I don't read a lot
but the one book that I really love is House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. It's a shame that he come's accross as a bit of a pretentious wanker in real life though, and that his other books are shite
(Dwarfsmuggler Has hogtied Snow White, Thu 5 Jan 2012, 18:20, 7 replies)

Agree & disagree
I love "House of Leaves" to bits & actually own 4 copies, all slightly different. I do really like his other books too, although reading "Only Revolutions" on the train gets you very strange looks.
(nasalhair The Twix guy!, Thu 5 Jan 2012, 18:25, closed)

But... but...
It's a bit derivative, innit? I mean, the basic story could be Poe. The metaphor of the book is pretty off-the-shelf Borgesian. The typeface stuff - well, Sterne did that, as did Lewis Carroll. Even the pages with bits cut out had been done several decades before, by BS Johnson.

The difference is that people'll be reading Poe, Borges, Sterne, Carroll and Johnson in a century. I'm not convinced that the same is true of Danielewski. I'm prepared to be shown wrong, but I'll be dead by then, so yah boo sucks.
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Thu 5 Jan 2012, 19:39, closed)

What's so awful about being derivative in an interesting way?
Snob.
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Thu 5 Jan 2012, 19:41, closed)

It's a pretty good haunted house story.
I did enjoy it - as you know. I'm not sure it warrants massive adulation, though. And there was too much wittering by the tattoo guy, no?
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Thu 5 Jan 2012, 21:51, closed)

But one person saying they love it on QOTW does not count as massive adulation.
Most people haven't even heard of it. Longevity doesn't make a book good. People are still reading Robinson Crusoe 300 years later and it's shite. Ah wait, that'll be subjectivity again. Besides, I liked Johnny Truant's wittering.
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Thu 5 Jan 2012, 22:04, closed)

As I say, I don't read a lot.
Catch 22 was good though
(Dwarfsmuggler Has hogtied Snow White, Fri 6 Jan 2012, 15:16, closed)

Certainly owes a debt to Borges
And if you are going to steal it may as well be from the best.

(New readers start with "Funes the Memorious")

But for some reason H.o.L really got under my skin and kept me awake at night for weeks. No clear idea why. Just a convergence of the twain thing
(unclestinky, Fri 6 Jan 2012, 20:04, closed)