The House in the Pines

Maya has some of the traits of an unreliable narrator; however, she turns out to be right about Frank. Why does Reyes put readers in the position of questioning Maya’s credibility? Are we complicit in Maya’s mistreatment?

The House in the Pines makes frequent references to fairy tales and myths in the novel. In what ways can this novel be read as a contemporary fairy tale?

Compare the novel’s most powerful storytellers: Frank, whose narratives weave hypnotic trances, and Jairo, whose unfinished novel dispels Frank’s hypnosis. What does the novel say about the power of story?