I'd run out of stuff to read and had been given some money by my parents, so I felt I could spend a little bit on a book. I didn't have much time, though. So I went to a big book shop in the city centre and told myself I'd look around in the English section of the shop for ten minutes or so, and buy any book from my To Read list I came about there. (It's pretty unlikely a German shop will have more than one book from my To Read list, and in English to boot.) House of Leaves happened to be the first (only?) book from my To Read list available. There were three additional factors that influenced my decision: 1.) I recently read some books that were discussed on the Urth mailing list, and liked them all. HoL was discussed there, too. 2.) One of those books, Little, Big by John Crowley, makes use of the "bigger on the inside" idea, too. 3.) I'd recently run across the German translation of HoL, which reminded me that I'd been meaning to read that book for a while now.
BTW - we talked about pre- 1973/1974 Bowie albums a while ago; albums that would fit a certain scene in my nuclear war LoM fic. Specifically, I needed two titles of consecutive songs. I could still use help with that. ;-)
Re: what made me pick it up
1.) I recently read some books that were discussed on the Urth mailing list, and liked them all. HoL was discussed there, too.
2.) One of those books, Little, Big by John Crowley, makes use of the "bigger on the inside" idea, too.
3.) I'd recently run across the German translation of HoL, which reminded me that I'd been meaning to read that book for a while now.
BTW - we talked about pre- 1973/1974 Bowie albums a while ago; albums that would fit a certain scene in my nuclear war LoM fic. Specifically, I needed two titles of consecutive songs. I could still use help with that. ;-)