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Now reading... (books)

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Klear:
I finaly got my hands on House of Leaves. For those who don't know the book, it is an experimental novel... actually, words fail me. It's a book about a book about a film about a house that is a labyrinth, which is bigger on the inside that on the outside. And the page layout is crazy:





While I'm usually wary of such experiments, since na outrageous form often means less substance of the content, all the reviews of this book I could find were overwhelmingly positive.
Besides, the strange formatting isn't just for its own sake, as is often the case. It serves to create an atmosphere which corresponds to the events in the book: when the characters explore the labyrinth, the pages themselves start being twisted and maze-like. When they are chased by something, suddenly there are only a few words on each page, which makes you turn the pages rapidly etc.

It was never published in the Czech Republic (and frankly, I don't think a translation would do for me) and I couldn't find it in any library or bookstore anywhere. Luckily I googled up a Czech blog where the one writing it offered to sell a copy of the book (since he accidentally got two copies) and managed to get my family to get the book for me for my name-day I had this Sunday. Otherwise the book would be quite expensive to get.

In any case I just started to read and it's really well written, though I can't say if the book is good until I've finished it. It has already succeeded very well in something which many books try - it is told through several layers: the main (?) character got his hands on a manuscript written by a strange blind old man called Zampanó who recently died. Thus after some introduction there is a transprition of said manuscript with notes by the main character, while the manuscript itself describes a strange fictional (it might be fictional in-universe as well) film called "The Navidson Record", which is about the weird house and the Navidson family that lives there and explores it. It sounds complicated, but it's in fact quite easy to follow and understand (so far) thanks to different layers being set in different fonts. And the best thing is that it creates some vague fear not only for the safety of the main character, but for mine as a reader.

Well.. so that's it. I'll let you know if the book is as good as it seems when I finish it.

LuckyDee:
Got the full colour version at home, read it a couple of times already. One of the most brilliant books I've ever laid my hands on - enjoy!

In stark contrast: I'm currently reading 'Snuff', the latest Discworld novel.

ZicherCZ:
Thread hijack! (if Klear doesn't mind too much, that is :) )

What are you guys reading now anyway?

After my moving, I renewed my library account, and jumped on Terry Pratchett, with some old and gold Stephen King for good measure.

Klear:

--- Quote from: ZicherCZ on April 25, 2012, 02:58 ---Thread hijack! (if Klear doesn't mind too much, that is :) )

What are you guys reading now anyway?

--- End quote ---

I meant for the thread to evolve into this. That is the reason I named it "Now reading..." instead of "House of Leaves" and it definitely had nothing to do with the fact that it's impossible to make part of the thread title blue.

Anyway, to get back on the new track - I recently absorbed every Sherlock Holmes story written by Doyle (preparing to watch the BBC miniseries) and then started to read another Warhammer 40k novel, though that will have to wait now.

ZicherCZ:
I'm glad you are from Prague and not from Ostrava - A.C. Doyle's Sherlock Holmes is just next on my to-read list, and you would be stealing my reservations at the library ;).

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