N. Katherine
Hayles' text "Inhabiting House of Leaves", published in her book Writing Machines in 2002 is an analysis of Danielewski's
novel House of Leaves. Hayles
interprets the novel with regard to mediation and remediation techniques and
the book´s materiality.
According to Hayles, the novel can be considered a physical artifact which incorporates all kinds of different media (film, video, photography, tattoos, handwriting etc.), as well as various different inscription surfaces. At the same time a constant process of remediation is taking place. The incorporation of all these different kinds of media in one print novel makes the novel unique, opening up questions about the format of the novel being reinvented or leading to something new.
Alongside the remediation techniques, Hayles interprets the novel as a mediation plot which is highly self-aware of its materiality. The subjects in the plot are constantly mediated and mediation brings the characters into being through film, footnotes, critique and various other inscription devices. Hayles henceforth calls the narrator of the novel a remediated narrator making inscription technologies visible and making the reader conscious of their various effects.
All these processes of mediation and remediation lead to the effect that the novel takes the shape of a labyrinth mirroring the house in The Navidson Record. The various alternative paths and multiple layers of the novel are mirroring the style of a labyrinth, which are impossible to bring into a coherent order. The materiality of the book is constructed through the interlinking of words, nonverbal marks and physical properties.
All in all, the novel positions itself through its techniques of remediation in the digital era. Hayles describes the novel as a physical artifact which incorporates messages which are transformed through mediation and remediation and in which technology constructs the novel as a material artifact.
Additionally, in her text Hayles mentions a shared performance of Danielewski and his sister, who performs under the name Poe, in which the singer incorporates a reading of her brother into the performance of one of her songs. Indeed, this concept was further realized in a music video of the same song.
Hayles, N. Katherine. Writing Machines. "Inhabiting House of Leaves." 108-132. Cambridge: MIT Press, 2002.According to Hayles, the novel can be considered a physical artifact which incorporates all kinds of different media (film, video, photography, tattoos, handwriting etc.), as well as various different inscription surfaces. At the same time a constant process of remediation is taking place. The incorporation of all these different kinds of media in one print novel makes the novel unique, opening up questions about the format of the novel being reinvented or leading to something new.
Alongside the remediation techniques, Hayles interprets the novel as a mediation plot which is highly self-aware of its materiality. The subjects in the plot are constantly mediated and mediation brings the characters into being through film, footnotes, critique and various other inscription devices. Hayles henceforth calls the narrator of the novel a remediated narrator making inscription technologies visible and making the reader conscious of their various effects.
All these processes of mediation and remediation lead to the effect that the novel takes the shape of a labyrinth mirroring the house in The Navidson Record. The various alternative paths and multiple layers of the novel are mirroring the style of a labyrinth, which are impossible to bring into a coherent order. The materiality of the book is constructed through the interlinking of words, nonverbal marks and physical properties.
All in all, the novel positions itself through its techniques of remediation in the digital era. Hayles describes the novel as a physical artifact which incorporates messages which are transformed through mediation and remediation and in which technology constructs the novel as a material artifact.
Additionally, in her text Hayles mentions a shared performance of Danielewski and his sister, who performs under the name Poe, in which the singer incorporates a reading of her brother into the performance of one of her songs. Indeed, this concept was further realized in a music video of the same song.
Hey Pretty by Poe
M. Barbod
Really interesting book. Bought it 'cuz a friend recommended it. I don't quite understand what you mean by "a remediate narrator" tho..
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