I put House of Leaves on my library list to read soon. I've had it on one list or another for a long time now since it always seemed like something I would lose interest in half way through, but I figure I'll give it a go soon.
I loved it. It's one of my favorite books, I've wanted to reread for ages.
Whats turning me off is all the "extra" bits like margin notes, colored text which has some significance, and other such references that seem like they are essential to following the story. I have a hard enough time following the names of characters in books, so I feel I might have a hard time keeping up.
For what it's worth, I consider that there are multiple ways of reading House of Leaves. There are a ton of layers, but you don't necessarily
need to dive into all of those layers in order to enjoy the story.
Personally, I definitely went for a completionist approach. I read every word in that book. I read the footnotes, I read the appendices, I read the fucking glossary, and every single bit of it contributed to the atmosphere and the madness.
But I know people who loved the book but never read the appendices. I know a guy who skipped quite a lot of the Zampano's footnotes. I also know one person who skipped all the 'extra' stuff entirely and just read the primary story - I don't recommend that approach, since Johnny Truant's commentary feels absolutely essential to me, but to each their own.
The point is, if you're finding it all a little bit daunting, it isn't blasphemous to read it somewhat selectively.
All of that being said, it is probably my favorite book of all time, and I highly encourage you to read as much of it as you are up for.
Topic: The Currently Reading Thread v. A Clash of Kings (Read 288483 times)
