A review by highestiqinfresno
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

2.0

One of the biggest disappointments in recent memory. I've been meaning to check out House of Leaves for years on the strength of its legendary status as an experimental work of horror literature. While the storyline was fine, I found the writing gimmicky and dated. Danielewski plays with typography and layout to communicate the way the House of Leaves feels to its residents. Unfortunately, this does not add much to the story. I found the Johnny Truant sections to be the most frustrating part of the book. Though Truant is obviously intended to be a stock character ('local tattoo shop tough), his vernacular blends the worst of noirish tough guy masculinity with Fight Club-style edge lord. A boring book masquerading as an exciting literary experiment; I couldn't wait to leave the House of Leaves.