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House of Stairs
House of Stairs
Author: William Sleator
One by one, five sixteen-year-old orphans are brought to a strange building. It is not a prison, not a hospital; it has no walls, no ceiling, no floor. Nothing but endless flights of stairs leading nowhere —except back to a strange red machine. The five must learn to love the machine and let it rule their lives. But will they let it kill t...  more »
ISBN-13: 9780380005079
ISBN-10: 0380005077
Publication Date: 1975
Pages: 157
Rating:
  • Currently 4.1/5 Stars.
 10

4.1 stars, based on 10 ratings
Publisher: Avon Books (Mm)
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review
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reviewed House of Stairs on
House of Stairs by William Sleator probably has one of the most distinctive settings in literature: a literal "house of stairs",that stretches on endlessly without any walls, ceilings, floors, or even banisters to be found. Sleator excels at seamlessly integrating the basics of psychology (conditioning, desensitizing, etc.) into a work of fiction, while still portraying his characters as complex human beings, not just test subjects. The novel's pacing is brisk, while still allowing the reader time to contemplate the character's downward spiral into an aggressive, animalistic dog-eat-dog mentality. A chilling read.

For an even longer review, check out my blog: http://librarbie.blogspot.com/2013/12/house-of-stairs-by-william-sleator-nice.html


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