House of Leaves author, Mark Z. Danielewski, visits Toledo on November 4th. If you’ve never heard of the author or his book, you’re missing out on a great literary puzzle maker, as his books are not so much novels as they are cryptographic, multi-layered stories that will leave you thinking long after you’ve closed the back cover.
House of Leaves, Danielewski’s debut novel from 2000, treats every page like a canvas. Twists and turns throughout the story are mirrored by the physical writing. Words, in various colors, are repeated throughout the book. Entire pages contain single words or letters, and many passages have footnotes that relate to other books and movies that may not even exist. Add to that the multiple stories going on within the novel, and you come to realize how vastly different Danielewski views the medium of literature and what he can do with it.
The unfamiliar in The Familiar
Danielewski visit is to promote his current work, The Familiar. The first part of the 27-book series, titled One Rainy Day in May, came out in May 2015, while volume two, Into The Forest, releases October 27.
The Familiar is yet another piece of literary art that Danielewski fans will enjoy. In particular, a passage early in the text is an ideal place to start to understand Danielewski’s approach to storytelling. The passage, called Tom’s Crossing takes place over a few pages as the narrator relates his last few moments with an old friend named Tom. As the story jumps from memories of Tom to present day, the reader is presented with a list of Tom’s medical stats, such as the readings of a heart monitor. As the narrator tells his tale we see Tom slowly pass away.
Keep in mind, this is just part of the prologue. The main book itself, concerning several stories that take place in one day, has everything from fisheye-lense text to raindrops represented by a repetition of the phrase, “How many raindrops?” , to a few pages where the paper stock is different than the rest of the book.
Danielewski’s free Open Book event will begin at 7pm, concluding with a Q&A session and book signing. For members of the Library’s Literati group, a special reception With Mr. Danielewski will be held before the event at 6pm.
7-8:30pm Wednesday, November 4th
Lucas County Public Library Main Branch, 325 Michigan St.
Free
