Mark Z. Danielewski's iconic novel has been described as a "terrifying masterpiece" and a "perplexing experience unlike any other"*. Here are five reasons why you should not read it.
It is extremely complex, as it features a guy named Johnny who discovers a manuscript about a documentary about a physically impossible house.
It's like a book inside of a book about a documentary about a house. If you want a simple read with a singular plot, this is not the book for you.
If you are like me, you will cry yourself to sleep after reading the first 80 pages.
I do not get scared. At least, I do not get scared by zombies, ghosts, or anything of the sort. The only things that truly terrifies me is psychological horror that makes me question my own mind and the world around me. This book did just that, to the point where I no longer felt safe inside reality.
In 2020 when I read this book, I did in fact cry myself to sleep after reading the first 80 pages. I regretted reading the book and felt like my brain would never recover. However, the next morning I woke up and continued reading it, and a week or two later I finished the book.
Some of the pages have upside-down text, little-to-no text, or are extremely mysterious.
The book is well-known for having a very mysterious structure. Sometimes you will have to hold the book upside down or turn it 360 degrees. This can be very tedious, especially because the book is kinda heavy. It is 700 pages, after all. Which brings us to the next point...
It's over 700 pages long (but a lot of these pages are filled with only a few words).
It is pretty daunting to look at, especially because the text is kind of small.
You will never forget the experience you had reading the book.
Yes, this book is not just a story; it's an immersive experience that will live inside you forever. I reccommend this book to everyone I know and I still think about it to this day. This book isn't for everyone, but if you dare to read the book, you will never be the same.
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