Rating: 
Summary: Exploration A
Review: I'm not sure I can organize my thoughts coherently about this book, it seems to discourage rational thought. I do think some of the reviewers are missing the point on all the extra material. It isn't there in an attempt to appear scholarly or pompous or impressive. I saw the footnotes, appendices and lists as a tongue-in-cheek poke at real-life scholarly works with their excessive references. I quickly figured out which footnotes were important and which ones were "fluff".Zampano's constant digressions and discussions about mythology, etymology and psychology were interesting and easily skimmed if necessary. They did break up the flow of the narrative but I think they added to the substance of the book and they didn't interrupt the creep factor for me. Johnny's footnoted story was funny, sexy, entertaining and equally creepy in parts. Some of his "hallucinations" raised the hairs on the back of my neck. Maybe I shouldn't have read most of the book in the post-midnight hours. The letters from his institutionalized mother were equally eerie and I think readers should attempt to get an edition with them included. (I think that's the "Whalestoe Letters" section) In addition to the entertainment value of the book, there is the sense of accomplishment at reading it. The trade paperback is a weighty tome, and when you show your friends and family the size, footnotes and sometimes bizarre typesetting, they will be impressed. The only caveat and the reason it doesn't get five stars is that the book can be imposing at first and I had some difficulty getting started. Then the momentum hit me and I was carried away into the House.
Rating: 
Summary: A little help with a thick book
Review: Danielewski wrote a long book, but I think I can provide some help with a short review. The most striking thing about the book, perhaps besides fun visual arrangement in some chapters, is the copious amount of footnotes. So here is my suggestion:
1. Skim the introduction, and skip it if it bores you.
2. Skip all the normal footnotes with dates and names.
3. Skim read all the personal footnotes of Johny Truant- marked by the shift in typeset. Many times you can skip whole paragraphs and still get the jest of what is being said.
4. Read the body of the Navidson record, carefully at times- but if you feel like you're getting bogged down, skimming large sections here won't hurt either. I think this is fair because the footnotes, in my opinion, are meant to impress by their sheer volume, not their content. I spent twenty bucks on this book and at first I thought I had wasted my money, not making any progress for two months. But when I read it following the criteria above, I was able to finish the book in a week and I really began to enjoy it. By the way, the book should really be rated 3.5 stars, plus I'm not into horror or sci-fi, so for a fan of this genre, the rating might go even higher.
P.S. No one gets as much anonymous sex as J.T. and his friend Lude, but it was still fun to read.
Rating: 
Summary: epic
Review: I finally finished this work after setting it down and picking it back up innumerable times while engaged in other activities along the way - including reading other books and travelling. There is certainly nothing else like it. Beautifully written in a manner both scholarly and exciting, HOL grabs your mind and pulls you into one of the most bizarre escapades ever imagined. The number of footnotes is as infinite as the esoteric references, which to readers like me isn't much of a problem and very frequently a joy. I didn't so much care for what was happening to each character as I was enraptured with time and time again getting caught up in the whole diversion of the writing and the palatable nature of reading this book the way it was designed, textually and visually. The book is encyclopedic in its scope and masterfully written, which easily overrides concerns of bombast in design. I am not sure with whom I'm more impressed, the author for creating such a magnum opus, or the reader who undertakes a no- less monumental task. The beauty is the sneaking suspension that this is exactly what said author intended, among a zillion other things. Thanks for the journey!
Rating:
Summary: Great Tale of Suspense and Madness....
Review: Mark Danielewski manages to spin an intriguing tale of horror that takes the genre in new directions while remaining loyal to its roots. Danielewski is clearly influenced by the alternate dimensions and nameless horrors of H.P. Lovecraft, as well as the classic horror device of narration in journal or epistolary form, takes these classics of the genre in an entirely new direction.
Danielewski is able to fully form the characters while narrating the tale through both a first person narrator and an omniscient view, a trick that he handles well and rather than being distracting, as multiple narration is in so many novels, it adds to the plot's development. The story is narrated through a format that is new to the genre-revision of an academic analysis of a film that is, of course, fictional.
The side aspects of the novel-Johnny Truant's adventures as he uncovers the Navidson Narrative, Danielewski's satirical rendition of postmodern academic criticism, his formatting choices-all serve to enhance the mood of the main story, the haunted hallway, and far from detracting from the novel, make it what is: a brilliant revision of the classic horror novel, setting it apart from the genre while enhancing it.
The novel really put me on the cliched "edge of my seat", and I thought as a longtime horror fan I was beyond being scared! The mixture of suspense, mystery, and fear is excellent, as is the novel's mixture of sci-fi and horror, and reality and fiction. Danielewski uses a similar reality device to the film "Blair Witch Project" but with much greater success and before the film, proving once again that the best artistic ideas originate in literature. Danielewski's novel is a terrific one that any horror fan, new or continuing, will enjoy and be thrilled by. This text will, I believe, redefine the genre as a whole. I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: A Haunting Book about a Strange House
Review: Curiosity is what brought me to this book. And it was well rewarded. But, to describe what I've just finished reading? Nearly impossible. This book has so many layers. So many components. So much depth and texture. Definitely the most complex book I've read this year. Without question one of the best I've read this year as well. I think the most important or remarkable aspect will depend on who you are. So, in telling what I enjoyed and admired, I'm not sure that I can speak for everyone. First of all, for a debut -- or any other -- novel, this is a very accomplished piece of work. It sprawls and doesn't always add up. But there is reason for some of that. There are some who may say that the format is a clever contrivance for hiding the author's inability to hone his narrative. I would disagree. The multiple layers, the several angles from which information comes to the reader -- there is more art in this than artifice. If Danielewski doesn't always make his point as successfully as possible, he as an author will ultimately have to decide. And if his intention is to misdirect the reader's attention or create confusion by omitting details, I think it is used as a device to bring the reader to a point similar to that of the novel's characters. The story of the Navidson family and their bizarre, shifting, maze of a house is itself enough of a puzzle and horror story. However this is presented in such a way that we read about the enigmatic case of Zampano, the possibly fictitious author of a possibly fictitious unpublished manuscript dealing with analyzing the possibly fictitious documentary film based on the -- yes -- possibly fictitious Navidsons' experiences. Our master of ceremonies for this excursion is one Johnny Truant. Supposedly, Johnny found the manuscript and other related materials in his friend's apartment building after the mysterious disappearance of Zampano. But, we can never know for sure. While the character of Johnny has a way with words, he admits to having a way with more than just that. If the story is true, he may have altered it for his own satisfaction. If he didn't alter it, perhaps his attempts to piece it together have created a product distorted by his sense of importance. Even if this didn't occur, we learn much about Johnny that makes him a narrator in whom we cannot place our full trust. And maybe what we learn about Johnny isn't true... The experience of this book goes beyond appreciation of a simple narrative. It stirs emotions and ideas. And definitely requires the reader to participate. You cannot pick this book up expecting it to take little of your time. Nor can you expect it to be easy entertainment. However, when there are unexpected developments, they are big. I don't remember when I last gasped out loud or jumped in my seat while reading a book, but I did with this one. Not many times...enough though to realize that I had been drawn far into the novel. A substantial part of my appreciation for this book was increased by listening to the "Haunted" CD created by the author's sister -- Poe. To me the two works will forever be intertwined even though I'm sure one could be enjoyed without the other. The CD is by no means intended as a soundtrack for the book. But it does explore related themes. Since the book does deal with a documentary film, it leads to the question of whether or not it could be adapted for the cinema...something like the "Blair Witch Project". I think not. The one -- a psuedo-documentary which does nothing but display a series of edited but very raw images -- fails to have anything to offer on repeat viewing. This novel though is full of possible interpretations and could be moved to the medium of film in several ways. I'd almost hate to see that happen though. Danielewski's novel is such a wonder.
Rating:
Summary: paranoid neurosis
Review: This book creeped the hell out of me. I started feeling like my house (which, incidently, looks exactly like those in the appendices) was watching me. It didn't help that I only got to read late at night. I think any book that makes your house come alive and things breath down the back of your neck is definitely worth the loss of sleep.
Rating:
Summary: to each is own with this one
Review: I read all the reviews, the good, the bad, and I have to say that I am completely mixed on this one. Johny Traunt can sometimes be just annoying. Sometimes you feel like the book is just about to take off, its starting to get some what spooky, and then in the darkest, coldest corner of the house, bam! Nothing, oh wait, something, JT's sexual enconters, that reads much like a porno. If the book was say, a sex addicts diary, it would be really good. "House of Leaves" starts off really well, or at least what I can remember of it. It seems like ages ago when I started it. I guess, in a way, it kind of makes sense, because it was only two weeks ago when I started reading this. There were way too many pages of technical mumbo jumbo that made me lose interest several times. The type []tting was pretty cool, waste of paper, but nonetheless very cool. Although I didn't think that it added that much drama to the scenes. Once inside the house I did feel very mezmerized, if you have a good imagination this book can be very chilling at some points. I guess, much like the house itself, you get what you give. If you are going to read this make sure you have plenty of free time on your hands, and of course, a he[ck] of a lot of patience.
Rating:
Summary: Z just became my mentor.
Review: Being a fledgling writer myself, I have always tried to find just the right words to elicit just the right emotion. Like I said, I think Mark Z. Danielewski became my mentor. Never before have I read a book that so enthralled me. Z (which is how he signs the book) has shown me methods I never dreamed of for creating emotion. To be able to take an act that would in many instances have been boring (i.e. watching a home movie) and in one sentence (and not a long one at that. Seven words, max) catapult you into almost unimaginable terror is something I endeavor to create in my own writing every day, an believe me, that is no easy task. It's been said that every writer feels some anxiety about putting words on paper. I wholeheartedly agree. And that statement can only mean that Danielewski is one of the bravest writers on the planet. The book is amazing, with two (though you might have a strong case for three) plots totally separated with respect to time, location, and mindset and yet so intricately woven that it seems the story would not be the same without both, though, inevitably, one feels the need to go back and read each plot separately. Believe me. It's worth the cost. You'll read it three times and still want more, despite that fact that you know you'll be out of your mind with fear every time through.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Greatest Books
Review: I was a little skeptical at first when i read all the reviews that said it was long and boring. They couldn't have been more wrong. This is one of the greatest books i have ever read. It is totally different from any other book i have ever read. Some have said it is confusing and hard to follow. I found it rather easy to read. If you want something different and enjoyable to read, get this book, you will thank yourself.
Rating:
Summary: One of the most striking and original novels of the year
Review: The novel is in a genre that I didn't believe existed: the fun, post-modern horror story. Intricately constructed, gripping, dark and playful, reading the novel is a multi-layered, interactive experience. I usually have little patience with the experimental narrative (and flipping through the page layouts was enough to keep me from starting it for several months), but the author has a firm hand on his devices, and approaches them with considerable intelligence and humor. I will strongly recommend this book. Suspend your disbelief and treat yourself to a new experience.
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