Scan barcode
A review by cgoiris
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
This is a difficult one to give stars. I sort of think I get what the author was trying to do. I can see multiple layers to the story, from criticising media critics to trying to evoke a deeply unsettled feeling that follows the reader beyond the book.
But there were also parts I despised. Why does every woman in this book have to be profoundly damaged? Why does Bambi never really get a personality beyond motherly concern for our main character? Why does the author try to establish deep and bleak backstories with a couple of sentences, multiple times? It's already a 700 page book, trees died for this, don't be shy, flesh it out.
I'm gonna try to do the content warnings but I'm probably gonna forget a few because there's A LOT.
But there were also parts I despised. Why does every woman in this book have to be profoundly damaged? Why does Bambi never really get a personality beyond motherly concern for our main character? Why does the author try to establish deep and bleak backstories with a couple of sentences, multiple times? It's already a 700 page book, trees died for this, don't be shy, flesh it out.
I'm gonna try to do the content warnings but I'm probably gonna forget a few because there's A LOT.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Forced institutionalization