SerpApi.Org
While some readers want to escape into a peaceful world, others prefer their books to be more on the unsettling side. Colliderrecently spotlighted some of the most stressful and terrifying novels ever published with a ranking of "the 10 most intense books of all time." The list, published on July 21, included novels like Stephen King's 2011 book 11/22/63, And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, published in 1939, and Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian from 1985.
Collider put the 2000 horror novel The House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski at the ranking's top spot. The book, which is known for its unusual format, has a score of 4.09 out of 5 from 210,205 readers on Goodreads.
In a 2000 interview with Borders Vision, Danielewski shared the book's basic plot.
"The story is about a family that moves into a small house in Virginia where they discover that the inside is bigger than the outside by only a quarter of an inch. And yet, that discrepancy begins to threaten everything in their family, the relationship between the man and the woman, between the children, and between the children and the parents," said the author.
In addition, he said he was very purposeful with how he positioned words and sentences throughout the book's 709 pages.
"So in 15 minutes you can read 100 pages, and you'll feel it, you'll feel the density in it, of the book. It has a visceral effect on you," said Danielewski.
Danielewski also discussed the use of footnotes in The House of Leaves. He said that while some may feel somewhat intimidated by footnotes, which are often used in academic texts, he intended for those who picked up The House of Leaves to realize that they make the novel unique and more interesting.
"They suddenly realize, 'By God, wait a minute the book can be read in a different way. It can be read backwards, forwards, upside down.' It's a wonderful analog computer, if you will, and it has all sorts of possibilities," said Danielewski during the 2000 interview.
