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“A novelistic mosaic that simultaneously reads like a thriller and like a strange, dreamlike excursion into the subconscious.” —The New York TimesYears ago, when House of Leaves was first being passed around, it was nothing more than a badly bundled heap of paper, parts of which would occasionally surface on the Internet. No one could have anticipated the small but devoted following this terrifying story would soon command. Starting with an odd assortment of marginalized youth -- musicians, tattoo artists, programmers, strippers, environmentalists, and adrenaline junkies -- the book eventually made its way into the hands of older generations, who not only found themselves in those strangely arranged pages but also discovered a way back into the lives of their estranged children.Now this astonishing novel is made available in book form, complete with the original colored words, vertical footnotes, and second and third appendices.The story remains unchanged, focusing on a young family that moves into a small home on Ash Tree Lane where they discover something is terribly wrong: their house is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside.Of course, neither Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Will Navidson nor his companion Karen Green was prepared to face the consequences of that impossibility, until the day their two little children wandered off and their voices eerily began to return another story -- of creature darkness, of an ever-growing abyss behind a closet door, and of that unholy growl which soon enough would tear through their walls and consume all their dreams.

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski is a unique and challenging novel that pushes the boundaries of storytelling. Originally published in 2000, the book has garnered a cult following and has been praised for its innovative structure, intricate narrative, and psychological depth.

The story begins with a young man named Johnny Truant discovering a mysterious manuscript written by Zampanò, an elderly blind man. The manuscript tells the tale of the Navidson family, who move into a house in Virginia that seems to be larger on the inside than the outside. As the Navidson's explore the house, they encounter strange phenomena, including a mysterious black corridor, shifting rooms, and ghostly apparitions.

As Johnny delves deeper into the manuscript, he becomes increasingly obsessed with the Navidson's story and the house itself. He begins to experience strange and disturbing events in his own life, and the line between reality and fiction begins to blur. The reader is left to question what is real and what is imagined, as the narrative becomes more and more fragmented and surreal.

House of Leaves is a complex and multi-layered novel that defies easy categorization. It incorporates elements of horror, mystery, and psychological thriller, while also exploring themes of identity, reality, and the nature of narrative itself. Danielewski's use of footnotes, marginalia, and multiple narrators creates a labyrinthine text that is both challenging and rewarding for the reader.

The novel has been praised for its originality, its innovative structure, and its psychological depth. It has been compared to works by Jorge Luis Borges, Vladimir Nabokov, and David Foster Wallace. House of Leaves has also been the subject of academic study, with critics exploring its postmodern elements, its use of intertextuality, and its exploration of the limits of language.

Whether you're a fan of horror, literary fiction, or experimental writing, House of Leaves is a novel that is sure to challenge and provoke you. It is a book that will stay with you long after you finish reading it.