hyperpress

In-line lore: As a prime example of ergodic literature, 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘴 by Mark Z. Danielewski is notorious for its labyrinthine layout that bears the mark of the narrative—requiring careful perusal through convoluted typographic passageways and the catacombs of its marginalia. The book has no official digital release, as Danielewski considers the physical book form and typesetting to be inseparable from the text itself. He also allegedly typeset the book himself, affording words on the page a means of negotiating their reading.

An ending passage details a self-referential book 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘴 being burnt page by page so that it can be read in darkness. It reads: “Here then is one end: a final act of reading, a final act of consumption. And as the fire rapidly devours the paper, Navidson’s eyes frantically sweep down over the text, keeping just ahead of the necessary immolation, until as he reaches the last few words, flames lick around his hands, ash peels off intio the surrounding emptiness, and then as the fire retreats, dimming, its light suddenly spent, the book is gone, leaving nothing behind but invisible traces already dismantled in the dark.”

In the story, the book is consumed non-metaphorically — literary content and physical material are consumed simultaneously. In the context of Danielewski’s insistence on the interdependence between his text and the container that carries it, this invites a meta-level reading: 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘴’s text and page are so inextricably linked that they share the same end.