Tonight's class discussion on visual rhythm got me thinking of a novel I brought up-- House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski-- and the lack of rhythm it follows. If not lack, it certainly defies the norm of what we as readers would expect from a novel-- both visually and content wise. There are pages (upon pages) of the narrative in footnotes-- and some footnotes have footnotes. It hops from using Courier New to Times New Roman, text is read horizontally, upside down or at an angle, many pages have only a phrase or a few words, some content is edited out-- though still legible-- and the use of white space is inconsistent, but oh so ambitious. Even the size of the book itself resembles more of a textbook rather than a novel. It totally gives new meaning to the art of the narrative.
When I read this book for a multimedia writing & literature class in undergrad, it baffled me. I don't think I quite got a grasp on it (I need to give it another go!). But it probably was one of the first examples I was exposed to of how concept can bleed into both form and content. And it absolutely redefined (and continues to do so) the art of the narrative.
What are some examples of unconventional reads-- design or content wise, digital or print-- that you know of? What do you find most compelling about them? Maybe this can help us all think outside of the box for our third and final projects! :)
