The Whalestoe Letters
The Whalestoe Letters (2000) by the American fiction 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.
 Cover to the first edition | |
| Author | Mark Z. Danielewski |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Epistolary Novella |
| Publisher | Pantheon Books |
Publication date | 10 October 2000 |
| Media type | Print (paperback) |
| Pages | 86 p. (paperback edition) |
| ISBN | 0-375-71441-3 (paperback edition) |
| OCLC | 44811700 |
| 813/.54 21 | |
| LC Class | PS3554.A5596 W48 2000 |
| Preceded by | House of Leaves |
| Followed by | The Fifty Year Sword |
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
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.