Books : Only Revolutions: A Novel
Books and Publications Average Rating:

Rating: - Not just over most peoples head, this one is plutonian in its distance.
House of Leaves was a revelation to me when i was 16, about the possibilites of literature and horror and textural themes. I have gifted HoL to many people in my life, and forced a girlfriend to buy me a copy when she damaged mine under the threat of ending our two year relationship.

Now that I've placed that book on such a high pedestal, lets get to Revolutions. I always keep my expectations of things low so i can be surprised, and even though i was sold on the technical mastery of this book, i really felt let down. Now I'm not an idiot. i can cut through philosophy and metaphors and tap into deeper intentions of books with little difficulty.

But on the flip side, i hate reading books where i feel like i need a english professor and a masters degree in literature to even get an idea of what is going on. and here is the problem of Only Revolutions. Its nearly impenetrable. And the worst ... Read More

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Rating: - Reach exceeding grasp?
I really liked "House of Leaves." "Only Revolutions" is incomprehensible. On the other hand, if you never try and fail, you don't know what you're capable of. Here's to more glorious failures.

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Rating: - Fine to read, not a good buy
After Danielewski's House of Leaves I immediately bought this book, no questions asked. I had it reserved and got one of the first copies, and, while this is a great thing from a fan's standpoint; from a literary standpoint this work is disappointing.
Only Revolutions tells the tale of two young lovers who may, or may not, have lived at the same time. While Danielewski still has imbued the work with riddles and hidden meanings the tale is lost in arbitrary rules set forth by himself for the book to have supposed meaning. While it sounds amazing read aloud, and the tale could have been a good one, Danielewski's attempt at an "epic poem" largely fails. The story and the poetic form did not mesh as well as could have been hoped, and it pails when compared to such works as The Singer Trilogy by Calvin Miller.
It is obvious that Danielewski still has things to say, and they are well worth hearing. It is ... Read More

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Rating: - Not for me
To put it mildly, this is a difficult book. As a follow up to House of Leaves, I wasn't surprised at the unique design and writing style. And since HoL had so much hidden beneath the surface for those who took the time to dig for it, I have to assume that this book has more to it than just nonsensical free-verse poetry and unconventional typography. Unfortunately, I'll never know for sure because, to be completely honest, I gave up.

Part of House of Leaves' brilliance is Danielewski's ability to shift back and forth between very different writing styles. That's why when I began reading Only Revolutions, I took the writing style in stride. After reading a few pages though, it dawned on me that maybe the whole thing was written like this. After scanning the rest of the book I realized that it was indeed written that way all the way through. That was a disappointing moment. The book is now taking up space ... Read More