House of Leaves Ch XVII-XX

These chapters come to a close many things are left unanswered. So far I can see that Karen is very close to Navidson, she has tried time and time to leave him but cant and so she runs away from everything. Her relationship with the children seems to be better compared to earlier chapters. As for Navidson I think this house will always remain within him as an obsession whether it may have killed him or not. For Johnny Truant his man is locked within his own world of demons pushing him farther from what is reality. Perhaps we don’t know that reality is true, maybe we fear so much to find out what reality is; that we make up this world that we live in, in order to hide from the truth.

The tapes, I really want to know what is on them.

Karen starts to show signs of becoming a little better, but is this a kind of front? Is he also the next victim?

Big question is Navidson still alive?

In the end “Light” is used to describe the last thing Navidson sees, Light itself can have many meanings.

Missing pages?

Katherine Tesi

These chapters seem to serve as the climax of both the Navidson Record and Johnny’s story within his narration. Johnny Truant begins having dreams which in this case he can remember upon waking up. In one dream in particular he is deformed and eventually killed by Thumper with an axe. Johnny’s lifestyle in general has become the direct opposite of what it once was. He went from constantly going to parties and meeting a different girl nightly to now not leaving his house and even turning down Kyrie when she offers him a second ride in her car. Kyrie’s fiancé attacks Lude, putting him the hospital and in terrible shape. Johnny only finds out about Lude’s condition because he plans on leaving California to go to Virginia and wants to say good-bye to Lude. However in order to gain a few extra dollars for his trip, Johnny decides to sell his mother’s locket.
Within the story of the Navidson Record, Will Navidson finally decides to return to the house for a final exploration. What she believes is prior to Navidson’s return; Karen revisits the house only to find that the hallways have all disappeared. She also discovers some of Navidson’s belongings in the children’s old room. She is told by her real estate that the house always sells and its owners never stay in the house for more than a few years. Navidson re-enters the labyrinth, going a different direction than he had before. He finds multiple flights of stairs which all seem to be oddly directed, either on their side or having a stair start within the ceiling. Navidson discovers a window which shortly after vanishes back into the black ash of the walls. He eventually discovers that he feels as though he is falling or floating, Navidson can’t tell anymore. Deciding that he is in fact falling, Navidson goes through a range of emotion before seeing a bright light ahead of him.

1. What is Johnny’s plan if and when he gets to Virginia?
2. Are Karen and Navidson simultaneously in the house, or did Karen arrive before or after him?
3. Why are some of Navidson’s belongings found in the children’s room? Is there another connection between the labyrinth and the living area of the house?

Michael Lampasona

These chapters focus a bit on Karen, and how despite her efforts to leave Navidson, she is attached to him. Karen decides to leave New York, leaving Chad and Daisy with their grandparent. Throughout all this, Karen is also becoming more of a film maker, possibly Navidson's indirect influence on her. Karen continues to call Chad and Daisy when she is in Virginia, which shows a more compassionate attitude towards her children (as opposed to the earlier chapters in the house).

Navidon's experience with Delial was also explained, and how that affected him. He continues his obsession with the house, and another exploration is documented. It is unclear whether Navidson has survived or not, but I would assume that he has.

Johnny Truant continues his downward spiral, and his obsession with the novel continues to close him out from outside life. We also find out more detail about his past.

Here are my discussion questions:
1. What purpose does the upside down text serve?
2. Was Karen drawn to the house in the beginning of the novel, but hiding it?
3. Is the page written in Braille for Zampano?

Eun-Hee Vabulas

In chapters XVII-XX, several theories are put forth in an attempt to explain why Navidson decided to return to Ash Tree Lane and venture into the house again. Karen follows Navidson back to Virginia, leaving Chad and Daisy in New York. She initially stays at a Days Inn, but moves back into the house shortly after arriving in Virginia. Reston comes by the house from time to time in order to help Karen search for Navidson, but they are unsuccessful in finding anything. It is not until some time has passed that Karen claims to hear Navidson's voice and finds his things strewn across the floor in Chad and Daisy's room. The chapters conclude with Navidson wandering inside the house on Exploration #5. I found these chapters a bit harder to follow than the previous ones. It seems that all the extra empty space has disappeared when Karen reenters the house, but Navidson is still supposed to be in the labyrinth. How will he escape from it?

Nian Liu

House of Leaves: Chapters XVII-XX

The story only gets more attention and more interesting from this point. Navidson returns to the house for what people think is because of the past events that has happened in Navidson's life for instance his regret from not being able to save that dying young girl. Deep into his own mental debates and his self pity, Will Navidson reenters house the second time testing his fate once again trying to get "the better picture". What I really enjoyed reading was Navidson's goodbye letter to Karen and how his last words were how he missed Karen and how he loved her and everyone. It really made me see how Navidson had to go back, and it also made me angry at the house. The house literally tore Will and Karen apart from each other, even though all these scholars say that the reason for the endless darkness and the strange appearances maybe started because of the complexity of the human mind, I still think the house is wrong and should be destroyed. Now we read about how Karen starts to show signs of mental unstability as her smiles begin to change from sweet to sour, and even though Navidson's voice was never heard by Reston at the house, Karen often hears Navidson and his reassuring voice that he's still alive. Back to the story, Navidson explores the hallway and finds out even more weird things about the hallway and how its behavior has changed radically.

Questions
1) What did the video tape show!! on page 417? The text just stopped out of nowhere.
2) Does Karen get swallowed up by the darkness also? What happens to her?
3) Is Navidson still alive?
4) By Navidson seeing a light in the end of the chapter, does this mean he's reached an end to the fall?

Kristy Medina

The last few chapters have focused mainly on Karen. From her fear of being in dark places to visiting professionals. However, I found these chapters to be less interesting than the previous once, at least plot wise; there is no action going on up until Navidson goes back into the house. It seems as though the different styles such as the one worded pages are used primarily when the action of the house is highly intensified. At the very end of chapter XX, I thought the slab vanishing and the question whether Navidson is floating or falling was the creepiest and yet coolest part by far. Although, I'm kind of dissappointed the novel doesn't end with the escape but rather a return.

The PEER rating was a good description of what's been going on to all the character's psychology. On pages 370-371 there is a very important "recap" of the house's faults so far. One of the main questions or concerns I had is on page 417 when the chapter ends without a period nor a complete thought; I found that to be very interesting.

Navidson's letters to Karen show how much he really loves her and in chapter XX when he is back in the labyrinth he thinks mostly of her. I seem to be discussing the love between the two in all the posts because I feel that the romance is a promident part of the polt in house.

Questions/ Comments:
- What's the purpose of the missing pages?
-I thought Delial was a more inportant piece to the novel than ust a Pultzer Prize winning photographer.
-How do you read page 432?
-Does Navidson really die at the end of chapter XX. How? Why?

Janie Cherestal

I felt pretty frustrated reading this portion of the novel. I had a really hard time understanding what seemed to be one of the most exciting scenes of the book due to its erratic wording. Other than this, I thought that this part of the book brought up some very interesting points, such as the various possible reasons behind Navidson’s decision to return to the house. I also liked the analysis of Navidson’s heart-breaking experience with Delial and how it showed the complexity behind capturing such an intense moment on film. Some questions that crossed my mind while reading were
- What makes Karen change her mind about leaving Navidson and return to that awful house?
- Why are there X-marks in certain passages?
- Why is one page written in Braille?
- What happens to Navidson at the end of Chapter XX? Does the blue light that engulfs him relate to the blue light in the well from his dream?

Janie Cherestal

I felt pretty frustrated reading this portion of the novel. I had a really hard time understanding what seemed to be one of the most exciting scenes of the book due to its erratic wording. Other than this, I thought that this part of the book brought up some very interesting points, such as the various possible reasons behind Navidson’s decision to return to the house. I also liked the analysis of Navidson’s heart-breaking experience with Delial and how it showed the complexity behind capturing such an intense moment on film. Some questions that crossed my mind while reading were
- What makes Karen change her mind about leaving Navidson and return to that awful house?
- Why are there X-marks in certain passages?
- Why is one page written in Braille?
- What happens to Navidson at the end of Chapter XX? Does the blue light that engulfs him relate to the blue light in the well from his dream?

Emily Skahill

was the wording really necessary? i'm pretty positive i would have understood how strange and scary Navidson's situation was without it. I find the only interesting parts the parts about what the Hi 8s saw. The analysis and theories bore me, i'd rather come to my own conclusion. Two parts actually scared me though. The first, which is kind of strange and maybe i'm just not understanding it correctly, but Navidson reading House of Leaves. Isn't that what we're reading right now? When i read that part i thought about Navidson reading about his future, but that was clearly not what his book was about. If I was Truant reading that section I would have thought the burn marks and blotches on Zampano's work came from Navidson's burning of the sections. The second, was the darkness behind Karen when she was watching the new tapes. It's incredibly scary the way it was written, how the darkness was just waiting for her reaction when she turned around. I actually had to turn around myself. Will we ever come to a conclusion about the darkness? Will we ever get to hear the point of view of the children?

Alyson Bernero

The wording in these chapters drove me absolutely crazy. I don't understand why some of the text is upside down and sideways because I feel as if its more of a pain to read and doesn't really have the effect the author intended. Navidson's obsession is even more relevant than ever in these chapters. He goes as far as to say he cannot live without finding out what is inside the house. I find it amazing how much Navidson and Karen truly care for eachother. Its amazing to me that with everything they've been through they still stand by eachother. Once again the male characters venture back into the house to try and solve the mystery of whats inside it. I feel that if they continue to this eventually no one will make it out alive. Johnny's problems are once again extremely visible in these chapters as he becomes more and more engrossed in Zampano's work. I find that Navidson and Johnny Traunt are very similar. Both men are having trouble controlling their obsessions and keeping their sanity. He too will eventually drive himself too death if he doesn't learn to control his obsessions?

1) Will everyone eventually fall victim to hallway?
2) Should Karen still support Navidson?
3) Has Navidson taken his obsession too far?

Julie Morvitz

I thought these chapters were very good and gripping at times.  I found that every time I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happened next, the chapter would end and the next one wouldn’t start from the same place.  I had to wait to find out what happened next.  I understood why at some points there were only a few words on each page, but I did not understand why the words were written upside down or on a diagonal.  I don’t see how this helps the text seem more like a film; it is only annoying to turn the book around.  I wonder what Navidson thought was going to happen after he started Exploration #5, because every Exploration before hadn’t ended in a finding of some kind; they only ended in deaths or injuries.  I wasn’t surprised that at the end of Chaper XX, Navidson was dying, without having found what he was looking for.  I highly doubt that he will die, though, so there must be something drastic that happens soon to get him out of this situation.

Discussion Questions

1.  Does Navidson actually expect to find something inside the house?

2.  Will Karen somehow get into the labyrinth and save Navidson?

3.  How can the floor go downwards in both directions, when Navidson just rode down one side of it?

Kristin Todd

Chapters 17-20

I thought this reading was very light and for the most part easy to read.  The only part that I found scary and disturbing was the part with Karen towards the beginning.  Her face suddenly appeared on the camera in the kid's room like someone was watching her.  It scared me.  I think it's weird how the pages are set up.  Especially when the words are in the corner and when you have to read up the page instead of down.  But, some of the set up makes sense because the words are going up as he's climbing or they're getting wider as the walls are getting wider.  It's strange how the labyrinth is set up because when Navidson was on his bike, he was always going downhill even if he turned in a different direction.  It's also weird that he seems to be floating.

Discussion Questions:

1. Why are the pages set up like that?

2. How is it possible that Navidson is burning the book while what he is doing took place before the book was created?

3. Is Johnny's story done?

4. What's going to happen to Will?

Elisabeth Jeremko Chapters XVII - XX

In these chapters, the aftermath of the first four explorations leave the characters in states of post-traumatic stress, but also of rebuilding and modifying their feelings. One interesting thing that I found was that Karen has resorted to recording her experiences with Hi 8s and using mediums to work through her feelings. It seems as though when Karen works through her pain in a manner reminescent to Navy, she gains a better understanding of him. She realizes that she loves him, despite his obsession with photojournalism or the house. I was shocked when Navidson told Karen in his letter that he thought the house was God. That might explain its impenetrable qualities, the mazing darkness, and the overwhelming nature of that place. Where I get confused on this possibility is why the house has created so much devastation and even death. As for Johnny Truant, it seems that he is melding more and more with Zampano. It was especially curious when he replaced all his s's for f's after stating Zampano's error.


DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1) If the house is God, why has so much pain and devastation taken place there?
2) Does Navy die at the end of Chapter XX?
3)What is the significance of the Jamestown Colony talk, in relation to the house?
4) Is Johnny Truant really going to the house, or somewhere else? (mental institution?)
5) What is the nature of the darkness ready to envelope Karen at the end of Chapter XVIII?

Victoria Gornopolskaya

I was quite shocked to find that Navidson has decided to return to the house; the dark, cold, deadly monster. Not many people would return to such a place where death is almost certain, a place that brings nothing but fear. Yet it is typical of Navidson's character to go back to the place he longs to conquer and explore, perhaps to get some kind of closure after the death of his brother. He writes Karen a somewhat touching letter that many would depict as drunken bable though it is actually very meaningful. He discusses his love for Karen and his longing to return to her and the children though he needs to go back to the house because of who he is. It is not possible for Navidson to go on with his life unless he can understand the mystery of the house. Therefore, he has no choice but to go back whether he returns from it or not. His letter also tells us about his obsession with Delial. We learn Delial is a young Sudanese girl who Navidson photographed. He went on to win a Pulitzer for this photo where the girl is near death desperately crawling as a vulture is preying upon her in the background. Some say the photographer who took the photo rather than helping the girl is another vulture on the scene. Navidson agrees with these people and feels extreme guilt. He wishes he could have helped Delial just as badly as he wishes to discover the secret of the house. Navidson failed with Delial and can not bear more failure with the house. Karen too returns to the house which is very out of character for her. Her love for Navidson exceeds her fear of the house. These chapters depict Navidson and Karen's true love for eachother. The end of the chapters describes Navidson's seemingly hopeless journey in which he is possibly falling and on the verge of an impending doom. As this book seems to disregard a sense of what is impossible, I hope it will do the same in Navidson's case and he will somehow live.
What will Karen do with herself if Navidson dies?
Is the house "God"?
Does Karen's love for Navidson exceed his love for her?
Why would a man with such fame and so many achievements feel inadequate and insecure?

Carly Cooper

These chapters were a lot more confusing, I feel like a good chunk of time was cut out between leaving the house and reentering the house. I still feel like I’m not sure if I like either Navidson or Karen the way they constantly abandon their children and both have obsessive personalities. I’m confused about where Navidson is while Karen is living in the house. Is he inside the labyrinth falling as described at the end of the reading? Also is this the end of Navidson? Do we no longer hear about him and his journey into the Labyrinth?

John Bonhomme Jr.

The book just suddenly picked up the pace. This reminded me of like when the labyrinth moves slowly until all of a sudden jumps very quickly. The book imitated this pattern in a way. At some points in the book it feel like the story is not moving at all. But in some chapters, such as these, the book really picks up the pace very quickly. Chapters XVII-XX give a lot of insight to some unanswered questions. Deliah is a little girl who Will photographed before she was killed by a human eating voulcher. This photo was Will's most renown photo, but it still haunts him. He can never forgive himself for not saving that little girl, instead of taking the photo. This is one of the reasons he goes back into the house. He says that to this day he wished he did a heroic act such as the one Tom did for his daughter Daisy. Johnny Truant has packed his bags and moved on with his life. He gathered up some money and decided to get out of the house. His "friend" Lude is in the hospital and appears to be in horrible condition. Johnny out of the kindness of his heart leave 500 dollars under Lude's door, which he will never get.
Questions
How did Will read the House of Leaves when the book is about him?
Why can't Karen find the hallway?
How can Karen hear him?

Robert Stevens

This portion of the story is very intriguing. Karen and Will end up seperating, the story finally goes public, and it seems that everyone is touched in a negative way by this house. Will is drivin to a state of despair so great that it compells him to go back to the house, and in so doing basically condemning himself. He also discusses the dreams that have been plauging him since he left the house, the angish of losing his brother, the Delial story, and his inability to reconnect with Karen and the kids.
Zampano also addresses several analyses put forward by others as to why Navidson would want to go back, and what affects the house had on the others involved. The house even seems to have an effect on Johnny Truant. He is now having powerful dreams of himself as a Minotaur-type creature, and is now planning to depart for Virginia in search of this house. He even refused a follow up offer from Kyrie.
Karen did do some research on the house. Nothing significant was revealed, aside from the fact that owners tended not to stay more than a few years. As well as a journal from the 1600s written during a failed hunting expedition in which they discovered "stairs" in the wilderness, leading some to conclude that whatever had created the labryinth in the house had propbably existed in one form or another for well over 400 years.
Karen moved back into the house after Will's "Expedition #5" began (when he went missing) and one day, for no reason, his cassets and film appeared one day in the kid's room. Upon watching it, they depicted Will's last adventure in the house, which ended with him falling into an unknown abyss.

Discussion Questions:
1. Why did a window appear in Will's final expedition?
2. What was he hoping to find this one last time?
3. What posessed Karen to want to live in the house alone?