Reading 1001 discussion

1. First question, (mine), how did you experience this book? Did you think it a horror story, love story or just plain psychologically disorientating?

For me the haunted house sections read like a work by H.P. Lovecraft it didn't find it particularly horrific. I can see how this can be classed as a love story but that wasn't the central feeling I got.

To be honest I found some parts really dragged and the page layout felt gimmicky.

I don't have an issue with chaos, which this story at times appeared to be in structure and layout. Horror: not really, this wasn't really scary, although there was a bit of suspense (for some reason, The Blair Witch Project kept popping into my mind). Love: partly, both from the perspective of Navidson and Karen, and from Johnny Truant and his mum (this was stronger when you read Appendix II.E. I am still trying to figure out what was the whole point of the exercise.

I found elements of Anne Rice, Stephen King, Kubrick (all of whom were interviewed by Karen), Lovecraft, Dante, and Shirley Jackson, to start. I'm sure there are more influences in the book. Oh: and every over footnoted, pretentious paper I've ever read (or probably written).
This does a great job of poking fun at academia and how much things can be over analyzed, as well as telling multiple scary stories of a haunted house and obsession that leads to madness.

I read this book and mainly felt confused. I think part of me waiting to analyze it like a normal story but could not. I definitely found some of the parts terrifying but then I read a compelling post about why this is a love story and saw that too. Different parts of the book make me feel differently.

I loved the book. It was a blend of genres including psychological horror and love story. IT was disorienting at times but in a wonderful way - very experiential compared to most traditional books.

I loved it. The frame within the frame within the frame was clever. The footnotes which led to exhibits which are not there, or which refer to chapters which are not listed, make one read as though on a wild goose chase, but then some other footnotes will be real gems. When there were only a few words on each page I remembered the delight I had when I first learned to read and the fun of turning each page to the next. It was not a book to read passively, one had to be actively and physically engaged, whether pursuing footnotes or orientating the page. If one followed the footnotes then sometimes one found oneself in the appendices. Altogether original and fun.