I re-read House of Leaves over the last few nights.

Not all of it, just Navidson’s story as told by Zampano and as put together by Johnny.

I skipped the footnotes, I skipped Johnny’s story, I skipped the Whalestoe Letters.

Navidson’s story is fun. It’s also a quick read.

If it were a novella, it would be great.

Maybe the experts have other options, but I don’t think the footnotes of fake academic citations add anything. I don’t think doing fancy tricks with the text helps (well, maybe on the first reading).

I can see how alternate text layouts manipulates pacing and such, but it’s a pain. The book is large and turning it around all the time, especially in Expedition 5, is a real pain in the ass.

Give a kindle novella of of the core story and I’m happy.

Here are the main plot points according to gpt4.5:

  1. Moving into the House: Will Navidson, a photojournalist, moves into a new house in Virginia with his partner Karen Green and their two children, Chad and Daisy, intending to document their lives and strengthen family bonds.
  2. Discovery of the Impossible Space: Shortly after moving in, Navidson notices that the interior dimensions of the house are slightly larger than the exterior. This subtle anomaly escalates dramatically when a mysterious door appears, opening onto a dark, expansive, and ever-shifting labyrinth of hallways, rooms, and staircases.
  3. Initial Exploration and Tensions: Navidson gathers friends and colleagues, including his brother Tom and the explorer Holloway Roberts, to investigate. The labyrinth defies logic, constantly shifting, expanding, and contracting. This exploration causes strain in Navidson’s relationships, particularly with Karen, who becomes fearful and withdrawn.
  4. The Holloway Expedition: Holloway Roberts leads an expedition deep into the labyrinth but becomes paranoid, disoriented, and aggressive due to isolation and fear. He attacks his own teammates, leading to violence, injury, and eventual death. Holloway becomes lost in madness and never returns alive.
  5. The Rescue Attempt: Navidson, driven by guilt and obsession, returns repeatedly into the dark corridors to rescue lost expedition members, risking his own sanity and life. His brother Tom ultimately dies heroically during these events.
  6. Separation and Descent: Navidson and Karen become estranged due to his obsession with the house. Karen leaves with their children, and Navidson spirals deeper into despair, eventually returning alone to the house to confront the labyrinth one final time.
  7. Final Exploration and Solitude: In the climax, Navidson makes a solitary descent into the depths of the labyrinth, becoming completely isolated in an infinite void. Here, Navidson confronts existential terror, recording what seem to be his final moments on video.
  8. Rescue and Reconciliation: Miraculously, Navidson is rescued by Karen, who overcomes her fear and returns to the house to find him. They survive and reconcile, but both are deeply changed, haunted permanently by their experiences.
  9. Mysterious Fate of the House: Ultimately, the Navidsons leave, and the house mysteriously vanishes or ceases to exist. The film (The Navidson Record) becomes a legendary, controversial cultural phenomenon whose authenticity and meaning remain debated.

Fine.

I guess it misses the release of short films beforehand. I’d probably divide the plot by expeditions or something.

Anyway. A novella version. My 2 cents, having re-read the tome a bunch of times now.