Mitch G's Key Ideas from House of Leaves
by Mark Z. Danielewski

Framing this narrative is Johnny Truant, a troubled young man who discovers Zampanò's unfinished manuscript after the writer's death. As Johnny pieces together the notes, he inserts his own footnotes, reflections, and increasingly unhinged personal experiences. His descent into paranoia mirrors the eerie disorientation of the house, making it unclear whether his unraveling mind is a result of the manuscript or his own past traumas. The interplay between Zampanò’s scholarly tone and Johnny’s raw, erratic storytelling adds layers of psychological horror to the novel.

The house itself is a central enigma—its dimensions shift unpredictably, hallways stretch into darkness, and spaces emerge where none should exist. Navidson, his family, and others attempt to explore and document these anomalies, but their discoveries raise more questions than answers. The novel suggests that the house may be more than just an architectural impossibility, hinting at deeper existential fears about perception, loss, and the unknown.

Adding to the book’s unsettling effect is its unconventional formatting. Footnotes appear in odd directions, text changes fonts and colors, and some pages contain only a few words or a single letter. This experimental structure forces the reader to navigate the book in a nonlinear way, mirroring the characters’ disorientation within the house. The shifting layout enhances the novel’s themes of instability and obsession, making it an immersive and sometimes overwhelming read.

Ultimately, House of Leaves resists easy interpretation, leaving many of its mysteries unsolved. It explores themes of trauma, obsession, and the power of storytelling, challenging the reader to question what is real and what is imagined. Its layered narrative, shifting perspectives, and unique format make it a haunting literary experience that lingers long after the final page.

Artist Justin Taylor, better known as Crywolf, writes about his inspiration for the album Dysphoria: "In 2014 I read the book House Of Leaves, and it seemed to call out into the well of my soul. Into the foggy, foreboding depths that I had never dared explore.

To my dreadful astonishment… something called back.

Out of that place, came Dysphoria. The album was formative for me because it was the first time I interacted with that mercurial part of myself. The part that finds it’s home in the unknown, in the terrifying void."