Four-and-a-half years later... Austin lets us know he was compelled to write a book. Hahahaha, I love that you've followed up with something your grandma started. I also lost my mom in 2020. I don't understand why she was taken from me and my family, but things are looking up for me now and I know that she's looking out for me in more ways than I am aware.
I read this book during my year in jail. After chapter three on the first night I knew I had to take my time. I didn't read over a chapter a night and I made notes and graph-references on the footnotes. Three other people started reading it because they saw that it was all I did. I would sleep through meals and stay up at night making notes, probably looking like I should be at Eastern State (a mental facility about a half hour away from the house). We made schedules on who read it when and shared and compared notes. By the end of it for me, three weeks later, two of them dropped out because it was too frightening and hard to read. The other guy, Alex, read it pretty fast and was just as enthusiastic about it as I was. We are both from Virginia, about a 25 minute drive from where the house is located, in Smithfield. To this day no other book can compare to this one it really helped me get through the bad times in jail and transported me to another place. I've recommended it to over three dozen people since I was released in May and no one has even started. Its a shame, really, because this book deserves a lot more attention. 10/10, wouldn't read it again; I would study it meticulously.
So does driving a car blindfolded but clearly it's not the most efficient way to do that. Human beings are visual creatures. Visual storytelling is powerful. A picture is worth a thousand words.
@@ThePreciseClimber are you like anti-book or something? You know movies come from books. And even if they're not based on a book, they have a screenplay which is akin to a book. Reading and driving a car blindfolded are no where near comparable.
@@auggiemain By all means, if you think reading a script is as good as watching a movie, only read movie scripts from now on. I'm not going to stop you.
I started it 2 days ago, I love reading and I'm a fast reader, but this one actually frustrates me, like omg that's all I've read, up to now it's not so much scary rather oddly unsettling. I'm not in the best headspace so, that adds to the experience. The "scene" where Johnny first experiences the "monster" while he's at work, I read that and was like yeah, haha, not scary at all, then I woke up in the middle of the night and I was reminded of that scene and I got so creeped out I hap to switch on the lights for a bit :)
It's really overhyped. It's not scary, and not even that good. It's just been hyped by 18-30 office women and soy boys. So if you have the fright factor of a 13 year old redditor and think everything on Earth is spoopy then sure you'll enjoy it.
to be fair, its no surprise that netflix and video games are more popular. don't get me wrong, I love a good book, but its hard to get into it when all you hear from the outside is a bunch of pretentious losers who say its an intellectual pursuit and people who do anything else are losers
This book is literally the only piece of literature that scared me, made me laugh, made me cry and me question everything about myself at the same time. Brilliant in every sense of the word.
I heard somewhere that the writer originally just made a hundred copies at a Kinkos and handed them out to Hollywood friends (his sister was the lead singer of the band Poe.) before it was published, and that someone actually found a copy of this just printed out loose, no cover or anything, at a bus stop in LA, in a Kinkos box. Imagine that mindf-ck...
That's a true story. I've met Mark three times. Twice in LA, once in NYC. I don't know how to describe it. This Is Not For You is tattooed in blue, on my left inner forearm, straight along the suicide line. If that gives you an idea.
Ah man. You really do a fantastic job of summing up the book without spoiling anything major. I'm gonna have to show this to my friends and see if this will finally convince them to go find a copy somewhere.
Don't. I do not call this full horror but this is like psychological warfare on your mind. It requires remembering phrases more than 80 pages back to understand a paragraph at times and lots of analytical reading. Save this one for a later age.
@@maggieent3215 It would have helped to know how old you actually are. I'd say anyone younger than 15 probably shouldn't even attempt to read this book; not just because of the horror elements, but also because it's a really challenging book - just wait til you're a bit older. At 15-17, you will struggle with this book, but you can probably get through it if you're committed and take your time. Any older than 17 and you're definitely capable of reading it, but again, take your time with it.
I went to get this book, and the guy knew exactly what and where it was. This was a book guy. He hands it to me and says "hardest book you'll ever read, not just because it's a difficult read, but because it'll haunt you man, that's said it'll also be the best reading experience of your life if you can get through it." Terrifying. Btw, this book is MASSIVE. WAY BIGGER AND THICKER THAN YOU THOUGHT, granted, some pages are basically blank, but still.. I am scared and intimidated by this beast. Wish me luck.
Yesterday, I was talking to my son about books we've read in the past. I couldn't help but tell him about this one. I grabbed it from my shelf and handed it to him. The next day, having never before entered this title into a search bar, this video is recommended to me. My phone must be listening to me. As usual.
@@blondehaywire6119 well kind of. Instead of a organization listening to us we have a algorithm listening and trying to figure out how to make money and give us what we want. There's pros and cons.
I just finished this experience a week or so ago and when I went to start a new book, I couldn't. I have hundreds of books on my shelves to read and dozens that are unread. I couldn't start a new book. The closest I could get was re-reading some H.P. Lovecraft. This book did something to me very subtly. It took me about 12 days to read, and fully digest (take it slow, don't plow through it. Literally read it very slow, like you're savoring a delicious dessert). When I got to the end, and read through .... "read through" the appendices, I thought I was finished. I thought it had somewhat concluded and I could say that I was done. Well, I picked up the book again. I started reading it again, from the first page after the colorful cover insert. I read it again and am maybe 100 pages in again and there are things I noticed this time that I didn't before. Some of them were foreshadowing type of things. Some were.... well, ... Let's say I felt a little like Truant. I now had the framing of the multiple layers of story built in my mind. I now had some context. The story delivers quite a new experience the second time through. I also noticed this time that Danielewski really loves puns.... I sort of didn't pick up on that the first time because I was trying really hard to absorb everything as real as possible. This story is worth a read for everyone - even if it's just to see what you thought of it. One thing for sure...I'm still having trouble thinking about what books I will read after this one....
a well written book is not bland or boring. it allows you to completely go into another world. it consumes you and takes you into the story so wholly its like a leaving this world for a bit and escaping. its magical. I LOVE reading.
The reason people don't enjoy reading is, imo, largely due to the books kids are forced to read in schools. People forced to read something they don't want to and taught to see reading as a chore will never fall in love with it. But reading is just another way of experiencing stories and learning about the world. It's not as rewarding in a sensory way as television, movies, video games, or even radio/podcasts, that's true. But reading is more rewarding in a deeper sense. There's more depth to the written word, more understanding of the characters and the world. No one else will ever read the book the same way you did, there's beauty in that uniqueness. Reading is also proven to be the most effective way to improve your empathy. It's the closest thing to ever being inside someone else's point of mind. Those are things you can't get from other mediums. People who don't enjoy reading just haven't found the right books for them yet. Same goes for people who 'don't like' music or TV or films...
There was a radio drama of House of Leaves in german radio broadcasting. It was broadcasted on three channels simultaneously, with every channel telling different aspects. So much for "linearity".
I don't know if he realized it when he made that comment, but darn that was ableist. I'm blind, and i'm pretty sure they don't have a braille version available, so of course I will get an audio version.
@@thetickedoffpianoplayer4193 I can see how it might sound that way, but it’s not really an ableist thing. The way the book is structured is really hard to describe, but there would be no good way to read it aloud. It’s a maze of confusing footnotes and references and some of the pages are hard to even describe. They have strange sections that are sort of isolated on one side of the page and then absent on the reverse, like holes. It’s would probably be way better as a Braille edition, because it would come closest to retaining the structure. Although even that might be difficult, with how Braille can take more space. It might not line up the same. And the structure is essential to the reading experience, it immersed you and creates a lot of the sense of uneasiness. That would be a good challenge - how to make this book accessible without losing what makes it so atmospheric.
@@thetickedoffpianoplayer4193 It's similar to people who say games aren't worth playing if you have to set them on easy mode, and even complaining about the existence of easy mode, not realizing that some people have physical limitations which make using the controls for precise movements harder, and they would be completely locked out without easy mode.
I just read the sequence of Truant in the hallway. Felt like a little kid again, terrified because I was certain there was a monster just out of sight... Fuck this pile of paper. I love this pile of paper
I bought this book when I was 15. Still have it to this day. It remains one of my favorites. I tried looking for electronic versions of it but they just not the same. It took me about a month to finish the book, and it was one of the most mind-bending things I have read or seen. The book even uses the paragraphs size and format about what is going on in the descriptions to mess with and put you in the character's shoes. Trust me it's weird and awesome in how it does that.
I was 15 too, and it was such a strange time to read a book like this. My imagination ran wild and I still think about this book often. I was a huge fan of the band Circa Survive who has an album called Juturna that is based off the book... that was my introduction to this glorious thing.
"Read it all in a day or two..." I seriously applaud anybody who is able to read that in 2 days :D I did it over the course of 3 months, slowly going insane
It's not scary like a horror movie. It's more like a thriller with no point. Such an interesting, original story. It's more emotional and profound than unnerving.
One thing you forgot to mention, you cannot read this book under the covers. I have a theory that Danieleweski gave it the, uh, third-dimensional page turning/backtracking aspect just to prevent one from being able to hide from the monsters under their beds while reading it.
One of my all time favorite books. This one will haunt your mind and live inside your heart forever. Also the album “Haunted” by Poe is a bit of a companion piece and a good listen. She’s the author’s sister.
@@averyharris7 Some more than others, but it's honestly best to listen to the whole album in one go, to see the tapestry woven throughout. The runtime isn't super intimidating, just a little over an hour.
When I was in detox getting clean from heroin I became close with another patient who let borrow this book. I was so obsessed that when we were released he let me keep it. I have been lucky enough to stay clean and get my life together but my friend was not so lucky and passed a few weeks later. RIP Jax I’ll never forget your kindness to me when I needed it the most.
scariest part of house of leaves for me was the feeling that as the reader i was just one layer further removed from the story and that the black book held in my hands had significance to the story (if that makes sense lol) needless to say towards the end i couldnt sleep with it on my bedside table and had to put it in another room when i was finished reading for the night
JRUAMN So the book is very, very meta. Constant citations and footnotes makes it feel like an actual document. The book is obviously fiction, but it FEELS non-fiction. There’s so many narrators that you start to feel like you’re a narrator in how your experience shapes up to be.
Same kind of. In my bookshelf I would cover another book over it instead of leaving it at the top because I felt like I wanted to cover it so that I wouldn’t keep reading it. I’m still reading it. Should I or not?
There's an awesome deluxe edition that I read from the public library that not only had those weird little boxes and font changes, but also had some pages with translucent pages printed on both sides so you could see both pages at once
Worth mentioning that Mark Z. Danielewski’s sister is the musician Poe, and she released a companion CD to this book called Haunted. When I first finished reading this book, I put the CD on and cried my eyes out to the opening track (which, creepily enough, has the same harmonic movement as the background music in this video!). Turns out Mark and Poe made a promise to make some art honoring their departed father, and the book and music are a beautiful combo.
@@beautifulmeeses Idk, just for some action and context. :3 I went to go check my list of Chrome themes I liked 'cause I didn't remember the name of the theme from memory.
I enjoyed reading House of Leaves (mostly) but I can't say I was particularly scared by it. Everything creepy about the metanarratives failed to pay off in creep factor for me, and the constant interruption of the metanarrative kept me from fully getting immersed in the central story, much as I enjoyed it.
Thank you, I'm not the only one! Maybe it's just because I was introduced to it by an XKCD comic, but it wasn't really scary to me, just a fascinating minderbender
There’s also an album accompaniment to this novel, recorded by the author’s sister. While in no way as unsettling as the book, it does have its moments of disquiet. Look for “Haunted” by Poe. Incidentally, both the album and the book can be viewed as a way of addressing their father’s death.
When I read this book, a book about a man in a labyrinth, it made me Feel trapped in a labyrinth, I felt claustrophobic. The font was small and stretch all the way to the edges of the page, it was upside down, inside out and each page felt like an entire chapter. Then you start to get free, the font size increases, entire pages are left blank and you feel the openness and freedom. This book is nothing short of incredible. Would recommend
There's also a companion book called "The Whalestoe Letters," a collection of letters from Johnny's mother while she's locked up in a mental institute.
Daniel, I'll have to double check this since it's been a long time since I've read them. But I believe the separately publish Whalestoe Letter contains some letters not included in the Appendix. If you read HoL like I did it was a maze that lead from the body to the footnotes to the appendices and back again. :D
Rick Elder Ah, it appears you are correct! Eleven additional letters can be found in the stand-alone not included in the Three Attic printing, the version from the appendices. Went ahead and ordered a copy of that. XD Man, this book changes you. To confirm what it said on Wikipedia I ended up texting my ex-GF who I haven't spoken to in five years (she owns a bookshop), who was very confused but still made sure for me. We are now going out for coffee sometime soon. Hopefully I don't return to this thread in a few months mumbling about having to kill a Minotaur, lol.
After you read The Whalestoe letters, you will find one letter that needs to be decoded by reading the first letter of each word. The story of that letter is horrifying but this tells us there is more decoded stuff in this book. Not sure which letter is it, but after you decode it you will get the phrase "My dear Zampano, who did you lose?" or something like that. Written by Johnny's mother. Also there is plenty of hidden morse code, which you decode by using paragraphs and such. Then there's the whole thing with check marks, which Johnny's mom mentions once but they also appear in some Navidson parts. Mannnn I need to reread this whole bitch again.
I think the "books are boring" problem comes from school forcing students to read stuff they can't relate to either because it's 400 years old or it's super boring and uninteresting. not only students are forced to read that stuff, teachers go on and on and on and on about details that don't matter or were not intented to deep something deep. students wouldn't think "books are boring" if they had to read interesting stuff or from more recent times so they can relate to those worlds and realities. it doesn't have to be something from this year, but how do you expect students to understand, relate or care about stuff from 400 years ago?. it being mandatory contributes to the feeling that "books are boring" or a chore because even at at unconcious level, you feel "it's the bad thing I was forced to do and I hated it, I'm not doing that now that I can avoid it!". I like sci fi and fantasy books, I don't think reading is boring, but I can understand why some people think it.
I suffer with bad anxiety and reading this every night before going to sleep nearly triggered a psychotic break. But I was addicted. It is the most powerful book I have ever read and when I have finished my current read I'm going to pick it up again. I never, ever thought I would do that. I like giving books to people when I've finished them but this book was never belonging to anyone else. An amazing concept, created meticulously. Beautiful in its ferocity.
I heard about HoL from another RUclipsr and picked it up immediately. Still in back of my mind I was like how scary can this be - then I read the title dedication “This is not for you”. Got goosebumps right away. What a great way to put you right on guard
I'm buying the "House of Leaves" off of Amazon right now. I hope my expectations aren't too high cus I really want to get lost in the multi-layered narrative that you eloquently advertised and reviewed.
Please be careful when reading. People have panic attacks and mental breakdowns from it me included. Grab yourself a nice cup of tea and ground yourself before reading
I spent a year searching for The House of Leaves. Many of the bookstores I went to didn't have it. In fact, the one I bought was the last copy. It was expensive, yeah, but it was so, so worth it. I wouldn't call myself an avid book reader but to this day The House of Leaves has this sort of. . . feeling to it that's unlike anything else I've ever read. Every time I'd look up from the pages I'd be disoriented, so wrapped up in its story that whenever I take my eyes off of the book it feels like the floor's been snatched from right underneath me. I spent a month reading it and I've still yet to translate one of the letters at the end. It really lives up to its reputation as something unorthodox. To anybody that's planning on reading The House of Leaves, please, take your time reading it. Try to immerse yourself into the letters and words. Tilt the book this way and that. Interact with it. I'd say it's a bit of an effort reading it, and it'll certainly draw you some stares in a coffee shop when they see you flipping back and forth between pages and turning the book upside down, but that's the beauty of it. Don't rush through it. Enjoy it.
If you like this book I highly recommend I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid. One of the best reads I have had in a very, very long time. Deeply unsettling and compelling. I still think about it.
It’s fun finding this comment now. Yeah yeah you can make your “the book was better” tirade, but for a major company to put out a movie like that takes some serious cajones.
if i could erase the details of any media from my mind just so i could experience it again, it’d absolutely be this book. the way i read it was definitely too sporadic and fast, reading anywhere from 0 to like 2 chapters in an hour during my study hall period. also i wish i had taken notes
There is a supplementary soundtrack of sorts to the book. Mark Z. Danielewski's sister Anne who goes by the name POE based an entire album entitled Haunted on this book. Its eerie.
Rockart9 It is weird that I've actually really put a lot of time into searching an appropriate soundtrack for this book since starting it - I'm kind of used to reading with music on. It really requires you to be in a very certain headspace and accompanying this read with the proper auditory supplements really enhances the experience and I'm looking forward to trying out this album. For now the closest I have come is anything from Godspeed You! Black Emperor - something I heartily recommend too.
I've been a fan of Poe for years so when I heard about the book I had to check. Apparently, both the book and album came about after their father's passing. here's one of the songs... House of Leaves /watch?v=2atWWO_XLqI its eerie and one of the voice is a recording of their father that they found. There's a line you can barely hear: Father: (soft) I WASN'T SURE IF I'M GOING TO SURVIVE THIS HORROR....} Brother: NO ONE SHOULD (fading) BRAVE THE UNDERWORLD ALONE.
Its funny because I've been a huge fan of House of Leaves for quite some time and ended up discovering POE after "Haunted" was used in the game Alan Wake. It was a full year later that I realized she was Danielewski's sister and that all the House of Leaves references in the album were because it was a companion piece to the book. I just thought she was a big fan of the book.
Completely agreed. It looks like people are finding it though: it says your comment was posted a month ago, so in the past month, it has grown from 7K to 17K. Still not nearly enough. It should have at least a thousand times that many subs.
This is the only book that ever made me question my sense of reality after finishing it. Like seriously don't read it unless you're in a good mental place.
This book has had such a large impact and influence on my life as a person and writer/artist over the last 15 years that it's hard to fully describe. Well worth a read if you are able to finish it. Another personal note, I've had more than a couple of reader friends, whom i have recommended this book (like bought them a copy and gifted them), who told me almost the same thing verbatim when they were unable to get past chapter 3: even just looking at this book makes me feel like I'm loosing my mind. It's not an inaccurate assessment of how it feels to read this book, like everytime.
Late to the train but, I've read this book maybe fifteen years ago and, it does hit you. Every time I hear mention of it, I get goosebumps. No joke. This isn't a book, it's an adventure.
Bought the book a few days after seeing this video. I'm in college and have a lot to do but I did start reading it. *spoilers ahead* What's intrigued and unsettled me the most so far is a footnote at the beginning of Zampano's manuscript that says parts of the Navidson Record have subtitles that are just question marks and onomatopoeia. That small detail brings up so many questions.
Same and same. Also I found some of Johnny's remarks in the introduction and first chapters extremely unnerving, just glimpsing at what reading the manuscript apparently has done to him has genuinely made me reconsider if I even want to read the book.
Yo its been almost 4 years since u posted this and i first found out about it and i gotta come back here to THANK YOU its literally my favorite book ever. Cant believe its already 3 years since i finished it for the 1st time.... crazy
i totally hate horror (book or movie) but this book was the greatest read of my life and at the same time the worst mistake i ever made. I cldnt stop reading it yet it tortured my head so i cldnt keep on reading after 5 pages. took me half a year and for the people who already read it: i basically behaved like johnny and zampano before he died
Yes. This guy did a pretty good job of selling this book. Whenever I try to describe it to someone I just end up speechless. Listen to this man and go get this book now.
I'm a simple girl, I see house of leaves I fucking click that shit. This novel is everything I've ever wanted and everything I never knew I wanted in a story.
i kept trying to find house of leaves as a e-book but no one had it and i was very confused. but i’d heard amazing things about it, so i went ahead and bought the actual book. when it arrived, i looked through it and then i understood.
Yes. I read this for one of my last literature classes in university, oddly enough one focused on the history of literature and physical books (this book represented the modern, alternative side of things), and it gave me nightmares. Something interesting though is that my professor at the time said she reads it as a different genre each time she re-reads it, and she re-read the whole thing each time she wanted to introduce it to a class. Her sixth reading of the book seemed like a romance to her, apparently. Just some food for thought.
This is 8 months after you publish this video but i have to say it: I found this channel by chance on the harry potter and the cursed child videos, watched a few more. but this has to be your magnum opus (thus far). This hits home, It took me 3 years to find this book after finding out of it on XKCD, and i have no shame on saying i did not finish it. to this day it still haunts me. I did not finish it, when i finished a chapter i started to thumb through the book, and i read a phrase by accident, which made me stood still and couldn't continue the book afterwards. Will try to pick it up again when i finish the Tom Clancy Books. The videos are great, And i just subscribed to your channel. Have a wonderful Tuesday. Cheers.
Wow, just finished your Harry Potter video and LG15 video and love your style. Like I said in the other video, it's analytical mix of youtubers I love. Please keep making these types of videos dude.
This is excellent! I've asked for this book for Christmas and cannot wait to get it. This is one of the best summaries or explanations I've heard on this so far!
Picking up the book on your recommendations. Thanks for putting so much time in editing edit your videos. Hope to be a part of some webseries you make one day.
I think that movies are able to unsettle people in the conceptual vein of House of Leaves. 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Lighthouse, and A Ghost Story all put me in a similar place that “House of Leaves” does. Even if it isn’t to the extent or as powerful as “House of Leaves” I think that it shows that no medium of storytelling is restricted of conveying what it wants to, even if they have to convey it in a way or style unique to the medium. I really loved the video and I’m glad to see someone else encouraging others to read this incredible book!
In the middle of a reread now. It may or may not be the scariest ever, but it sure is my favorite ever, and I have you to thank for that. House of Leaves is the kind of incredible that got me back into reading, and subsequently, writing. You've made a lot of amazing content over the years I've been subscribed to this channel, but this video will most likely always be the most important one to me. Thank you.
I love books! They're so calming when you need a break from sound and screens. They make your imagination go wild. It's just hard to find books I like.
I have ADHD so reading and keeping my attention while reading is very difficult. I barely finish books. Even if I am loving them. THIS ONE however has held my attention hostage. As if now I have read these words I too am bound between the covers. What I never see anyone talk about is the sheer genius in this books pacing. Every story being told is mixing its high tension with other stories luls. There is ALWAYS a question you are waiting for an answer to, there is always something to worry about. A triumph in not only horror fiction but fiction as a whole. A deeply disturbing but endlessly interesting book. If you are on the fence PLEASE give this book a go. I don’t think I have ever looked over my shoulder, just incase, this many times while enjoying a bit of horror media
I am into cosmic horror. But when he said.. "this book will make you not look at books the same way" I think the real horror is about the book.. the book is kind of sinister. This is my initial presumption but I could be wrong. if this book is haunting, then I recommend for people to be strong hearted while reading it.
I've had this book in my house for years. I cannot remember how long its been; my older sister bought it and left it behind when she moved out, and it's possible she bought it anywhere between 2000 and 2008. I can't remember if I first tried this book at 10 or 18, but I've tried multiple times and never managed to get past a certain point, not because I was scared, but because I wasn't invested enough. I picked it up again a few months ago, read through the Introduction, and set it aside again. Thanks to your video, I'm going to try one more time and see how far I get. Maybe it just hasn't been the right time until now; that's happened with other books. If anyone cares, I can keep y'all posted!
This book got into my head when I read it. I believe I was around 19 or 20 my girlfriend at the time told me it was in her top five. I think I finished it in under a week maybe four or five days I felt so uneasy, like someone was watching me and to this day I have an irrational fear that a a door is going to appear on one of my walls. I have a feeling it played a role in pushing my life in the direction its gone. Whether that's good or bad is still on the table. Beautifully written. I just recently got another copy my wife had never heard of House of Leaves before. She's reading it now and I think I will re-read it after she finishes.
the only time I've read a book that made me too scared to quit reading because the idea of turning out the lights and going to bed became terrifying, definitely recommend
I'm still an avid reader to this day. I always bring a book with me when I'm on break at my work, and I have another one at my night stand before I go to bed. This one seems very interesting, and I'm definitely adding it to my reading list.
Hey Austin, I was really intrigued by your description of this novel and I went ahead and got it. It just arrived from Amazon and I'm quite excited to read it. I went ahead and got the hardcover edition, sadly, I think sorta detracted from the intended effect of what you described in its unusual form, as the cover is not smaller, but is a picture of what the cover's intent was. Although I think I'll be able to cope with it, and the book is quite beautiful anyways. Just wanted to let you know that your video really did make an impact on me, and I commend you for your great job.
+Freakality's Domain Hey, I know you left this comment months back, but I had a question considering I just watched this vid and now want to read this novel. By Hardcover Edition, are you possibly referring to the Amazon "Library-Bound" Edition? That's the only hardcover version I can find, but there are no images of it. I was actually wondering if the cover effect would be the same as described by austinmcconnell in that version. Would you personally say the extra price for the Hardcover is worth it, minus that interesting cover effect as previously mentioned? Or would you say to just go for the paperback?
I fr watched this video this morning and stopped by half-price books later that day, and the guy at the counter had one right next to him, it freaked me out
This is easily my favorite book. I think this book is an absolute work of art. Supremely terrifying and creative. I have never found another book even remotely structured in any similar manner except by Mark Z. Danielewski himself.
I read this book when I was 17. English is not my first language and at the time I could barely speak or understand it but I wanted to read this book so bad that I decided to sit down with a dictionary at hand and read the entire book from cover to cover. Took me two months and after this I had learned English. That's like 13 years ago and I really want to re-read this book. I was completely obsessed with it back then and went on the house of leaves forum to discuss the book with other fans and I even did a paper on it for school. The part of the book that legitimately scared me the most was a segment where Johnny thinks he's being followed by the Minotaur. I can't remember all of the circumstances or the context, just that I was reading that part on the bus home from school and I was almost shitting my pants. Really good book. It permanently changed the way I work and think as an artist and I still remember the excitement of reading this thing. How it was my favourite part of the day.
I watched this video two years ago and ended up buying the book and reading it. It's truly incredible, very bizarre, and a great read for anyone with the time (it's very long). Thank you for this video, otherwise I might have never known about House of Leaves!
When I read "If Inception was a novel" I got annoyed, mad even. But this was a great-well not review, but a great way of explaining the book. It took me nearly 3 years to read it and I'm glad I took my time with it.
Great description of House of Leaves. The spiral staircase part really got me when I read this book in 2002, I could literally feel the disorientation while turning the book. It's one of my absolute favourites and I talk about it to this day whenever I have a conversation about books with people.
Spooky appearance as I was lent a copy of this book around 2006 and it caused me to get very interested in books. The enthusiasm of the video really helps people understand it is a very important book and really well worth reading - thankyou so much for reminding me that it is a real book...
When you were reprimanding us about not reading, I was listening to this to fall asleep. And I read plenty of books, thank you. Also, Macbeth is a play and should be presented as such.
I have a friend who said he had a copy of House of Leaves on his shelf. One day, he noticed it was missing. He lives alone. Several days later, it reappeared. "That's not the book you want that to happen with!", he nervously laughed. He was right - it's not. You can't e-book this. The way it's printed is amazing, and it's important. I can only imagine the printer's head exploding as this insane concept was being explained. Another friend of mine lent me his copy many years ago, and it drew me into its madness. I poured over every page in a way I had never done before (or since). The taut atmosphere is so well crafted and compellingly presented, I fought to put it down. If you haven't read this, buy it, and strap in. You won't be the same afterwards...
Развлечения
Hi. I just wrote a book that is way less scary. ruclips.net/video/sIipouhQLK8/видео.html
Really cool, nice to see.
Austin McConnell + Grandma collab
I dont remember this video
Four-and-a-half years later... Austin lets us know he was compelled to write a book.
Hahahaha, I love that you've followed up with something your grandma started. I also lost my mom in 2020. I don't understand why she was taken from me and my family, but things are looking up for me now and I know that she's looking out for me in more ways than I am aware.
I just wrote this comment. It isn't even mildly scary.
I read this book during my year in jail. After chapter three on the first night I knew I had to take my time. I didn't read over a chapter a night and I made notes and graph-references on the footnotes. Three other people started reading it because they saw that it was all I did. I would sleep through meals and stay up at night making notes, probably looking like I should be at Eastern State (a mental facility about a half hour away from the house). We made schedules on who read it when and shared and compared notes. By the end of it for me, three weeks later, two of them dropped out because it was too frightening and hard to read. The other guy, Alex, read it pretty fast and was just as enthusiastic about it as I was. We are both from Virginia, about a 25 minute drive from where the house is located, in Smithfield. To this day no other book can compare to this one it really helped me get through the bad times in jail and transported me to another place. I've recommended it to over three dozen people since I was released in May and no one has even started. Its a shame, really, because this book deserves a lot more attention. 10/10, wouldn't read it again; I would study it meticulously.
Hey there fellow Tidewater denizen
May I ask why you were in jail? Just wondering lol
@@Taskicore eluding, wreckless, assault of law enforcement 2x
@@cashews224 king behavior
Howdy, neighbor! I didn't realize the house was set in Va. I'm def going to give it another shot.
books aren't boring, but reading isn't easy: it requires concentration and imagination and not everyone has those things
Or has the energy for it.
@@hamandeggs23 or chooses to devote energy to it.
So does driving a car blindfolded but clearly it's not the most efficient way to do that.
Human beings are visual creatures. Visual storytelling is powerful. A picture is worth a thousand words.
@@ThePreciseClimber are you like anti-book or something? You know movies come from books. And even if they're not based on a book, they have a screenplay which is akin to a book. Reading and driving a car blindfolded are no where near comparable.
@@auggiemain By all means, if you think reading a script is as good as watching a movie, only read movie scripts from now on. I'm not going to stop you.
"Seriously, take your time!"
Me, who's been reading this book for about 6 months and is not even halfway through it: I don't think I have a choice....
Getting through it just once isn’t even enough... it never ends
It was either that or what I did. Spend 30 hours reading it across 3 days and not being able to sleep
Ditto. Lol
Took me a year and I feel like I rushed.
I started it 2 days ago, I love reading and I'm a fast reader, but this one actually frustrates me, like omg that's all I've read, up to now it's not so much scary rather oddly unsettling. I'm not in the best headspace so, that adds to the experience. The "scene" where Johnny first experiences the "monster" while he's at work, I read that and was like yeah, haha, not scary at all, then I woke up in the middle of the night and I was reminded of that scene and I got so creeped out I hap to switch on the lights for a bit :)
as an extreme book lover, when he said books are boring I died a little inside.
It's really overhyped. It's not scary, and not even that good. It's just been hyped by 18-30 office women and soy boys. So if you have the fright factor of a 13 year old redditor and think everything on Earth is spoopy then sure you'll enjoy it.
@@dr.lexwinter8604 oh fuck off
to be fair, its no surprise that netflix and video games are more popular. don't get me wrong, I love a good book, but its hard to get into it when all you hear from the outside is a bunch of pretentious losers who say its an intellectual pursuit and people who do anything else are losers
I didn't even continue watching. If it's just going to be that kind of video I'm not interested
Dr. Lex Winter I havnt read it but I know your a prick. You prick
"when the last time you read a book?"
bedroom is literally a library
As it should be
Same, mine is more library than bedroom
the only reason for buying a kindle was the impeding collapse of the floors underneath the dead-tree-books.
Mine is also but I dont read that much, I just think that having two walls filled with books looks pretty
Same, it's getting out of control
This book is literally the only piece of literature that scared me, made me laugh, made me cry and me question everything about myself at the same time. Brilliant in every sense of the word.
It's been 15 years since I last read it and it's still the only book I've had to put down for an evening because it was freaking me out too much.
I've been reading this book for 10 years and still haven't reached the end. It's like there are more pages every time I open it...
Kind of like the house, it’s bigger than it looks
Hahaha. Nice.
Terrifying, considering the House....
(I'm still reading it as well)
SAME I CANNOT FINISH IT I’m 28 and have been trying since I was 14
😅
I heard somewhere that the writer originally just made a hundred copies at a Kinkos and handed them out to Hollywood friends (his sister was the lead singer of the band Poe.) before it was published, and that someone actually found a copy of this just printed out loose, no cover or anything, at a bus stop in LA, in a Kinkos box. Imagine that mindf-ck...
and you wouldn't know if it was real or not? Would be so weird
I like Poe
@@beckymcdonald9529 Poe likes you
That's a true story. I've met Mark three times. Twice in LA, once in NYC. I don't know how to describe it. This Is Not For You is tattooed in blue, on my left inner forearm, straight along the suicide line. If that gives you an idea.
if you read the book and also listen to her cd Haunted at the same time on a loop you'll realized they're meant to compliment each other
You could sell snow shovels in June. Grabs the viewer in the first ten seconds and never turns loose. Great job!
Ah man. You really do a fantastic job of summing up the book without spoiling anything major. I'm gonna have to show this to my friends and see if this will finally convince them to go find a copy somewhere.
Don't. I do not call this full horror but this is like psychological warfare on your mind. It requires remembering phrases more than 80 pages back to understand a paragraph at times and lots of analytical reading. Save this one for a later age.
@@captaindragon8179 uh, I'm older than twelve, but should I wait until I'm 25? I read a postmodern book before but it confused me greatly
Captain dragon now you’ve made me want to get it even more! Welp...
@Daniel Anthony Senan Gallagher thats the best part!!
@@maggieent3215 It would have helped to know how old you actually are.
I'd say anyone younger than 15 probably shouldn't even attempt to read this book; not just because of the horror elements, but also because it's a really challenging book - just wait til you're a bit older. At 15-17, you will struggle with this book, but you can probably get through it if you're committed and take your time.
Any older than 17 and you're definitely capable of reading it, but again, take your time with it.
I went to get this book, and the guy knew exactly what and where it was. This was a book guy. He hands it to me and says "hardest book you'll ever read, not just because it's a difficult read, but because it'll haunt you man, that's said it'll also be the best reading experience of your life if you can get through it." Terrifying. Btw, this book is MASSIVE. WAY BIGGER AND THICKER THAN YOU THOUGHT, granted, some pages are basically blank, but still.. I am scared and intimidated by this beast. Wish me luck.
Also, LITERALLY hard to read. requiring rotating and mirrors and all sorts of nonsense.
It's even bigger on the inside.
@@fnsmike lol.
@@fnsmike Comments like this make youtube comments worthwhile to read lmao
I suddenly want to meet that guy...
Yesterday, I was talking to my son about books we've read in the past. I couldn't help but tell him about this one. I grabbed it from my shelf and handed it to him. The next day, having never before entered this title into a search bar, this video is recommended to me. My phone must be listening to me. As usual.
As usual.
I was just THINKING about this book 2 days ago. I never said it out loud 😲
It’s called “The Patriot Act”. 1984 is becoming a reality
@@blondehaywire6119 well kind of. Instead of a organization listening to us we have a algorithm listening and trying to figure out how to make money and give us what we want. There's pros and cons.
@@sleepingninjaquiettime Yeah, it's more corporate 1984 than government 1984
I'm both extremely excited and terrified to read this
Rachel Ke The correct way to feel.
Same I just finished reading the Introduction and am currently on the documentary
I couldn’t get into it.
This is not for you.
I just finished this experience a week or so ago and when I went to start a new book, I couldn't. I have hundreds of books on my shelves to read and dozens that are unread. I couldn't start a new book. The closest I could get was re-reading some H.P. Lovecraft. This book did something to me very subtly. It took me about 12 days to read, and fully digest (take it slow, don't plow through it. Literally read it very slow, like you're savoring a delicious dessert). When I got to the end, and read through .... "read through" the appendices, I thought I was finished. I thought it had somewhat concluded and I could say that I was done.
Well, I picked up the book again. I started reading it again, from the first page after the colorful cover insert. I read it again and am maybe 100 pages in again and there are things I noticed this time that I didn't before. Some of them were foreshadowing type of things. Some were.... well, ... Let's say I felt a little like Truant. I now had the framing of the multiple layers of story built in my mind. I now had some context. The story delivers quite a new experience the second time through.
I also noticed this time that Danielewski really loves puns.... I sort of didn't pick up on that the first time because I was trying really hard to absorb everything as real as possible.
This story is worth a read for everyone - even if it's just to see what you thought of it.
One thing for sure...I'm still having trouble thinking about what books I will read after this one....
Watched the first thirty seconds. Paused the video. Ordered House Of Leaves off Amazon.
And...
@@farmsalot1233 he's probably with Holloway by now I'd say
Watched the video twice or maybe trice then ordered the book
Is it weird I’ve never ordered anything off amazon
@@farmsalot1233 disappointed, I imagine
a well written book is not bland or boring. it allows you to completely go into another world. it consumes you and takes you into the story so wholly its like a leaving this world for a bit and escaping. its magical. I LOVE reading.
Well said.
Eh, can be said about anything that can be consumed, only that books are harder to get through
exactly.
shut up nerd
The reason people don't enjoy reading is, imo, largely due to the books kids are forced to read in schools. People forced to read something they don't want to and taught to see reading as a chore will never fall in love with it.
But reading is just another way of experiencing stories and learning about the world. It's not as rewarding in a sensory way as television, movies, video games, or even radio/podcasts, that's true. But reading is more rewarding in a deeper sense. There's more depth to the written word, more understanding of the characters and the world. No one else will ever read the book the same way you did, there's beauty in that uniqueness. Reading is also proven to be the most effective way to improve your empathy. It's the closest thing to ever being inside someone else's point of mind. Those are things you can't get from other mediums. People who don't enjoy reading just haven't found the right books for them yet. Same goes for people who 'don't like' music or TV or films...
"don't even try to look for an audio version" -- spoken as I was in the process of searching for audio
There was a radio drama of House of Leaves in german radio broadcasting. It was broadcasted on three channels simultaneously, with every channel telling different aspects. So much for "linearity".
I can’t even imagine how they would put everything in order... every time I read this book, I never hit it in the same order.
I don't know if he realized it when he made that comment, but darn that was ableist. I'm blind, and i'm pretty sure they don't have a braille version available, so of course I will get an audio version.
@@thetickedoffpianoplayer4193 I can see how it might sound that way, but it’s not really an ableist thing. The way the book is structured is really hard to describe, but there would be no good way to read it aloud. It’s a maze of confusing footnotes and references and some of the pages are hard to even describe. They have strange sections that are sort of isolated on one side of the page and then absent on the reverse, like holes. It’s would probably be way better as a Braille edition, because it would come closest to retaining the structure. Although even that might be difficult, with how Braille can take more space. It might not line up the same. And the structure is essential to the reading experience, it immersed you and creates a lot of the sense of uneasiness. That would be a good challenge - how to make this book accessible without losing what makes it so atmospheric.
@@thetickedoffpianoplayer4193 It's similar to people who say games aren't worth playing if you have to set them on easy mode, and even complaining about the existence of easy mode, not realizing that some people have physical limitations which make using the controls for precise movements harder, and they would be completely locked out without easy mode.
This goddamn pile of paper made me afraid of the dark at almost 30 years old. I absolutely adore this goddamn pile of paper.
The monsters are why I love the dark. Every shadow could intimate a more interesting world than we have appeared to live in.
@@capoeirastronaut curiosity is the enemy of fear!
@@Stork-Fi Fear is life's greatest supporter.
My friend calls books "word boxes" haha
I just read the sequence of Truant in the hallway. Felt like a little kid again, terrified because I was certain there was a monster just out of sight...
Fuck this pile of paper.
I love this pile of paper
I bought this book when I was 15. Still have it to this day. It remains one of my favorites. I tried looking for electronic versions of it but they just not the same. It took me about a month to finish the book, and it was one of the most mind-bending things I have read or seen. The book even uses the paragraphs size and format about what is going on in the descriptions to mess with and put you in the character's shoes. Trust me it's weird and awesome in how it does that.
Me too, I also had his sister's album "Haunted" that was like a soundtrack to the book
I was 15 too, and it was such a strange time to read a book like this. My imagination ran wild and I still think about this book often. I was a huge fan of the band Circa Survive who has an album called Juturna that is based off the book... that was my introduction to this glorious thing.
I'm fifteen right now buying this book
I’m 15 and just ordered it haha, were you “scared to go to sleep” as he says in the video after you read this?
Lindsey Constantino Haha I’m 15 and it just arrived today.
"Read it all in a day or two..."
I seriously applaud anybody who is able to read that in 2 days :D I did it over the course of 3 months, slowly going insane
It's not scary like a horror movie. It's more like a thriller with no point. Such an interesting, original story. It's more emotional and profound than unnerving.
This, thank you. Navidson's descent is otherworldly but the constant page flipping and fake citations just became exhausting...
Maybe it was a 'Journey is more important than the destination" kind of thing?
A thriller with no point sounds terrible
@@matt6223
It was terrible
It very much has a point
One thing you forgot to mention, you cannot read this book under the covers. I have a theory that Danieleweski gave it the, uh, third-dimensional page turning/backtracking aspect just to prevent one from being able to hide from the monsters under their beds while reading it.
.... if there is a monster.
Whoawhoa what the fuck
cringe
@@pip6293 why is that cringe
@@morko3981 probably cause he just learned the word and was itching to use it blindly
if a pile of dead tree with some ink stuff on it can terrify you more than any horror movie out there, then goddamn it i will read this book
One of my all time favorite books. This one will haunt your mind and live inside your heart forever. Also the album “Haunted” by Poe is a bit of a companion piece and a good listen. She’s the author’s sister.
any specific song?
@@averyharris7 Some more than others, but it's honestly best to listen to the whole album in one go, to see the tapestry woven throughout. The runtime isn't super intimidating, just a little over an hour.
When I was in detox getting clean from heroin I became close with another patient who let borrow this book. I was so obsessed that when we were released he let me keep it. I have been lucky enough to stay clean and get my life together but my friend was not so lucky and passed a few weeks later. RIP Jax I’ll never forget your kindness to me when I needed it the most.
Your friend left you with something to remember them by in more ways than one. I hope you’re still clean and well, that struggle can last forever.
scariest part of house of leaves for me was the feeling that as the reader i was just one layer further removed from the story and that the black book held in my hands had significance to the story (if that makes sense lol)
needless to say towards the end i couldnt sleep with it on my bedside table and had to put it in another room when i was finished reading for the night
Can you explain more? I just ordered this book don’t scare me like that
JRUAMN So the book is very, very meta. Constant citations and footnotes makes it feel like an actual document. The book is obviously fiction, but it FEELS non-fiction. There’s so many narrators that you start to feel like you’re a narrator in how your experience shapes up to be.
I just started reading it a couple days ago. I hope it scares me as much as it did you.
Same kind of. In my bookshelf I would cover another book over it instead of leaving it at the top because I felt like I wanted to cover it so that I wouldn’t keep reading it. I’m still reading it. Should I or not?
I put scary books in my freezer
There's an awesome deluxe edition that I read from the public library that not only had those weird little boxes and font changes, but also had some pages with translucent pages printed on both sides so you could see both pages at once
2:00 - For those of you who've read the book:
The book is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside
(see what they did there?)
Lol, I finally get it now!
Lmaooooo
Oh my god! Thank you for this gem
Doctor Who?
Dude spoilers
Worth mentioning that Mark Z. Danielewski’s sister is the musician Poe, and she released a companion CD to this book called Haunted. When I first finished reading this book, I put the CD on and cried my eyes out to the opening track (which, creepily enough, has the same harmonic movement as the background music in this video!). Turns out Mark and Poe made a promise to make some art honoring their departed father, and the book and music are a beautiful combo.
6:09 dude, that was my Graphic design project. we used an old picture of a house and a normal forest to create that. I just has a flashback
Seriously??
The stone path looked like train tracks. Which made it cooler cause the house almost looks like a light house.
Bruh, nice work. 👀 There's even a nice Chrome theme that uses this image. It's ((looks for my list)) called 'Foggy Night' from chromethemer.
@@Caerulean why would you put "looks for my list" in there?
@@beautifulmeeses Idk, just for some action and context. :3 I went to go check my list of Chrome themes I liked 'cause I didn't remember the name of the theme from memory.
When I saw the geometry I was like man there’s geometry it’s already scary, like my math textbook
“When’s the last time you read a book?”
I just finished House it Leaves this afternoon 😂
Perfect name
@@samwallaceart288 we are all unpaid shills, my friend. I’m just honest enough to admit it. 😉
(except for the actual paid shills)
There were nights spent reading house of leaves when I genuinely started to question my reality.
I enjoyed reading House of Leaves (mostly) but I can't say I was particularly scared by it. Everything creepy about the metanarratives failed to pay off in creep factor for me, and the constant interruption of the metanarrative kept me from fully getting immersed in the central story, much as I enjoyed it.
Thank you, I'm not the only one! Maybe it's just because I was introduced to it by an XKCD comic, but it wasn't really scary to me, just a fascinating minderbender
I consider House of Leaves probably the best book I’ve ever read, but by no means was it scary.
for those thinking of buying, ignore this review and leave your brain at the door, there is no adequate way to describe this book
I think the video did the best description for this book I've seen. But yeah, it is so unbelievably complex, I still haven't comprehended it all.
@18mikemcd Picture that.
@@brindlekintales In your dreams.
This review is for people who read the book at least once tbh
The Book is itself
There’s also an album accompaniment to this novel, recorded by the author’s sister. While in no way as unsettling as the book, it does have its moments of disquiet. Look for “Haunted” by Poe.
Incidentally, both the album and the book can be viewed as a way of addressing their father’s death.
THANK YOU FOR THIS HOLY SHI*
@@morganking580 You're very welcome! I love the title track. Lots of subtle and not-so-subtle references to the book all over the album.
When I read this book, a book about a man in a labyrinth, it made me Feel trapped in a labyrinth, I felt claustrophobic. The font was small and stretch all the way to the edges of the page, it was upside down, inside out and each page felt like an entire chapter. Then you start to get free, the font size increases, entire pages are left blank and you feel the openness and freedom. This book is nothing short of incredible. Would recommend
There's also a companion book called "The Whalestoe Letters," a collection of letters from Johnny's mother while she's locked up in a mental institute.
Rick Elder
Those letters are in the second and third editions as one of the appendices
Daniel, I'll have to double check this since it's been a long time since I've read them. But I believe the separately publish Whalestoe Letter contains some letters not included in the Appendix. If you read HoL like I did it was a maze that lead from the body to the footnotes to the appendices and back again. :D
Rick Elder
Ah, it appears you are correct! Eleven additional letters can be found in the stand-alone not included in the Three Attic printing, the version from the appendices. Went ahead and ordered a copy of that. XD
Man, this book changes you. To confirm what it said on Wikipedia I ended up texting my ex-GF who I haven't spoken to in five years (she owns a bookshop), who was very confused but still made sure for me. We are now going out for coffee sometime soon. Hopefully I don't return to this thread in a few months mumbling about having to kill a Minotaur, lol.
Daniel Gehring Well, it's been 7 months, are you going to have to kill a Minotaur?
After you read The Whalestoe letters, you will find one letter that needs to be decoded by reading the first letter of each word. The story of that letter is horrifying but this tells us there is more decoded stuff in this book.
Not sure which letter is it, but after you decode it you will get the phrase "My dear Zampano, who did you lose?" or something like that. Written by Johnny's mother.
Also there is plenty of hidden morse code, which you decode by using paragraphs and such.
Then there's the whole thing with check marks, which Johnny's mom mentions once but they also appear in some Navidson parts. Mannnn I need to reread this whole bitch again.
"Why did God create a dual universe? So he might say, be not like me, for I am alone. And he may be heard."
-House of Leaves
Hi. Ohhh I like that quote.
I think the "books are boring" problem comes from school forcing students to read stuff they can't relate to either because it's 400 years old or it's super boring and uninteresting. not only students are forced to read that stuff, teachers go on and on and on and on about details that don't matter or were not intented to deep something deep. students wouldn't think "books are boring" if they had to read interesting stuff or from more recent times so they can relate to those worlds and realities. it doesn't have to be something from this year, but how do you expect students to understand, relate or care about stuff from 400 years ago?. it being mandatory contributes to the feeling that "books are boring" or a chore because even at at unconcious level, you feel "it's the bad thing I was forced to do and I hated it, I'm not doing that now that I can avoid it!".
I like sci fi and fantasy books, I don't think reading is boring, but I can understand why some people think it.
I suffer with bad anxiety and reading this every night before going to sleep nearly triggered a psychotic break. But I was addicted. It is the most powerful book I have ever read and when I have finished my current read I'm going to pick it up again. I never, ever thought I would do that. I like giving books to people when I've finished them but this book was never belonging to anyone else. An amazing concept, created meticulously. Beautiful in its ferocity.
I heard about HoL from another RUclipsr and picked it up immediately. Still in back of my mind I was like how scary can this be - then I read the title dedication “This is not for you”. Got goosebumps right away. What a great way to put you right on guard
I'm buying the "House of Leaves" off of Amazon right now. I hope my expectations aren't too high cus I really want to get lost in the multi-layered narrative that you eloquently advertised and reviewed.
I'm on page 72 and thinking- "what the actual fuck?" XD
Amelia Bee That hall.
TallicaMan1986 When the books fell of the shelf I was chilled so much I closed the book instinctively
Same
Please be careful when reading. People have panic attacks and mental breakdowns from it me included. Grab yourself a nice cup of tea and ground yourself before reading
I spent a year searching for The House of Leaves. Many of the bookstores I went to didn't have it. In fact, the one I bought was the last copy. It was expensive, yeah, but it was so, so worth it. I wouldn't call myself an avid book reader but to this day The House of Leaves has this sort of. . . feeling to it that's unlike anything else I've ever read. Every time I'd look up from the pages I'd be disoriented, so wrapped up in its story that whenever I take my eyes off of the book it feels like the floor's been snatched from right underneath me. I spent a month reading it and I've still yet to translate one of the letters at the end. It really lives up to its reputation as something unorthodox.
To anybody that's planning on reading The House of Leaves, please, take your time reading it. Try to immerse yourself into the letters and words. Tilt the book this way and that. Interact with it. I'd say it's a bit of an effort reading it, and it'll certainly draw you some stares in a coffee shop when they see you flipping back and forth between pages and turning the book upside down, but that's the beauty of it. Don't rush through it. Enjoy it.
I would recommend listening to the album Haunted by Poe in concert with reading this book. Poe is Mark’s sister and is a companion to House of Leaves.
Ooooo thanks
If you like this book I highly recommend I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid. One of the best reads I have had in a very, very long time. Deeply unsettling and compelling. I still think about it.
Interesting, I've heard this a lot too. When I read it, I got to the end I went "Oh. Oh. It went with that overdone plot twist. Alright then."
That’s one of my favorite books!
It’s fun finding this comment now. Yeah yeah you can make your “the book was better” tirade, but for a major company to put out a movie like that takes some serious cajones.
@@tatehildyard5332 huh
@@okcoolshades2203 the movie of “I’m thinking of ending things”
I own and have read this book. This is one of the most thorough and understanding reviews I've ever seen.
Good work
"A book on shelves you can get today"
*he mocks us*
if i could erase the details of any media from my mind just so i could experience it again, it’d absolutely be this book. the way i read it was definitely too sporadic and fast, reading anywhere from 0 to like 2 chapters in an hour during my study hall period. also i wish i had taken notes
There is a supplementary soundtrack of sorts to the book. Mark Z. Danielewski's sister Anne who goes by the name POE based an entire album entitled Haunted on this book. Its eerie.
Rockart9 It is weird that I've actually really put a lot of time into searching an appropriate soundtrack for this book since starting it - I'm kind of used to reading with music on. It really requires you to be in a very certain headspace and accompanying this read with the proper auditory supplements really enhances the experience and I'm looking forward to trying out this album. For now the closest I have come is anything from Godspeed You! Black Emperor - something I heartily recommend too.
I've been a fan of Poe for years so when I heard about the book I had to check. Apparently, both the book and album came about after their father's passing. here's one of the songs... House of Leaves /watch?v=2atWWO_XLqI its eerie and one of the voice is a recording of their father that they found.
There's a line you can barely hear:
Father: (soft) I WASN'T SURE IF I'M GOING
TO SURVIVE THIS HORROR....}
Brother: NO ONE SHOULD (fading) BRAVE THE
UNDERWORLD ALONE.
It's funny, I was just going to comment the exact same thing. The audio tracks totally add to the creep factor and sets the atmosphere.
Its funny because I've been a huge fan of House of Leaves for quite some time and ended up discovering POE after "Haunted" was used in the game Alan Wake. It was a full year later that I realized she was Danielewski's sister and that all the House of Leaves references in the album were because it was a companion piece to the book. I just thought she was a big fan of the book.
Came here to find this comment, and was not disappointed :)
Your videos are way too well produced for your channel to have only 7,000+ subscribers. These videos are awesome man.
Much obliged.
agreed. You clearly put so much time and effort into these videos and it pays off. Alot
Completely agreed. It looks like people are finding it though: it says your comment was posted a month ago, so in the past month, it has grown from 7K to 17K. Still not nearly enough. It should have at least a thousand times that many subs.
And now on 1-3-17 it is at 26.5k
And now he has 32k XD At the rate hes going he should hopefully be pretty big soon :D
This is the only book that ever made me question my sense of reality after finishing it. Like seriously don't read it unless you're in a good mental place.
This book has had such a large impact and influence on my life as a person and writer/artist over the last 15 years that it's hard to fully describe. Well worth a read if you are able to finish it.
Another personal note, I've had more than a couple of reader friends, whom i have recommended this book (like bought them a copy and gifted them), who told me almost the same thing verbatim when they were unable to get past chapter 3: even just looking at this book makes me feel like I'm loosing my mind. It's not an inaccurate assessment of how it feels to read this book, like everytime.
Late to the train but, I've read this book maybe fifteen years ago and, it does hit you. Every time I hear mention of it, I get goosebumps. No joke. This isn't a book, it's an adventure.
Bought the book a few days after seeing this video. I'm in college and have a lot to do but I did start reading it.
*spoilers ahead*
What's intrigued and unsettled me the most so far is a footnote at the beginning of Zampano's manuscript that says parts of the Navidson Record have subtitles that are just question marks and onomatopoeia. That small detail brings up so many questions.
Same and same. Also I found some of Johnny's remarks in the introduction and first chapters extremely unnerving, just glimpsing at what reading the manuscript apparently has done to him has genuinely made me reconsider if I even want to read the book.
Yo its been almost 4 years since u posted this and i first found out about it and i gotta come back here to THANK YOU its literally my favorite book ever. Cant believe its already 3 years since i finished it for the 1st time.... crazy
The first time? Barely survived reading it once. It was brilliant. Terrifyingly brilliant. Terrifying.
I am not a horror book reader but the way you described this makes me really want to read this
i totally hate horror (book or movie) but this book was the greatest read of my life and at the same time the worst mistake i ever made. I cldnt stop reading it yet it tortured my head so i cldnt keep on reading after 5 pages. took me half a year and for the people who already read it: i basically behaved like johnny and zampano before he died
It's not scary at all, people posting comments it's made them have anxiety attacks clearly have issues beyond this book
"a novel" is written in purple. If you understand what the colour purple means-specfically for this book- just make it more interesting
Yes. This guy did a pretty good job of selling this book. Whenever I try to describe it to someone I just end up speechless. Listen to this man and go get this book now.
I'm a simple girl, I see house of leaves I fucking click that shit. This novel is everything I've ever wanted and everything I never knew I wanted in a story.
i kept trying to find house of leaves as a e-book but no one had it and i was very confused. but i’d heard amazing things about it, so i went ahead and bought the actual book. when it arrived, i looked through it and then i understood.
SAME HERE hahahaha makes sense now 😂
This book made me sleep with lights on for an entire week. It's creepy-ness isn't in your face, but it creeps up on you, especially in the dark.
I got actual goosebumps as soon as you said the movie didn't exist and so I just ordered this book on Amazon. SO EXCITED.
AHH HI CHEYENNE i never knew you liked horror lol
The part when Navidson said, “We truly are in a house of leaves,” and started leaving the whole house was such a moment.
my favourite part was when Navidson said “It’s navidsing time!” and navidsoned all over the place
Yes. I read this for one of my last literature classes in university, oddly enough one focused on the history of literature and physical books (this book represented the modern, alternative side of things), and it gave me nightmares. Something interesting though is that my professor at the time said she reads it as a different genre each time she re-reads it, and she re-read the whole thing each time she wanted to introduce it to a class. Her sixth reading of the book seemed like a romance to her, apparently. Just some food for thought.
Hey, I am
working on this book and writing a thesis on it. Can u pls assist me in discussing this book with your teacher
This is 8 months after you publish this video but i have to say it:
I found this channel by chance on the harry potter and the cursed child videos, watched a few more. but this has to be your magnum opus (thus far).
This hits home, It took me 3 years to find this book after finding out of it on XKCD, and i have no shame on saying i did not finish it. to this day it still haunts me.
I did not finish it, when i finished a chapter i started to thumb through the book, and i read a phrase by accident, which made me stood still and couldn't continue the book afterwards.
Will try to pick it up again when i finish the Tom Clancy Books.
The videos are great, And i just subscribed to your channel.
Have a wonderful Tuesday.
Cheers.
Wow, just finished your Harry Potter video and LG15 video and love your style. Like I said in the other video, it's analytical mix of youtubers I love. Please keep making these types of videos dude.
Finalblue1234 10-4.
@@austinmcconnell What are you keeping score of?
10-4 means message received and acknowledged.
"Books are boring, black ink on white background."
So, you're saying my comment here is boring then? 😕 I never even had a chance.
Jokes on you I have dark mode RUclips on. White on black
r/foundthelightmodeuser
Compared to all the other ways you could respond and react to this video...yes.
This is excellent! I've asked for this book for Christmas and cannot wait to get it. This is one of the best summaries or explanations I've heard on this so far!
makes me happpy to see someone bring this book to light. read it a 10 some years ago
Picking up the book on your recommendations. Thanks for putting so much time in editing edit your videos. Hope to be a part of some webseries you make one day.
And.
I think that movies are able to unsettle people in the conceptual vein of House of Leaves. 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Lighthouse, and A Ghost Story all put me in a similar place that “House of Leaves” does. Even if it isn’t to the extent or as powerful as “House of Leaves” I think that it shows that no medium of storytelling is restricted of conveying what it wants to, even if they have to convey it in a way or style unique to the medium. I really loved the video and I’m glad to see someone else encouraging others to read this incredible book!
In the middle of a reread now. It may or may not be the scariest ever, but it sure is my favorite ever, and I have you to thank for that. House of Leaves is the kind of incredible that got me back into reading, and subsequently, writing. You've made a lot of amazing content over the years I've been subscribed to this channel, but this video will most likely always be the most important one to me. Thank you.
I love books! They're so calming when you need a break from sound and screens. They make your imagination go wild. It's just hard to find books I like.
The guy in the stock photo you chose for Johnny is almost exactly like what I'd pictured him. Neat.
I have ADHD so reading and keeping my attention while reading is very difficult.
I barely finish books. Even if I am loving them. THIS ONE however has held my attention hostage. As if now I have read these words I too am bound between the covers.
What I never see anyone talk about is the sheer genius in this books pacing. Every story being told is mixing its high tension with other stories luls. There is ALWAYS a question you are waiting for an answer to, there is always something to worry about.
A triumph in not only horror fiction but fiction as a whole. A deeply disturbing but endlessly interesting book.
If you are on the fence PLEASE give this book a go. I don’t think I have ever looked over my shoulder, just incase, this many times while enjoying a bit of horror media
I am into cosmic horror. But when he said.. "this book will make you not look at books the same way"
I think the real horror is about the book.. the book is kind of sinister. This is my initial presumption but I could be wrong.
if this book is haunting, then I recommend for people to be strong hearted while reading it.
I've had this book in my house for years. I cannot remember how long its been; my older sister bought it and left it behind when she moved out, and it's possible she bought it anywhere between 2000 and 2008. I can't remember if I first tried this book at 10 or 18, but I've tried multiple times and never managed to get past a certain point, not because I was scared, but because I wasn't invested enough. I picked it up again a few months ago, read through the Introduction, and set it aside again. Thanks to your video, I'm going to try one more time and see how far I get. Maybe it just hasn't been the right time until now; that's happened with other books. If anyone cares, I can keep y'all posted!
This book got into my head when I read it. I believe I was around 19 or 20 my girlfriend at the time told me it was in her top five. I think I finished it in under a week maybe four or five days I felt so uneasy, like someone was watching me and to this day I have an irrational fear that a a door is going to appear on one of my walls. I have a feeling it played a role in pushing my life in the direction its gone. Whether that's good or bad is still on the table. Beautifully written. I just recently got another copy my wife had never heard of House of Leaves before. She's reading it now and I think I will re-read it after she finishes.
the only time I've read a book that made me too scared to quit reading because the idea of turning out the lights and going to bed became terrifying, definitely recommend
I'm still an avid reader to this day. I always bring a book with me when I'm on break at my work, and I have another one at my night stand before I go to bed. This one seems very interesting, and I'm definitely adding it to my reading list.
Hey Austin, I was really intrigued by your description of this novel and I went ahead and got it. It just arrived from Amazon and I'm quite excited to read it. I went ahead and got the hardcover edition, sadly, I think sorta detracted from the intended effect of what you described in its unusual form, as the cover is not smaller, but is a picture of what the cover's intent was. Although I think I'll be able to cope with it, and the book is quite beautiful anyways.
Just wanted to let you know that your video really did make an impact on me, and I commend you for your great job.
+Freakality's Domain
Hey, I know you left this comment months back, but I had a question considering I just watched this vid and now want to read this novel. By Hardcover Edition, are you possibly referring to the Amazon "Library-Bound" Edition? That's the only hardcover version I can find, but there are no images of it. I was actually wondering if the cover effect would be the same as described by austinmcconnell in that version. Would you personally say the extra price for the Hardcover is worth it, minus that interesting cover effect as previously mentioned? Or would you say to just go for the paperback?
Will and Karen got married and had two kids
I hope Karen doesn’t take the kids
I Fucking knew I wasn't the only one thinking about this
I fr watched this video this morning and stopped by half-price books later that day, and the guy at the counter had one right next to him, it freaked me out
This is easily my favorite book. I think this book is an absolute work of art. Supremely terrifying and creative. I have never found another book even remotely structured in any similar manner except by Mark Z. Danielewski himself.
I read this book when I was 17. English is not my first language and at the time I could barely speak or understand it but I wanted to read this book so bad that I decided to sit down with a dictionary at hand and read the entire book from cover to cover. Took me two months and after this I had learned English.
That's like 13 years ago and I really want to re-read this book. I was completely obsessed with it back then and went on the house of leaves forum to discuss the book with other fans and I even did a paper on it for school.
The part of the book that legitimately scared me the most was a segment where Johnny thinks he's being followed by the Minotaur. I can't remember all of the circumstances or the context, just that I was reading that part on the bus home from school and I was almost shitting my pants.
Really good book. It permanently changed the way I work and think as an artist and I still remember the excitement of reading this thing. How it was my favourite part of the day.
I just got done reading. Thank you for encouraging my friends and I to pick up this book.
I watched this video two years ago and ended up buying the book and reading it. It's truly incredible, very bizarre, and a great read for anyone with the time (it's very long). Thank you for this video, otherwise I might have never known about House of Leaves!
Hey this review convinced me to go out and read this book! I was NOT disappointed, and it actually got me back into reading! Thank you, Austin :)
When I read "If Inception was a novel" I got annoyed, mad even. But this was a great-well not review, but a great way of explaining the book. It took me nearly 3 years to read it and I'm glad I took my time with it.
This book feels oddly familiar
like nostalgia from a past life?
Its always been there
@@gabecassidy3675 idk, imma re-watch the vid.
@@gabecassidy3675 I think I was joking about it
Its roughly the plot of the movie sinister
This book has been my favorite novel for almost a decade. Thanks for making this video!
Just coming back after finishing the novel, and wanted to say thank you for recommending it, Austin. What a freakin journey
This has been on my reading list for a long time now. I need to get it.
Great description of House of Leaves. The spiral staircase part really got me when I read this book in 2002, I could literally feel the disorientation while turning the book. It's one of my absolute favourites and I talk about it to this day whenever I have a conversation about books with people.
Spooky appearance as I was lent a copy of this book around 2006 and it caused me to get very interested in books. The enthusiasm of the video really helps people understand it is a very important book and really well worth reading - thankyou so much for reminding me that it is a real book...
When you were reprimanding us about not reading, I was listening to this to fall asleep.
And I read plenty of books, thank you.
Also, Macbeth is a play and should be presented as such.
This book arrived today! I've been eagerly waiting for it! I'll start reading today and probably note my progress here. Thank you, Austin, in advance.
I have a friend who said he had a copy of House of Leaves on his shelf. One day, he noticed it was missing. He lives alone. Several days later, it reappeared. "That's not the book you want that to happen with!", he nervously laughed. He was right - it's not.
You can't e-book this. The way it's printed is amazing, and it's important. I can only imagine the printer's head exploding as this insane concept was being explained.
Another friend of mine lent me his copy many years ago, and it drew me into its madness. I poured over every page in a way I had never done before (or since). The taut atmosphere is so well crafted and compellingly presented, I fought to put it down.
If you haven't read this, buy it, and strap in. You won't be the same afterwards...
At the end, you should’ve said: “and then the nightmares began.”