House of Holes

by Nicholson Baker

First published 2011

Shandee discovers a welcoming arm at a granite quarry. Ned tumbles through a golf course hole. Luna encounters a figure constructed from light bulbs at a tanning salon. These characters find themselves transported to House of Holes, an extraordinary pleasure resort where conventional physics bend to erotic whims. The establishment operates under Lila's management, a former hospital administrator whose breast milk possesses remarkable healing abilities. Guests arrive through unexpected portals like drinking straws and laundromat dryers, then explore facilities including the Groanrooms and the twelve-screen Porndecahedron. The resort offers crotchal transfers, intimate encounters with trees, and pussy-surfing across White Lake. While admission costs run high, work-study arrangements provide alternatives for budget-conscious visitors. Baker crafts a world where sexual fantasy operates without limits, creating a modern carnival of desire that celebrates pleasure without shame or judgment.

Genres: literary-fiction, fantasy, adult-fiction, erotica

Vibes: emotional, intimate, whimsical

Tropes: found-family, portal-fantasy

Setting: Groanrooms, House of Holes, Porndecahedron, Tanning Salon, White Lake

Period: Modern

262 pages · Hardcover · Simon & Schuster

Content warnings: explicit-sexual-content

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