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Product Description
Review
"From the madhouse, Johnny Truant's mother writes some of the most tender, chilling, faux-psychotic writing I've ever read. This dangerous, lucid, confused
but very eloquent lady . . . is playful, apologetic, crazed, paranoid, self-abasing, cunning-- a tigress with a gift for gab."
--Robert Kelly, The New York Times Book Review
"The Whalestoe Letters are dazzling." --Steven Moore, The Washington Post
"Danielewski has a songwriter's heart." --John Freeman, Time Out New York
but very eloquent lady . . . is playful, apologetic, crazed, paranoid, self-abasing, cunning-- a tigress with a gift for gab."
--Robert Kelly, The New York Times Book Review
"The Whalestoe Letters are dazzling." --Steven Moore, The Washington Post
"Danielewski has a songwriter's heart." --John Freeman, Time Out New York
Product Description
Between 1982 and 1989, Pelafina H. Lièvre sent her son, Johnny Truant, a series of letters from The Three Attic Whalestoe Institute, a psychiatric facility in Ohio where she spent the final years of her life. Beautiful, heartfelt, and tragic, this correspondence reveals the powerful and deeply moving relationship between a brilliant though mentally ill mother and the precocious, gifted young son she never ceases to love.
Originally contained within the monumental House of Leaves, this collection stands alone as a stunning portrait of mother and child. It is presented here along with a foreword by Walden D. Wyhrta and eleven previously unavailable letters.
Originally contained within the monumental House of Leaves, this collection stands alone as a stunning portrait of mother and child. It is presented here along with a foreword by Walden D. Wyhrta and eleven previously unavailable letters.
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Most helpful customer reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
they have found a way to break me ...,
By Jo-s-h-nny (ilive@theendofa5nahalfminhallway) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Whalestoe Letters: From House of Leaves (Paperback)
not only this again setences gone oddly old dogs apex systems haven out unisex satan existance october fire ligament extreme armor violent explosive sign-offjhk-mzd-jt-Z.-atl-hol-twl- yggdrasil tod moc
4.0 out of 5 stars
Sad letters,
By E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews (HALL OF FAME) (TOP 10 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: The Whalestoe Letters: From House of Leaves (Paperback)
One of the most compelling parts of the brilliant "House of Leaves" was Appendix II, Part E -- the "Whalestoe Letters."
But is it worth getting the novella, if the original book already has the "Whalestoe Letters"? Yes, frankly -- Mark Z. Danielewski did a brilliant job expanding the letters and characters in the original appendix, where a mother's devotion turns out to be the tip of the iceberg. The book compiles the letters from Pelafina H. Lièvre to her son Johnny Truant. Pelafina is in the Whalestoe psychiatric clinic, although at first it isn't clear why. She sends doting, poetic, adoring letters to her young son, who is being raised by an abusive foster father. But when Pelafina stops taking her medication, her mental state deteriorates. She becomes paranoid, hallucinates, and sends bizarre nonsensical letters and limericks to Johnny (including a jumbled one that is made up almost entirely of "forgive me"). But even when the doctors manage to pull her back from the brink, Pelafina's desperation consumes her. "Letters" books are usually disasters, because the authors cannot put enough feeling and energy into the letters. Mark Z. Danielewski is definitely the exception. This one-sided correspondence is enough to inspire plenty of pity and horror -- all the worse because this sort of thing happens in real life. Danielewski plots the story almost like a mystery, dropping little hints during Pelafina's more sane moments. At first she seems normal if a bit overdevoted. But as she spirals into madness, we see just how mad she is, the things she has done before her institutionalization, and the terrible event which caused Johnny's father to have her locked up. This edition is somewhat different from the original "Whalestoe Letters," since Danielewski added in some new letters. These flesh out both Johnny and Pelafina, and give background to her mental illness. Danielewski is brilliant not only with plots, but characters as well -- Pelafina is the proof. She seems normal at first, but her chilling insanity comes out in little spurts until we find out what she did. And yet, you can't help feeling sorry for her, no matter how disturbing her manic love for Johnny is. Disturbing and bittersweet, the "Whalestoe Letters" are a good accompaniment to "House of Leaves," and a good illustration of just what a great writer Danielewski is.
4.0 out of 5 stars
good,
By Kimberly (NF) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Whalestoe Letters: From House of Leaves (Paperback)
These were in the appendices of House of Leaves in the edition I read.These can be very confusing some times but the woman's crazy, so that's expected. In House of Leaves we occasionally learn about Johnny's past and his family and it's nice to see smething from his mother.
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