Ergodic Literature/House of Leaves

IdleRich

IdleRich

IdleRich
I read about House of Leaves being described as Ergodic literature (which apparently means literature that requires non-trivial effort to read - not 'cause the writing is difficult obviously but because of the page lay-out or alternative paths through the book etc). I really enjoyed House of Leaves and I was reminded of it recently so I was wondering if anyone could recommend something that is similar and good basically. I just read a book called It Has To Be This Way which I liked a lot as well and which reminded me of HofL although I'm not sure whether or not it would count as Ergodic. Possibly it would because I suppose to get the full experience you would have to have seen the art show which generated it (which I haven't done).

http://www.mattsgallery.org/artists/seers/books/books1-01.php

So, pretty vague start there but any tips?
 
you

you

Well-known member
I finished House of Leaves a while back - wonderful book. Haven't read anything similar in style since. However Will Selfs prose feels equally discombobulating.

Also, I remember stumbling across that link somewhere else, mmmm odd.**

There are other ergodic texts recommended in the House of Leaves. The Forum : http://www.houseofleaves.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1702

** Or could it have been posted elsewhere on dissensus?
 
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IdleRich

IdleRich

IdleRich
That's a great tip, cheers. I've read Street of Crocodiles so that sounds right up my street.
I knew Danielewski's next book explored the techniques of H of L but I've heard it's not as good.
 
Leo

Leo

Well-known member
IdleRich said:
That's a great tip, cheers. I've read Street of Crocodiles so that sounds right up my street.
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my wife just got a copy, looks really cool. will let you know if i can figure it out.

if you're interested in it, i wouldn't wait too long to pick up a copy. while it's not a limited edition per se, i can't image the publisher is printing that many copies, or that they will do many subsequent editions in years to come. plus, i think some people are buying it just because it's an unusual "art" object.
 
IdleRich

IdleRich

IdleRich
"if you're interested in it, i wouldn't wait too long to pick up a copy. while it's not a limited edition per se, i can't image the publisher is printing that many copies, or that they will do many subsequent editions in years to come. plus, i think some people are buying it just because it's an unusual "art" object."
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Yeah, was just thinking the same when I actually looked at the article properly.
 
B

baboon2004

Darned cockwombles.
Best/most chilling part of the book, I thought, was the sequence of letters sent to Johnny by his mother at the end. Has anyone read the companion book totally composed of these letters (can't remember what it's called)?
 
grizzleb

grizzleb

Well-known member
Bruno Schulz - Street of Crocodiles is one of my favourite books. I haven't encountered prose quite as beautiful anywhere else as in Schulz.
 
IdleRich

IdleRich

IdleRich
The companion piece to House of Leaves was called The Whalestone Letters I think - I've not read it though.
Anyone read this


Was mentioned in the thread you linked to Baboon - not sure if it's actually ergodic or just similar to House of Leaves but it sounds interesting.
 
slim jenkins

slim jenkins

El Hombre Invisible
I've got Tree Of Codes...bought it out of curiosity rather than a great urge to read it all...The Guardian reviewer mistakenly referred to Gysin & Burroughs, but this is about the act of removal, rather than rearrangement or cut-up of text. He basically makes his own form of 'poetic' prose from the original text. Danielewski followed up HoL with an even wilder typographical excercise...the name of which escapes me...
 
you

you

Well-known member
IdleRich said:
The companion piece to House of Leaves was called The Whalestone Letters I think - I've not read it though.
Anyone read this


Was mentioned in the thread you linked to Baboon - not sure if it's actually ergodic or just similar to House of Leaves but it sounds interesting.
Click to expand...

Not in any way ergodic but a great book. Has a beautifully rendered 1980's middle england as the setting for the Blatty infused horror......feels contemporary but it actually utilizes a few classic 'moves'.....

Read my embarrassingly amateur review if you like
http://notesfromthevomitorium.blogspot.com/2009/11/tariq-goddard-picture-of-contented-new.html
 
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M

mistersloane

heavy heavy monster sound
Rober Racine is amazing. He's from French Canada and spent years and years cutting out every 'do re mih fa so la ti doh' everytime any of them appeared it the dictionary - so everytime there was a 'do', he cut it out.
He then arranged these as they appeared in the dictionary into a composition for piano, it's absolutely beautiful. Then he exhibited the pages of the dictionary in a gallery with the pages laid over mirror. I wish I could do it justice with the explanation. I met him once, he's a genius.

http://s95149927.onlinehome.us/rober/site/francais/fiches/pages-miroir2.html
 
you

you

Well-known member
I copped Rattle Journal yesterday because it had an essay about House of Leaves, haven't really looked at it yet but looks to be ergodic and hella dope....
 
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