#halloween reading 2023

[walkonpooh]

House of Leaves - Mark Z. Danielewski Review

“This is not for you”

Okay.

Okay.

If you haven’t read it, House of Leaves is a post-modern book written by Mark Z. Danielewski in 2000 written in epistolary form. It’s a story within a story within a story within a story. What do I mean by that? Well at the heart of House of Leaves is The Navidson Record, a proposed documentary about a photographer, Will Navidson, who buys a house to reconnect with his family; his partner Karen Green and their children, Chad and Daisy.

Not missing any opportunity to work, Navidson sets up cameras around the house to capture little moments of their daily lives. Then one day, they notice that the inside of the house is a little bigger than the outside. Then a little bigger. And bigger. Then one day a doorway that wasn’t there before appears in the living room of the house. Opening the doorway they find a hallway. The bulk of The Navidson Record is the exploration of that hallway.

So I say bulk of The Navidson Record, isn’t this the book? Well, yes and no. Because taking a step back, we have Zampano. Zampano is a blind uh, I guess maybe former academic? Zampano is examining the truthfulness of The Navidson Record, touching on the filming style of it. Examining the lives of Navidson and Karen. Delving into critical discussions, photography, architecture, Biblical studies. Only House of Leaves doesn’t stop here.

Because Zampano recently died. So we’re introduced to Johnny Truant, who was introduced to the deceased Zampano through his friend Lude, who knows that Truant will love this guy’s apartment and the rabbit hole of The Navidson Record. So we’re also given through Truant’s footnotes of the story his life story; way more of his sexual encounters than I cared to know about, his lusting over a stripper who frequents the tattoo parlor he works for named Thumper, on account of her tattoo based on the Disney’s Bambi character.

Finally, we have the unnamed Editors of House of Leaves, who are adding footnotes to all of the above throughout the entirety of the story. Also keeping in mind is the author, Mark Z. Danielewski and the reader, all taking part in this story, published now twenty-three years ago.

So House of Leaves is a book I’ve *attempted* to read several times and failed to do so until this past week, when I devoured the book. As I sit here writing this, I’m sort of mixed on whether devouring House of Leaves is the proper way to read it, or if not reading it alongside another book, sort of ploddingly moving through it would not have been the better method.

House of Leaves is fairly infamous at this point, unlike when I first heard about it. It’s funny because it’s origins are similar to The Blair Witch Project. I remember people claiming that no, this book was based on true events, which of course plays right into the post-modernity style Danielewski was going for. Critiquing literature and literature critics. One of the reasons it’s infamous for the style the book is written in. So I described the layers of the onion, so to speak, but I’ve read and watched quite a few opinions of the book at this point and I agree that the book in and of itself is the labyrinth of The Navidson Record.

That is you’re meant to get lost in it and like a labyrinth, there are dead ends. Unlike a labyrinth, I can’t say that at this point, twenty-three years into the story that I enjoyed “solving” the labyrinth. And that’s primarily for the Johnny Truant sections of the book. Johnny is fairly certain that The Navidson Record is a fabrication, which to me, along with the story of Johnny’s mother, Pelefina, her notes, is actually a fairly big clue that Johnny is falsified.

Post modernism was a huge thing in the early aughts, where I don’t feel like its influences today are as far reaching, but pretty cliché by this point in time. But there was The Blair Witch Project, like I said that had the is this real-is this not real and all of the commentary that came with that. In video gaming you have Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, a post-modern video game, which critiques the very people playing the game, playing off their expectations of what a sequel to Metal Gear Solid should be. There’s Mulholland Dr., which came out the same year as House of Leaves and is playing with *very* similar themes and to me, is superior.

So because of Johnny’s mothers letters, it seemed pretty clear to me that Johnny, the Johnny we’re reading about, is a fabrication of Pelefina. Her letter about creating a son who could live the life she never had is written nine months before Johnny’s birth. I think Pelefina actually choked Johnny to death and everything else that happens in House of Leaves is her way of coping with having done this, ala Diane in Mulholland Dr. and the events of that movie being a fever dream of Diane’s.

Anyway, so like this is all just interpretation and there’s probably no “answer”. That’s one aspect of post-modernity that I do like, the chin stroking that happens from it is just part of the cycle of this stuff. So do I like House of Leaves? A day after finishing it. Sitting here thinking about it, I like it more today than I did yesterday. I bounced off Truant’s footnotes pretty hard while reading it. As I write this though, I like the idea of that story quite a bit (the slight comparing it to Mulholland Dr. is no slight, that’s a Top 10 movie for me). The Navidson Record parts were pretty great, especially the earlier parts. Some of the later parts didn’t hit as hard for me, especially as they escape the house, but I also didn’t read this in optimal conditions. Oh, but I did *love* The NeverEnding Story aspect of House of Leaves being a book within House of Leaves. And I sort of wonder if like being frustrated by the Truant parts is akin to being frustrated by the labyrinth. I would have liked to learn more about Zampano, I think some of what we learned about him is interesting and I think I’d prefer that over Truant, but then that’s kind of the point of my interpretation.

Would I recommend House of Leaves? That’s a hard sell for me. Because how do you succinctly sell House of Leaves to someone in a way that doesn’t ruin the surprises or put them off the book? I feel like *most* people who want to read this story will seek it out and I think the reader knows pretty early on whether or not this story is for them.

4/5

[halloween-sweets]

[emry-stars-art]

(Op of the text post is no longer in the fandom/no longer wishes to be so I didn’t tag, and I’m hesitant to say to flood their notifs! Let’s be respectful but I wanted to give this its dues lol)

I literally have been thinking about this text post for a full year and it’s FINALLY TIME. Happy Halloween 🎃

[thebramblewood]

livin' like angels, livin' like devils

[ladykissingfish]

*Kakashi walks up on Sasuke and Naruto sitting on a bench, Sasuke patting a crying Naruto’s back*

Kakashi: What happened to you, kid?

Naruto: We - w-we — *covers his eyes with his hands*

Sasuke, sighing: The dobe thought it would be fun to play with an ouija board, and ask it questions about the future.

Kakashi: Ah, haven’t I warned you boys about that?? Fooling around with things like that can be dangerous, and —

Naruto: B-Bolt!!

Kakashi: … what?

Sasuke: The board told him that he’s going to marry some girl from the village, and his first child will be a boy named Bolt. And not only that, but he’ll start balding at 30 years old!

Kakashi: Balding? Surely that’s a mistake; look at the full head of hair you have now! And Naruto, what’s wrong with being married and having a son? I mean I suppose the name itself isn’t very clever but look at the bigger picture; you’re going to have a family! After being alone so many years, isn’t that a good —

Naruto: *crying harder* SASUKE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MY HUSBAND, dattebayo! Kids or not HE is supposed to be my family! But the board said he’s marrying Sakura and they’re having a daughter they name Salad!

Kakashi: Again, that doesn’t sound so horrible. These may not be the futures you envisioned for yourself, but you’ll be loved and cared for, and have families. Sometimes you’ve just got to accept what is, kids. That’s life.

Sasuke: I’m glad you think that, Kakashi, because we asked the board about YOU and all it showed us was a vision of you sitting at a desk for hours and hours, wearing the Hokage hat, doing paperwork and never having time to read your Icha Icha books. Ever.

Kakashi:

Kakashi: Bring me that board. We’re burning it. Now.

[dailynakaharachuuya]

31. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

[makenna-made-this]

BAWKtober Day 26 - Tarot Reading

Augury

Bonus:

[the-smut-analyst]

Kinktober 2023: Monster Lovers Edition

A kinky Halloween reading list for all my monster lovin' girlies out there (part 1 of 2)

Hope you enjoyed Part 1 of the Kinktober 2023: Monster Lovers Edition list!

For links to the books mentioned above, simply click on the image!

Disclaimer: images include affiliate links which help me to keep creating content :) I appreciate your support xo

[ficswithtacotuesday]

Day 29: Massive

Been watching Adventure Time, so Archimedes looks a bit like Gunther. It's kind of fitting though. If they ever met, they'd probably work together to destroy everything on base

[kitnjon]

Jonsa Halloween 2023 - Day 02 - The Stranger

Death and the Dancer by @sibyldisobedience

It is a risky endeavour to challenge the Stranger, or call upon him in a time of need. He is always close at hand, you see, and he is always listening — ready to appear at the slightest invocation and grant your dearest wish. Be wary of his favours, for they are not gifts. A gift is given without the expectation of recompense, the Stranger will have his payment — and he demands a terrible price.

A regency-ish story of horror, love, death, and dancing.

[navybrat817]

Sharing is caring, lovelies. Come on over!

Happy Halloween. 🎃

[walkonpooh]

Whalefall - Daniel Kraus Review

Jay Gardiner had a rocky relation ship with his father Mitt. Mitt is a locally renowned diver who has always wanted Jay to follow in his footsteps. Jay wanted to set his own path in life and the two diverged, Jay leaving home to couch surf until he reached college age. Then Mitt is diagnosed with cancer and commits suicide. Jay's reunites with his Mother and two sisters, but feels that his relationship with his father was unresolved. Because the suicide happened at sea, there wasn't ever a body to bury and Jay decides to go to the location where his father died to attempt to find his bones and bring them back to his family, hoping the act will resolve their relationship and give him and his family closure. During the dive, Jay is attacked by a giant squid, which is fleeing a sperm whale. Suddenly, both Jay and the squid are swallowed by the sperm whale. Stuck in the sperm whale's stomach and his oxygen running out, Jay has to try to remember everything his father taught him about the sea in order to survive. So yeah I had been anticipating this one for the last month or so and I really liked this one. It's a horror version of Andy Weir's The Martian and while I didn't find Jay as likeable as Mark Watney in that book, I liked him enough to root for his survival in a harrowing situation. I loved Kraus using the PSI of the oxygen tank as chapters and a countdown for Jay's survival, really added to the tension of the situation. The descriptions of being in the sperm whale's stomach really reminded me of a certain scene from Jordan Peele's Nope that I loved. So yeah, highly recommend this one and I plan on checking out more from Kraus!

4/5

[happi-tree]

It's that time of the week once again - happy wip Wednesday!!! To ease the pain that was the last episode, have some cute Normal and Lincoln interactions from the Dndads Halloween Week wips. Sniff sniff the boys are meeting ✨🐺🧚 And they'll be introducing themselves to you later this month! :D

[elthecreator]

Ugh I love you guys so much. My hard work never seems to go to waste<33. Especially as a beginner omfg. You have no idea how much it means to me when you guys keep blowing up my fics. Happy Halloween!!! 👻🎃🕸️🩸 might do a halloween special 🤭. What were y’all for halloween? I was a Dark Alice in wonderland, I looked hot ASF. Went just a littleeeeee slutty this year lmfao.

I love y’all mwah !

[booksellergothic]

The First Day of Halloween!

Welcome to spooky season, friends and fiends. For the next month hopefully every day I will be posting recommendations for things to read, watch, or enjoy in other ways in this most wonderful of seasons.

Sadie "Mother Horror" Hartmann is one of the most enthusiastic horror fans I have come across in ages. Her Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mother.horror/ and the book curations service she co-owns, Night Worms, are great resources for those looking for the newest and scariest in the world of on the page scares. While our taste diverges in some areas (she is more interested in coming of age stories than I am), there is no question that if you are looking for lovingly curated, wide ranging, deep dive into the genre her first book 101 Horror Books To Read Before You are Murdered is a perfect place to start.

If you are interested in being tagged this month or at any point I post reviews or recommendations please let me know.

@piggledy-higgledy @imdeadtiredtm @joyfullymassivewhispers @caffiend-queen @dangertoozmanykids101 @toozmanykids @myoxisbroken @wrathkitty @punemy-spotted @stupendouslovegardener @sylviefromneptune @dianamolloy

[gabbylovesreading]

About me

Gabby 21 she/her Libra october 1st

Things I like

Halloween 🎃

Scream 🔪

sturniolo triplets 💙🧡💜

OBX 🥇

Jack champion ❤️

Reading 📖

Halloween franchise 🎃🔪

dominic fike 🤍

Christmas 🎄