GUEST BLOG by FIONNEGAN MURPHY

When deciding to read Mark Z. Danielewski one must be prepared for a thought provoking, intense, and hopefully exciting read. It will not be a relaxing escape. Mr. Danielewski writes books so that his readers will learn how to read the world around them better. They are challenging works that break down the standard rules to which novels adhere. He uses unusual typography to break down the way words are placed upon the page, and even uses color. The effect is a new and exciting way of reading that gives important meaning and moves the story in a bold and adventurous way.

House of Leaves, for example, is a series of stories weaved amongst one another. Our narrator (whose voice we hear in footnotes) has stumbled upon a manuscript that is in pieces. He decides to put the story back together. The result is that we get the original manuscript, the narrator’s thoughts as he’s putting the book together, and the footnotes from the original author of the manuscript. The beauty of this piece is the complex way that each story intertwines. It can be argued that the narrator’s story is at the beginning of a similar right of passage to the main character in the manuscript.

The other wonderful thing is that in the end are letters from the narrator’s mother and a series of poems that inspired House of Leaves. The book is more frightening as I look back on what transpired that I felt as I read it, but I know people who were terrified as they went through. It is also beautifully romantic, in a strange and hidden way. I find this kind of romance to be really satisfying. It isn’t too saccharine or overplayed. The romance you find, however, is strong and smart. Also, upon reading it a second time (with a notebook nearby) I have found a lot of very smart historical and mythological research that is shown clearly AND disguised throughout.

His other books are Only Revolutions and The Fifty Year Sword (T50YS), Both of which are equally as interesting and well written as House of Leaves, but in different ways. Mr. Danielewski is continuing to search for new ways of telling stories by writing them down. T50YS is about revenge, hate, forgiveness, and love. It’s a great ghost story with delightful imagery. Only Revolutions is about two sixteen year old kids who are in love and immortal. They’re sent here to destroy the world. Can their love prevent the destruction of everything, or will the world collapse under the friction of their speed?