Chapter 9 does nothing to contribute to the plot of “The Navidson Record.” There are almost fifty pages in the chapter. There may be two pages total that provide some light onto the happenings of the characters. Otherwise, this chapter is used as a manifestation of the characters’ mental and physical states.
Several times throughout the chapter a narrator interjects and begins their own story without warning. They continue with what they have to say before another narrator takes the spotlight. This is confusing, alarming and purposeful. As annoying as it may seem while you are reading it, it becomes clear after you have time to step back and reflect on what you had just read. As Chapter 8 wrapped up, we had a feeling of dread for the characters. We are unsure where the search team has gone but are receiving distress signals through the walls. It has taken longer than previously expected to explore the mysterious hallway. The radio signal has been cut and contact with the explorers is impossible, aside from the mysterious knocking.
Each character is anxious and terrified. Of course, they are worried about the three men that have disappeared into their house, but they are also scared of what will happen to them if they are unable to leave their own house. Will Navidson and Karen Greene have children they must look out for, but how are they able to protect them from something they cannot see, hear or understand?
As the chapter continues, confusion and frustration rise in the experience of the reader to best reflect the current situation in the house on Ash Tree Lane. Instead of narrators interrupting one another, they have all decided to simultaneously share the room on the page. This leads to upwards of four conversations at a time on one page for twenty pages. Finding a system to read the parts are infuriating enough. I chose to read one part at a time and constantly flip back to the beginning of the chaos as it came to an end. I believe this is the best way to read the chapter, but it is not a fool-proof plan because the parts do not end perfectly on the same page. Some fizzle out before others and some continue until they are the last two pieces of the story at the end of the chapter.
Reading this chapter was the most time-consuming and difficult reading I have ever had and yet, it was wonderful. While we were experiencing all our emotions, they were a direct mirror of the characters’ feelings.
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| One spread within Chapter 9 |
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| This shows the six different narrations happening within the top picture. |
