Footnotes

[Flynn]

i am about 2/3 through the book and am pretty, well, not really sure what to call it.

anyway, i think that the footnotes, however jibberish, do offer some meaning. it is obvious that Zampano's boat is missing the drain plug, however, i think he doesn't know how to insert his views on the movie without breaking the "professional tone" that the review is written in. therefore, i think he makes up these footnotes to express what he feels about the situation.

i don't want to get started on the fact that none of this exists, but i do think, so far, that Zampano and Navy are the same person, and this is his twisted version of therapy, to write about it but to, again, pretend it happend to someone else.

on a reality note. i heard about this book from a dj on a radio station in dallas as "hey pretty" was being released. consequently, she played a clip of Dan and Poe talking about their father. apparently, some of this story relates to their family life growing up, the twisted nature, not the house and stuff. anyway, he was apparently VERY excentric and told some really bizarre stories or wrote them...??? i THINK they talked about how after he died, they found some really wild letters written to them as well as some far out stories. i don't remember the specifics, but the interview was why i bought the book, that and the fact that the dj would not stop talking about it.

looking forward to finishing. taking a while though, i can only read it for 30 min, then i have to put it down caues i got the heebies and the jeebyies. let me know what you think of the footnote theory.

BTW,
Johnny and Lude, i want to pary with those cowboys!

[Flynn]

Oh yeah, this book is a dream for poeple (sic) with ADD, doesn't stay in one place long and when it does move, it is loopy.

i also made the mistake of trying to explain this book, to people. not a good idea, you get that tilted dog look. aparently when the description comes from a person w/ ADD, it is REALLY bizzare.

show of hands for those who think dan took a little of the old ritalin in the early 80's too. this is the only book i don't have to force myself to read as a result of boredom.

[Flynn]

sorry, also forgot one point.

maybe navy got away from the house, went crazy(er), wrote his version of the events as best he could and then minotaur finally caught up with him for good.

[invisibleman]

the simple statement that 'everything changes when a family moves into a house that is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside' really is the best one can do

[Gertie]

Flynn I know exactly what you mean. You are trying so hard to explain it, not ruin the ending,not sound crazy, and make sense all at once, I always got the same look. My dad said I was making o snese at all, and I don't have ADD

[verismo]

1st Flynn, I totally agree with your navidson=Zampano, but I am recently thinking that also includes Johnny, and Pelafina. I don't think there's a chance P. is real, she could't have known Z. yet she speaks of him, her letters follow Johnny's text as if they are letters to her. I think Johnny is the minotaur, he is the thing Z. is trying to get rid of, Z. is the thing tht is following Johnny is Z. striking his text= removing him from his mind....woah, gertie, you're right ...we ADD people do sound strange explaining this book. do you have the same spelling problems I do, the Adderall does not help that. [img]images/smiles/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img]

[verismo]

oh sorry, Flynn is the one who has ADD like me [img]images/smiles/icon_redface.gif[/img]

[Twix]

On the topic of trying to explain the book to people... I rarely do. Instead, I simply carry the book with me, and if someone asks, I tell them it's by a simply brilliant author and flip open to the labyrinth section of the book, with footnotes going in every direction, and then, perhaps, to the exploration section, with one or two words on a page. I've found that that's honestly all you need to do to get most people interested in the book. I may add that it's about a house that's bigger on the inside than the outside, but that's it--I don't try to explain the experience to them. Most people have been determined, after seeing it, to read the House for themselves--let them find out on their own.

(Yes, yes, this is my first post. Welcome me. [img]images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img] )

Ben

[ManiKatt]

How about the story of the baby who died? COuldn't this be Pelfina's story about her son JOhhny who died before he could grow up. THe story of his life and at the same time hers through he deranged perception. In the beginning JOhhny does say that he came from a nuthouse and Zampono does seem to represent something to do with lost love. Mabye he is the father of JOhhny? THere are references to La Strada and Zampono in La Strada is the story of a man who loses his love and drives her crazy in the process because of his inability to show his love. THe seems to be Navidson's record. JOhhny's story ends like Zampono's in La Strada by the sea shore. Also in La Strada there is constant talk of Zampono's danger (as circus performer) of loseing his sight.

THis might relate to Mark's discussion of the story having something to do with his father who was a film director.

ALl in all I think this is Pelfina's, concieved story of her family which never existed. She is the only one who knows about all of the narrators. I think the fiction starts when she recieves the response to her letter which was most likely a figment of her imagination. Just imagine a nurse really sending letters under the nose of the director.

Still I haven't found enough clues to solidify anything. And I've heard that Mark Danielewski has said that everything is clear and nothing is left ambiguous in the book.

[blueeyeddevil]

Zampanò does make one reference to himself as a character in the movie, but it seems like more of an accident than an intentional act.

on page 320:

quote:

---

Regrettably, Tom fails to stop at a sip. A few hours later he has finished off the whole fifth as well as half a bottle of wine. He might have spent all night drinking had exhaustion not caught up with me.

---

here, Zampanò = Tom

this seems to support none of the theories in this thread, but i thought i'd toss it in.

[ManiKatt]

Forgot about that refernece, it helps with something else I'm thinking about but don't have words right now for.
HOwever, there ARE more references to La Strada. I'll try to recover more of them but one ison page 552 at the top tof the perforated note, the reference to the Fellini book definately means something because the note is included as part of the few phographs. I know there is more, be here later. Just remembered this one because I'm fresher on it.

[ianthebruce]

I was trolling the depths of the archives, and I found this thread from last year. I just thought I'd resurect it because I thought it was interesting. Any fresh thoughts on the Navy = Zampano or Tom = Zampano theories? I never noticed how Tom refers to himself as me, or if I did, I just put it aside and forgot. I don't have my copy with me, not sure what page that is.

[TheYellowDart]

Hey all, wanted to bump this thread up again. I'm a brand-newbie and I've been searching the archives like crazy for anything discussing the Fellini/"La Strada"+HOL connection. This is the only thing I've found so far...any film buffs out there familiar with this film? I've never seen it, but I read a couple of synopses. Why is our dead old Z in HOL named after a brutish circus strongman? And the "half-mad" woman he buys as his wife is named Gelsomina--any connection to Pelafina? I read in an interview with Danielewski that he was raised on '50s art movies (near verbatim quote), so I'm almost certain about this connection, but I'm having a hard time figuring out how this connection can give us a better understanding of HOL's Zampano. Any input??

[TheYellowDart]

Hey all, wanted to bump this thread up again. I'm a brand-newbie and I've been searching the archives like crazy for anything discussing the Fellini/"La Strada"+HOL connection. This is the only thing I've found so far...any film buffs out there familiar with this film? I've never seen it, but I read a couple of synopses. Why is our dead old Z in HOL named after a brutish circus strongman? And the "half-mad" woman he buys as his wife is named Gelsomina--any connection to Pelafina? I read in an interview with Danielewski that he was raised on '50s art movies (near verbatim quote), so I'm almost certain about this connection, but I'm having a hard time figuring out how this connection can give us a better understanding of HOL's Zampano. Any input??

[silver474]

Hey, TYD, welcome to the board. Don't know how helpful I can be, but I found a few old threads that may address your questions.

zampano

the mystery behind the K (Look especially at all the posts by hello?)

Typo or significance? (The last post by Sylla)

What's in a name? (Jessie talked a fucking lot but see her second post; this is also just an all-around good thread to read as you are a newbie here)

Kafka (more about Metamorphoses than Fellini, but take a look)

There is also some Fellini stuff, I believe, on the Idiot's Guide to HoL.

Um. At any rate, there's a bit out there. Hope I was of some assistance, and again, welcome. [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

[TheYellowDart]

Thanks a lot Silver! I'll definitely peruse those links, and I had no idea the Idiot's Guide existed. Thanks!