MyLitClass

Leaving the first class of Literature in the 21^st Century of this semester, I didn’t know what to think. To be honest I was little afraid, and was debating on whether or not I would stay in for the remainder of the semester, being that this would be my 6^th class. I was told that six to nine classes were a breeze and usually only two hours long, man do I know how to pick them. The professor wasted no time, and assigned reading on the first class. Not just a few pages, but a whole book ! This was probably the most intimidatingof the three hours of this first class, which is generally only 15 minutes long.

Moving into the weekend, the only time in which I had to myself, I found reading after getting back from a track meet. For those of you who haven’t competed in sports, primarily track and field, I can safely say there is nothing more exerting than racing. Not just once but racing twice in one day is more than exhausting. I came home to an un-open book on a Saturday night, which is usually not even used to go out in my teenage life, but instead to sit back, relax, pig out and watch TV. This semester changed that four year tradition, and instead forced me to sit back, read, read, and read. Little did I know that latter assignments were to be much longer, taking not hours but days to get through. Not to mention updating my new blog, three times per week. I never took part in blogging before, and just thought it was another way to waste time on the computer like facebook, or myspace. I didn’t know how to approach this new “21^st Century” way of putting my word out there, and looking back, had done some things that I may have changed now, however I think I did a pretty good job for a first timer.

I was never big on picking up a book for recreational use; in fact I never really read assignments given in high school; however this class was a little different. Starting off the semester on a good note, I decided to read the first book, but didn’t expect to see myself reading many of the pieces assigned later on. After getting through the second class, and grasping a feel for what the class was all about, I realized I was in trouble. Almost every minute of those three hours were devoted to the dissection of this book; had I not read it I probably would have had no idea to what it was about. See these weren’t just regular books; they were mangled beyond recognition through depth and confusion.

Getting further into blogging I realized how beneficial they became, in reading my classmates blogs and having a feel for what they thought these books were hiding between the lines. I also saw my own writings becoming more in depth in these books, and also in a personal perspective noticed some change. I started adding in pictures and links to my blogs, and on occasion would write about myself. If there was one thing I may have changed from the beginning of the semester it would be writing a little more personally. At first, when I heard that we were to update these blogs three times a week I just figured it was another way to give more attention to this once a week class, because the endless amounts of hours of reading given per week just weren’t enough. I soon realized that this was more than that, and took me most of the semester to realize it. This virtual classroom was a way to get more out of your own readings and see what we as a group would find to be significant, and meaningful; besides twenty heads are better
than one right.

Virtual Class

So regarding virtual class last week, I'd say it was a solid effort in getting to understand what this book was about. I know that while I was going through House of Leaves I would at times just give up, and have to pick it up again later on. Having no chronological order in how to read it, made it that much more difficult in understanding it, or was that Danielewski's plan all along. He first started off by saying how this book is not for you, which is intimidating, but then says how the order in which you read is optional, which for me seemed to me more of a drastic move on his part. However, I did feel that this virtual class did grab more control of the book, although we still have major work to do in terms of understanding it.

Skip It !

So we're told in the beginning of the novel, that we are "aloud" to skip around this novel. Peter assumed in this case it doesn't really matter. To be honest Peter did skip the introduction, and started reading on page three. After getting very little out of the first chapter, and figured it was in a sense taking advantage of the book, Peter went back to read the intro. Later Peter realized that Peter had less of an idea of the first chapter, than did after reading the introduction.

So taking this into consideration, for each time the text would change in font, Peter realized the topic would change, so Peter started skipping the less bold areas of the book, and would later go back to them. Little did Peter know that it wouldn't help much at all anyway, as Peter still found himself somewhat lost after trying to compress information that would still find a way to be irrelevant to each other.

The one thing Peter didn't like about this novel was the use of detail. Peter felt all the extra detail used covers what we're expected to find. This house is meant to be a mystery, Peter can see that, however, Peter felt it would make it a lot easier if we didn't need to read about Mr Reston's biography. All the sidetracking gets a little irritating after a while and forces me get somewhat frustrated and lost.

House of Leaves (Part Two)

So reading through House of Leaves, the word house is left in blue through the text and even in the title, but for what reason? What is so significant about the word House? Yea theres a house in the story, and it's weird expanding anterior leaves the reader in suspense because of this, but why blue? Why not red or green. In my opinion the title should be House of trees, and trees should be green, representing the vital waste of paper for each printed copy.

Reading, and skipping around you can find separate definitions to this word house. Danielewski even states in the beginning of the novel that you may jump around at your pleasure. I don't see what he's doing here, I feel that was a bad move. This isn't the bible we're talking about. However, reading the book in chronological order by page doesn't really help in this case either.

I'm starting to believe the word house holds more power as I move forward. The characters refer to the house as less primitive as time goes on, and they sense a change taking place. I'm honestly not sure what the word means yet, however I want to say that it will eventually come out towards the end of the story.

Character Sketch

Billy Reston is an engineer, well at least he was one before he had an accident in India, preventing him from ever walking again(pg 37). Now handicapped working as a teacher, he appreciates his life as he's kept a picture from the day of the accident that Will took, showing himself moments before he became crippled. We see that Billy is the first to notice the House expanding, but ignores his judgment, realizing that a house cant possibly expand from the inside.(pg 55) Although he has this broad view on the world with an "almost animal like ability to accept the world as it comes to him". (pg 99).

Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbIRmp_CsFQ

I chose this video, well mainly because it's pretty self explanatory. What better way to show emphasis on a house with an anterior expansion, than through a plastic inflatable house with the anterior expanding. It shows two kids running in at different points of expansion, which can relate to Billy Reston going into the house at different points of the book, and noticing a significant difference in size.

HOUSE

"As tape and film reveal, in the month following the expansion of the walls bracketing the book shelves, Billy Reston made several trips to the house where despite all efforts to the contrary, he continued to confirm the confounding impossibility of an anterior dimension greater than an exterior one." After reading about this house, I pictured a haunted house, mainly thinking of the movie Clue. Just like the theme of the board game, people are suspected and interrogated of crimes, and in the end the mystery is solved. As the movie moves forward we find new rooms secret pathways that supports the investigation.