When a book haunts me the way Room did, I put it on my must-read list and recommend it to all of you. Let me tell you why this book haunted me.
First, it is told from the point of view of a 5-year-old child. What that child sees, perceives, witnesses and feels is contrary and sometimes unimaginable to our adult minds. Yet, author Emma Donoghue imagined it and wrote it skillfully.
Second, the story itself was haunting. This very bright, probably somewhat autistic child lived his entire 5 years in one room with his mother. He’d never known the life “outside” or a life without his mother. At first the reader wonders why. Is the Mother agoraphobic? What’s going on here? Why can’t they get out? All these questions get answered but not in the first pages.
Third, the book was skillfully written. Donoghue shows us what a clever, resourceful Mother had to do to keep her child interested when she had virtually nothing to work with. From the child’s point of view, every activity was a game and every item in the room had a personality (and a name).
This book got 1277 reviews and 4 stars on Amazon. The only criticism people gave it related to feeling tired of reading about silly games the child played. I beg to disagree with that notion. The writer put us in the child’s place and as such, we had to experience what he experienced. Furthermore, it showed us how desperate the mother was to keep her son entertained and create as much normalcy as possible.
If you want to read amazing writing and a story that will grip you all the way to the end, this book is for you. I add it to my Must-Read category with pleasure.
If you’ve read Room, share your thought.
I read “Room” one year ago and it still haunts me. Although this is fiction, there are true stories about abducted people who suffered like the child and mother in this novel. Donoghue captures the emotional trauma of this tragic experience through her characters. A riveting read. You won’t be able to put it down once you begin.
Yes, Peggy, I heard about a child in very similar conditions that may have sparked the idea for Room. But, I can’t imagine writing it from the child’s point of view the way she did. Amazing. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Hi Joan,
Thanks for the book review and the recommendation and I will buy the book and read it. After I have finished it, I will let you know what I think. One thing is for sure, and that is that I love good writing.
Ciao,
Patricia
Patricia. . . I almost didn’t recommend this book to my mom because it thought the subject matter might be too hard for her. But, like you, she loves good writing. And, she went through this book very quickly. It’s hard to say anyone “loves” it, but they all say it was a great read, including my mom! I’ll look forward to your assessment.