House of Leaves

[Key2gb]

has anyone read it..i'd love to talk about it with some fellow stoners..share my theories and such

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

[ThaDankest]

YES! I'm so glad you posted this. I read the book awhile back and it totally fucked with my head. I almost stopped reading it for awhile but pushed through anyways. It was so sick

[Ripple]

Funny story about this book. I actually began reading it when before I started smoking and finished it after I started smoking. I was about halfway thru and decided to go back and re-read the entire thing high from front to end when I first started smoking. Fascinating book, incredible author and got quite detailed at times.

[Vincebus]

Originally Posted by Key2gb

has anyone read it..i'd love to talk about it with some fellow stoners..share my theories and such

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

That was such a good book. I really enjoyed every bit of, the characters and the way the author developed them just was just fantastic and the most horrifying thing I can ever think of is the house. Truly amazing. What are your theories on the book?

[Key2gb]

Originally Posted by Vincebus

That was such a good book. I really enjoyed every bit of, the characters and the way the author developed them just was just fantastic and the most horrifying thing I can ever think of is the house. Truly amazing. What are your theories on the book?

..too many to count...but my main one i'm arguing right now is that Johnny and Zampano are the same person..i've found some stuff to back it up but ive also found stuff that refutes it....check it out:

obviously there are lots of codes in this book....and sometimes you have to apply your own...

i assigned each letter of the alphabet with it's corresponding number - A=1, B=2, etc...
now take J-O-H-N-N-Y and Z-A-M-P-A-N-O.....each name adds up to the number 86....i actually added this to the House of Leaves wikipedia page

86 is a common reference or code-word for non-existent or a point of no return (someone gets 86ed from a bar if they are being a drunken mess and are never allowed back)...i've further analyzed this to possibly show that both johnny and zampano DO NOT EXIST...and are both pieces of Pelafina (johnny's mother) - the true author's mind...remember "Tearing me into Pisces" instead of pieces...it just so happens that Pisces is the zodiac symbol of two fish entwing eachother like a circle..a yin and yang type of thing (picture the CD Art on Incubus' Morning View with the two fish).....but this is an entire other theory i have yet to fully develop

so back to Johnny and Z (who once again might not even exist)
there are some extremely key references to the 5 1/2 minute hallway

1)we know that Zampano is the author of the Navidson Record becasue supposedly TNR doesnt exist (the movie, that is)...so assuming htis...Z is the one that creates the 5 1/2 minute hallway. when he is talks about the Holloway Tape...or as it is first introduced - the Hol[ ]y tape (NOT a coincidence by the way..the Holy tape is yet anbother theory i've come across...i'll save it for a later date)...there is a very interesting "typo" on page 320: "HE might have spent all night drinking had exhaustion not caught up with ME."...now the HE here is Tom...who is the ME???...Zampano or Johnny..i cant decide but either way this shows that there are connections beyond the boundaries of TNR into the "reality" of Johnny and Z (which may just be a figment of Pelafina's reality...i know i know its fucking crazy and confusing but bear with me)

now did you find it interesting that a portion of Johnny's memory as a child was wiped out the day his mother left...you know..those 5 1/2 minutes that he cant remember? see a connection? The 5 1/2 Minute Hallway is the part of Johnny's mind that was lost to him as a child...or so it would seem (i dont have any other ideas about the similarity but this seems to make the most sense)...and when Z switches "He" and "Me"....hes drawing a direct connection from him to the House...which would be linking himself to what seems to be Johnny's mind...but once again..are they even real in the first place?

and this is where i stop...i have so much more to look into this...as you can see..each theory leads to the development of other theories so its damn near impossible to just finish one....i actually have another theory that Danielewski intended to draw all these connecting threads to perfectly impose the labyrinth that is the House onto our (the reader's) reality....

the thing that led me to start looking for all this shit is becasue MZD said in an interview that there are ABSOLUTELY NO MISTAKES in this book...which means every single typo is intended on the author's part....there's a reason for everything weirds in this and i'm going to find it! hah...but honestly...just blaze...pickin up some Kali Mist in an hour blaaaaaaaazin

any comments, input, or criticism of the [incomplete] theory are by all means welcome...proving me wrong helps the theory get stronger so if you find any evidence contradicting anything let me know and i'll try to work it in


...and i havetn even touched on ANY mythology yet....notice any resemblence to Dante's Inferno...well you should haha...

also...i will later describe the chapter on Echo and how it relates to the whole idea of this book and why i belive this book is agnostic in nature (amazing stuff...you'll see) but im never gunna stop if i dont stop now so PEACE

[Vincebus]

Whoa, that's alot of stuff! I didn't think too much about it but I have been considering a second read when I get time.

Your theory about Johnny and Zimpano is pretty cool, sounds valid to me. I don't have any ideas on why that can't be true.

Originally Posted by Key2gb

now did you find it interesting that a portion of Johnny's memory as a child was wiped out the day his mother left...you know..those 5 1/2 minutes that he cant remember? see a connection? The 5 1/2 Minute Hallway is the part of Johnny's mind that was lost to him as a child...or so it would seem (i dont have any other ideas about the similarity but this seems to make the most sense)...and when Z switches "He" and "Me"....hes drawing a direct connection from him to the House...which would be linking himself to what seems to be Johnny's mind...but once again..are they even real in the first place?

I can't really remember this part but it seems there is definitly a connection there. If I remember anything or come up with some theories I will definitly put them in here.

[Key2gb]

Originally Posted by Vincebus

Whoa, that's alot of stuff! I didn't think too much about it but I have been considering a second read when I get time.

Your theory about Johnny and Zimpano is pretty cool, sounds valid to me. I don't have any ideas on why that can't be true.

I can't really remember this part but it seems there is definitly a connection there. If I remember anything or come up with some theories I will definitly put them in here.

yea i made that connection near the end when hes with those doctors in seattle (which turns out to not be real...)...he says he regains the missing part of his life..i'll try to find a page number sometime but right when i made the connection to 5 1/2 my mind just went nuts

when i get the time i'm gunna write a lot more...theres SO much more to talk about..especially with Echo...a fellow stoner will really appreciate what i've gathered with that...soon it will be up..probably on monday or something...however here's some food for thought in the meantime:

The Minotaur and the "Monster"...any connections?
Dante's Inferno was created out of Cirles of hell ---> Spiral Staircase?...the Greek Minotaur is also found in the 7th circle of dante's hell at the entrance to the 3 rings of the 7th circle..the 7th circle was for the Violent sins

all mythological refernces are crossed out in red (in the re-mastered full color edition)
the House is always blue
the day Pelafina strangled Johnny..when those 5 1/2 minutes were lost to him, she was wearing PURPLE (the combo of red and blue) nail polish....why would MZD go out of his way to add this....? (heh..now we're getting deep)

Beware," she might have whispered. "Another holy Other lessens your great hold on slowing time," as she would have described it, being the mad woman that she truly was. (pg 502) .....A Holy Ghost? hmmm....look closely you'll find MANY of these hidden codes.....

one more:
Page 117, about halfway down the page, starting with "a wild ode" and ending with "inviting everyone's song"

Spells out:

a womaN Who will love my ironies

do you recall that near the end a guy from the band says "i wonder if the guy ever found a woman to love his (Navidson's) ironies"...then i believe it is Johnny who says that would have taken some close reading to figure out

have fun..i'll be back


EDIT: btw i've read this book only once through, but have been returning to certain sections for support on my thoughts...this book DEFINITELY takes more than one look to get in deep...

[Drunkship]

House of Leaves is probably one of my favorite books. It's hard to get my friends to read it because of how crazy some of the text layout is. But, this novel changed my way of thinking, for life. I need to read it again, I haven't in over a year.

Anyone read his second book, Only Revolutions? It's pretty dope as well.

[Key2gb]

Originally Posted by Drunkship

Anyone read his second book, Only Revolutions? It's pretty dope as well.

ha..every time im about to buy it online i always just start reading HoL and then i go back to my copy and start with my obsessive theories

is "Drunkship" a Mars Volta reference?

once again i'm too lazy to write about Echoes right now...i was at the Australian Pink Floyd Show last night and im beat (21 joints and 2 blunts for the show...i think im still high)...so yea, update on this thread coming soon...no pun intended (Echoes --> Pink Floyd)

[TheHempress]

I own it. I bought it mostly because I'm a huge Poe fan (Danielewski's sister) and her last album was supposed to be the audio companion to the book.

Sorry, don't really feel like typing much about it right now, but I wanted to get in here and say that I'm a fan of the book. Though I prefer the parts about the Navidson Record to Truant's story. There's only so many crazy drug stories that I can handle at one time.

[Drunkship]

Originally Posted by Key2gb

is "Drunkship" a Mars Volta reference?

Yeah, I used to be a big TMV fan. Not so much anymore. But, I like the same Drunkship.

[Key2gb]

Originally Posted by Drunkship

Yeah, I used to be a big TMV fan. Not so much anymore. But, I like the same Drunkship.

same, i still think De-Loused is pure genius but they just went downhill from there...i saw them live after de loused came out and they just played it straight through it was so tight..then i saw them after Frances came out and they jammed a lot which was cool but i wanted to hear more songs..they didnt play Eria Tarka, Cicatriz, or Roulette Dares which are my favorite songs by them so i was a bit disappointed...but i was trippin on mushrooms so it was still a sick show...then last year i saw them play with the chili peppers and they lost their drummer halfway through the tour so they only played two songs of Amputechture and then just played random ass shit for like an hour it was kind of a let-down...they had such potential and i just dotn see it anymore...they took the filler stuff way too far on the albums too...but i'll always think of De-Loused as a new age Dark Side of the Moon (hence genius)

[Vincebus]

Originally Posted by Key2gb

same, i still think De-Loused is pure genius but they just went downhill from there...i saw them live after de loused came out and they just played it straight through it was so tight..then i saw them after Frances came out and they jammed a lot which was cool but i wanted to hear more songs..they didnt play Eria Tarka, Cicatriz, or Roulette Dares which are my favorite songs by them so i was a bit disappointed...but i was trippin on mushrooms so it was still a sick show...then last year i saw them play with the chili peppers and they lost their drummer halfway through the tour so they only played two songs of Amputechture and then just played random ass shit for like an hour it was kind of a let-down...they had such potential and i just dotn see it anymore...they took the filler stuff way too far on the albums too...but i'll always think of De-Loused as a new age Dark Side of the Moon (hence genius)

Same here. I used to really like TMV but now..not so much. If you didn't see my post in the rage against the machine thread, my guitar teacher got to jam one time with the former drummer, Jon Theodore. That must have been rad.

Back to House of Leaves, I will pick that book up again one day. I think theres a time and a place, and I'm just too happy for that book right now.

[Key2gb]

okay i'm still too lazy to type up everything baout Echo but here's some more food for thought in the meantime:

how about the book itself, as in the physical thing you pick up when you read, IS the House of Leaves

this makes the idea of the House much more universal...as it literally connects to real life as well...is this MZD saying something to us? i think so

first of all, for those of us with the newest edition (full color re-mastered edition with House in blue and Minotaur as well as all other mythological passages in red)...ever wonder why the cover page is slightly smaller than the actual pages within the book? perhaps 1/4 of an inch?? (i havent checked but it seems very possible)..very interesting

now also if you'll notice that the entire book, barring hte cover page which seems to merely suggest the universality of the House...the last page of hte book.....i mean the VERY last page of the book, as the Yggdrasil and the poem (for those of you unfamiliar with mythology beyond the Greeks Romans and Judeo-Christians , Yggrasil is, in very simplified terms, an Ash Tree[...as in the same tree as address of Navidson's House...Ash Tree Lane...i wonder if there's any relation...] in Norse Mythology that connects the three worlds while also being a part of those three worlds)

note that this comes after the credits..after the index even...so it is beyond the actual story but is yet still within the covers of the physical book itself...with obvious connections to the story within...there is more to this book than meets the eye

like a diamond with unlimited facets...theres always a different surface at which to approach this book, and within each ray of light you ride into the workings of the plot, other rays of light can bee seen within your facet, only to relay glimpses of the millions of other facets yet to be uncovered

one thing is certain..this book never really ends...

stay tuned for Echo...8/7 central

[Key2gb]

Originally Posted by TheHempress

I own it. I bought it mostly because I'm a huge Poe fan (Danielewski's sister) and her last album was supposed to be the audio companion to the book.

Sorry, don't really feel like typing much about it right now, but I wanted to get in here and say that I'm a fan of the book. Though I prefer the parts about the Navidson Record to Truant's story. There's only so many crazy drug stories that I can handle at one time.

ahh but it's the connections between these stories that tend to get my mind racing with ideas....