The Whalestoe Letters
Encyclopedia
The Whalestoe Letters by cult author Mark Z. Danielewski
is an epistolary
novella which more fully develops the literary correspondence between Pelafina H. Lièvre and her son Johnny from 1982-1989, characters first introduced in Danielewski's prior work, House of Leaves
.
The letters are included in the second edition of House of Leaves, in Appendix II, under the name E - The Three Attic Whalestoe Institute Letters, although the companion piece includes eleven additional letters not found in House of Leaves.
Pelafina writes these letters to Johnny from The Three Attic Whalestoe Institute, a mental institution where she has been residing for a number of years. While a number of these letters appear in House of Leaves, The Whalestoe Letters introduces a number of new letters which serve to more fully develop Pelafina's character as well as her relationship with Johnny.
Mark Z. Danielewski
Mark Z. Danielewski, born March 5, 1966 in New York City, New York, is an American author, best known for his debut novel House of Leaves...
is an epistolary
Epistolary novel
An epistolary novel is a novel written as a series of documents. The usual form is letters, although diary entries, newspaper clippings and other documents are sometimes used. Recently, electronic "documents" such as recordings and radio, blogs, and e-mails have also come into use...
novella which more fully develops the literary correspondence between Pelafina H. Lièvre and her son Johnny from 1982-1989, characters first introduced in Danielewski's prior work, House of Leaves
House of Leaves
House of Leaves is the debut novel by the American author Mark Z. Danielewski, published by Pantheon Books. The novel quickly became a bestseller following its March 7, 2000 release. It was followed by a companion piece, The Whalestoe Letters...
.
The letters are included in the second edition of House of Leaves, in Appendix II, under the name E - The Three Attic Whalestoe Institute Letters, although the companion piece includes eleven additional letters not found in House of Leaves.
Plot introduction