House of Leaves Question (Open Spoilers)

Cafe Society
1

I’m trying to remember something about House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski, and maybe a doper can provide the answer since I know several of you have also read this book. Someone might even have a copy on hand. (I borrowed it from inter-library loan years ago or I’d check myself)

Towards the end of the book there are several letters that the main character recieved from his mother. One of them, perhaps the last one, sounds like gibberish - until you write down only the first letter of each of the random words. Then a reasonably coherent message reveals itself.

Here’s my question: did the author tell you to do this to make sense of the message, or did I stumble upon that conclusion myself? I’m guessing we’re told that’s what’s going on in the letter, but I’m drawing a blank as to where it actually is in the footnotes or not.

2

My recollection is that the author doesn’t tell you to do that, but that it’s a natural thing to try by that point in the book. I remember doing it as well.

3

OK, I’m bumping this old thread as I just finished the book last night.

Since this thread states (Open spoilers) I’ve got a couple questions:

One person asked me if I had figured out who the minotaur was. I didn’t know I was supposed to. Any ideas? (Was the minotaur the “growl” in the house? Or a reflection of one’s self?)

I’m also confused as to why the Zampano’s book (and Zampano for that matter) were so affected by what was going on. Why did Johnny Truant feel that what was happening to the Navidsons was happening to himself (Johnny put tape measures down in his house)?

4

Oh, forgot to add, yes, the author does tell you to do that. Well, Johnny’s mom says that her next message(s) will be coded as such as she couldn’t trust the letters from being read/edited/not sent.

5

I don’t know the answer to the new questions posted, but when I was reading the book I was constantly visiting the forum on http://www.houseofleaves.com they go in depth on a lot of those issues, and allow you to discover or pay attention to details, other riddles that you otherwise would have missed.