(Untitled Fragment)
By Mark Z. Danielewski, from "House of Leaves", page 563
Little solace comes
to those who grieve
when thoughts keep drifting
as walls keep shifting
and this great blue world of ours
seems a house of leaves
moments before the wind.
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This truly experimental novel, which is many stories (lifetimes/dimensions) in one, messed with my head so badly that, among other abuses, I threw it against walls, poured coffee (then blow dried it in remorse) on it, tossed it in the trash (and retrieved it) twice, stopped reading it for a full year, then finally just wrote my frustration into the margins (along with the author's gazillion footnotes/endnotes/sidenotes) which is freaking hilarious NOW as I revisit it about 10 years after I read it and enjoy my bad attitude back around 2005 when I experienced "House of Leaves". Mark Z. Danielewski (MZD) is a pioneer, a poet, and a courageous trailblazer. He's also a crazy as a loon genius and an excellent storyteller. It would just be nice to read one of his stories in chronological order, but I doubt that'll happen. Reading a fat novel (occasionally) in circles and sideways got a bit tedious at times, but I guess that's art for you.
If you're looking for a challenging reading experience, then read this book. If you're an impatient, normal type, then for heaven's sake: DO NOT READ THIS BOOK!
2 comments:
Oh my! Given your reactions to the book, I can promise you it isn't one for me! If I'm going to challenge myself reading, I'd rather it be with something like Middlemarch, which as you know I finally got around to reading this year.
Hope you're gearing up for a wonderful Christmas, Marion!
marion, i can't help but laugh. you made it through! but i do thank you for your warning. i think this one's not for me.
(i remember having a similar response to a novel by milan kundera. identity. don't read it:)
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