House of Leaves: Explored - Rest in Roots [III] (End) 

(Sorry if I sound a bit rougher than usual, I got sick for a week and nearly lost my voice for a few days, which is also why this video arrived later than normal.) Thank you, all of you, for being part of this. House of Leaves: Explored has meant so much to me, and I am so deeply grateful for all of your support! Please, check the video description if you need links to Mark Z. Danielewski's social media, links to stores for House of Leaves, and links to Cory Croft & the Band of Phantoms!

I know this is small and likely over thought, but ash tree lane is a clue for me. Ash trees are interlinked by their roots. They are connected trees. A possible early clue at how the stories intertwine.

I've come to perhaps, an odd conclusion.. There's a third in-story possibility for the author: It's Pelafina. She's more than intelligent enough to write Zampano's faux academia, and she could be writing Johnny's life based on the letters he sent her that we never see, also partly her hallucinations and intrusive thoughts... And her own guilt. Because, there's a good chance Johnny committed suicide during the timeline of the Whalestoe letters. Even when he was at his angriest, there are hints he sent letters to her, but after her heavily coded long letter, nothing. If he's dead somewhere during that point... Then the Johnny diaries were her attempt to create a life for him, but they were inevitably warped by her ailing mind. While Zampano's bits might've been part of her therapy... creating an artwork to let out her feelings and struggles in a controlled way... plus, it's in her letters that we have the first typographical weirdness... at least chronologically.

Hearing you choke up in happiness at the end was one of the many benefits of walking through this maze with you Nick. You thank us a lot for coming with you on this journey, but let us say "Thank You," for inviting us along in the first place. Thank You Nick Nocturne. Thank You So Very Much.

I'm kind of freaked out because when Nick said that many readers claimed that the book healed them, I realized something. On the exact day that I finished House of Leaves, I had a major breakthrough with PTSD that was the last piece in the puzzle for my healing. What in the actual hell.

Regarding Yggdrasil; the passage you went over in the previous videos where Johnny unloads on Thumper and it describes how she listened to him and how it made him feel, like he was being split open by a root. That made me think of the Yggdrasil page. The power of empathy.

I have my own theory on this book I would like to share, another footnote in the maelstrom of comments. After all, the book much as a labyrinth itself, is what we perceive it to be (''what you see depends on where you stand, and thus labyrinths are both single and double''). It might not answer everything but it is my personal interpretation, take it with a grain of salt. ''Though not the same, a completely different story after all, built upon story after story, so many, how many?, stories high.'' And again several pages earlier: ''It is like an old house which has had additions built on to it and has been restored and renovated more than once during the passing years.'' Lastly in one of the Labyrinth passages: ''a whole paternal line here following a tradition of dead sons.'' In one of the poems ''Here my son's dead and I am alive... It's a strange thing, death has come at the wrong door.'' Akin to the theory that Zampano is the real author and created Johnny, a son to live in the margins of the pages (which he does with his own footnotes), and focusing heavily on the very last thing Johnny tells us, the story of the mother that lost her son, my theory is that this book is Zampano's work. It is a love letter to the wife he lost (Pelafina) and to the son he lost (the baby in the story). Whether the Navidson Records are true to the story or not matters indeed very little. With Pelafina in the hospital, mentally sick, Z. starts writing letters to her as Johnny, the son she never got to hold for more than a little while. And then Pelafina dies. And Z is left alone, with a fictional son, the only token of love he could give to his wife. What does he do with him? He inserts him in the story. Creates the echoes, of his life, J's life, their life, keeping him alive. Love of life written by the dead. Why would the son have such a horrible life? It is a story. J is reflecting Z's guilt. The guilt of losing a loved one, being unable to help them. It is also a distraction. Stories help to look away. J couldn't have had a happy life. A broken family, reflected in the Records, but although the Navidson's get a good ending because they've faced their minotaurs and came out stronger from their encounters, Z. is all alone. His coping is the book itself. Layer after layer of story, hallway after hallway in the labyrinth, but the core is the same, the heart is the same, loss and regret.

Excellent series, Nick. Thank you. (Also I'm lowkey pissed I didn't discover House of Leaves until after I got married, because that poem about the tree would make for beautiful wedding vows)

I've been inconsolably crying since the second video, and my landlord came over to do some repairs. Hard to explain the tears. This is my 4th time watching these videos because it's the closest thing I can get to feeling how it was to read it, without simply re-reading it all over again. I keep coming back. Thank you for doing these videos.

There was a character(s) that I think you might’ve overlooked in HoL, The Editors. Are they a character invented by Johnny/Zampano? Are they one in the same? Are they as reliable as Johnny? How did they acquire HOL to edit? And why don’t the Editors fix typos found in the text? Isn’t that what an editor’s job is? They contradict Johnny multiple times which lends the appearance of being a separate entity, but it could still be Johnny being a good liar. Perhaps they are there to act as a guide, explaining certain details FOR us, and our job is to trust them because they are the Editors and there’s no reason to mislead us down a wrong path, right?

Personally I think that everyone but the mother is fictional, she is Odin and all the realms of reality are her creations. The dying child was Johnny, and while you said no sane person would write her son's life this way, she was not a sane person. I think it is her guilt over his death that is echoed in all the demigods she created. That's the meaning of the Yggdrasil page.

I think the book is genuinely one of the greatest pieces of art created in our lifetime, it is legitimately hard to express how amazing and deep it is and you did an incredible job. Thank you so much for doing the immense amount of work on this series, it is genuinely appreciated.

Listening to this made me think of how much I love my mom.

Yo why am i crying in the club rn

It's currently 3 AM where I am, watching this far too late. My initial reaction to HoL was purely face-value, I never dug deep. But this series made me realize how wrong I was to ignore and forget the loose ends, the stray branches sticking out from the tree, along with my own pains, traumas, memories, and regrets. Thank you Nick, for everything, for the videos, and for making me recognize not just the intricacies of the book, not only the power of fiction and what it can do, but of my own pain I've long ignored as well. I can never truly express my gratitude enough to quantify the range of emotions and thoughts I must now explore, freed by your work, and Mark's book. Thank you, deeply.

Hearing you read Pelifina's letter aloud with such emotion elicited such a powerful response in me. Embarrassed to say, as a mother of two boys roughly Johnny's age when he was experiencing torment in foster care, I actually got choked up. Thank you for giving my favorite book the attention, thought, and wisdom you did. I subscribe to your thoughts with little deviation, and appreciate your hard work.

I'm so happy you gave this book the deep dive it deserves. When someone asks me the question "what's it about?" I always stare at them for a minute. Then give them a berif run down. Then they give me a look that says "so it's just like some creepypasta sh**." And I'm like "I can't really tell you the jist of it without ruining your experience with it." And they always raise their eyebrows in a kinda 'that sounds like pretenceus art stuff.' and then I just kinda give up. I'm glad you got so many people to read it. None of my friends really like talking about books like this.

First off, was grinning like crazy when you were going through the theories and pointing out things like the pink ribbons, but oh boy! Once you started reading the poem and thanked all of us, I cried. Nick, thank you so much for doing this! It was so good and so cool to know there were so many other people reading this book. I think I've found peace.

i’m in a film history college course and we watched la strada and let me tell you when the name zampano came up i just about screamed in class

"House of Leaves seems to show up in your life when you need it." In my case, that's thanks to you. Now is indeed when I needed it and your analysis enriched it that much more. Truly, deeply, and sincerely, thank you.

How you can read that poem and not cry is beyond me. This was a wonderful series. Thank you.

Ill edit this as things impact me in the video so I don't spam with comments, but I just have to process this. 15:00 - I cried when you started listing all of the parrells between Johnny's Mother and the Navidson Record. I dont even know why, it just dug into me...

I stayed up far too late to listen to this, and it's left me feeling all floaty and serene. Thank you so much for bringing us along on this, Nick.

The meaning of the colour blue as you described is...hard-hitting. Right at home...pun sorta intended, but also deadly serious. I am crying. I always felt that I, as a person, could be represented by the colour red, but the colour I love and own the most is blue. I think I want to reach purple. I want a home. I cannot get there yet. I am still red. Thank you for an eye-opening, well-crafted series of interpretation of a wonderful book. And the ability to put feelings on colours into words.

I'm so happy. I figured out so much of this stuff on my first run. I picked it up the day before the challenge started, soon after i had just came out of homelessness and an abusive situation. I couldn't agree more with what you said about the book. It finds the reader in his time of need.

Damn. I’m doing that ugly quiet cry right now. I bought the book and read it just to watch this series and it was 100% worth it. I feel in touch with the deep human feeling that transcends our species for only a moment but feels eternal. Thank you. All of you.

These three videos have choked me in ways I couldn't and wouldn't defend against. I may still be in the labyrinth, but this was beautiful in so many ways.

I just finished this book and it is consuming me so I instantly looked to find theory videos and was so happy to see you, one of my favorite creators for years, talked about it, and do it so much justice. Beautiful work.

The long claw marks next to where Zampano dies... clawing at the sand, crying.

You shall be my roots is such a hauntingly beautiful poem jesus christ literally gives me goosebumps no matter how many times i hear it

This has made me realise the needs to face my demons. Thank you, nick.

I love you Nick Nocturne. This was incredibly beautiful. I emptied my tear glands in a release of joy and pain. You truly understand how to navigate the Labyrinth and your words help guide us through its winding hallways. In getting lost in this confusingly beautiful work of art, you found your way out by manifesting your own light. I really can't thank you enough for shedding so much meaning on the twists and turns of my own journey. Although our bond is unfamiliar, I consider you a great friend for everything this analysis has accomplished. You are undoubtedly one of the most talented creators on this site.

I don’t know if this has been covered, it reminds me of old internet links. Links you can enter were blue. Broken links were red. Purple links were ones you had visited before. Navigating house of leaves felt like clicking around an aggregate of disconnected links.

Thank you ! This had me crying by the end . I have been lost to long in my own head . Um I guess it is time for me to confront my many Minotaurs. This was wonderful.

I was just checking the channel for an update, fantastic timing!

I don’t write comments on RU-vid videos at all, generally. But you deserve it for all of the labor you’ve put in to this. As somebody that has loved this book for over 10 years and done immense amounts of research themselves, it was amazing to hear your emotion and dedication come through, and to visit angles I hadn’t thought of myself. This book did so much for me. It opened up the door, like one of those ever-branching hallways, for me to explore my own trauma. To acknowledge it. With a passing read, it became my favorite. Then, as Will Navidson did, I revisited the house, and began to break my bones and reset them many years later. The internal exploration that led to new (and old) bits of art for me to absorb, working on my mental well-being, and finding solace in the reflection I see staring back at me that once made me uncomfortable and horrified has been something I can never quite explain to others. That’s what people need to understand. The book, the countless colored tabs, the notes - it was never about obsession. It was about therapy and growth. House of Leaves is the greatest “self-help” book that never was and always is.

Amazing three part video series, one of the best YT essays I've ever seen. I just finished this book now (2023) and had a lot of problems understanding some of what was going on, and not only did some of what you said explain but furthered my desire to re-read and re-parse the book mentally. You obviously love the work, and that love shines through the entire essay.

My life has had a number of uncomfortable parallels with the situations and dynamics not portrayed, but lived in House of Leaves... and I only found it six months ago while my life became the messiest it's ever been. It's as comforting as it is damning, but I feel so much less alone because of it. Thank you for committing to such a beautifully executed project. It's been a pleasure to laugh, cry, and, most of all, learn with your contribution.

Nick, I can understand the effort you made to make this video essay series. While I can't watch the video right now, I can't wait to see the ending to this madness and get to see the tree of Yggdrasil that you have planted. For now, you deserve some well earned rest, and we hope to see you again soon!

You had me crying with your speech at the end! Seriously amazing work with this whole project. I felt like I completely got lost with House of Leaves and these videos helped me see so much stuff that I missed (and I absolutely already thought it was cool) in order to appreciate it even more. I love all your videos and I can’t wait to see what else you do ✌🏻

I'll say it again, Nick. I've never cried so much, and all tears of joy. Thank you for getting so many to read this beautiful novel, and thank you for this incredible journey through exploring it. Outstanding.

i tuned in to watch the rest of the series, but didn't realize how profound this was going to be for me. Thank you.

Wow, what a way to end it! Thank you for all the hard work you've put into this and for guiding us on this journey.

Just... wow. The only youtube video that has managed to make me cry. Thank you, Night Mind.

Had to wait all day through work to finally sit down and watch this anticipated final part. I knew it was going to be something great and really this whole series has been nothing but amazing. The first reading of House of Leaves was such a strange and confusing journey through hallways and doors and lost in mazes and labyrinths that seemed to go everywhere and nowhere at the same time and putting all the pieces together, it's such a personal piece, from Mark to Zampano to Johnny, and now to you and to me and to all of us that have read through the pages. It hits personally to all of us in our own personal ways and I am so glad that I read it and so glad that you covered it, picking up pieces I didn't even think that were there, helped us to understand and to tell the true story. Thank you so much, from the bottom of my heart.

It would have been great to not be so late to this party, but I still loved this series! The amount of care and work went into this project definitely shines through every moment. I just binged all 3 parts, and even though I knew what was coming when you said this is all you have to leave us with, I STILL teared up when the poem began! I think you need an award for this one (lol)

So this is just an idea but Yggdrasil is the center of the universe right? The center of everything. What if its there to signify that all paths through the maze are the correct paths like alternative universes? Which is why some events relate and repeat like the shredded papers being collected and then returned. Everyone facing their own Minotaur could also be related to this. Just a thought.

This was an absolute treat. Listening to this emotional roller coaster of a puzzle really is thought provoking as someone who just writes small stories as to not forget them. But that last part, with the mother and the baby with a hole in its brain almost brought me to tears, as I have that same fear for my two new boys: having to let them go in that way. Thank you for this series, Nick. This is something I never thought that I’d get into for lack of understanding the story. But now, it’s one of my favorite puzzles of literature, and I now HAVE to own a copy.

I watched every single second of your series. It ment so much to me to go through this journey. House of leaves changed my life

It truly is shocking how this book landed on me during a moment in my life like this. And then to follow you through this whole think. All tears. Thank you.

I don't think I've ever been so awestruck by a work by a RU-vidr I look up to before. You really have outdone yourself Nick Nocturne

Thank you so much for this, Nightmind. It took me a hot minute to finish the book and catch up with your videos, but I've never felt so many emotions through a reading experience like this. Thank you for introducing House of Leaves to me, thank you for all of the time and effort you poured into creating this video series explaining things I never even thought to think of while reading to book. Thank you for everything. But, no thanks for making me cry like a baby at the very end. Thank you so much.

Thank you so much for making this series, and just for existing in general Nick. For real.

Rereading this book as a literature graduate is as spiritual an experience now as when I was a teenage EMH fan with no idea what I was getting into, but for new reasons. (It's certainly rewarding to know the references, such as "some guy named John D. Sinclair" and the echo of my favorite short story "Young Goodman Brown" by Nathaniel Hawthorne). Nick, thank you for guiding us into this book's "different and more meaningful story, in spite of telling us the same story".

Every time you said about the inconsistencies, apparent lies and seemingly impossible connections "how can this be? What is real?", I was shouting at my screen "because they're characters created by an author! None of it is real, it's a novel!". I'm grateful that is essentially your conclusion here. I find art much more powerful when you view it as something to experience rather than a puzzle to solve. When you let go of the idea of what "really happened" and accept that all of it is equally "real" you can instead focus on what it does and what it's like to experience (As a fan of David Lynch this is a frustration I often experience!)

Thank you Night Mind for making this series. It's been an incredible journey (and was the last two times I watched it), and it has helped me reshape my own understanding and appreciation of this book.

Honestly I feel you sell yourself short there at the end. For me, these accompanying analysis-videos that you do add a lot to my enjoyment of the original media. I'm personally not that good at picking up hidden meanings or figuring out the logic behind the puzzles, and having an always enlightening explanation to point out what I missed is great. I think we all need to thank you more than you us! It was so much fun being actively involved in a video (kind of... You know what I mean). If ever you want to recommend a different story, please do. Keep up the good work!

Thank you for introducing me to this book. This experience. It was fascinating and at times hard work. If I hadnt had your vids to look forward to, to explain it to me, I wouldnt have finished. And as the last half was the best (in my experience), I am so glad I did. Although I didnt send you a picture, or finish the book on time, I felt part of this project. And that was awesome! Thank you for you hard and amazing work!

Before I even watch this I just want to say, thank you for making this series, it means more to me than you'll ever know and has helped me so much in ways you don't know!

i love how this book causes you to reflect on yourself so much

thank you for taking me back through the maze and showing me the corridors i overlooked on my first expedition through it. it has been an honor and a delight, as always.

This has been such an amazing journey, and I am so impressed by the work you and everyone else has put into this. Thank you for this 💙💙💙

Worth everything... Thank you both... Mark for the maze to test us... And Nick for taking our minds somewhere truly beautiful and horrifying...

Welcome home, Boss. and thanks for the late night gift!

Thanks Nick, for such a wonderful series. All the hard work, time, and energy, even through your sick days right at the end of it, you did an amazing job giving us these videos. It shed light to what I saw and didn't understand at the time when I read the book. Even if some confusion is still persistent in my understanding of the book despite the videos, I feel that with time i will gain some further insight of what I might have missed. Thanks again Nick, and get better soon.

i wasn’t sure about the series at first. i stuck with it, and i am so glad. some very profound stuff and you changed the way that i look at the book that changed my life. thank you

This touched my heart, plucked at my own pain with delicate fingers, and pulled from my soul a song I had thought I had forgotten. Thank you.

Congratulations Nick! You've set a new high bar for your analysis videos! This was very good.

This finale was better than anything I imagined. Thank you for showing me House of Leaves!

THANK YOU for talking about the similarities between the letters and the rest of the text, especially the ones concerning karen (the ribbons, the mirror, etc.) - these are the parts that I was specifically super hung up on! "Wait, is there a connection between Karen and Johnny's mother? IS THE HOUSE JOHNNY'S MOTHER?" it drove me up the wall with questions and perspective warping LOL

This is the best series you have made. Thanks I love coming back for a re listen every once in a while

Hey Nick! Thank you for doing this for us! Go sleep and if your throat hurts, make some warm water put some honey and slice up basil leafs! Get some rest!

I honestly have no idea how to take all of this in, there's so much to take into consideration about this book. It's such a deep book that there's no way to truly know most of the things brought up in the video. About the book I mean not all the outside of the book stuff. Such a deep book ill be rereading it for many years to come. Thank you, for putting this book into my hands I'll be rewatching this whole essay when I reread it for like the 4th time. Keep up the amazing work I will forever watch your videos even when no one else is.

This series was absolutely beautiful. I was so confused when I read House of Leaves, but this analysis made things make sense to me (in a way!) I'm so glad and grateful for this.

Thank you for making this series. House of Leaves has been my favourite novel for years now, and all your insights have brought me a fresh appreciation for the book, which truly is a gift.

What a trip. We went to the deepest end of the staircase and back. This was the best way of exploring something that I adored, but couldn't quite put into words. Nick, this is my favorite project of yours so far. I am eternally grateful to you for this. We were told that this wasn't for us. But I think it was.

The ending of this video made me cry even on the second watch, thank you for taking me along on this crazy adventure and introducing me to one of my favorite books of all time

This is such a beautiful series of videos. The ending made me tear up. It makes me so happy that this novel means so much to so many people. I love you, Nick

This came to me at weirdly the right time. I read the book in preparation for this video at a time of very personal darkness, where I was questioning core beliefs and values I’d held for years. This last video comes while, as a writer, I’m finishing two books, both of which carry undertones based on personal struggles I’ve been through. I don’t know how it managed to straddle two times in my life when I’ve needed the messages - to evolve as a person, and to ensure I’m speaking to my future readers in the way I want to. You always do solid stuff, but introducing me and others to this and then walking us through it means a lot. Thank you - there was already a reason you were getting name dropped in one book, but you and Johnny and Zampano have fueled me to push to the end.

Ty so much for making this. You’re right, I needed to hear this today. I cried every time you read the roots poem. Thank you for this. I would have never been able to uncover and understand this work with out your help. I can honestly say this touched me very deeply and thanks to you I found it. Than you Nic for this and everything you do. It means the world to this one fan in the middle of no where Texas.

This was simply an amazing journey and i'm so glad I was able to come along for the ride.

Thank you for having us with you on this journey it was fun but also emotional

Unpopular opinion time: I didn't like House of Leaves reading it for the first time for the challenge. Maybe it had just been overhyped going into it knowing how influential it was to some of my favorite creators, maybe I had just be turned off by the format of a heavily footnoted academic treatise (something I deal with far too frequently in my day-to-day life) on a subject I had no context for being frequently interrupted by the thoughts of a third party I didn't care for. Maybe it was the way the appendixes were arranged causing me to accidentally read the wrong sections at the wrong time, though that is entirely on me. I'd blame the challenge for forcing me to power through the book and miss deeper symbolism, but I actually took two whole months with it, and caught every surface-level idea you pointed out, as well as many of the deeper hidden ones. I just found myself not caring about any of it, reacting to every revelation with the thought of "so what?" and coming to the conclusion that while the book had some interesting ideas, the works that came after it that credit it for inspiration did them so much better. Until I finally got to watch your series explaining it, taking the disjointed symbolism I had seen and discarded, connecting the pieces together to create a full image that answered my repeated question of why any of it mattered. You say that House of Leaves is something that is better experienced going in blind, but I don't think I would have enjoyed it reading on my own even without the context of knowing how beloved it is to so many people. The only reason I even finished it was because I was trusting in your videos to give the whole thing meaning when I was done. Having seen it now, I think my experience reading it for the first time would have been improved if I had known the themes to be focusing on so I could recognize value in them whenever I came across something significant. Going in blind but knowing I was supposed to be looking for something just made me dwell on things that didn't matter, and going in completely blind would have left me too uninterested to even attempt to find meaning in any of it. There's plenty of fun to be had in exploring a maze, but there are those of us who get far too frustrated if we're not allowed to look at the map first.

Thank you so much for finally motivating my to read through house of leaves. The book and this series have been amazing.

I just listened to the same 5 piano keys for 5+ hours, thanks NM

Thank you so much for this series. Is was wonderful!

Hey, man. Thanks for doing all this, through sickness and scorn. I don't know if I would have read this if not for your prompt, and I'm glad I did, for both having read it and getting to see these vids. Good job, man.

Thanks Nick, I’ve been struggling with a monster of things for a teenager, but in the end your videos are helping me process them. Thank you so much

Thank you so much for this, The book is incredible and so is your analysis.

Hope you feel better; your voice is as perfect as always. I am glad you've done such a thorough and deep analysis of this book, I honestly tried to get through it, not just once or twice but thrice, and fear that I lack the intellect and perseverance to have ever put all the pieces together. I will still have to listen to your episodes again and see if I can get some grasp of it all. This books was unlike anything I had ever encountered, and believe it or not, I was a devoted and reasonably accomplished student of literature, both Western, specializing in Shakespeare, and Eastern.... but this resides in a category all its own.

This is one of the best videos I've ever seen! Thank you!

This series is great! I’m really glad I went back to this after I finished reading the book. This makes so much sense!

Glad your feeling better. Great work on the series.

I actually found myself getting emotional at the end of this video from you Nick

I've only just taken this journey. I've gotta say, it was worth it. Every single step. Thank you Nick: for reminding me of this book's existence, inspiring me to read it and helping me find my way through both the labyrinth of the book and the labyrinth of my own design.

It's here! Thank you Nick!! ;3

It took me 3 long months to finish this book bcs I have reading difficulties, and I can’t say I’ve digested everything yet ever after staying with the book for that long. As embarrassing it is to admit that by myself I never would’ve picked up on all the nuances and meaning behind the story and how the book itself was constructed, I still enjoyed reading it as if, like Johnny, I happen to come upon these writings and tried to piece it all together. There’s just something about the enigma of it all and how the mindset of the Navidsons were explored through the (written) filmmaking. I really enjoyed and appreciated this deep dive, it made the book more special to me and have given it much more weight. It’s amazing how the author managed to put all of these together without melting his brain, and I’m glad I can recommend these series of video analysis for people like me who could use a little help navigating this labyrinth of a book.

Watched this series for the nth time. The House of Leaves Challenge was so much fun to do, Im so happy I got to participate. Thank you Nick!

...what a project this was. What a tale, what an experience...

I first want to say thank you for presenting me with this amazing book. I had never heard about it before (there is no translation to my language, maybe thats the reason) and Im so glad to experience this story along with your videos. That was a beautiful end to an great series, I am very happy to have found this channel!!