You’ve probably heard of House of Leaves. It’s that blue-colored nightmare of a book with the shifting walls and the footnotes that go on for ten pages. But fewer people talk about what Mark Z. Danielewski did next.
Only Revolutions is, quite literally, a circle.
If you pick it up, you’ll notice it has two covers. One features a green eye (Sam), and the other a gold eye (Hailey). There is no "back" of the book. To read it, you have to flip the entire volume upside down every eight pages. It’s a physical workout. It's also a lyrical, trippy, 360-page poem about two teenagers who are "allways sixteen" and basically immortal.
Honestly? Most people hate it at first. It’s dense. It’s confusing. It feels like a prank. But once you get the rhythm, Only Revolutions Mark Z. Danielewski reveals itself as one of the most ambitious things ever printed on paper.
How to Actually Read This Thing
Don't just open it and start. You’ll get lost in three minutes.
The book is built on a strict mathematical constraint. Each page contains exactly 90 words of the primary narrator’s story (at the top) and another 90 words of the secondary narrator’s story (upside down at the bottom).
The Eight-Page Flip
Danielewski suggests reading eight pages of Sam, then flipping the book to read eight pages of Hailey. Why eight? Because the narratives are moving toward each other. They meet in the middle at page 180.
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- Sam’s Story: Starts in 1863 (Civil War era) and moves forward.
- Hailey’s Story: Starts in 1963 (Civil Rights era) and moves forward toward 2063.
- The Sidelines: There are vertical columns on the inner margins. These are snippets of world history—wars, inventions, deaths—that correspond to the "time" the characters are passing through.
It’s a lot. It feels like trying to watch two movies at once while someone reads the newspaper out loud next to you. But the symmetry is the point. Sam is associated with animals. Hailey is associated with plants. Sam has a green O in his text; Hailey has a gold O.
The Plot You Might Have Missed
Underneath the weird formatting, there is a story. Sorta.
Sam and Hailey are two "wayward" teens who never age. They drive across America in an ever-changing fleet of cars—everything from a Model T to a Shelby Mustang. They’re outracing history itself.
They are pursued by a character called THE CREEP. In the text, his name always appears in purple. He represents the "stasis" or the "establishment" that wants to catch these kids and force them to grow up or die.
Why the Language is So Weird
The prose isn't standard English. It’s "Song of Ourselves" meets a drug-fueled road trip. It’s rhythmic, full of puns, and often dismissive of grammar.
"Ditch the gurney, Dash! zippityzoom, spurning their tackles, zap vrooom."
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If that sounds like gibberish, you aren't alone. Critics were split. Some called it a "masterpiece of formal constraint," while others, like Tony Buchsbaum, called it "virtually unreadable."
But there’s a payoff. By the time you reach the middle, the font sizes have shifted. One story is shrinking while the other is growing. It’s a tug-of-war for the reader's attention.
Only Revolutions Mark Z. Danielewski vs. House of Leaves
If House of Leaves was about a house that's bigger on the inside, Only Revolutions is about a time that's bigger on the inside.
House of Leaves used horror to keep you turning the pages. This book uses music. It’s more of an "experience" than a narrative. If you go in expecting a traditional thriller, you’re going to be miserable.
The Hidden Connection
Eagle-eyed fans have found the word "house" printed in blue in certain sections of Only Revolutions. It’s a tiny nod to his previous work, but the vibe is completely different. Where House of Leaves was claustrophobic and dark, this book is wide-open and sun-drenched. It’s a "paean to untrammeled freedom."
Is It Worth Your Time?
Kinda depends on what you want from a book.
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If you like "ergodic literature"—books that require physical effort to traverse—then yes. It’s a puzzle. It’s a sculpture made of words.
If you want a story to read on a plane to relax? Stay away. This book demands your total focus. It’s a "circular" narrative because history is a circle. We keep repeating the same wars, the same loves, and the same revolutions.
Actionable Tips for First-Time Readers
If you're brave enough to dive into Only Revolutions Mark Z. Danielewski, follow these rules to avoid a headache:
- Use Two Bookmarks: One for Sam (green) and one for Hailey (yellow). Seriously, the publisher included them for a reason.
- Ignore the Margins Initially: On your first pass, don't try to read the history columns and the main story at the same time. You’ll lose the flow. Read the story first, then go back for the context.
- Read Out Loud: The text is meant to be heard. The rhymes and the "vroom-vroom" energy make way more sense when they have a voice.
- Accept the Confusion: You aren't supposed to "get" every reference to 19th-century history or obscure botanical terms. Let the feeling of the road trip wash over you.
The "revolution" in the title isn't just about politics. It’s about the turning of the book, the turning of the wheels, and the turning of time. It’s a exhausting, beautiful, frustrating mess. And that's exactly why people are still talking about it twenty years later.
To get the most out of your reading, try tracking the appearance of the "O" colors. Notice how Sam's green "o" starts to fade as his story nears its end, while Hailey's gold "o" takes over. This visual shift mirrors their changing power dynamics and the way history swallows one era to make room for the next.