While reading House of Leaves I couldn’t help but notice all the women.  Starting with the intro we see that the actress that spent the summer reading to Zampano thought he was a “romantic.” Shortly after, she continues to describe Zampano as not being drunk but, “…Really depressed. He started crying and asked me to leave. I fixed him some tea. Tears don’t frighten me. Later he told me it was heart trouble. ‘Just old heart-ache matters.'” Seems as if Zampano had a broken heart. Also, I think the cats that began to disappear prior to Zampano’s death is actually a trope or metaphor referring to the women he would always have around him. “Beatrice, Gabrielle, Anne-Marie, Dominique, Elaine, Isabelle and Claudine.” I think of these women as doors to long hallways. “Atleast there is something more realistic about seven lovers than one mythological Helen.” And Navidson, calling out Delial in his sleep as if she haunts him. Or Johnny and his crazy sex life, but Thumper always in the foreground and background of his mind.

In chapter ten, Navidson comments on the house, “It looks like it’s impossible to leave a lasting trace here.”, then Reston respond, “The woman you never want to meet.” If I am honest with myself, the first house I lived in was a woman, my Mother.