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?

Tung Kim

In this chapter they decided to return back in to the house, the house given that it has provided such horror and mystery to Navidson and crew. The house that is surly giving out signs that it doesn’t want anyone to bother it invokes fear to try and drive people always. For some reason it just seems right for Navidson to return back to the house. His personality gives some a sort of commanding role I think in really trying to find out what is happening. Perhaps he is trying to make up for his sort comings as a husband and a father to his children. Tom, Navidson and Billy Reston are heading down the hallway in an attempt to rescue Holloway, Jed and Wax. Maybe the house is trying to show them there more to life then what it seems.


Karen seems to he the soft type of person that gives rather then anything else, does Navidson feel the same about her?

The whole layout of the book and writing is starting to change; there are some pages that only have a couple of words. What the meaning of this

Did someone die in the end?

Does anyone else think that the house could be some supernatural being like god or the devil?

The house seems as if there it was made without proper standard living equipments such as heating or plumbing why is that?

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.

Today’s class was a recap of the entire book up until this point. The main focus was on the labyrinth and the characteristics it contains. The main features of the labyrinth were darkness, non quantifiable space, and constant shape shifting. All these features cause fear into the mind of a person through different senses. Darkness causes the eyes to lose their normal function, causing nerves to trigger a sense of fear. People fear what they can’t see, in this case the labyrinth. Non quantifiable space also tends to trigger a sense of fear. Humans have a sense of comfort when they can identify the outer limits of the area which they inhabit. The labyrinth provides no sense of boundaries throwing a person off guard as well as causing fear. People feel comfort when they can see the boundaries of their surroundings, but the labyrinth provides none. The constant shape shifting in the labyrinth also triggers fear. People feel safe with stability, which the labyrinth does not provide. These three characteristics of the labyrinth cause fear in the minds of those who enter it, shown by the sudden change of personalities by those who enter.
Another topic which was discussed in today’s class was Johnny Truant’s Monster. Johnny has been having a tough time keeping his head straight in dark places. He has a constant fear which keeps creeping up on him every time he is in a sketchy situation. He describes this fear as a monster. Johnny says the creature has long black claws, sharp long fangs, and hot breath which tends to breath down the back of his neck. But Truant never gets a chance to see the monster. It always sneaks up behind him. One time he attempted to turn around to try and catch a glimpse but it disappeared. This monster seems to be more of a mental illusion rather than an actual nonfictional creature. Every time Johnny sees the monster there is no scientific evidence of this being true. No one else has yet to see it, (and the monster has left no track behind) making this monster probably fake. The only other reference to a monster such as the one Johnny is describing, is the one that growls in the house. Only time can tell if these monsters are the same, or if they’re even real to begin with.
The last topic covered in class was the question as to whether we are reading a novel or not. Certain characteristics of the book answer yes and no. The main evidence to this piece of literature being a novel is; the frame narrative, non-linear narrative, critical energies, citation, typography, appendix, and the glossary. All of these features in the book will make a strong argument in favor for this literature truly being a novel.

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?

Elisabeth Jeremko

For these chapters, my emotional responses to the characters' plights in the Navidson Record began shifting towards their personal demons, as opposed to the horror of the house itself. I found Holloway's story to be tragic,where his quest to rid himself of inadequacies became the ultimate (failed) test within the spiral staircase. I also began to feel more empathy for Karen. In the earlier chapters, I found Karen's behavior to be rather selfish and unsupportive of Navidson's need for his art. However, when the house began to collapse, I realized how much she had really been putting up with, and I was annoyed with Navidson that they let everything go that far. Although I was emotionally moved by the characters on a more psychological level, there were still aspects that kept these chapters horror-like. The visit of the schoolteacher, the disturbing pictures drawn by Chad and Daisy, and the house taking on a life of its own all kept the story creepy and hard to decipher. I am starting to get mildly vexed with Johnny Truant and his tangents. Earlier, I found his voice interesting and a nice disruption from the rest of the action. However, now I am starting to feel like he is in a state of stasis, where he repeats many of his psychological insecurities and fears over and over again. I would like to see something happen with him in the upcoming chapters. I think one of my favorite parts of the chapters were when different philosophers, scientists, and filmmakers commented about Karen and the house. I found this amusing, where it was guessed how different thinkers would ponder this mystery.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1) Why was the minotaur parts of the Record striked out?

2) How does Tom die, exactly?

3) Is there any significance to Chad always going outside, and Daisy always staying in? Is it gender related symbolism?

4) Who could Delial be?

Nian Liu

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski Chapters XIII-XVI

These three chapters settle close to the end of the story explaining different perspectives of critics and psychiatrists on the characters in the Navidson Record. On chapter thirteen, it was mostly about side comments on the Hi-8 tapes/story and it also provided us behind the scenes on the Holloway Tape. In the story the house begins to devour Holloway as he lingers alone in the darkness, the room filled with his own sorrow, fear, and hopelessness. As for Johnny Traunt in this chapter, he finds himself obsessed exactly the way Navidson was obsessed with the Hallway. He continues to talk about things that were happening then later not happening and how the thought of the darkness consuming everything makes him wake up with cold sweats every night. As for the relationship between Karen and Will Navidson in the three chapters, their love and tolerance for each other start to deterioate. As for Jed, Wax, Reston, Tom and Navidson, they all ultimately escape the hallway but Jed couldn't make it. Holloway suicides with the pull of his rifle to his chest, and the story seems to have ascended from its climax. But very surprised I didn't know that the situation would be even worst than it already is, the house begins to devour the Navidson family along with Tom and sadly he sacrifices himself in order to save Daisy. The Navidson family escaped the haunting house but Will and Karen found it impossible to get back. What I enjoyed the most was the part in the story where the scientists explained to the guys how the hallway materials were either from another dimension, extrateresstrial or just a "persistent presence of schizophrenia plaguing the human race."

1) Could the missing pages in the book explain things that aren't already mentioned in the book?
2) Will there be a happy ever after in this story or would this book remain a dark mystery leaving readers in an overflow of questions.
3) What will happen to the kids Chad and Daisy now that they have escaped, will they continue to be drawing pictures of dark rooms and will they ever be normal again?

Janie Cherestal

The story of the Navidson house gets more and more intriguing as I continue reading about it. I loved how Chapter XIII describes the madness of the bloody scene from the eyes of an innocent schoolteacher checking up on her students. I felt heartbroken when Tom was swallowed up by the house, for he had become my favorite character of the novel. I especially felt bad for Navidson, for any reader could see that he had emotionally reconnected to his brother. Some questions that crossed my mind while reading this segment of the novel were-
- What is the significance behind the fact that the furniture blockading the entrance to the hallway looked like a theater?
- Why does Karen accept the tapes of the house when it seems as though all she wanted throughout the novel was to get as far away from the house as possible?
- What is this “it” that Johnny is trying to lock out of his house?
- Does the fact that Zampano is blind relate in anyway to the theme of darkness and the unknown of the novel?

Kristy Medina

House Chapter 13-16

The quote talks about an "escape" however the footnotes makes it seem like there is no escape, however. It's even dark outside. Karen likes control which might be the complete opposite of Navidson- although Navidson wants control of the house. Reston hears a noise, he goes away then knocks from the door. Lights go off during a thunderstorm which is a typical plot scene in a horror story. The family is about to leave when Karen starts to scream and Navidson's true love for Karen shows. The love between the two seems to get more complicated and difficult throughout the novel but there is a love or connection is present. The darkness takes Tom at the end of chapter 13.

Psychology is again shown through when it is revealed that Karen was raped in a dark well when she was a teenager. The relationshp shows why she was so afraind of the house and kept to herself, and therefore hated it when Navidson persisted on going on his explorations. The weird relationship between Navidson and Karen grows apart and changes because of the house. Yet, they love eachother in an awkward, untraditional way. With their shady pasts and their kids, and their new experience at the house, the relationship might rekindle and become an actual relationship once again.

Questions:
- Why did it take them so long to leave the house?
-What does the last sentence mean in Chapter 13, about "finding his mother?"

Michael Lampasona

More and more is being learned (or assumed) about the house, with the author going off on some psychological tangents. These tangents are either told in the form of cited sources, or in a more casual (at times hard to follow) way by Johnny Truant. We get to know that Navidson escapes the hallway to return to Karen and the children, however the same cannot be said for Holloway, who is essentially driven mad by the house. Characters are having trouble leaving the house, as it becomes evident that the mysterious labyrinth is not the only thing going on with this house. Eventually, we reach the point where Karen is showing off the film, and questions arise about its nature.

Johnny Truant continues to go mad and his life appears to be falling apart, and the Navidson Record appears to be responsible (at least in his head). More references were made to the Minotaur, and how that can be symbolized by the house. These chapters were interesting, however I did not like the portions of missing text, due to "burn marks" or "ink blotches."

So, here are my discussion questions...

1. How real are Johnny's problems, and does he have an underlying psychological problem?
2. Is there a reason for the house's behavior (why has it gotten more severe)?
3. What are the purpose of the missing information with brackets?

Julie Morvitz

I thought it was very interesting how the reader went from thinking that one brother was going to die (Navidson) to thinking the other was going to die (Tom).  I wasn’t sure Navidson would die even when Tom had left him in the hallway, though.  I still wasn’t sure he was completely gone even after he had been gone for a few days.  When he emerged, I thought the danger was gone because no one would attempt the dangerous hallway again.  My thoughts were disproven when Tom was suddenly eaten by the house while trying to escape.  When Navidson’s family tried to leave the house, it basically tried to engulf them.  I liked how the house took pieces of the people who tried to explore it by taking bits of their clothing, and then when they tried to escape, it literally tried to swallow them up.  

            I also liked the different opinions on the movie.  Some of them made no sense, and others assumed that Karen was just lonely so she made up this story, which apparently symbolized loneliness.  I also thought it was very funny that Hunter S. Thompson thought Karen had taken drugs before she made this film, because that’s how the story seems to an outsider.

 Discussion Questions

1. Why didn’t Karen tell her viewers that the film was real?

2. Does Navidson plan on joining his family in New York?           

3.  Why does Delial affect Navidson so much?

4. Do you think the house is a portal into another dimension?

Katherine Tesi

A relationship between Johnny and Zampano begins to develop within this section of the reading, at least in the mind of Johnny. He begins to relate very strongly to Zampano’s writings and feels an overwhelming desire to “finish what he had started”. Johnny installs multiple locks on his doors and purchases guns for protection. He even turns down an invitation from Thumper for dinner. The Johnny that currently narrates the book is obviously not the same Johnny as the reader saw at the books beginning.
Wax, Reston, Tom and an already deceased Jed, return from the hallway without Navidson. After a few more days, Navidson returns one evening, limping. Holloway’s tapes are revealed and we are told that he committed suicide while in the house. Karen is more ready than ever to leave Virginia and go back to New York with the kids. One night as they are all packing, the house begins to collapse. All the walls begin to blacken, windows disappear and the house seems to be becoming like the hallway. Navidson returns to the collapsing house to save Karen and Tom sacrifices himself to save Daisy. Karen returns to New York and Navidson promises to meet her soon, where she makes a short film of the Navidson Record. She shows her film to many others for criticisms and opinions. It is also revealed to the reader that Delial could be the name of a Sudanese child once photographed by Navidson. Possibly the most interesting detail revealed however, is the fact that the wall samples taken from within the labyrinth prove to be ranging in age from a few years old to millions of years old; some older than the earth itself.

1. Has Karen too become more obsessed with the house?
2. Why do the children seem so uninterested in the happenings of the house?
3. Why does the house have such a different relationship with adults, children and animals?

Kristy Medina

House of Leaves Chapters 9-12

Probably one of my favorite quotes in the book so far, "I call architecture frozen music." The house is a work of art. So if it is like a work of art then it reflects the author's mood and perspective. One of the climaxes of the novel so far was when Holloway shots Wax by accident thinking it was the monster and instead of helping him he runs away because he doesn't want to end up in jail. Also, Johnnie talks about the exploration of Magellan and compares it to Holloway. This point of this is to show how Magellan died but proves his leadership which I feel like might foreshadow something that might happen to Navidson. By chapter ten, a more prominent theme of psychology is actually revealed. Each character in the novel creates their own perception of what the house's darkness really is. The theme of a changing nature of the house. Tom's Story in chapter eleven reveals Tom's fears of the monster but shows it in a more satirical light. Tom and Will, although twins, are completely different which is very common psychologically. Toms is more passive and Will is more aggressive. Tom is completly alone and keeps the radio contact. He is really sarcastic and likes making jokes. He tries to make fun of the monster to calm his nerves down. The echos reappear and Karen gets scared at what Will is doing. Tom never reached the bottom of the staircase so Reston plans to throw a rope down the staircase. However, the rope starts to vanish and Navidson starts slipping; the stairs also start expanding.

Finally, a point is made about the leaves and how it looks in the sky. It all shows a relation to the changing nature of the house, the characters, and how leaves constantly change.

Questions:
-How do you go about reading the boxes?
- Why are the stanzas ripped, like the "rzzzzz..." between each paragraph?
-What does improving energy mean when related to dragons, crystals, goldfish, and bullfrogs?
-Wy did they buy a house without plumbing, lights, and heating?
Why does it in end in white? Does it mean death?

Alyson Bernero

These chapters were definitely my favorite of the book so far. The hallway has taken its first life and everyone was waiting around for the return of Navidson. Karen is so caught up in everything going on she begins to neglect the children who are very unhappy and crying out for attention and help. The fear of the hallway has definitely taken its toll of everyone. When Navidson finally does return it is clear he is completely changed. Against everyone's wishes he ventures back into the hallway and this time becomes disoriented and cannot find his way out. When he finally attempts to escape the house he only becomes even more lost. At this point I am very interested in whats going on with this house and the hallway. I have a feeling Navidson is going to die, but I can't even imagine what his death would do to an already fragile Karen. Everything is spinning out of control in these later chapters of the book. Its very clear by now that Johnny has gotten way too involved in everything going on around him and is in the middle of going crazy. He lost his job, his house and his sanity and is now a mission to find the home he's read so much about.

Why doesn't Lude get help for Johnny?
When will Karen realize she can't stand by Navidson's actions anymore?
Will Johnny realize that he's going to drive himself mad before its too late?
Will Navidson survive his adventures?

Natalya Gornopolskaya

This story grows more tragic as the pages turn. Navidson has left his family behind to go back into the house that killed his brother. The reason as to why he went back is not known for sure, though there are three scholarly theories that discuss the reasons in academic detail. I think the reason he went back was to restore the calm back to the house; just as his presence caused chaos to ensue, it also created the reverse effect. Whether Exploration # 5 occurred before, soon or after Karen returns to the house, is unclear. However, it is apparent that the house has become less threatening, being that there is no more crawl space between the two bedrooms, and the dark hallways seem to have evolved into a harmless white closet. The love letter Navidson writes to Karen in his drunken stupor is very heartfelt and insightful. It even makes me wonder whether he eventually does go back to Karen, since he did truly care for her. As Karen has moved back into the house she keeps busy by writing a journal and trying to remain in high spirits in hopes for Navidson’s safe return. She calls out to him at times, making it unclear whether it is her mental state that’s waning or whether it’s actually happening. One day she discovers Navidson’s equipment has appeared inside the children’s bedroom. The chapter closes as the walls behind her engulf into blackness. At this point Will Navidson has got some questionable morals in terms of his returning to the house. He takes with him enough supplies to last two weeks, though he ends up staying there for much longer. As Navidson explores the house he appears to have found the edge, which only leads into complete darkness. Navidson decides to turn back, though he is now disoriented and appears to be either falling or walking on air and every which way he goes leads him downhill. He is badly injured, out of supplies and crawling through crammed spaces. Suddenly he sees a window which he climbs out of, finding nothing of interest, only to appear even more lost. Navidson is dying, time is fleeting and the situation looks very morose. I am hoping he survives through this somehow. Johnny Truant has pawned his mother’s locket, been evicted from his apartment and continues on his downward spiral. Lude has been badly hurt by Kyrie’s rich fiancé, and plans to sue him for a lot of money. Johnny says goodbye to all who he knows as he plans to move to Virginia to search for the house on Ash Tree Lane.

Questions:

1. Why does Johnny want to find the house?

2. Did Navidson take death into consideration before re-entering the house?

3. Has Karen gone mad with her love for Navidson?

4. Will Johnny and Thumper ever be together?

5. Is Johnny seriously leaving his life behind, never to return?

Emily Skahill

This plot is getting old. At first I was all but jumping out of my seat in terror of what was going to happen. Considering Zampano would always tell us something was coming. Personally, I think it’s much scarier to know something is coming and continually guess what it is, than to actually know what it is and have it be some something stereotypical of a horror movie. Ok, there’s a crazy labyrinth in the house with corridors just appearing. So? You take your family, move out of the house, and far away from that house. But not the Navidson’s of course not, because there would be no story and no supposed film if they got scared and ran away. So the house begins to lash out at them, okay. Move out! ok they finally try but the house decides to try to eat them? it serves them right for being so stupid in the first place! The house was probably built on an Indian burial ground or another cliché area. This makes me wonder if the children know their parents are insane and if they themselves are okay with the excavation of their own house. A few chapters earlier Zampano said the children spent most of their time outside. Is it really just because their parents neglect them? The saddest part for me is that I can identify with Truant, the disgusting raunchy man terrified to breathe. However it isn’t actually Zampano’s writing of the Navidson Record that scares him, it’s Zampano’s life. He was curious about the man’s death, found a book about a film that never existed, and let his imagination take him away. I have a tendency to do this. But even so, my imagination would never take me that far out of reality. i would never go seek out a house that i'm not sure even exists. There is something mentally wrong with every single character and author in House of leaves, isn't there? Everyone had problems growing up why does the house personify them? Will the readers ever find out why the house came to be this way? 

Tung Kim

The footnotes in chapter 4 talks a lot about the mythology of Echo, it seems as if this is going to a base for something to happen, maybe between Navidson and this wife. Wouldn’t you think that if all this is happening to you in your own house you would just kind of leave and move, I think I would do just that. Navidson is so bothered with how the house has incorporated itself into their lives that he turns to a team of people to try and investigate the things that are happening in the house and around it. He has cameras recording all the time, it seems a little too much to me. Whatever is going on with the house the people that are there are going to be pulled in whether they like it or not.


What is the story of Echo and Zeus? Did something like that happen in the house?

After Johnny reads the brown papers he starts to feel really sick and then feel better again, do you think that the house is doing all this?

Hillary is the Navidson's dog and Mallory is their cat ran into the house down the hall way and this right into the backyard? Can this happen?

As Holloway and Navidson's investigate the hallway their minds start to fill up with a sense finding something strange will they find it?

Holloway starts to flirt with Navidson’s wife and he doesn’t like it, does it seem like something is going to happen like the Echo story?

Tung Kim

My first reaction to the 4 chapter of the book is that this is going to be a book read. It so dark and gives out such a creepy mix of feelings of the unknown and known at the same time. It a little confusing with all the footnotes and it seems as if you need to actually read the footnotes in order to understand and follow the story little. The story also gives out a sort of funky twisted viewpoint of the house. The house changes and plays whoever lives there minds and i know it only going to get even more deeper later on. What is with the blind old man how is this all happening when this guy is “blind”.

What is with the word House printed in blue?

As the family moves into their new house and start to explore do you think that the children sense that something strange is happening?

Is the house really hunted?

Does Navidson seem as if he is little off and weird? I mean he does kind of disregard the fact that something straggle just happened but instead of just running away from it he stays and wonders how it got there.

Does the address Ash Tree Lane of the house have any meaning to the story?

Robert Stevens

Now the story is getting interesting. At this point the authorities have become involved over the shooting of Wax and Jed's murder... they are so perplexed by the idea of the house that they come and go in quite a hurry. Evetually it is revealed that Holloway committed suicide inside the laybrinth.
The house is also flexing its muscles, as it now has the ability to shape-shift beyond the confines of the Laybrinth. This is the final straw for all concerned, and they finally leave the house. The remainder of the story focuses on the aftermath and recollections. Several celebreties give their take on the film. Karen's infidelities are also explored in more detail, as well as her new found emotional independence from Will. Will himself has also become more distant and isolated, unwilling to associate with Karen and most other people. We also finally find out who Delial is.

Johnny Truant is further slipping into madness as well. He has sealed off his apartment from the outside world, most of his utilites have been shut off, and he is facing eviction. He is so consumed at this point that even Thumper dosen't have an effect on him. What happened to him is exactly what happend to Zampano (although I'm not sure if Zampano kept a .45 a .357 and a Weatherbee 300 mag rifle around to maintain "some kind of fucking control")

Kristin Todd

Chapters 13-16

These chapters of the novel showed the mystery progressing.  I found it shocking that Navidson was able to make it out of the labyrinth, but at the same time if he did not, the novel would have had to end.  I thought that the parts of Karen's life towards the end helped calm down the story and make it less frightening because it showed an actual person in life rather than just focusing on the labyrinth the whole time.  I was startled when the house started lashing out against the Navidson's and the others because I thought it only had power inside the labyrinth, not on the whole house.  I am looking forward to reading about the repercussions of Navidson's decision to go back to the house instead of staying in New York with Karen and the kids.

Discussion Questions:

1.  What's going to happen to the Navidson family now that Will left New York for Virginia?

2.  How is it possible that the house reacted like it did?

3.  What is going on with Johnny?  Why is the novel affecting him like it is?

Natalya Gornopolskaya

Within these next few chapters I cannot help but become consumed within this story. I am bombarded with emotions of shock, disbelief, grief, terror, confusion and puzzlement. As Navidson becomes lost within the shifting natures of the house, there is chaos erupting outside of the darkness. As the other men escape they are badly hurt, Jed is pronounced dead and all are overwhelmed and worried for Navidson. About four days pass until Navidson finally emerges from the depths of the hallways. Everyone is overcome with emotion at his return. Karen, who has found some degree of her own independence during Navy’s disappearance immediately prompts everyone to move out. As the packing is progressing, with all sorts of work to be done, the house inexplicably begins to collapse. Navidson is able to heroically save Karen, Reston, Chad and Daisy, but not his twin brother Tom. Tom is tragically lost to the house as he sinks, along with the walls into the depths of the dark hallways. The aftermath of these extreme circumstances serve as the groundwork for the remainder of this book. It is revealed that Holloway committed suicide as a result of his deep rooted feelings of inadequacy. Karen has moved herself and the kids to New York, where she has or hasn’t been having multiple affairs. Navidson takes his leave from Karen and the children in order to gather Tom’s things from the house. He says he’ll be gone a few days, but in fact ends up staying for several months. In Virginia, Navidson and Reston conduct several studies on the remnants of the house, as they try to find explanation for the horrors they suffered. Karen conducts her own labor of love by editing the video clips sent by Navidson into a short film that receives mixed reviews by several esteemed critics. She also makes her own film “for the one who she loves”, in it are several clips , photos and relics of Will Navidson. It is through the making of this film that Karen desires a reconciliation between her and Navidson. When it comes to Johhny Truant, we see him in a very self deteriorating condition. He no longer goes out, eats well or pays the bills. He simply stays at home under dimly lit candles, trying to compile all of Zampanò’s research. In a way he has become Zampanò, as he no longer values human contact, not even a call from Thumper. Johnny’s unbridled obsession with his work has made him increasingly paranoid, to the point at which he buys many destructive weapons for protection.

Questions:

1. Is Johnny’s behavior rationally cautious?

2. Will we ever hear an explanation for why the house collapsed or how it came to exist?

3. Why did Navidson leave Karen?

4. Have the children been psychologically traumatized?

5. Will Johnny ever return to normal, will anyone ever help him?

Victoria Gornopolskaya

These next 4 chapters focus on what is going on after the characters escape the house. Navidson, Karen, Reston, and the children have made it out of the house but that does not mean they are necessarily safe. Tom unfortunately died within the house when he went in to get Daisy. Although the family made it out together, Karen and Navidson separated. Karen and the kids went to stay with Karen’s mother while Navidson stayed alone; alone with his obsession over the house. Karen made a short film about their experience and had quite a few people watch it and comment it. We learned more about Karen's life and about how her dad raped her and her sister as children, forcing one to stay in a well. This explains Karen's claustrophobia and certainly justifies it. We also learn Karen had an affair at some point while she was with Navidson. It is clear that Karen constantly seeks attention from males to resolve some sort of insecurity she has. It seems as though all the characters in the book are dealing with insecurities in unhealthy ways. We also learn about Johnny Truant's mother who he seems to have loved and cared for very deeply. She wore a locket with a letter from him inside it, implying that she felt the same. These few chapters have not been as exciting as the previous ones. I am wondering what the rest of the book is about if the family has supposedly left the house.
Questions:
What is the significance of Johnny's mother's locket? What did the letter say?
Did the house cause Navidson psychological damage?
Will Johnny Truant ever get his normal life back?

Carly Cooper

These chapters were not as interesting as the others; I was especially bored with the chapter about the responses to Karen’s film. One interesting thing that the author did was overlap the teacher’s story with Navidson’s story. I thought that was an interesting way to show both points of view. I feel like Karen’s characters is growing on my a bit, to hear about her life after leaving the house and Navidson’s life after leaving the house makes me have sympathy for her and think that he is selfish and a little crazy. While they both clearly have psychological problems it is confusing now what is happening to their relationship
One question I have is about all these people who responded to Karen’s short film, they seem to all be hitting on her, even the women, I was wondering what the significance of that was?
Another question is about Navidson, where is he? What is he doing or trying to discover? Why doesn’t he return to his family? My last question is regarding Johnny, what is wrong with him? His story has become much less interesting as his psychological states get more sever. What is wrong with him? How has this story changed him so drastically?

John Bonhomme Jr.

Chapters thirteen to sixteen where very confusing. The plot was very rushed and the nonsense was drawn out to create a highlighter affect on the nonsense. This made no sense to me what so ever. Why would you want the reader to lose focus of the plot and focus on the stuff that has nothing to do with the book itself? This makes me think that the author wants us to see past the plot and start making connections with the things that don't seem important. As this came into focus for me, I realized that the nonsense is there to create comparisons. The reason why Danielewski uses these unrelated plot stories is to provide some clarity to whats going on. Johnny Truant seems to be starting to turn his life around. The more the book progresses the more we find out about his past. His life story reveals why his life is so messed up now.
Questions
Is Karen intentionally getting fame off the house footage?
Why the heck would Will go back to the house and leave his family?
Does Karen still love Will?

Alyson Bernero

Yesterday in class we discussed the short story, "Death of the Author," by Barthes. One of the main ideas from the story was Barthes' belief that as soon as a person writes, they seemingly die and whats left behind is their work. When we talked about that concept in class we said that a good author loses himself in his work and writes only as his characters. This was just one of the many things we were able to connect between "Death of the Author" and House of Leaves. In the book House of Leaves, Danielewski loses himself in the stories of Zampano and Johnny Traunt. At no point during the story does the reader ever ask what does Danieleweski mean because its as if he no longer exists the story is purely written from the point of view of the characters.

Another topic discussed in class was that the role of the artist or creator of a work has changed somewhat dramatically over time. Years ago the person who created the work was intimately associated with their work and was recongnized for it. Now however, the artist is no longer as important as the work itself. There has become a divide between the creator and the creation. Perhaps this is why a good author loses himself entirely within in his work.

We also discussed the suspension of disbelief and its relevence to both the short story and House of Leaves. The suspension of disbelief is something is something readers do when they overlook their disbelief in order to fully encase themselves within the reading. This is especially necessary when reading books that are science fiction, or extremely unrealistic. House of Leaves requires its readers to put aside their doubts or their reluctance and give into such a complicated and seemlingly unrealistic story. I think it is very necessary to do this while reading especially in order to not only enjoy the book, but also to get the best understanding of it.

Elisabeth Jeremko

One of the most notable aspects of Chapters IX to XII in House of Leaves was the breakdown of so many aspects. Not only do the characters begin to break down, but the organization of the text itself. Endnotes start appearing in the top, reflecting backwards onto the other page. This reflection reminds me of binary opposition…I wonder if this concept will appear again. Also, the text becomes more sparatic and less conventional. Just as Reston gets "mal de mer", the reader is sent into a changing, wave-like fluctuation of how the text is layed out while turning each page. It is interesting when it is asked, "Can Navidson's house exist without the experience of itself?" (172). The reader can control the pace of the action on the pages where there are one lines. I became aware of how fast I was flipping through, taken in by the suspense of Reston and Navidson –the words themselves become the action, such as the bullet being fired.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1) Why does Danielewski wait only till now to really transform the text, taking more liberties with its actual organization?

2) Tom comes up and again and even has a short analysis of his story written…does Tom serve a purpose…perhaps as a contrast against Will, his brother?

3) Is there any significance to the name "The Atrocity" described by Johnny Truant?

4) When Tom says, "I'm coming in" what does he mean exactly? Has he been sucked into the psychological mind games of the labyrinth as well?

Nian Liu

"House of Leaves" by Mark Z. Danielewski
Chapter IX-XII

In these chapters, Holloway and his team finally reaches the bottom of the spiral staircase and finds themselves not relieved by achieving their main "goal" but rather even more stressed, finding even more corridors and small rooms. The team goes into desperation and the continuous growl continue to separate Holloway from Jed and Wax. As Holloway goes off to chase the untraceable growl, Jed and Wax continue to climb the spiral staircase. As they continue up, Holloway accidentally shoots Wax in the arm and this time Holloway goes crazy and leaves the two. Jed frustrated, scared, and hopeless carries Wax and Holloway who lost all sense of reality shoots at the two men which made them go into hiding. The house seems to be devouring not only their hopes and sense of time space and morality but their shoelaces, neon markings, and backup supplies. Jed sobbing and venting, he talks to the recorder and pounds on the floor, and due to this action it "echoed" to Navidson' s living room. The pounding sounded like a SOS and it hyped up Navidson Tom and Reston, so they went into the hallway after eight days of Holloway not coming back. The chapter goes on about exploring the maze in the house and as for Johnny Traunt, we learn a little more about his sexual encounters with various women. Johnny's life soon becomes a life lived in fear, where he is constantly hiding from something which he thinks is coming for him.
Questions:
1) How come it only took Reston and Will 20 minutes to get down the stairs while for Holloway it took hours and hours?
2) Do you think the drugs and Zampano's reading has effected Traunt's way in experiencing situations in his life?
3) Whats with the blank lines on the bottom of 118?

Natalya Gornopolskaya

This section of the book starts off with the myth of King Minos and the Labyrinth, which he’d built to protect the city of Knossos from the dreaded Minotaur. Though this entire section is crossed out in red ink, it draws a parallel to the situation currently faced by the characters in the Navidson Record. We see how promiscuous Johnny is through his graphic sexual encounters with many strange women. I think the reason he takes the opportunity to have several one-night-stands is to seek human connection, otherwise he would feel completely empty inside. We also learn through one of his former sexual partners that Johnny indeed screams in his sleep, which spells for further troubles ahead. Back in the hallway, we learn what fate the travelers have endured. It seems their leader Holloway, hell-bent on gaining world fame, ran in search of a beast to shoot at with his pistol. Jed and Wax tried to calm him down, but it was too late, he had surrendered his sanity to the darkness. The two men then decide to go back, leaving Holloway behind, as they continue hearing gunshots everywhere. To make things worse, Wax gets shot with a bullet form Holloway’s gun, making it very difficult for Jed to press on. Back at the house, Will, Tom and Reston assemble a search party, while Karen signals the radio. We soon start to see very few words on each page which is implicative of the reality shifts occurring within the labyrinth. As Will and Reston are bravely searching, Tom stays at the top of the spiral staircase, making corny jokes and shadow puppets for entertainment. I enjoy the way Tom is portrayed in this scene, it adds a lighthearted feel to the story. The shadow puppets move Johnny in a way that brings him back to the day he met a sad stray Pekinese. He and a very disturbed looking woman found it together. She insisted on taking in the poor dog to which Johnny did not object. As the woman pulled out onto the road, she hurled the abandoned Pekinese at Johnny’s house, causing it to suffer to death. This particular scene in the book was mind-numbing, though irrelevant, it made me very angry.

Questions:

1. Was the abandoned Pekinese meant as a symbol for Johnny; does its violent end foreshadow something?

2. What happened to Jed as Navidson and Reston found him, is he alright?

3. Why does the hallway allow for each man to get hoisted up to safety, except for Navidson?

4. How can Karen keep her sanity while her husband is off “exploring” again?

5. What will become of Johnny now that he has lost his job?

Kristin Todd

Chapters 9-12
These chapters were about exploring the labyrinth. I thought that the adventure of finding what was going on inside the house was very interesting. Reading what these people were going through to find out what they're living with is captivating. It frightened me seeing the effects the labyrinth has on the men, especially Tom. I am interested in seeing what happens inside the house, based on the strange things that have already happened. Especially with the fung shui animal figurines disappearing.
Discussion Questions:
1. How was it that Tom was able to pull up the people from the house and not from the to of the stairs?
2. What is the figure that they saw?

Janie Cherestal

The four newly-assigned chapters of the novel, I believe, have been the best thus far. I particularly liked the plot is advancing and how gripping it has become. The scene where Holloway shot Jed was so heartbreaking yet thrilling, and I have never flipped through pages so quickly to discover what was going to happen next. I also liked the description of Navidson and Tom’s relationship and how despite the fact that they have such different characters, they are still share a powerful bond. These four chapters also brought up many questions.
- Why is Navidson, a father of two, so eager to enter the hallway when he now knows that the exploration has caused the team who entered ahead of him extreme danger? Does he not care about how his actions are affecting his family?
- Why does Johnny have so many sexual partners? Is this his way of escaping the chaos of his mind, or is he just being a guy?
- Who is responsible for the chaotic page layout- Zampano or Johnny?
- Who or what is “the Minotaur” in the Navidson Records?
- Why is the house attacking the men’s supplies? Is it trying to kill them?
- Why are there such huge blank spaces on several of the pages?
- Why does Holloway lose his mind while in the labyrinth, while Wax and Jed are able to stay relatively calm and sensible?

Eun-Hee Vabulas

In chapters IX-XII, Navidson and the others continue their exploration of the space that has appeared in the house. While on Exploration #4, Holloway, Jed, and Wax make it to the bottom of the Spiral Staircase, but do not come across anything new. After days of exploration and finding an endless number of rooms and hallways, the mental state of Holloway begins to deteriorate. Holloway becomes intent on discovering anything that would break the monotony of the place. The fact that he cannot find anything except for more doors and hallways is maddening for him, and he is compelled to explore further when he finds the markers the team left behind had been torn. The situation worsens when Wax is shot and Holloway walks off, leaving Jed and Wax. In the process, Navidson gets left behind.

Discussion Questions:

What is the significance of the layout of the text?

What happened to the Feng Shui objects that Karen had around the house?

Victoria Gornopolskaya

In these next chapters we get even more detail on Johnny's sex life along with more detail about the mysteries of the house. It appears that the hallway changes in accordance with the mental state of the character. Holloway for example has gone mad searching for a monster and shooting at everyone though a monster may only appear to him. Unfortunately this causes the death of Jed and injury of Wax. Navidson and Reston are able to make their way down the staircase very quickly as their mental state had been eager and willing. As the staircase expanded, the text in the book expanded as well. This I found to be very significant. I feel as if the book is written in a way that represents the nature of the hallway; random, distracting, confusing, mysterious, and constantly changing. I believe we will get more of an understanding of the way the hallway works as we get more of an understanding of the way the book is written. In these chapters I enjoyed reading Lude's list as well as Tom's hilarious monologues in the hallway. I was horrified by the death of that poor puppy by the hands of that awful looking woman. I am sure this book contains more entertainment along with many secrets to uncover. Questions:
1. What is the significance of the dead dog?
2. Is there really a monster in the hallways and if not what is that roar?
3. Will the characters make it out alive?

Emily Skahill

i am so lost! i don't think i've ever read anything like this before. I think that is why i'm so confused. Zampano's story is so boring to me because it reads like a text book but when the writing was in all different directions and his story was about the hallways i found it flowed a lot easier. Truant's stories were incredibly vulgar and i found them difficult to read. Why does he feel the need to tell us about his sexual encounters? Originally i really liked this book, but as it continues i'm finding it really boring. however, if i was in Karen or any other person in that situation i would have been very scared. was there a point to the blank pages and the upside down sections? what about the boxes?

Julie Morvitz

As I saw print continue to change, text being written in odd places and nothing really flowing, I found it difficult to follow anything that was going on.  I tried to read one storyline through, and then go back and read the other.  The footnotes were no longer at the bottom of the page, instead they were on the side, upside down or in a box in the middle of the page.  Although this style confused me, I had never read anything like it so it was interesting to see what the next page would look like and how I would get through reading it.  I liked how in the middle of the story, there was suddenly a comparison between The Navidson Record and other commercial productions.  It was so random (of course, not surprising in this novel), and it continued to talk about the falsification of images because of digital technology. 

            I thought it was ironic that Truant had pushed the scary thoughts out of his mind (or so he thought), but when he realized they were still there he became scared once again.  As he tried to push the thoughts out, it just made them come back.   

1.  Is there a point to the strange layout of text?

2.  Why did Holloway leave Jed in the end?

3.  Why does Zampano bother to compare historical stories to Holloway’s adventure in the house?

4.  Why did Johnnie kill the Pekinese dog?

John Bonhomme Jr.

This book just suddenly picked up the pace ten fold. It stays consistent with the one random story, (per four chapters) this one being the Hudson story. This story was used to compare Holloway's and Hudson's similarities. Hudson and Holloway both seemed to have lost sight of their main goal, and end up turning on their crew. These decisions both led them to their fate. The Johnny Truant story has gone from crazy to normal, and now its back to crazy. Johnny is a drug abuser who cannot leave his house. He has a certain connection with it which is messing up his life. In these chapters he goes back to random mind digressions and confuses the reader all over again. The book itself became very...interesting. The complexity of where to read and what to read is very unique, and yet confusing. One things for sure, I've never read a book quite like this one.
Questions
Why is the book formatted like this?
Was Holloway the one shooting at Will and friends?
Will Johnny find help?

Michael Lampasona

The exploration of the House turns into a disaster, with Holloway refusing to "abort" the mission with Jed and Wax. He even ends up shooting each of them within the span of the next few days. It seems absurd that Holloway would want to stay in the area any longer, even if he is in search of fame - there are definitely ways to pursue fame that involve less danger. This makes me think that the House has some sort of influence over Holloway's attitude, even though he was predisposed to being adventurous.

Navidson, Tom, and Reston go in on the rescue mission once the knocking from the explorers is heard. This displeases Karen. Once they locate Wax and Jed, leaving the labyrinth seems impossible, and the text suggests that the characters mental state shapes the mysterious hallways.

All the meanwhile, Johnny Truant is growing more and more insane. He has a few more drug binges, one-night stands, finds out that he screams in his sleep, and even tries quitting drugs altogether to better interpret what's going on in his life. However, Johnny continues to have troubles and anxiety.

I thought these chapters were interesting, and for the first time since we started this book I actually wanted to keep reading. This is not to disrespect the book, I just felt that these chapters had more of a "pull" on me.

Here are my discussion questions:

1. What's the purpose of the various extensive lists in the chapters?
2. Could Johnny be a character in the Navidson story, even though his plot seems separate?
3. What is the purpose of the mirrored text and why does the writing style keep switching? (example: fewer words on some pages)

Katherine Tesi

If Johnny’s insanity wasn’t obvious earlier, there is no question that he is certifiable by now. He’s having physical trouble leaving his house, remembering times previously in his life that suggest he was always a little off and even admitting to keeping measuring tapes on the floor of his apartment to make sure no shifts occur. Johnny also finds out after a one night stand that he is yelling and screaming in his sleep, through his partner’s radio confession the following day. He attends a Doctor who suggests a stay at an institution for Johnny and prescribes medication which Johnny doesn’t take, but instead Johnny clears his apartment of all alcohol and drugs. He also gets fired from his job after missing multiple weeks of work. Johnny’s loss of control over his own life is devastatingly obvious and he often times he doesn’t really seem to care.
The team of Holloway, Jed and Wax are able to get to the bottom of the staircase but a few days after their week timeline passes, Jed and Wax become increasingly nervous. The markers the team had left along their path have been destroyed, many of which have claw marks across them. Holloway begins to go crazy and splits up with Jed and Wax. He accidentally shorts Wax thinking it was an unknown being living in the labyrinth. Tom, Navidson and Reston enter the hallway in hopes of finding the others. Following the same stairs they had seen earlier, they get to the bottom within minutes. Navidson and Reston find Jed and the injured Wax, and soon after who appears to be Holloway begins shooting at them from down one of the many hallways. Finally the four men find the staircase and with Tom’ help are able to get Wax, Jed and Reston up to the top. The staircase expands immensely before Navidson has the change to reach the top.

1. What is the purpose of the mirrored text boxes?
2. How did the references to Magellan and Hudson really tie in to anything?

Robert Stevens

The format of the story is definately getting confusing. Text boxes (some being mirror images of themselves) sidenotes upside down, not to mention the long lists of house/building construction styles, structural features, names of famous architects and designers, appliances, tree species, plumbing apparatus, lighting equipment, etc. etc. etc. While some examples may be necessary, are that many really??


So over the course of these chapters, Holloway snaps and storms off on his own looking for something. Meanwhile Jed and Wax try to head back, occassionally running into Holloway, where he accidently shoots Wax in the shoulder and Jed in the face, killing him. Ironically, Jed is killed just as he is being rescued.

Meanwhile, Johnny Truant is losing touch with reality as well, he no longer feels anything with his drugs, booze and one night stands, and is consumed by a nagging fear.

Meanwhile, Tom has set up base camp at the top of the stairwell, where he subsequently settles in for several days alone. During which he heckels "Mr. Monster"

Aside from Zampano's tangents about digital photo editing, Henry Hudson, and the like, chapter 11 ends with Tom being unable to meet Will and co. at the bottom of the stairs, so he has lowered a rope to hoist Wax and Reston out.

What is consuming Truant? Why the fear?

Where is Holloway now? What is his state of mind? ...and what is he now capable of?

Alyson Bernero

These chapters of the reading were very intriguing. Although it became confusing at some to keep up with the random tangents that happened within each section of the story, we got much more detail into the Navidson record as well as Johnny's story. As we followed the expedition into the hallway, the pressure and fear felt by all of the men involved began to put a huge strain on them. This becomes extremely clear when Halloway begins hallucinating and accidently shoots Wax. Johnny goes into many more stories of his love affairs and one-night stands and continues to take the readers on the journey of his tumultuous life.

Why is the text arranged in such complicated ways?
What did Halloway see when he shot Wax?
Does the house still look the same on the outside?

Carly Cooper

I really got into these chapters a lot more than I did the others. I am still annoyed and distracted by the random and spontaneous physics lessons within the story but the story has progressed and become more interesting. I actually find myself frightened while reading and I am able to relate to and understand the fear within the characters, especially Tom. Though I don’t love the tangents, I did find the comparison between the biblical story and the relationship of Navidson and Tom very interesting and appropriate.
I still have some questions. Firstly I wonder about the connection between the house and animals, first with the pets in the last section and now with the animals that Karen has placed throughout the house, this is also the first time we this “magic” happening in the interior of the actual house rather than the extension.
Another thing I didn’t understand was what happened to Holloway? Was it Holloway who shot both Wax and Jed?
I also wonder about the children and why it is that they are able to hear and notice things that the adults seem to miss.
My last inquiry is about how Tom was able to save Reston once the rope had snapped? It’s possible that I just didn’t understand the text, but was it just that Tom was able to catch him or was it some other source that helped him?
In addition is this house or creature (or whatever is creating the movement) aimed at attacking only Navidson?

Elisabeth Jeremko

Chapters V through VIII exemplified to a greater extent that Danielewski wants the reader to work. In reading Jorge Luis Borges' "The Postulation of Reality", where he says, "…he does not write reality's initial contacts, but its final elaboration in concepts…"(Borges, 60), this reminded me of how Danielewski presents his story. Of his three methods, I think Danielewski would be using the third and most complex form because he invents circumstances which toy with the concept of a logical reality, adding mystery with the mental sickness aspect. Not only does he go back and forth between the Navidson Record (complete with footnotes of criticism and tangents) and Johnny Truant, but in this section we have begun to delve into the appendices. When I was deciphering the letters to Johnny from his mentally ill mother, I had the sensation of decoding something that would be a grand discovery. The letters were perhaps the most moving aspect of the book yet. We see the reemergence of the idea of "shadow" and "darkness" and "silence". This leads me to think maybe these words reflect forms of mental instability or sickness that isolate these individuals from their loved ones. Johnny Truant's mother describes how she used reams and reams of paper in writing her letters, where these letters contain various references to other languages, Greek mythology, and literature. It seems similar to Zampano's recruitment of outside sources and mode of recording. I want to keep my eye on this parallel between Zampano and P..

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1) What form of "classical postulation of reality" from Borges would match Danielewski's House of Leaves?

2) What is the significance of the pages long listing off of random names on pages 64-67?

3) Who is Billy Reston exactly? Is he actually staying at the house?

4) What propels Tom to leave?

5) Is there any significance to Navidson's foot fungus on page 83? Johnny Truant's mother had mentioned toes in her letters…any correlations?

Janie Cherestal

I particularly liked these four chapters of the novel, for the main focus was on the mystery of the house and the chilling discoveries that Navidson continues to make in it. It is very fun to read about how the house is becoming such a threatening fixture in the characters’ lives, how the relationships between the characters are being affected, and how Navidson’s frantic search for answers has led him to hire a team of “experts” to join in the investigation, furthering the violation of his family’s privacy.
With that, I do have several questions about certain holes that I feel are being left out of the storyline. First, why is the novel titled House of Leaves when leaves or any type of foliage have not been mentioned in the story thus far? What is a possible explanation for Chad’s sudden change in behavior? Why does Johnny seem to lapse into these long, seemingly nonsensical descriptions that do not readily relate to the storyline?

Emily Skahill

I don’t really see why Zampano wrote so much about echoes. It seems irrelevant to me. I think it makes it harder for me follow the story when Latin and phrases and mathematical equations are used. Truant’s obsession is growing and I still don’t fully understand why Zampano’s story and his life are affecting Truant in such an intense way. Why is he feeling like something is following him to the point of throwing up. Why is Truant, excuse my language, such a dirtbag? Is that why he is so obsessed with Zampano?  I’m not sure a sane person would act that way. I’m also still confused about certain things; for example, if Zampano is blind why does he always write about seeing a character in the film do something?   At first I was scared when the doors appeared but now it’s sort of annoying. What else is going to happen? I mean, if I was in the Navidson’s situation I would be completely freaked out but it’s getting old now. Why did Karen’s personality change from outgoing to introverted? Is there a point to all the names? Personally I don’t know how Navidson knew to use echoes and pennies to find his way. I wouldn’t have been able to do any of that. Its really hard for me to grasp that this book is not at all true and that the Navidson Record is not a real film. There is no such person as Zampano and no such person and Johnny Truant.

Katherine Tesi

Within these chapters, Johnny’s insanity surely becomes more apparent. His stories and experiences become crazier and his obsessions are obvious. The reader is introduced to “Thumper”, the older stripper who Johnny becomes oddly infatuated with. Johnny’s fascination with Zampano’s manuscript is clearly beginning to control and drive Johnny’s life. He even has another hallucination at work in the stockroom, falling and sending a tray of tattoo ink and needles through the air. He also touches on his past, referencing not only his father’s death and his entrance and exit into many foster homes but also his habit towards fighting during school. Towards the end of the reading, Johnny goes to a casual dinner with “Thumper”, who seems truly interested in Zampano’s manuscript and the changes in Johnny’s life since its arrival.
Navidson and Karen discover another unexpected addition to their house, this time a hallway in their living room. Navidson’s brother Tom remains with the family the majority of the time still striving for an answer with Navidson. A door is installed to the new hallway, but one evening after a fight, Navidson ventures into the hallway. He discovers that not only is the new area dark and cold, but also ever changing. Walls shift, hallways widen and ceilings drop with no notice. When he finally makes it out of the hallway, with the help of Daisy, he decides to not tell Karen of the incident. Reston returns with Holloway Roberts, Jed Leeder and Wax Hook who plan to explore the hallway. After multiple explorations and a list of new discoveries, they decide to go on a five day excursion. When they don’t yet return by day eight and Navidson and family hear a potential Morse Code knocking of SOS on their walls, Navidson decides to go into the hallway himself.

1. On page 63, what is the purpose of the blanks left in Zampano’s writing?
2. Why are the Navidson’s pets excluded from the happenings of the hallway?
3. Why does Zampano use different symbols for the footnote markings rather than just numbers?

Alyson Bernero

This section of the reading got much more intriguing as Zampano discusses the problems he has encountered in more depth. He is forced to turn to friends for help as the issues within the home become more and more puzzling. The new problems in the home are causing even more problems between Navy and Karen as Karen's claustrophobia is revealed. Her phobia causes her to pull away from her husband and put a strain on their relationship. With the help of his friends, Navy takes several trips into the hallway against the wishes of Karen, each time finding himself with more questions than answers.

Johnny's many problems also become more numerous during this section of the book. It seems as though he spends most of his time under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Perhaps he uses it as a way to escape from the failures of his life. He talks in depth about his desire for Thumper, the stripper and the problems he had with his father when he was a child.

1) Why is Karen so reluctant to get close to her husband?
2) What is going on inside the house?
3) Where is the growling coming from if animals cannot go down the hallway?

Robert Stevens

As the story continues, Zampanò trails off on a tangent about echo. First discussing the two Greek myths regarding the nymph Echo, and then discussing the science of the echo (why it exitsts, etc.) Karen's claustrophobia is revealed here as well...which may have been the result of childhood trauma she experienced sometime when she was 13 years old. After deciding he is in over his head when it comes to exploring the hallway and its subsequent rooms, he enlists the help of Holloway and his team to pick up where he leaves off. Each expedition they undertake subsequently takes longer than the one that preceded it. On the 4th excursion they don't even come back before chapter VIII ends, thus prompting the combat photographer in Will to mount a rescue attempt.

Johnny Truant's side of this story is getting more involved. He is now smitten by a stripper he calls "Thumper" ...he frequently discusses his numerous one night stands, and is beginning to open up somewhat about his past, including the story of how his foster father broke his tooth when he was young. He is also frequently under the influence of drugs and alcohol, which hinders his ability to stay on track. He is also being "persued" by a "beast" be it in his own mind, or real, it is having a profound effect on his psyche.

Questions:

1. Why do they still refer to him as Navidson? (even Karen calls him "Navy")
--They use Tom Navidson's first name to depict him, why not Will's?

2. Why can't animals go down this hallway?

3. The "beast" that Johnny sees seems to be associated with anyone that is associated with Zampanò, including Zampanò himself...why is this?

4. Where is the growling noise coming from?

and last, but certainly not least....

5. Where do Holloway, Wax and Jed go when they have to use the toilet during these expeditions?

Blog name suggestions:

The best damn blog, period.

BlogHouse.

Kristin Todd

After reading last class's assignment, I wasn't intrigued by the book.  But, that has definitely changed this week.  The story line has thickened and the true story of The Navidson Record has come out.  The mixture of the footnotes and the actual story still doesn't make sense to me because I don't see the connection yet, but they are both very interesting to read.  One interesting part towards the end of the reading foreshadows an upcoming event because it says that Navidson found the tape of Karen and Wax after it happened.  But that it was too late because she was already gone.  It's going to be interesting finding out what happened to Karen.  

Discussion Questions:

Why does Danielewski set up some of the pages with only a few words?

What does Johnny's story in the footnotes have to do with Navidson's story?

Michael Lampasona

After Karen's scream, the novel goes into a long explanation about echoes. This starts with the mythological significance of echoes and then progresses into their scientific explanation. At first I did not see why echoes were explained in depth, but eventually the book reveals that echoes are important, not only because of Zampano's blindness, but also because of the way Navidson hears his echoes in the hallway (when he almost gets lost).

Later on, the story moves how the pets were able to make it from the mystery hallway to the backyard, meanwhile Navidson had almost got lost in it. Navidson's and Karen's relationship continues to be strained, mainly because Karen does not want him to go near the hallway. This is due to her extreme claustrophobia. Later on, the professionals are sent to explore the house and explorations just lead to more fear regarding the house.

I have not discussed Johnny's part of the story in these chapters. He mostly discusses his drug binges, his odd fearful encounters which feel real and lead him with real scars, and continues in depth about his obsession with Thumper. I find his commentary adds to the novel, however I certainly do not like certain sections (such as the explanation about cats), which were very hard to read.

So here's my discussion questions...

1. Why do the animals have a different reaction to the hallway?
2. What caused Karen's transformation from outgoing to extremely introverted when she was young?
3. Is the repetitive list of photographers pointless?
4. What happened during the exploration of the hallway by the professionals?

Natalya Gornopolskaya

For the climactic ending of the fourth chapter, we hear Karen screaming; this then is addressed minimally in chapter five as Zampanò delves into a long, contrived discussion on echoes. We then get to learn more about Johnny Truant as he talks about several one-night-stands and finds himself falling for an exotic dancer named Thumper. This sort of attraction is very unexpected for a man like Johnny. He seems too focused on the physical part of a relationship in order for him to truly care for someone. Though, I do see it as a good match, since because both of them are uninhibited and controversial. We learn that Karen suffers from severe claustrophobia, which is the reason why she makes Will promise that he’ll stop exploring the house. Then one night two celebrities come visit Will. As they drink together, Will shows off the hallway and angers Karen, causing him to sleep on the downstairs couch for the night. Will is unable to sleep and allows his curiosity to get the best of him by entering the hallway. Much to his surprise, the hallway consists of several rooms; all are very dark and constantly shifting making it very difficult to navigate oneself. Will would’ve been lost forever in that hallway, were it not for the cries of his daughter Daisy that brought him home. Deciding it’s better to leave their paranormal investigations to the professionals, the Navidsons hire Holloway, Jed and Wax to do the job. Holloway and Will tend to butt heads because both men like to be in control over a situation. Will is jealous of Holloway since Karen will not allow him to go into the hallway again. The three men go on three separate explorations with each consecutive one lasting much longer than the other. By the time they go exploring for a fourth time, over eight days have passed and it appears something has gone terribly wrong.

Questions:

1. Why do the three men continue to explore the house, what are they looking for?

2. Why can’t Will Navidson lead the exploration?

3. How is it that Johnny keeps seeing visions of a beast?

4. Why has Chad become so troublesome?

5. Will we ever get more details on Johnny’s past?

New Names for Blog: Bookish Feedback; Bookworm Rants; Society Responds; Shout House

Kristy Medina

House of Leaves: Chapters V-VIII

Chapter 5 mainly deals with an intrusion of "others" into the house. Simultaneously, an echo was broken down to an exact science while Zampano spoke more about vulgarizes and objectifies women. I feel that he's juxtaposing the serious, mysterious, and dark tone of the Navidson Record with a more satirical tone. The chapter also looks deeper into the relationship between Karen and Navy. It is noticed that the relationship has not been the same and looking at it psychologically it is because Karen is truly afraid of the dark. Navidson on the other hand loves to explore and wants to find out the truth behind his house. Chapter 6 is brief discussing (or maybe foreshadowin) an event that will occur with animals which might be of some importance later on. Personally, it has gotten to a point where I'd much rather read about the house and Navidson than the random footnotes. I'm really into the house and what it will do next rather than the foodnotes addlibs.

Questions:
1. Was the abduction real or all a dream?
2. Is this all happening in Navy's head and no one else realizes it?
3. How will Karen's and Navy's relationship change (for better or for worst)?
4. What did the animals provide in the 6th chapter.

Julie Morvitz

Chapters V-VIII

At the beginning of Chapter V, I wondered why the echo was brought up and what it had to do with the story.  I had never thought that echo would have more than one interpretation before, because I had never thought of it other than something very simple. I found out while reading the chapter that in order to understand the Navidson house, one would also have to understand the myths concerning echos.  I liked that Truant had wondered the same thing that I had, until Zampano spoke about being alone. 

            After reading of Karen’s past, I was very surprised.  I wondered what had made Karen’s life change so drastically in her 15^th year, and why no one but her sister had noticed it.  I also wondered if this had anything to do with why she is claustrophobic now, and why she is terrified of the house, in contrast to Navidson. 

            As Navidson’s curiosity got the better of him and he went into the hallway, I was unsure of how his adventure would pan out.  I found this part very gripping, because I didn’t know if or how Navidson would get out of the maze.  I also had this same thought when Holloway’s crew trekked into the hallway a few times, and ventured to the unknown staircase.  As I came to the end of Chapter VIII, I wanted to find out what had happened to Holloway and his team.   

Questions

1.  Why does Karen’s condition get worse as she gets more intimate with her family?

2.  Why doesn’t the house allow animals into its secret passageways?

3.  What do you think happened to Holloway and his team?

Carly Cooper

Carly Cooper
House of Leave
Chapters V-VII

I am realizing now how interesting it is the way that this book is written. At first the footnotes seemed very detached from the story of the Navidson Record but now I realize they are placed in the middle of the story where Johnny Truant has some sort of reaction. Though once he has reacted he usually goes on a new tangents about something with minimal relationship to the story. It is as if through Navidson’s story we learn who Johnny Truant is and how he is affected by the story.
I’m wondering why Navidson’s story is often interrupted by frequent lessons about physics (echoes) and life within science (animals), from my perspective it would have been perfectly acceptable to explain the largeness and emptiness of the “great hall” and other areas of the space but just saying that it had echoes and it was cold and very large. Why is it that we must learn the very source of echoes in general?
Also the way Truant writes is awful, it is difficult to even follow what he is saying because the writing is so bad. I am wondering if maybe the author believes that writing with page long run-on sentences and bad spelling gives some Truant some sort of character trait or personality trait.

Nian Liu

Chapters IV-VIII

Chapters 4 through 8 brings us deeper into the book allowing more mysterious pathways and climatic events to happen. As Karen forbids Navidson to enter the dark frightening hallway, it only fed Navidson's curiosity even more. Navidson eventually enters the hallway and finds himself walking in circles and is chased by the echo of a monsterous growl. He escapes with the help of his daughter Daisy's cries and brings her back upstairs where Karen awaits him. The couples make up and that night was the one of the rare nights where the couples show apathy and Karen apologizes to Navidson for being so uptight about going into the hallway. Navidson seeing this perfect opportunity to bring their relationship to the way it was in the past he resists in telling Karen that he broke his promise in going into the hallway. The story continues with different fluxes of climatic events where Navidson calls for his team of "explorers", Tom and Reston after his strange encounterment inside the dark realm of his hallway. After Karen finds out Navidson backed out on her terms in not exploring the house their relation sinks back to neglect and distaste. The team of explorers go into the dark realm many times and find themselves stuck as they lose themselves to a maze of staircases. Will they ever make it out? We'll find out in the next couple of chapters.
As for the footnotes, Johnny Traunt fantasizes about "Thumper" the stripper that he met at the shop. He goes on about predicting on the outfit the woman is going to wear and actually comes to work early which surprises his boss. Not seeing the girl, Traunts boss asks him to go upstairs and pick up some materials. As he goes upstairs he is surrounded by the same darkness that was discribed by Navidson's Records and he starts seeing a "shape of a shape of a shape of a face." He then falls down the stairs and feels a clawing on the back of his head. We learn that as the text goes deeper into the book, Johnny seems to be extremely into the old man's writings and everything he sees start to connect to the writings.
Questions:
1) Question for Johnny Traunt is that what was it that clawed him? Was it the materials that clawed him or actually something from the shadows upstairs?
2)Is the whole ramble about "echos" in the story and getting lost in a dark hallway describing a dimension the Old man created to relate to his blindness?
3) Question for Navidson is, if he went into the hallway and almost found himself lost in the darkness, why didn't he stop and called up the New York Times for a professional exploration team to solve the mystery?

Victoria Gornopolskaya

Chapters 4-8 bring about more interesting information and revelations within both the story of Johnny Truant and The Navidson Record. We learn how large the hallway truly is when Navidson decides to explore it in the middle of the night. We also learn it shifts so one may mark his place in the hallway and still stay lost forever. Navidson almost did get lost forever but thankfully his daughter's cry helped him find the way back. When he plays with his daughter and asks her what game she would like to play, she says "always" implying "hallways" though Navidson is completely oblivious to that. This foreshadows that the children may end up exploring the hallways themselves which is a terrifying thought. Navidson has in a way cheated on Karen by going in the hallway when he promised not to. Karen responds by kissing Wax in a later chapter. The narrative states that by the time Navidson finds out about this she is gone and nothing matters anymore which is also a terrifying use of foreshadowing in the chapters. The explorers venture into the hallways 4 times discovering the immense staircase among the immense size of the entire hall. The explorers take days to go down the staircase and encounter many obstacles, leaving me unsure if they will ever make it back. As for Johnny Truant, we learn about his sexcapades, Thumper, and his growing anxiety.
Questions:
1. Is Johnny really getting attacked or is it all in his head?
2. What happened to Johnny's real father?
3. Will Navidson eventually explore the halls some more?
4. What problems will Holloway continue to cause?
-Name for blog: House of Literature

John Bonhomme Jr.

The Navidson story last ended with a climax where the books dropped off the shelves and Karen began to scream. However this part was never explained in the book because the next chapter picked up with a scientific explanation of echoes. This chapter was weird, until the last page of the chapter. It rambled about echoes and their history, but it wasn't apparent as to why? At least until the last page where the word always is used as a spin off on hallways. This was a weird chapter in my opinion. The next few chapters picked up the plot where Will has called in a team of explorers to explore the mysterious hallway. They explored the hallway four times, but on their fourth attempt something has gone wrong. Johnny Truant's story has become more understanding. At points he does go off into incomprehensible tangents, however not as much as in the first four chapters. His life is starting to fall into place and the mind barriers which were present in chapters I to IV are beginning to reveal themselves.
Questions: Why is Will so obsessed with exploring the hallway?
Why did Karen cheat on Will?
Why is everyone but Will going to leave the house eventually?
Name for Blog: House of Blogs.