Thoughts on House of Leaves?

[waryan]

So I would bet some of the board veterans have seen a thread much like this more than once before, though to be honest I could not find one, so I figured I would ask for a new set of opinions toward the book titled "house of leaves."

I have heard rave reviews; We're talking, over the top declarations of genius put toward this book, and at the same time, criticism that it is nothing more than an interesting plot executed poorly and set into a very challenging book format that in the end serves no real purpose, except to be odd.

Anywho I have the book before me and while I've just begun to embark upon it, I wonder if I will gain anything from this read or not. So far, personally it does not seem like the insightful and ambitious tome I have heard it to be.

Anyway I would love for some opinions from people who read many things, old and new, experimental and commonplace- about whether they consider this worthy of any cult following in their eyes.

Thank you all

[waryan]

any opinions on house of leaves?

[blp]

You really want to prejudice your opinion before you've read it? Maybe you're right. I could have done with someone to warn me off it myself really.


I have heard rave reviews; We're talking, over the top declarations of genius put toward this book, and at the same time, criticism that it is nothing more than an interesting plot executed poorly and set into a very challenging book format that in the end serves no real purpose, except to be odd.

I take the latter view, personally. Really can't see that it adds up to much at all. I'm not a reader who necessarily prefers conventional plots and have read lots of books that don't fit the standard linear narrative mold: Naked Lunch, Ulysses, Blood and Guts in Highschool, Malone Dies, The Unnameable, To the Lighthouse etc. etc. But this book is attention-getting in a way those books aren't and weird without purpose. The author's only real achievements are to have set up an intriguing premise and devised a slightly unusual way to lay out his text. He finds nothing of interest to do with these things at all that I can see. In fact, it really looks to me as if he may have concentrated on sensational novelty at the expense of substance.