11.18.08 | House of Leaves [day2]

Schedule:1. Attendance &

Questions?2. Discussion groups

1. Emphasizing reading practice.

3. HW – Keep Reading!

Goal[s]: Identify and evaluate the

role of the reader in the ‘realization’ of a story.

Relate role of the reader to the discussions raised by the text.

What is this?1. House on Ash Tree Lane, moved into by Will Navidson and Family.

1. [burns copy of book called House of Leaves, while inside the ‘hallway’

2. Video documenting the move into the house, sponsored by NEA grant. 3. Zampanò’s critical assessment of the video and its academic footprint [in

notes]. Z. by the way is BLIND, can’t read, can’t watch a video. 4. Johnny Truant’s compilation of the notes [with significant editorial

commentary, his own spin, and revelation of his life surrounding the book]

5. [website edition read by the band Truant meets.]6. In 2nd Edition. We get footnotes from the Editors.

7. Mark ZZ. Danielewski’s “A Novel”

So what is the text? What are you reading when you read this book?How do you approach it? As fiction, as critical essay, as recovery project?

Does it make a difference?

Where does this book begin?

• “So you see from my perspective, having to decide between old man z and his story is an artificial, maybe even dangerous choice, and one I’m obviously not comfortable making. The way I figure it, if there’s something you find irksome-go ahead and skip it. I couldn’t care less how you read any of this.” Page 31

• House of Leaves provides readers with the unusual opportunity to choose which parts of the story they will read and when. Though it is clear that readers are expected to decide for themselves when to skim over or ignore a section, no directions are provided to help them make these selections. How are you personally deciding what you do and do not read? It is likely there were times when you almost skipped a page or two, but changed your mind. Did you later regret your decision? Or did you, instead, gain something from these passages that you are glad you did not miss?

• During the first part of House of Leaves, titled “The Navidson Record”, Danielewski incorporates two different storylines and multiple footnotes. He often skips around the page and passes over pages all together to focus on one of the texts then later resumes both. How did you read this and moreover how did this affect your role as the reader? Why do you think the author used this technique?

• For example:• The very beginning of chapter four (pg 24-25) starts out

with the Navidson storyline, then a paragraph in German followed by two footnotes and then the translation into English and then into text about Johnny Traunt; the only obvious distinguishing factor being the changes in font between each section.

Page 26-27

"To get a better idea try this: focus on these words, and whatever you do don't let your eyes wander past the perimeter of this page. Now imagine just beyond your peripheral vision, maybe behind you, maybe to the side of you, maybe even in front of you, but right where you can't see it, something is quietly closing in on you, so quiet in fact you can only hear it as silence. Find those pockets without sound. That's where it is. Right at this moment. But don't look. Keep your eyes here. Now take a deep breath. Go ahead take an even deeper one. Only this time as you start to exhale try to imagine how fast it will happen, how hard it's going to hit you, how many times it will stab your jugular with its teeth or are they nails?, don't worry, that particular detail doesn't matter, because before you have time to even process that you should be moving, you should be running, you should at the very least be flinging up your arms-- you sure as hell should be getting rid of this book-- you won't even have time to scream."

On page 26, Truant breaks away from his first person narrative and addresses the reader. He gives the reader instructions on what to do to better understand the terror that he is experiencing. Did you act on his advice? Did this interaction with the text make you feel more connected to Truant as a character? Why or why not?