House of Holes was an amazing, raucous, funny, and titillating read. I’m going to dissect why each of these adjectives are perfect descriptors of Baker’s Book of Sex.
Amazing - the writing here is incredible. Baker’s usual fine-tooth adjectives and methods for description were turned on their heads, yet stayed intact. Instead of an intensely introspective word garden, Baker instead focuses on each words rediculousness, sexual power, and originality. There were some parts of this book I can’t believe came out of the same brain as The Mezzanine.
Raucous - the characters in this book are on a non-stop adventure the likes of which could never exist on our society. The almost science-fiction aspect of parts of this book are overshadowed by the utter improbability of Baker’s ideas… and the ideas are rambling, exciting, and insane.
Funny - Baker has made sex totally funny and rediculous. You know how people say that if god exists, he’d be constantly laughing at our sex faces? Well that god is Nicholson Baker and the world he created is House of Holes.
Titillating - there are descriptions of sex in this book that the most creative pornographer could never dream up. People’s fantasies and experiences in House of Holes are at times electrifying, horrifying, and consternating. But at all times, the reader’s interest will be piqued, and you’d feel a bit squirmy if you read this book on the subway. Like, “can people read this over my shoulder? Should I put this book away?”
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