Reading 1001 discussion

Consider the issue of the “uncanny” raised in chapter IV and of “Echo” in chapter V. How are we to understand these issues within the context of the novel and as critical tools to use to interpret it?

Echo refers to the Greek myth and also to the fact that the large empty space has an echo other than that this is over my head.

There were big discussions in the footnotes about echoes and other languages' words for uncanny. While I found all of this interesting, they were two of the many labyrinthine tangents in the book that led to nowhere.

When the issue of "uncanny" is raised, Truant is beginning to realise that the way he feels influences how he feels about his research or, perhaps more insidiously, vice versa. When "echo" is being analysed, Truant feels physical reactions to reading Zampano's notes. Zampano says "Echo suddenly assumes the role of god's messenger" which presages the idea that Navidson had decided that the house was actually God.