THE BOOK THAT MADE ME: MARK Z. DANIELEWSKI'S HOUSE OF LEAVES BY C.J. WEISS

THE BOOK THAT MADE ME: HOUSE OF LEAVES

26/9/2022

Fiction and reality continue to blur as the reader progresses through the book’s multiple storylines. By the end of it, I felt so immersed that I spent hours decompressing. I had to crawl back to reality as if I’d gotten lost in the house proper.

THE BOOK THAT MADE ME: Mark Z. Danielewski'S HOUSE OF LEAVES
BY C.J. WEISS

House Of Leaves: the prizewinning and terrifying cult classic that will turn everything you thought you knew about life (and books!) upside down

Growth happens through change, and change necessitates unique life experiences. Problem is, it’s easy to get caught up in the familiar. That’s not to say comfortable indulgences don’t have their place, but they’re more sustenance than a delicacy. To elicit change and grow, I strive for delicacies that will sear the memory of their consumption into my brain.

One of the richest delicacies I’ve ever consumed is House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. The book altered how I view horror, writing, and expanded the definition of both “story” and “novel”. I think more than any genre, horror has the most growth potential, and this book adds a strong point to that argument.

I’ve loved horror my whole life—it offers a safe place to cope with and experience fear. I also appreciate how it (usually) walks a fine line between reality and fiction. I’m big into all speculative fiction, but horror tends to tug at the fabric of reality with the most gusto. Maybe ghosts are real, perhaps the devil exists, and psychopathic serial killers are without a doubt a thing. By contrast, I’m confident faster-than-light travel and dragons don’t exist (at least on Earth). The possibility of another plane of existence is as exciting as it is terrifying.

House of Leaves is a masterpiece because it makes a mess of this fine line. References to the real world are interspersed with references to events and media that could exist, had a few things gone differently. The titular house is explored in a way that’s almost tangible, thanks to the strong description found in all good books, as well as unique elements like “historical” footnotes and formatting that adds a physical component to the story. Fiction and reality continue to blur as the reader progresses through the book’s multiple storylines. By the end of it, I felt so immersed that I spent hours decompressing. I had to crawl back to reality as if I’d gotten lost in the house proper.

I’ve seen, read, and played so much horror content that I’m usually onto the next thing in my life once I’m done. I’ve walked away from some of the world’s most heralded horror movies, books, and games with as little effort as changing a TV channel. I read House of Leaves years ago, but I still think about it more than any other piece of literature.

This fascination encouraged me to get back into and stick with writing when that 2020-event-that-shall-not-be-named started up. Instead of my usual foray (an overly ambitious multi-book epic fantasy series), I decided to write a standalone story that got inside my readers’ heads. That led to the birth of Claire Rossi, psychiatrist and protagonist of A Broken Clock Never Boils. From there, I crafted a unique central conflict: her patients’ symptoms would gradually infect her. Like House of Leaves, I also included a subplot for dedicated readers to decipher and interpret (though nowhere near the level of MZD’s genius).

To make all of this happen, I quit my “job” that same year (I was self-employed, so quitting meant winding down my business). This was a hard decision. I could’ve split my time between working and writing, but my attention is so easy to divert that I fall into nonproductive habits without a central focus. I had also saved enough that I’m years away from turning into a “starving artist”. What put me over the edge was that over the last few years, I’d grown to respect authors more than any other profession. House of Leaves isn’t the sole reason for that shift, but it played a vital role.

As with good horror, there’s a large unknown factor at work here. Maybe I’m blowing House of Leaves’s influence out of proportion. Maybe the big picture wouldn’t look any different without it. But like some of the best meals of my life, I can still recall a wealth of detail from House of Leaves, as if I’d finished it yesterday. Thus, I encourage anyone reading this to give it a read. Once you finish, feel free to hit me up on my website/Twitter/wherever and talk at length about it. I’ll be more than happy to listen.

A Broken Clock Never Boils by C.J. WEISS

My debut novel, A Broken Clock Never Boils, is available on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Broken-Clock-Never-Boils-ebook/dp/B0BC2Q4DT4). During its launch window, it’s priced at $0.99 for the ebook and $9.99 for the paperback.

IS IT MADNESS OR THE SUPERNATURAL?

Psychiatrist Claire Rossi seeks cases nobody else can treat—cases like her mother's, whose misdiagnosis of schizophrenia and subsequent death inspired Claire’s career. Initially infatuated with an influx of seemingly schizophrenic patients, interest turns to terror as their ailments infect her too. She sees and hears a man who grows more violent with every encounter. The analysis and training she’s relied on her whole career fail to explain his presence, leaving only one conclusion: that what haunts her isn't in her head at all. But maybe that's just what she wants to believe.

As her symptoms escalate, she's left with two unsettling clues. Her mother speaks to her in twisted idioms, and a mysterious letter taunts her with a single line:
Enjoy your gifts.

A Broken Clock Never Boils is a slow burn, supernatural psychological thriller, with tension building steadily until its dramatic climax. It's written for readers seeking a middle ground between Gillian Flynn's mystery thrillers and Stephen King's supernatural horror.

C.J. WEISS

Biography: C.J. is a former marketing professional from Austin, TX. Variety is the spice of life so he loves (among other things) hiking, board/video games, traveling, and obviously reading (particularly speculative fiction). Since trying out new stuff is his jam, he figured why not spend a few years breaking into one of the world's most competitive industries?

Also C.J. is a big, big fan of peanut butter. Only the natural stuff - oil separation is normal!