hazelbynature's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Violence, Gaslighting, Death, Confinement, Physical abuse, Murder, and Sexual content
Moderate: Incest, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Addiction, Drug use, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Abandonment, Blood, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Gun violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Body horror, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Excrement, Vomit, Bullying, Terminal illness, and Cancer
lynxpardinus's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Animal cruelty, Confinement, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Animal death, Drug use, Addiction, Medical content, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual assault, Car accident, Child death, Domestic abuse, Vomit, Excrement, Incest, Suicidal thoughts, and War
tristemono's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, Sexual content, Drug use, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Self harm
Minor: Body horror, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death of parent, Infidelity, Animal cruelty, Eating disorder, Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Blood
booitsnathalie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I didn't know much about House of Leaves beyond it's infamous typography, so it was surprising to learn it's functionally a book equivalent to found footage horror. It trades documentary "authenticity" for dense citations and pervert French, but conceptually I find a lot of similarities (both are primarily interested in the mechanics of their medium and how our trust in those forms can be exploited). How successful HoL is depends mostly on your willingness to indulge its most excessive elements, following footnotes to smaller footnotes and spinning the book around like it's the world thickest centerfold.
HoL slots into a weird segment of media that I conceptually appreciate but dread existing because it inevitably gets attached to the worst sort of gross art bro. It is a playful, surprisingly warm, darkly funny book, but also one that revels in masculine violence and the deification of male ambition. It is proud of its swamp, fascinated by the algae and mutated fish, but if you want to study the tadpoles you're forced to wade past crocodiles and a CW list longer than the terms you didn't read.
My metaphors are mixing and my mind is wandering, but this is all to say HoL is a challenging recommendation in 2022. A rewarding one if you can stomach the grime, but I wouldn't shame anyone for keeping it on the shelf a while longer.
Graphic: Mental illness, Violence, Confinement, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, and Suicide
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Gun violence, Death of parent, and Drug use
Minor: Child death and Bullying
ggcd1981's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Spoiler
Um ponto que não gostei da história, por se sensível a crueldade contra animais, foi um momento em que um cachorrinho foi morto de forma cruel. Eu realmente gostaria que autores achassem outra forma de mostrar que um personagem é mau. Outro ponto que achei irritante foi que todas as personagens femininas no livro foram sexualizadas mesmo quando não havia necessidade. Desde de Karen Green, esposa de Will Navidson, a todas as mulheres com quem Johnny Truant interagiu. As mulheres nesse livro pareciam existir em função dos personagens masculinos. Fosse como esposa de Navidson, como mãe de Johnny ou um simples encontro sexual ou fantasia do mesmo, as mulheres em House of Leaves giram ao redor dos personagens masculinos e existem para cumprir uma função na história desses. Um elemento que me surpreendeu na obra foi o realismo dos ataques de pânico de Johnny. Eu não esperava e quase foi um gatilho para mim, mas, mesmo assim, apreciei a representação. Em geral minha opinião é que há histórias interessantes no livro, mas elas se encontram diluídas no excesso de informação desnecessária. Informação esta que foi incluída por questões de estilo e não de pertinência a narrativa. Aliás fica claro que o estilo é prioridade em House of Leaves em detrimento do story telling. Se o autor pelo menos tivesse sido mais coeso e objetivo nas divagações o texto prenderia muito mais e não sentiria tão forte que o livro se auto sabota ao desarmar toda tensão, apreensão, medo, enfim qualquer emoção com tangentes longas, incoerentes e tediosas. Isso também contribuiu para a sensação de que os “finais positivos” para as histórias de Navidson e Truant não foram merecidos ou se quer fizeram sentido. A impressão passada é de que Mark Z. Danielewski queria aqueles finais para os personagens e foi isso.Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Grief, Mental illness, Suicide, Violence, Abandonment, Drug use, Misogyny, Sexual content, Blood, Child abuse, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Addiction, Confinement, Death, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Car accident, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Ableism, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape and Excrement
woweewhoa's review against another edition
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Violence, Animal death, Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Forced institutionalization, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Body horror, Child abuse, Animal cruelty, and Blood
Moderate: Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Child death, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Ableism, Gun violence, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Infidelity, Suicide, Vomit, Physical abuse, Rape, Car accident, Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Excrement, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content
Minor: Homophobia and Cancer