Room (2011) (novel)

Room is Emma Donoghue's 7th and latest novel. She is also a writer of short stories and literary history.

I know this is somewhat of a departure from my usual posts, after all this blog is called “Film Rambler…” and I've only reviewed one other novel before (Ann Patchett’s Bel Canto) but I thought it might be nice to expand and depart from the expected. Mix things up a little bit. It’s good for the soul after all, well…probably. So anyway, now that that little ramble is out of the way let’s get on with the review portion of this ramble (*cough*). Oh… I mean in-depth analysis. Of course.

I first read this novel in 2011 just before I embarked on the long and soul-crushing journey of attaining my A-Levels. I was attracted to it for two reasons. The first being that it was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and won a whole bunch of literary awards which meant that this novel was probably worth the price tag and would therefore win me points with my teachers who were curious what we’d read over the summer. The second, less conceited and more important reason for my interest in this novel was the perspective from which this story was told. I've always loved a novel that’s surprising in its narrative (whether that be because it’s set in the deep-south and is rich in culture or because it is an epistolary novel (which, as you can probably guess, are both styles I adore)) and boy is this surprising. You might need some context at this point though so I’ll go ahead and give you a little plot summary: Room tells the story of a five year old boy called Jack who lives with his Ma in a single, locked room. They don't have the key to this room because they are prisoners. Jack has lived in this single room his whole life, until Ma decides to escape. Much of Room follows the after-effects of their escape and their reintegration into society.

This slice of the story is enough to intrigue anybody’s interest, and my interest was further piqued when I learned that this story would be told from the perspective of the five year old Jack. I wondered how Emma Donoghue would tackle such a sensitive subject matter all while capturing the thoughts and feelings of a child whose life has been turned upside down. What I discovered was really quite amazing, though I hadn't expected to be as moved or as absorbed by it as I became. What I found in the pages of this book was an unflinching biopic of something very real and completely heart breaking (Donoghue in fact imagined the story when she heard about the Fritzl case of 2008). The amazing thing about this book is its narrator because while the reader understands that this boy has suffered more in his short lifetime then many could bear to imagine, he is blissfully unaware of this fact. This means that we are pulled between two forces as a reader, the first being to completely invest ourselves in this narrative and feel Jack’s pain at missing his “Room” (and therefore his former life of seclusion) and the second force being our moral and intelligent selves telling us that what this child experienced was wrong and that he shouldn't miss Room, because Room was wrong. It’s interesting to be pulled in two directions and speaks of Donoghue’s talent as a writer that not only can she emulate this character so convincingly, but that she can make us feel conflict at the fact that Jack no longer has Room.

If you are interested in more of Donoghue's (pictured above) work then you can view her website HERE. 

Though this novel is brilliant because of its unique narrator I have a feeling that this might also isolate its readership and accessibility to wider audiences. I will admit that at first I struggled to understand what Jack was going through and couldn't place myself within that situation, mainly because of the innocence and naivete with which Jack told his story. However I knew that this story was an important one and so I persevered, despite the references Jack makes to his mother breastfeeding him, regardless of his growing age, which made me feel slightly uncomfortable. I know that might seem insensitive and I understand the reason that his Mother continued to do this, but I couldn't help but cringe at the moments this was mentioned in the novel and I believe that Donoghue might have done this deliberately, to emphasise how both Jack and Ma’s perspective and worldview has been shaped (or in the case of "Ma", changed) due to the isolation they have endured.

This brings me to my next point about the novel, which is Donoghue’s realistic and heart-affecting (I couldn't decide whether it was heart-warming or heart-breaking, so I went with “affecting” as an easy compromise) description of the bond between Jack and Ma. Of course they are a mother and child so affection and protection are expected, but their bond is more than this. Donoghue frequently emphasises the fact that these two characters only have each other and rely on each other to make it through the resulting media and public frenzy that ensues after their escape. Jack needs his Ma to help him navigate this new and unfamiliar world that has rules and social niceties that he has never been exposed to, while Ma relies on Jack as an emotional crutch who helps (in his own innocent way) her to navigate a world that she once knew. In a way Ma’s story is more fascinating than Jack’s because hers is one that understands her trauma and struggles to deal with its repercussions, however Jack’s feels more essential and his perspective is a fresh and wholly affecting one.

All in all, if you are looking for a read that will keep you absorbed from the very first chapter then this might be your ticket. Though be warned, this story ain't no picnic and if you’re looking for an idealistic happy ending then you will be disappointed. What it does offer though is realism, innocence and a perspective that is so fresh you will crave more stories like it.

To cut a long story short…
Would I recommend this novel? Definitely, and not just for its literary accolades. This book will change how you look at things (I know I say this every time but I really do hate cliche phrases. It just so happens that I use them ALOT). 
Star rating? 

Well, that’s it for now folks…