To five-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world. It is where he was born and grew up; it's where he lives with his Ma as they learn and read and eat and sleep and play. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits.
Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it is the prison where Old Nick has held her captive for seven years. Through determination, ingenuity, and fierce motherly love, Ma has created a life for Jack. But she knows it's not enough...not for her or for him. She devises a bold escape plan, one that relies on her young son's bravery and a lot of luck. What she does not realize is just how unprepared she is for the plan to actually work.
Told entirely in the language of the energetic, pragmatic five-year-old Jack, ROOM is a celebration of resilience and the limitless bond between parent and child, a brilliantly executed novel about what it means to journey from one world to another. ~~ synopsis from Goodreads
My thoughts about Room ~~
This book has been on my TBR list and on my bookshelf for such a long time. Everyone was talking about it and I was seeing it everywhere. And it seemed like people were having strong thoughts about it whether they liked it or didn't like it. I finally found myself with a little free reading time so I took it down of the shelf and got started. I had to read it, but I wasn't sure if I was going to be one of those who loved it or not.
Well, I did think it was amazing. The book is written from the POV of a five year who has lived his entire life as a hostage in a small room with his mother. The author did an amazing job of presenting his world, uninfluenced by the outside world other than what little he saw on television or information he was told by his mom.
I can see where some people would think this was a disturbing book, just the whole idea of abduction and the situation that Jack and his mother were in. but I still liked it. I liked the imagination the author, Ma and Jack had to have to survive this world. I am glad I finally read this book and would recommend it to others to read.
Well, I did think it was amazing. The book is written from the POV of a five year who has lived his entire life as a hostage in a small room with his mother. The author did an amazing job of presenting his world, uninfluenced by the outside world other than what little he saw on television or information he was told by his mom.
I can see where some people would think this was a disturbing book, just the whole idea of abduction and the situation that Jack and his mother were in. but I still liked it. I liked the imagination the author, Ma and Jack had to have to survive this world. I am glad I finally read this book and would recommend it to others to read.
What about you? Have you read it? Did you like it, or not?
About the author
Emma is the youngest of eight children of Frances and Denis Donoghue. She attended Catholic convent schools in Dublin, apart from one year in New York at the age of ten. In 1990 she earned a first-class honours BA in English and French from University College Dublin, and in 1997 a PhD (on the concept of friendship between men and women in eighteenth-century English fiction) from the University of Cambridge. Since the age of 23, Donoghue has earned her living as a full-time writer. After years of commuting between England, Ireland, and Canada, in 1998 she settled in London, Ontario, where she lives with her partner and their son and daughter.
Connect with Emma
Wow, powerful story. I liked your thoughts. I'm not sure how I feel about reading it, but I have come to trust your opinions, so I may just give a try (once my pile thins out a bit).
ReplyDeletePaul R. Hewlett
I did read Room and my thoughts were mixed. I struggled a little with the POV and possible only because I listened to the first half on audio. I did love how the author took a risk and I appreciate books like this where the author delves into the world/topic of tough issues. This kind of thing happens and it is so sad. But at the end I had hope for Jack.
ReplyDeleteI read it last month and was one of the ones who was totally disturbed by it. I kind of wanted to throw up the entire time I was reading it. It was a book club pick and I was a little concerned about how the other ladies would find it as most of them are or were child support workers. Turns out they thought it was too much like work and have seen situations similar to that so they weren't as phased as I thought they'd be.
ReplyDeleteSo, while I can understand why others love it and why it won so many awards, it still wasn't a book for me.
Good review!
This is one of my all time favourites. It's a love or hate book, but I definitely love it! Emma Donaghue is amazing writer, able to build a story in such a claustrophobic space. It also goes into what happens 'after', which is amazing
ReplyDeleteOh, I loved this book! I thought it was amazing, and so completely heartwrenching!
ReplyDelete