started it and am also doing a reading vlog throughout October for it. Loved your wine glass!! I'm excited to come back and watch more of your video as I get to the same parts as you! I honestly just finished the Introduction and had absolutely no clue what was going on hahaha. Here's to chapter 1!! New subscriber, hope to keep in touch!! Have a lovely weekend!

[@ashleyslittlelibrary]

Hahah it becomes more clear just hang in there! Happy reading!

[@w4lker]

About whether I intend to read "House of Leaves" by Mark Z. Danielewski... I must say that while the book initially piqued my interest, particularly because it's a notable example of ergodic literature, I have decided against reading it. This decision is primarily due to its high price in my country, which I find quite prohibitive. Moreover, your perspective that the book might be overrated has further influenced my decision. In the realm of horror literature, there are numerous other compelling works available. For instance, Mariana Enriquez's "Our Share of Night" is an excellent example that I find more appealing and accessible. It's always a balancing act choosing what to read next, and in this case, I feel there are other books that align more closely with my interests and budget.

[@AlyssaReids]

I'm not much of a horror readers. I'm too much of a scaredy cat. But I'm happy that you seem to enjoy the genre. Great vlog. Happy Reading!!!

[@ashleyslittlelibrary]

Thanks!! I love being creeped out by books haha

[@AlyssaReids]

@@ashleyslittlelibrary 😀

[@tishe5935]

Love your honesty!

[@kathyscrazylife]

Just got my copy in the mail. Looking forward to it.

[@kathyscrazylife]

I tried. I spent a few days crawling through this, and then gave up.

[@egads3696]

​@@kathyscrazylifethe first fifty pages was a slog for me,but then I finished it in two days.just finished it, looking for closure.

[@kapattpaul]

I’m glad you made this video. I read it and thought that maybe I had missed something since I did not think it was as scary, thought provoking or creepy as I had heard it was. Thank you!

[@rananajjar]

Amazing video. It was made brilliantly. love it ♥

[@ashleyslittlelibrary]

Thanks so much!

[@mariakalliokoski2758]

I'm about to re-read it soon, I hope to see it a bit differed this time. At least I'm going to change my reading style of it to see it different way 😊 Did you all see that one if the letters from the mom has a hidden message in it? It was 🤯 when I de-coded it

[@ashleyslittlelibrary]

Yes! I was decoding it myself for a while and then I just decided to look it up online because it was taking too long 😂 but so cool! Enjoy your reread 😊

[@foulmouthednewenglander4392]

I’ve attempted to read this book a few times but it makes me irrationally angry so today after failing to get past page 30 again, I determined that life it to short to spend it on books that make you feel this way, dumped it into the resell bag and came to KZbin. Thank you for doing the hard work for me. Think I’ll stick around a while and check out more content. It’s the least I can do 💕

[@ashleyslittlelibrary]

Haha love this! Gotta know when to just move on from a book. And thank you, I appreciate the support!!

[@tacticstories7159]

I like the book for what it's trying to be. But I am also a reader who was interested in a story and not just to feel the confusion. After realising that I could literally skip entire pages without missing much , that was my turn off. I am a fan of "every word counts". And as someone who played kingdom hearts, I am already sick of messy narratives xD.

[@nowaycrochet]

I'm so lost. I'm only on page 1 and can't find the referenced material in the first footnote!!! can someone please help me understand how to navigate this book before i give up on it on the first page? thank you in advance :)

[@matt1023]

this vlog is like reading the book as we watch you descend into madness lol

[@ashleyslittlelibrary]

Hahahahah

[@TheKagenator]

I've been trying to read this book for years. I originally got it at the library and couldn't finish it in time before returning so I got my own copy. It's been sitting there for years. I recently picked it up again to try finishing. Some parts are OK. The formatting is kind of fun. But I'm not enjoying it that much. :( I hear how great the book is so I felt determined to get through it. I suppose it's just not for me. Seems overrated. I watched your video and I think I should just put it down and move on. Kind of feels like a weight has been lifted, but I always do feel a little guilty not finishing a book i started. Off to the used bookstore it goes!

[@ashleyslittlelibrary]

It’s certainly just hyped so much because it’s so original in its format. If you’re not loving it, don’t feel guilty for moving on! That just leaves more time to read better books 😌

[@traviss3913]

I agree 100%!! I loved Navy's story but grew so tired of Johnny's foot notes. Everyone said his notes and stories were so important to the story of Navy but 1/2 way through I just started speed reading and probably missed some "clues". I had the same feelings as you, at first, I'm feeling great that I'm understanding everything and I would continue to grab this book over the other books I was reading at the time.... but it just got too complicated and labor intensive to read. I know, I know that was the point and what Danielewski was going for (I think) so he succeeded. But man is this book overrated. Unpopular opinion but I found the book slightly pretentious. Maybe my expectations were too high but it was not one of the scariest books I've ever read as so many others had promised it would be. Anyways great video, thank you for sharing.

[@traviss3913]

Oh and I do want to add: I give credit to Danielewski for creating this book because it must have been a crazy project to create.

[@ashleyslittlelibrary]

Definitely!! Can’t imagine how labor-intensive putting this thing together must have been 😳 thanks for watching and glad you enjoyed!

[@markgnarz5399]

@@traviss3913 Have a look at Only Revolutions.

[@traviss3913]

@@markgnarz5399 That book sounds very interesting, I will give this a read, thank you!

[@freeman7079]

I actually loved this book. But (lol) I think it’s because it suited my schizoaffective disorder. However, this is not a book I would recommend to people. It’s very dense, a bit underwhelming in a horror sense, and quite chaotic. The chaos is not ideal for most people; but it was entertaining for me [I think] because I have a mental illness that manifests very similar to the irrational nature of this “novel.” In fact, when I have upticks in my particular disorder, I always pick this book up. It seems that people either really love it, or really don’t. I totally respect the latter. Btw, I skip through Johnny’s rambling as well. It is very aggravating to read…

[@moi-cb9yh]

i wish i had the attention span to read this

[@ashleyslittlelibrary]

It’s definitely a challenge!

[@yvesandrethevenot3489]

woops sorry, I meant the advertisement, not the book!

[@bedroombunny9529]

I haven't read this book and I came to this video specifically because I'd heard about it and wanted to hear about it before buying it. I don't want to sound like a dick but if you aren't reading the whole story I can't really respect your take on it. That's like only paying attention to half a movie and then acting like a credible source. I feel like you massively shot yourself in the foot by putting such a strict deadline on this video. This book is clearly made with the intention of you spending a lot of time due to the strange structure of it and you admitted to skimming and skipping parts. I didn't watch the spoiler sections because I'm still deciding if I want this book but how you talk about this book makes it seem like you as soon as you you saw something you personally didn't like in it you started wanting to prove that it was overrated. You haven't really changed my mind because you didn't offer anything to change it from what was presented without spoiling it which would then remove the reason to read it in the first place so of course I skipped those. This entire video added nothing to my decision to read or not read this book.

[@cemttrou2246]

The parts she skipped initially seem skippable, but they definitely become important by the end

[@SummoningSnakez]

This is not a book to just "read" and it's not 700 pages long. Not the best review here. And Johnny's parts were the best if you enjoy humor. 📚

[@sh4577]

It’s the perfect book for encouraging pretentious readers to gatekeep literature that’s really just mediocre. Even in the comments here that first quote “this is not for you”, the author knew what he was doing. I can imagine meeting the author and finding him incredibly full of himself and giving off the quintessential “I’m not like other guys” vibe.

[@ashleyslittlelibrary]

Yep that sums it up in a nutshell 😂

[@PumpkinBumpkin333]

I don't know, this book freaked me out.

[@jinchoung]

i thought you were going to add to the meta by showing your own progressive journey into madness as your videos progressed lol....

[@ashleyslittlelibrary]

Hahaha that would’ve been wild!

[@km666]

The best part of this book is that it's not for you.

[@ValentinaHueck]

Okay Michael sit down

[@FrocketGaming]

I also thought it was pretty overrated. I got about 70% through and I was just bored to death of it.

[@Neelo5000]

It was the opposite for me. I actually enjoyed the sections about Johnny and disliked the story about the house. Johnny is a shallow person, but his descent into madness makes for an interesting character. I hated Navidson and his wife. The book didn't develop their characters enough for me to ever feel invested in them. The way the book is structured is very unique and creative but comes off as pretentious. The story just didn't interest me enough to do all the detective work that this book expects.

[@ashleyslittlelibrary]

Agreed! It would take months to work through everything going on in this book and I just didn’t want to commit to that.

[@ScrubbyBubbles]

The entire point of this book is to get into it, it seems like you did the opposite and were just trying to get through it. RIP.

[@racheltfisher]

I have decided to put this book down due to it making my mental health worse

[@demlewabhoy4668]

Admire your commitment to finish it and to explain it the way it is. You too confuse me.

[@0verbite]

Same dude. Read this during the pandemic. A coworker said it was one of his favorite books because of how it was written. I got tired of Ludes portions. Skimmed a lot of it as well. Dont see what the hype was about.

[@vmculpepper416]

Thank you for reading this and explaining it so I don’t have to read it!

[@richardwilliams5387]

It's the most Thomas Ligotti ish book not written by Thomas Ligotti...and yes, that's exceedingly high praise.

[@MrHartApart]

who's climbing equipment is this? -it's adventure gear baby who's adventure gear is this? -jed. who's jed? jed's dead. and the material that makes up the ashen blue walls are older than the solar system.

[@diegoinjapan]

I read it to experience a good story. Meh. A big meh. As you mention, you get what you put into it. I just wanted a good story. Too long, unnecessary word usage. It was a drag to read. And that poetry at the end. Really!?!?

[@WhiskeyBlack777]

God I hope there's no major spoilers in here cause I'm planning on reading this soon.

[@itakecreditforthat]

Yea… that page in the beginning: “This is not for you.” Mark added that for a reason. I suggest that anyone watching this review go ahead and explore the House for themselves. Also, skipping and skimming isn’t advised. It’s all relevant.

[@reiaemi7218]

Would you recommend it to a beginner? I just got back into reading after a very long time!

[@aranaemantsal8109]

Thank you so much! *Good* haunted house books are one of my favorite things in the world so I thought I was going to have to try reading this thing yet again. But it sounds like it continues as annoyingly pseudo-pretentious as it begins, and your spoilers satisfied my curiosity so yay! Now I don't have to read it.

[@ashleyslittlelibrary]

Glad I could spare you the frustration! Haha

[@angelicmccormick2383]

now read the noise coming from inside children, the story is said to be the scariest story ever written

[@yvesandrethevenot3489]

Unintelligeable BS.

[@dedasab]

I have a masters degree in English Literature and because of the hype I read this book and I agree it is highly overrated. I went to goodreads to see why people liked it and it confused me. I'm a person who read heavy literature like Shakespeare's works and weird and inspiring works like the Waste Land by T.S. Eliot and there I was reading comments that basically were saying if you didn't get it, you were an idiot. No, honey maybe you should read more sophisticated works of literature and their commentary before making a whole weight on the fact that a boring mediocre book is overwhelming. To those who believe this book is an art, read the Waste Land by T.S. Eliot, then tell me this book is great.

[@Ghorda9]

it's weird to call something pretentious when you sound very pretentious yourself.

[@delilasloan8914]

I loved this book, thought it was really refreshing that someone was trying to do something different. I felt like I did when I was a kid and would read those choose your own adventure books. My degree is in history but I have been an avid reader from the time I could read "skip and kit run." I was reading at a high school level in elementary school..only because I loved to read..it's all I did and I collected books. I think the thing about this book that turns people off is the intimidation. The overdose of information and the give and take..there is a deeper meaning in this book if you assign a deeper meaning to it. I think that it's not for all people. I also do not care for the attitude that I'd you don't get it or don't enjoy it then your an idiot...that is a very egotistical way for anyone to look at a book. There are a lot of books people love and I don't..like interview with the vampire..I read it twice thinking maybe it's just me missing something..and nope, I just didn't like it..but liked the characters and the story but didn't care for the writing Anne Rice is famous for, so I don't think it makes me an idiot, just human. Also everyone loved Stephen king's "it" and I thought it was slow but the horror parts were freaking scary..yet I read misery, the shinning and pet semetary and liked all of them and likes the writing...so I think it's just to each their own with writing... I also enjoy classics but not all..I can't read Jane Austen to save my life but could read the age of innocence and dracula over and over and never get bored.

[@graphixvizion]

"House 🏘️ of Leaves 🍂" is probably the most recognized entry within the 'Ergodic Literature' genre Comparatively speaking it might arguably not fall within the same classification, as other more scholarly titles; however there subjectively is artistry in Danielewski's contribution to fiction Definitely encourage everyone to make up their own minds, regardless of academic background There is plenty to appreciate and connect with, should the reader wish 📖

[@gd995]

Garbage take, stick to YA and Stephen King tripe

[@halko1802]

This book is definitely the Hereditary (overrated movie) of books. OVERRATED AF!!! Thanks for this review. Every other one I've seen is like "OMG!!!!! BEST BOOK EVER!!!!" 🙄

[@ashleyslittlelibrary]

Always keeping it real over here haha thanks for watching!

[@graphixvizion]

"House 🏠 of Leaves 🍂" IS a LaberythiNe 🗞️ MaStErPiEcE oF TYPoGraPhaL and PsyChologiCal HoRrOr Everyone Please 🙏 do yourselves a favor and EXPERIENCE this amazing work There are, at the very LEAST, TWO channels, that cover this book 📖 amazingly! One is a pretty Masterful Video Essay about this phenomenal labor of love, breaking the components of this book down, visually The other, is EXTREMELY insightful and generously gives a fairly in-depth orientation Clarifying how Danielewski's formatting serves to immerse a reader, and even kindly places into context, where this book falls in the spectrum of literary works (Ergodic Literature) For everyone who HAS experienced it, and appreciate it's uniqueness PLEASE continue to bring attention to this incredible, incredible work of Art 🎨 ✔️