Should I continue with House of Leaves?

[Mary ♥]

I’m about halfway through House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski and I’m looking for some inspiration to finish it. I absolutely devoured the first couple hundred pages but it’s getting to the point where it feels like I’m slogging through it.

I’m now starting to read it and annotate along the way, but it feels more like a tedious task and now I’m missing the enjoyment part of reading.

Has anyone finished it? Should I keep going and does it end in a satisfying way?

[Krystal]

I was really on the fence when I read that one. I think skipping footnotes sometimes helps to get through but if it's feeling like too much of a task it's probably not going to get easier.

That being said, I'm glad I can say I've read it. It's a unique experience.

[inciminci]

I personally didn't think it ended in a satisfying way, it was all so wishy-washy and the author doesn't really try to tell a linear story if that's what you looking for, it's rather experimental.
I'm only glad I finished it because I own a copy and it's good to have one more book off my tbr.
That being said, it really helped that we read it in a buddy read/group read, I don't remember which one it was. Maybe you can ask if someone wants to buddy read with you and you can motivate each other?

[LTJ]

LoL I finished it and even though it's a unique reading experience, it just didn't do it for me. I remember giving it a 2/5 but my golden rule is to finish any book I start. LoL if not for my own golden rule, I would have DNFed this 10% in.

[Theresa (mysteries.and.mayhem)]

It felt more like a textbook than reading for enjoyment. But, with that said, I enjoyed the experience. I want to read it again at some point to delve into the footnotes a little deeper. I think just being able to say you read it is worth finishing, if I'm being honest! 😅

[WendyB]

I enjoyed the experience of reading HoL but I firmly believe in setting books aside that aren't working for me. There are so many books to try that I no longer waste time with those that aren't bringing me joy.

[Tonya]

I am pretty open for new experiences, but this book was just not a good fit for me.

[Erin]

I enjoyed this book but it isn't for everyone. If you don't feel the desire to finish it, I probably wouldn't bother.

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

I didn't like it. I wanted to like it, but I couldn't. There were things I liked about it, but I remember having to completely skip a 20-page section about echolocation, and that was just one of the many problems I had with it.

[Mary ♥]

Thank you to everyone that replied, I really appreciate the insights.

I'm still a bit conflicted and I'm not opposed to DNF'ing a book, but I'm so far in that I think if I stop now the FOMO will kill me. I'll continue for now, let's see if I can finish it at some point soon. 🤦🏼‍♀️

[Alex]

I finished it and loved it, but if you're on the fence now, that's not likely to change. I definitely had to put it down and just think on it from time to time, let it sit for a while. Chalk some of it up as beyond me. Like Erin said, it's not for everyone. I don't think it's really the kind of book you can just sit down and read like a story. It's funny. It's been a few years and I was just thinking about picking it up again..... Plus, Poe is awesome.

[Jennifer]

I've just finished it for the second time Alex, I'd recommend picking it up again. A re-read is so different.

I definitely agree with putting on a DNF pile too. It's a beast of a book and really needs focus so it's not for everyone. And books are there for enjoyment, so don't force it.

[Giovanni]

I didn't finish it. the first part looks intriguing, but when it gets what happens with the house THE question that was constantly running through my mind was "how in the world could I find a way to care about this story?"
and I just didn't

[Shaun]

I tried three times to read it. I found if I skipped some of the sections and focused on one part of the story at a time, I could get further, but it was too deep and convoluted for me. I can tell there's a good story there, but I couldn't get deep enough to enjoy it. What I hear though is that it's really a love it or hate it book.

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

Shaun wrote: "...THE question that was constantly running through my mind was "how in the world could I find a way to care about this story?"
and I just didn't"

Same.

[Martina]

It took me two years to finish it :D

It is a challenging read but when I reached that final page I felt absolutely rewarded. What I loved about the book was the way it made me *feel*: the dizziness, the discomfort, and the dread.

I did not care much about the story or the characters, just my own experience of going *through* the book and its own displacing medium. It was a unique experience.

What helped was reading other stuff in between, which I can recommend. I completely get why people abandon it, though. The story, character development and other aspects that make you otherwise love a book are here lacking.

[Vanessa]

I have this on my TBR. Now I’m not really looking forward to reading it if it’s going to be hard work!

[Haley]

Honestly, dnf if you can't get behind it. I personally love it, but it took me 2 years and a ton of annotations and bookmarks to get through. Reading is about enjoying, not forcing yourself through just to say you read it - you could always come back to it later!

[Abigail]

I have not finished House of Leaves yet, but I remember hearing once that "House of Leaves will find you when you're ready for it" so it's one that sits on my library bookmarks, waiting for when it decides to come to me lol!