House of Leaves: Things of Note

this is not for you

it is not recommended for you to read further, it is actually advised that you run and look away while you still can.

Enter my House of Leaves: Things of Note, it is just as it sounds, through page 34, if you'd like to go in blind/spoiler-free I'd suggest looking away but you're welcome to come on along if you'd like.

Things of Note in House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

“while enthusiasts and detractors will continue to empty entire dictionaries attempting to describe or deride it, “authenticity” still remains the word most likely to stir a debate, in fact, this leading obsession to validate or invalidate the reels and types- invariably brings up a collateral and more general concern: whether or not, w/ the advent of digital technology, image has forsaken its once unimpeachable hold on the truth,” House of Leaves, Mark Z. Danielewski

@ pg.22

· Focus on the psyche and manifestations

o Childhood-> parenthood

o Does it mean something is not real if we can’t see it?

@ pg. 23 “why?”

o Emotional abuse (invisible repercussions) vs starvation/physical (visible repercussions)

o Oupost= nettlesome, base

Transience

tran-sience / noun / the state or fact of lasting only for a short time; transitory nature (Google, Definitions)

Preadamite

Pre-adamite / the pre-admite hypothesis or pre-Adamism is the theological belief that humans existed before the biblical character Adam. Pre-Adamism is therefore distinct from the conventional Abrahamic belief that Adam was the first human (Wikipedia)

Uncanny-> anxiety and nothing and nowhere vs not-being-at-home

“it is a beautiful shot. In fact, the composition and elegant balance of colours, not to mention the lush contrast of lights and darks, are so exquisite they temporarily distract us from any questions concerning the house or events unfolding there,” (Danielewski)

· Compartmentalization and the new “hallway” had it always been there? Staring and gaping, eating and nibbling on your toes and sneaking into your jelly

· Morning paper-> “mourning” paper spelling

· House builder= therapist

“occasionally, interrupted when Hillary or Mallory in some keystone chase race around the children’s beds- Tom believes they will account for the ¼” discrepancy w? a perfect level measurement” (Danielewski) house->

family/people/places/environments expand upon and detract upon emotional fluxuations and attachments made and built throughout ones lifetime- therefore the analysis that the pets, expanding and adding to the house

Esoteric

es-o-ter-ic / adjective / intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest (Google, Definitions)

Etymological

et-y-mo-log-i-cal / adjective / relating to the origin and historical development of words and their meanings ("")

Progenitor

pro-gen-i-tor / noun / a person or thing from which a person, animal, or plant is descended or originates; an ancestor or parent / a person who originates an artistic, political, or intellectual movement ("")

Subsumes

Sub-sume / verb / 3rd person present: subsumes / include or absorb (something) in something else ("")

“And yet despite such obvious differences, anyone who looks past Tom’s wide grin and considers his eyes will find surprisingly deep pools of sorrow..which is how we know they are brothers, because, Like Tom, Navidson’s eyes share the same water,” (Danielewski 32)

“the adult world, however, produces riddles of a different variety. They do not have answers and are often called enigmas or paradoxes… there must be an answer. From here comes torment,” (Danielewski 33)

“Karen simply removes a photo album.. causes all the books to fall like dominoes.. they are soundly stopped, eliciting a smile from both women.. “No better book ends than two walls,” (Danielewski 34)