House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski


I heard about this book from a patient
I checked it out and looked at the reviews
review after review keeps mentioning
getting fucked up nightmares and start getting delusional
while reading it...

I'll admit it
I wussed out
and passed the book on lol

anyone heard about it?
anyone read it?


if so, did you have nightmares and did you get delusional for awhile while reading it?


Synopsis
Years ago, when House of Leaves was first being passed around, it was nothing more than a badly bundled heap of paper, parts of which would occasionally surface on the Internet. No one could have anticipated the small but devoted following this terrifying story would soon command. Starting with an odd assortment of marginalized youth -- musicians, tattoo artists, programmers, strippers, environmentalists, and adrenaline junkies -- the book eventually made its way into the hands of older generations, who not only found themselves in those strangely arranged pages but also discovered a way back into the lives of their estranged children.

Now, for the first time, this astonishing novel is made available in book form, complete with the original colored words, vertical footnotes, and newly added second and third appendices.

The story remains unchanged, focusing on a young family that moves into a small home on Ash Tree Lane where they discover something is terribly wrong: their house is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside.

Of course, neither Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Will Navidson nor his companion Karen Green was prepared to face the consequences of that impossibility, until the day their two little children wandered off and their voices eerily began to return another story -- of creature darkness, of an ever-growing abyss behind a closet door, and of that unholy growl which soon enough would tear through their walls and consume all their dreams.
here are what some people say about it:
Posted March 14, 2009, 7:56 PM EST: I found this book to be immensly interesting. Once the reader gets used to the unusual format of the text and the dual story lines they can be captured by the depth of the writing. It is a very unique and eerie book. The only down-side of this book is the emotional effects it had on me. I became rather scared to turn off the lights at night and i can't stop recording things into tapes. I seriously considered making sure my room was the same dimensions inside and out! But, besides the obviously effective writing and eye-twisting layout, House of Leaves is a highly enjoyable read. I nearly suffered from book withdrawals when I couldn't read it! Highly recommended!!
Posted July 9, 2008, 11:29 AM EST: I just finished this book last night after being completely absorbed by it for days. I loved the complexity of the layout and had a great time decoding some of the letters in the Whalestoe part of the Appendix. I did have a few nightmares while reading it, but overall it could have been more disturbing. That's my only criticism tho- the 'scariness' was played up so much I was expecting it to be even more chilling. It is definitely dark and suspenseful, but I can't say it was scary.
Posted March 4, 2008, 11:19 PM EST: The first sentence is a cautionary note. Only there to keep you reading because there are times that you will have to put down the book and question your sanity. The dual plots in this story really drive you through the book, although the frequent foot notes at the bottom of each page make you stop and wonder does it really exist 'The Navidson Record'. The old man's segments of rambling are the slowest parts, but essential to understanding him and the last years of his life. Best book I have ever read so far and I doubt I will read anything better.
Posted August 14, 2007, 7:21 PM EST: House of Leaves takes you on a trip past the easily comprehensible fears that are found in most horror books: death, crime, terror, and brings you to a place where the unknown isn't just one thing. It twists into many, shifting and changing like the subject of this book itself. Layered with complexity, House of Leaves is built upon a totally different and new idea. The author brilliantly uses many different presentations to the reader to convey what soon becomes an almost overwhelmingly confusing and new idea of horror. This book does not just change your perception of what a terrifying book should be...It may even change your view of life. I've said enough- if you enjoy a challenging read, you should give House of Leaves a try. But, as the first line of the book says, 'This is not for you.' Take caution...it may be true.

read more here: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Hou...68/?itm=1#TABS


i think a lot of people here would enjoy this kinda book