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1kidzdoc
This thread is for discussion of Room.
Here's my review; I read it last year, as it was shortlisted for the 2010 Booker Prize.
In Room I was safe and Outside is the scary.
Jack has just turned five years old. He lives with his mother in Room, a cozy space isolated from Outside. He is happy, as he knows no other life outside of Room. He was born on Rug, reads books and plays with toys that are brought by Old Nick, the only person who visits them. Old Nick comes at night, and Jack must hide in Wardrobe until the man finally leaves his mother in Bed. Jack spends his days playing with Ma, and he loves her deeply, although he is troubled whenever she is Gone, those times where she spends the day in bed.
Jack and Ma escape from Room, and he must adjust to Outside, a place he has only seen on television and heard about from Ma. Doctors poke him, strangers fawn over him and ask him odd questions, and he must adjust to these new strangers that Ma insists are his family. Although everyone insists he will be happier Outside, Jack wants nothing more than to return to Room with Ma.
"Room" is a fascinating look into the life of a young boy as he tries to understand his place in the world, one that is unfamiliar and unsettling. The novel was triggered by the infamous Josef Fritzl case in Austria, in which a man kept his daughter isolated in a basement for 24 years and fathered several children with her before she was eventually rescued. This novel is markedly different from the case, especially in the use of Jack as the narrator throughout the book and the downplaying of the more disturbing aspects of the story. Donoghue does a masterful job in her portrayal of Jack, and his lovable and maddening personality is one that I won't soon forget.
Here's my review; I read it last year, as it was shortlisted for the 2010 Booker Prize.
In Room I was safe and Outside is the scary.
Jack has just turned five years old. He lives with his mother in Room, a cozy space isolated from Outside. He is happy, as he knows no other life outside of Room. He was born on Rug, reads books and plays with toys that are brought by Old Nick, the only person who visits them. Old Nick comes at night, and Jack must hide in Wardrobe until the man finally leaves his mother in Bed. Jack spends his days playing with Ma, and he loves her deeply, although he is troubled whenever she is Gone, those times where she spends the day in bed.
Jack and Ma escape from Room, and he must adjust to Outside, a place he has only seen on television and heard about from Ma. Doctors poke him, strangers fawn over him and ask him odd questions, and he must adjust to these new strangers that Ma insists are his family. Although everyone insists he will be happier Outside, Jack wants nothing more than to return to Room with Ma.
"Room" is a fascinating look into the life of a young boy as he tries to understand his place in the world, one that is unfamiliar and unsettling. The novel was triggered by the infamous Josef Fritzl case in Austria, in which a man kept his daughter isolated in a basement for 24 years and fathered several children with her before she was eventually rescued. This novel is markedly different from the case, especially in the use of Jack as the narrator throughout the book and the downplaying of the more disturbing aspects of the story. Donoghue does a masterful job in her portrayal of Jack, and his lovable and maddening personality is one that I won't soon forget.
3Soupdragon
I loved this one but find it difficult to say anything objective about it. The mother-son relationship was so entirely credible to me that as a mother of sons myself, I spent my whole time reading this book as a complete emotional wreck!
4lit_chick
1 Great review, kidzdoc.
I read Room in the winter and loved it. Five star read for me. I didn't write a review proper, but made the following remarks right after reading:
A stunning read by Emma Donoghue. Perhaps the most inventive novel I've read, Room is an experience which lingers. It is by turns dark, beautiful, victorious, and even humourous. Five year old Jack as narrator is brilliant: "There's a dog crossing a road with a human on a rope, I think it's actually tied, not like the daycare that were just holding on." (241)
I read Room in the winter and loved it. Five star read for me. I didn't write a review proper, but made the following remarks right after reading:
A stunning read by Emma Donoghue. Perhaps the most inventive novel I've read, Room is an experience which lingers. It is by turns dark, beautiful, victorious, and even humourous. Five year old Jack as narrator is brilliant: "There's a dog crossing a road with a human on a rope, I think it's actually tied, not like the daycare that were just holding on." (241)
5lkernagh
Great review Darryl! I read Room last fall when it was a new release here in Canada. I went and found the review I had posted last year on one of my threads:
The narrator of the story is 5 year old Jack. He is your typical sweet, lovable, inquisitive boy living a typical child's life... or is he? Without giving away intrigues of plot, the reader learns early on that Jack's life with his Mom is not what we are originally lead to believe as Jack takes the reader through his typical days. You see, all Jack knows of the world is what he experiences in the eleven by eleven foot Room that is a prison and what has been explained to him by his Mom. It is Jack's curiosity and his unique perspective of Room and the world outside that pulled me in and kept me glued page, after page, after page.
At times shocking, I was really amazed how Donoghue was able to keep true to the voice of young Jack... not an easy task I am sure! The story does touch on the disturbing topic of abduction and deviations from current society's viewpoints on child-rearing but overall I found it to be an easy page turner that has left me continuing to mull over some parts of the book.
The narrator of the story is 5 year old Jack. He is your typical sweet, lovable, inquisitive boy living a typical child's life... or is he? Without giving away intrigues of plot, the reader learns early on that Jack's life with his Mom is not what we are originally lead to believe as Jack takes the reader through his typical days. You see, all Jack knows of the world is what he experiences in the eleven by eleven foot Room that is a prison and what has been explained to him by his Mom. It is Jack's curiosity and his unique perspective of Room and the world outside that pulled me in and kept me glued page, after page, after page.
At times shocking, I was really amazed how Donoghue was able to keep true to the voice of young Jack... not an easy task I am sure! The story does touch on the disturbing topic of abduction and deviations from current society's viewpoints on child-rearing but overall I found it to be an easy page turner that has left me continuing to mull over some parts of the book.
6wookiebender
I failed to be completely won over by Room. I thought the first half was excellent, but the second half only ordinary.
http://www.librarything.com/work/9837747/reviews/65222261 has my full review, it's pretty waffly, as is my wont. :)
http://www.librarything.com/work/9837747/reviews/65222261 has my full review, it's pretty waffly, as is my wont. :)
7Citizenjoyce
Here's my small review, I hate to give details in a review so I usually settle on just impressions. Another 5 star book for me:
This book grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go. Told in the voice of 5 year old Jack it's about the captivity of Jack and his mother and makes the reader feel like she's there in room. Horrifying and hopeful, one of the best books I've read this year.
This book grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go. Told in the voice of 5 year old Jack it's about the captivity of Jack and his mother and makes the reader feel like she's there in room. Horrifying and hopeful, one of the best books I've read this year.
8lauralkeet
Here's my review:
http://www.librarything.com/review/64347610
I found it difficult to write a review without a lot of spoilers. The book was a page-turner for me, especially in the first half. The second half felt a bit rushed, as I think it would have taken much longer to recover and establish a "normal" life.
http://www.librarything.com/review/64347610
I found it difficult to write a review without a lot of spoilers. The book was a page-turner for me, especially in the first half. The second half felt a bit rushed, as I think it would have taken much longer to recover and establish a "normal" life.
10judylou
Agree with (almost) everything said on this thread! I thought this book was wonderful and inventive and different. I couldn't put it down.
11vancouverdeb
I'm about 70 pages into Room. So far I'm enjoying it. One thing bothers me -and that's the childish way that 5 year old Jack talks. It's not realistic for a just turned 5 year old so speak with so many errors. But I'm just trying to tell myself that it's because he is isolated... or something... But other than that, it's an interesting book.
12Yamanekotei
I agree with you, vancouverdeb. I had hard time reading for a while.
But most of the part of the book was monologue of Jack, and it was taken place inside of his head, so nobody - including Mom - would be able to correct it. And he had only one person to correct his speech anyway. So I kept reading on...
By the way, I was kind of surprised when I learned Mom's past. I actually vocalized my surprise.
But most of the part of the book was monologue of Jack, and it was taken place inside of his head, so nobody - including Mom - would be able to correct it. And he had only one person to correct his speech anyway. So I kept reading on...
By the way, I was kind of surprised when I learned Mom's past. I actually vocalized my surprise.
13vancouverdeb
12 - Yes, I failed to be won over by Roomas well . Here is my review - http://www.librarything.com/work/9837747/reviews/65071377
14rebeccanyc
I had mixed feelings about Room as well. Here's what I wrote in my review last year.
Room, as is well known, tells the story of five-year-old Jack, who lives with his mother in an 11 foot X 11 foot room, imprisoned (although he doesn't know it) by his father, who kidnapped his mother when she was 19. Donoghue masterfully builds the sense of claustrophobia and danger, but for me the most important part of the story was what happened after the mother (who is never named) and Jack escape, and must re-enter the real world, a world Jack never thought existed. It is an interesting idea, and I was impressed by Donoghue's skill in creating and maintaining Jack's voice and imagining both the world of the Room and the prisoners' reactions to the world outside, and the book haunted me after I finished it, but I felt a little bit manipulated and didn't appreciate Room as much as some other readers.
Room, as is well known, tells the story of five-year-old Jack, who lives with his mother in an 11 foot X 11 foot room, imprisoned (although he doesn't know it) by his father, who kidnapped his mother when she was 19. Donoghue masterfully builds the sense of claustrophobia and danger, but for me the most important part of the story was what happened after the mother (who is never named) and Jack escape, and must re-enter the real world, a world Jack never thought existed. It is an interesting idea, and I was impressed by Donoghue's skill in creating and maintaining Jack's voice and imagining both the world of the Room and the prisoners' reactions to the world outside, and the book haunted me after I finished it, but I felt a little bit manipulated and didn't appreciate Room as much as some other readers.
15Soupdragon
Interesting to hear you say you felt manipulated by Room, Rebecca. I wondered about that myself. As I said earlier in the thread, the book had a strong emotional impact on me but I wasn't entirely sure whether this was due to the author's skill as a writer or her skill in manipulating my maternal instincts. A bit of both, maybe!
16Yamanekotei
> 13 vancouverdeb
Thank you, for your review, and reminding me that I forgot to add this book to my library.
I felt the Jack's speech was OK. Even though his speech is not mature as a 5 years old boy, he had no access to have contact with (any) people, and it would be very hard for anyone to learn a language. I reasoned that he didn't put any articles in his speech because he had only one each of everything in his room, so everything is without "a" or "the", and capitalized. He literally had one source of learning except a few hours of TV, and I imagine this would be hard to learn, having a limited exposure to that language.( I know that because English is not my first tongue, and am still having difficulties.)
This story made me chill a bit. I remember some of the stories from abducted children grown up imprisonment. They tried to adjust themselves to the society, still are having difficulties. So... Jack's easy adjustment is not realistic to me. But maybe he was a quick learner!
By the way, the character I liked the best was Steppa. He was the only person who was not prejudice to both Mom and Jack.
Thank you, for your review, and reminding me that I forgot to add this book to my library.
I felt the Jack's speech was OK. Even though his speech is not mature as a 5 years old boy, he had no access to have contact with (any) people, and it would be very hard for anyone to learn a language. I reasoned that he didn't put any articles in his speech because he had only one each of everything in his room, so everything is without "a" or "the", and capitalized. He literally had one source of learning except a few hours of TV, and I imagine this would be hard to learn, having a limited exposure to that language.( I know that because English is not my first tongue, and am still having difficulties.)
This story made me chill a bit. I remember some of the stories from abducted children grown up imprisonment. They tried to adjust themselves to the society, still are having difficulties. So... Jack's easy adjustment is not realistic to me. But maybe he was a quick learner!
By the way, the character I liked the best was Steppa. He was the only person who was not prejudice to both Mom and Jack.
17mrstreme
I loved Room - just finished it last night. Because it's been so widely reviewed, I didn't write a "book review" per se, but here are my thoughts: http://www.librarything.com/work/9837747/reviews/64790672
19lauralkeet
>18 vancouverdeb:: Deb, just the other day I was on the treadmill at the Y, staring vacantly at the TVs, when some channel aired a feature on Jaycee. Reading the close-caption subtitles I was struck by the same thought.
20seeker42
I loved Room, and recognise the similarities between it and Jaycee. I find that as I read, I often have what I call parallel thoughts, which lead to other thoughts and ideas. It's often difficult to know just where ideas come from. Nobody writes in isolation. I found Jack's language difficult to get used to at first, but felt it was well done considering his situation. The book was very real for me.
21AnneDC
>18 vancouverdeb:-20 I heard an interview with Emma Donoghue after the book was published, and she was pretty straightforward in saying that Room was inspired by news accounts of a real-life abduction (I'm not sure if it was Jaycee Dugard but it probably was), so I don't think any of you are imagining the parallel. This didn't bother me at all in reading it--in fact I think I found it reassuring that the author didn't invent the horribly disturbing scenario that the book opens with.
22TinaV95
It has been quite a while since I read Room last year, but it was probably my #1 read for all of 2011. Although I agree that the book was disturbing in some places and possibly less than realistic in others - it was a book that haunted me while reading as well as after reading. Jack became such a 'real' character to me and I felt his voice was true to such an isolated and wholly horrific (to me) upbringing. This book was "un-put-downable" for me! :)
23lauralkeet
>22 TinaV95:: I felt the same way, Tina!
24LiliS13
I completely agree with TinaValdes! I was hooked from Page 1. The second half was a little slow, but not boring...... just a change from the fast-paced escape scenes from before - the ones that had you chomping on your nails, wide-eyed, heart racing.
I disagree with all the people who had issues with the narration. I think the whole point was for it to be from innocent eyes - you have to fill in the blanks to figure out what's really going on - and the grammatical stuff was just icing on the cake.
What I thought was interesting was the *******SPOILER ALERT***** steady downhill decline of Ma after the escape. In the beginning, in Room, I liked her attitude, I admired her for her bravery, but after they escaped, and after the incident with the pills, I felt like poor Jack had noone to trust anymore - and neither did I..... (on the other hand, I really liked the characters of Grandma and Steppa)
Anyway, amazing book, one of my all-time faves! :)
I disagree with all the people who had issues with the narration. I think the whole point was for it to be from innocent eyes - you have to fill in the blanks to figure out what's really going on - and the grammatical stuff was just icing on the cake.
What I thought was interesting was the *******SPOILER ALERT***** steady downhill decline of Ma after the escape. In the beginning, in Room, I liked her attitude, I admired her for her bravery, but after they escaped, and after the incident with the pills, I felt like poor Jack had noone to trust anymore - and neither did I..... (on the other hand, I really liked the characters of Grandma and Steppa)
Anyway, amazing book, one of my all-time faves! :)
25TinaV95
#24 --@ LiliS13 A hearty 'amen' to your thoughts on Ma after they escaped!
Oh, and it's nice to see "I completely agree with TinaValdes" in print! hahahaha!
Oh, and it's nice to see "I completely agree with TinaValdes" in print! hahahaha!
26raidergirl3
But don't you think that Ma held on for so many years for Jack? Then once they were out,and there were other people to help with Jack, she could finally fall apart.
27Citizenjoyce
I liked the treatment of Ma at the end of the book and agree with your assessment raidergirl. As much as she was able to do for Jack she wasn't a saint, she was a woman who had been through a devastating situation and had to find a way to work through the aftermath. It seemed realistic to me.
28Nickelini
I'm reading this for my book club, and I'm on page 65 and not hooked yet. I'm having some problems with Jack's use of language, but I've seen some videos where the author explains what she does and after viewing these, I find it's working better for me now. If you're interested, view:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cu55EI5z1Dc
and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ru8Q_9jMdR0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cu55EI5z1Dc
and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ru8Q_9jMdR0
29Nickelini
And on the topic of videos of Room, I thought this short book trailer was rather well done:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8rj2otXNfM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8rj2otXNfM
30Nickelini
#21 >18 vancouverdeb:-20 I heard an interview with Emma Donoghue after the book was published, and she was pretty straightforward in saying that Room was inspired by news accounts of a real-life abduction (I'm not sure if it was Jaycee Dugard but it probably was), so I don't think any of you are imagining the parallel. This didn't bother me at all in reading it--in fact I think I found it reassuring that the author didn't invent the horribly disturbing scenario that the book opens with.
Doesn't bother me in the slightest that the author "borrowed" the story. Room was published in 2010. I saw Donoghue say she was inspired by a real life situation too, but she didn't specify. The Jaycee Dugard story broke in late August 2009. Is that enough time to write a book and get it published? There was also the case in Austria which broke in August 2006 (Natascha Kamusch). We even had one of these cases here in a suburb of Vancouver--Abby Drover, who was kept captive in a dungeon beneath a creep's garage for 181 days in 1976. I'm sure we could find more possible inspirations.
Doesn't bother me in the slightest that the author "borrowed" the story. Room was published in 2010. I saw Donoghue say she was inspired by a real life situation too, but she didn't specify. The Jaycee Dugard story broke in late August 2009. Is that enough time to write a book and get it published? There was also the case in Austria which broke in August 2006 (Natascha Kamusch). We even had one of these cases here in a suburb of Vancouver--Abby Drover, who was kept captive in a dungeon beneath a creep's garage for 181 days in 1976. I'm sure we could find more possible inspirations.
31Nickelini
Further on this topic, at the end of my copy of Room, there is a reading group guide with an interview with the author. Here is what she has to say about the real life inspiration:
"Q: You have mentioned that you drew inspiration from real-life imprisonment cases, such as that of thee Fritzl family. Did you worry that in doing so critics might accuse you of sensationalism?
EM: No, because I was naive. I never expected that being upfront about the particular headline that happened to trigger the idea for Room would have such consequences. I realize now that if your book gets attached to any notorious names, you can never shake them off. Lazy journalists call Room "a book about Josef Fritzl" --which I would have thought anyone skimming the first few pages would realize it wasn't. Others, not even bothering to Google it, assert that it's about Jaycee Lee Dugard--who hadn't even been discovered by the time I wrote the novel. The truth is that it's about none of these real people: all I borrowed from the Fritzl case was the notion of a woman who bears a child to her captor and manages to protect his childhood.
The irony is that I have often written fiction closely based on real people and events, but if it's before 1900, nobody minds."
Really, all writers are inspired by something. This isn't any different.
"Q: You have mentioned that you drew inspiration from real-life imprisonment cases, such as that of thee Fritzl family. Did you worry that in doing so critics might accuse you of sensationalism?
EM: No, because I was naive. I never expected that being upfront about the particular headline that happened to trigger the idea for Room would have such consequences. I realize now that if your book gets attached to any notorious names, you can never shake them off. Lazy journalists call Room "a book about Josef Fritzl" --which I would have thought anyone skimming the first few pages would realize it wasn't. Others, not even bothering to Google it, assert that it's about Jaycee Lee Dugard--who hadn't even been discovered by the time I wrote the novel. The truth is that it's about none of these real people: all I borrowed from the Fritzl case was the notion of a woman who bears a child to her captor and manages to protect his childhood.
The irony is that I have often written fiction closely based on real people and events, but if it's before 1900, nobody minds."
Really, all writers are inspired by something. This isn't any different.
