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.

The Whalestoe Letters
Cover to the first edition
AuthorMark Z. Danielewski
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenreEpistolary Novella
PublisherPantheon Books
Publication date
10 October 2000
Media typePrint (paperback)
Pages86 p. (paperback edition)
ISBN0-375-71441-3 (paperback edition)
OCLC44811700
813/.54 21
LC ClassPS3554.A5596 W48 2000
Preceded byHouse of Leaves 
Followed byThe 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

Mark Danielewski

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.


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