Danielewski's novel House of Leaves, Danielewski jumps between two narratives: the first the story of Johnny Truant, and the second the story of the Navidson family, which Johnny Truant reads. Throughout the novel, Danielewski explores the idea of what can best be described as the danger of curiosity. Although, for much of the book, Danielewski attempts to shroud the other "morals" of the story in symbolism and other literary devices, he approaches the subject of a revamped "pandora's box" with much more clarity. In the case of Johnny Truant, the danger of curiosity most directly applies to his intense reading of the dark and confusing Navidson family record, while in the case of the Navidson family itself, this idea can be seen in the family's exploration of the inexplicable architectural inconsistencies in their new home. Perhaps more original and effective than Danielewski's use of Johnny Truant's narrative and the Navidson family narrative, however, is the confusion and discomfort that Danielewski produces in the reader through bizarre formatting, mirroring the idea aforementioned. In House of Leaves, Danielewski illustrates the dangers that curiosity presents through his compelling narration and his involving the reader in similarly compelling circumstances.
In the introduction to House of Leaves, Johnny Truant first appears as a character, and it is explained that Truant has come across a collection of papers that form a work called "The Navidson Record." The Navidson Record details the documentary of the Navidson family, who unknowingly move into a "haunted" house in Virginia, the evils of which are slowly revealed throughout the novel. Truant takes it upon himself to put together the previously disassembled record, as his curiosity has gotten the best of him.
As he reads further into the Navidson record, Truant grows more and more obsessed with the story of the Navidson family, and the hidden evils within the Navidson house.
