The House Without Windows
The House Without Windows was written by Maurice Sandoz and published in 1955. The summary inside the dust jacket describes it as "a tale for al lovers of mystery and the bizarre." In this case however, the actual plot of the novel is not the most interesting part of the book. It is certainly very strange, but overall it conforms to the conventions of a novel in a pretty standard way. However, the novel features several beautiful illustrations by Salvador Dali. These images play a major role in creating a bizarre tone for the story, and really conveyin to the reader the strangeness of the titular house without windows. Because of tis, the book provides a great example of the important link between literature and images. When novels make use of illustrations, they direct the reader's imagination as he or she constructs the world of the novel inside his or her mind. This can have a major impact on what the reader takes away from his or her experience.
In this case, Dali's bizarre images convey the sense of strangeness and wonder inspired in the characters much better than an actual literal depiction of what is described in te novel ever could, and the use of colour gives the whole thing a sense of odd whimsy.
Below are some illustrations from the pages of The House Without Windows.
