Book Review: House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

Title: House of Leaves (The Remastered Full-Color Edition)
Author: Mark Z. Danielewski
Published: New York: Pantheon Books, 2000
Rating: 5 of 5
Page Count: 709
Total Page Count: 68,284
Text Number: 196
Read For: personal enjoyment, purchased at Borders
Short review: In the apartment of a dead man, Johnny Truant discovers a manuscript by Zampanò, an academic study of a documentary called The Navidson Record in which journalist Navidson finds an impossible endless hallway within his house. Interweaving the events of the documentary with Zampanò and Truant's interjections, with copious footnotes, an unusual layout, and lengthy appendixes, House of Leaves is self-referential post-modern Lovecraftian horror which is as intriguing as it is pretentious. This novel must be read to believed, and it's a long journey not without faults, but I recommend it enthusiastically.

( Long review. )

Review posted here on Amazon.com.

Book Review: Palimpsest by Catherynne M. Valente

Title: Palimpsest
Author: Catherynne M. Valente / yuki_onna
Published: New York: Bantam Books, 2009
Rating: 5 of 5
Page Count: 367
Total Page Count: 68,651
Text Number: 197
Read For: As a fan of the author, purchased at Borders
Short review: Four strangers, each suffering the loss of something in their life, are drawn together in a city called Palimpsest, a place that they can only visit in dreams brought on by sex with a fellow immigrant to the city. Palimpsest is a word of magic and opportunity, but it demands great payment if they hope to live there forever. Valente's writing too is magic, painting a vibrant fantasy which is shadowed by beautifully realistic characters. Although it feels somewhat short, it is a beautiful book which transports the reader, and altogether deeply enjoyable. I highly recommend it.

( Long review. )

Review posted here on Amazon.com.