52 pages 1 hour read

Mark Z. Danielewski

House Of Leaves

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2000

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Appendix II-Appendix III

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Summary: “Appendix II A. Sketches & Polaroids”

Before Appendix II A, the Editors note that Johnny provides the following material after the release of the first edition.

This section provides “Sketches & Polaroids” (568). The sketches show dark squares and staircases reminiscent of the house. Johnny also provides Polaroids of the houses he photographs on his trip through Virginia. 

Summary: “Appendix II B. The Pelican Poems”

This section contains thirty-four poems, dated chronologically, from May 26, 1988 through August 12, 1990. The poems are often addressed to different women and contain the city where they were written, ranging across cities in Eastern and Western Europe. Almost all poems reference a Pelican, along with other allusions to Shakespeare, Greek mythology, and authors such as Proust and Hawthorne. The Pelican is often personified and sometimes named Jake. 

Summary: “Appendix II C. Collages”

This section contains two collages containing various items related to the novel. For example, the first collage contains a diagram of Ground-Air Emergency Codes, which symbols are used as footnotes in the novel. The second collage contains a book of matches, like the ones used by Will in the hallway.