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Room

Emma Donoghue

Discussion: November/December 2010

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November/December 2010

Room - Emma Donoghue
By Stephanie · 7 posts · 23 views

last updated Mar 18, 2011 07:00PM

I'd Know You Anywhere - Laura Lippman
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last updated Mar 17, 2011 11:16AM

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Feb 27, 2011 Sera rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: thriller-suspense, own, kindle

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I really enjoyed this interesting tale about a boy who lives in a garden shed, AKA "Room", with his mother. The most amazing part of the story for me was the mother's creativity in raising a child in a small space to ensure his intellectual and physical development. I found her to be an incredible woman, and who can't love, Jack? His innocence and purity ring clear throughout, and what makes the book interesting, is that the entire story is told from his perspective. Unfortunately, for me, that I really enjoyed this interesting tale about a boy who lives in a garden shed, AKA "Room", with his mother. The most amazing part of the story for me was the mother's creativity in raising a child in a small space to ensure his intellectual and physical development. I found her to be an incredible woman, and who can't love, Jack? His innocence and purity ring clear throughout, and what makes the book interesting, is that the entire story is told from his perspective. Unfortunately, for me, that also became a weakness of the book, because the reader is never able to get a full picture of what's going on with the other characters in the book. One example is when the mother tries to commit suicide after she and Jack escape from the Room. Why? I really wanted to know how she was feeling and what was going on inside her head. Sure, I was able to get some glimpses from side conversations and Jack's point of view, but I felt a bit let down in regard to this part of the storytelling.

Also, what's Nick's story? I have read much in this genre, and one facet that makes today's books in this area so compelling to read, is the insight that the author's give into what's going on in the psycho's head. I wanted to understand Nick a bit more, not only during the captivity part of the book but after he was caught and sent to jail, as well. The stand-off when Nick was arrested sounded like it was intense, but that's all we learn. I found it unfair to be teased in that manner.

Further, Jack's inability to fully understand and to see what's going on around him makes the characters who surround seem a bit underdeveloped to me. I think that the author took a big risk in telling the story from a child's perspective, and in many ways, she succeeded, but in others, she failed. I would have really loved this book if there was more thought put into the storytelling around the people who were around Jack.

All in all, I'm very happy that I read this book. It was gripping at times, unique and proceeded at a nice pace. I just thought that it felt short in some areas, which is why I can't put it in the same category as Fragile, The Last Child, or Still Missing among others.

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Oct 08, 2010 Melissa rated it really liked it

Very interesting. I appreciate how Donoghue really stayed within the mind of 5 year-old Jack and his unique vocabulary/references. The sentence structure is a little odd at times but it still reads quite well. Jack reminded me very much of John Savage from Brave New World - introduced into modern "civilization" after being raised outside of it with a mother who wants to return to her old life (BNW could be a direct inspiration for Room - I haven't done any background).

The only thing that got to ...more

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Jul 27, 2010 Gayla Bassham rated it liked it

Shelves: 2010-reads, booker-prize-2010, tournament-of-books-2011, orange-prize-2011

I may not be the best judge of this book. Anyone who knows anything about my reading preferences knows that after I had my first baby I started to avoid all books about sick, abducted, mistreated, murdered, or injured children. Add to that the fact that I've never really found an Emma Donoghue book that worked for me. So I wasn't excited about reading this one.

Now that I've read it, I will say that I didn't find the novel's conceit as upsetting as I might have--largely, I think, because the boy I may not be the best judge of this book. Anyone who knows anything about my reading preferences knows that after I had my first baby I started to avoid all books about sick, abducted, mistreated, murdered, or injured children. Add to that the fact that I've never really found an Emma Donoghue book that worked for me. So I wasn't excited about reading this one.

Now that I've read it, I will say that I didn't find the novel's conceit as upsetting as I might have--largely, I think, because the boy at the center of this book is mostly shown to be well-cared-for by his adoring mother, albeit in an extremely limiting environment. I'm not sure what I think about the book as a novel, though. It was very compelling reading, especially the central section, which nearly made me late for work yesterday morning. And I thought that first-person five-year-old perspective was pretty well-handled--striking a nice balance between plausibility and interest. Those are the reasons I gave it four stars. [Which I later ratcheted down to three, because four seemed like overkill no matter how late I almost was.:]

On the other hand, the book left me feeling queasy in a way I think the author didn't intend. We've all heard about the Fritzl case and the Dugard case, and everyone has wondered what life must have been like for the young women who were living alone in tiny locked rooms for years and years. The problem I have with this book is that all it seems to do is feed that wonder, to draw us a picture of what life might have been like. It's a detailed, realistic picture. But it doesn't add anything. There's no new insight, no fresh perspective, and so when I finished the book I felt almost voyeuristic, as if I had just watched a very long episode of Inside Edition or a two-part Lifetime movie. I wonder if this might have been better told through the eyes of the mother, who is an intelligent, thoughtful adult with little to do other than reflect on her experience. We would lose the well-rendered voice of the boy, but we might gain a more insightful and meaningful novel. ...more

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Jul 31, 2010 Amy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fiction, busy-as-a-bee-books-group, read-in-2010

I was really concerned that this book wouldn't live up to the hype that I kept hearing about it. The premise sounded amazing, the reviews were fantastic! I shouldn't have worried ... this one was fantastic! I wavered between 4 and 5 stars, ultimately settling on 5 because of the emotional impact this book had on me! It's a really strong book - one of my favorites this year!

The point of view in this book is AMAZING! Having a 5 year old narrator is the very thing that gives the book its impact and I was really concerned that this book wouldn't live up to the hype that I kept hearing about it. The premise sounded amazing, the reviews were fantastic! I shouldn't have worried ... this one was fantastic! I wavered between 4 and 5 stars, ultimately settling on 5 because of the emotional impact this book had on me! It's a really strong book - one of my favorites this year!

The point of view in this book is AMAZING! Having a 5 year old narrator is the very thing that gives the book its impact and it could have gone very, very wrong! Fortunately for the reader, the execution of this book is FANTASTIC!

I've said it before but I rarely 'feel' a book. I rarely find myself emotionally involved to the point that a book brings me to tears, for example. But, this book did. There were moments when I just put the book down and sobbed, sad for this little boy and this woman who are having to deal with the effects of living in the Room. I think part of it was being the mother of two five year olds so they voice of the narrator was extremely impactful to me. I kept imagining my own children and how they'd react to the situation that Jack found himself in.

In the end, it was a good story that ultimately left me hopeful. It wasn't harrowing or frightening, despite the material/subject matter. It was fantastic. An excellent character study and a fantastic example of the use of voice in a story. WOW.

I will say that it took me some time to get into the book which surprised me but once I found a rhythm with the book, I began to fall in love with Jack and his view of the world. It did take me a bit to get there but I think the later impact of the book made the initial slowness of connection irrelevant for me personally. I don't think this is a perfect book but I do think it is an excellent book. Well worth the read!

I can't recommend this one enough. VERY good book, very good writing. Really impactful. Very timely, particularly since there have been several cases lately of this sort of thing around the world. It's left a mark on me and I suspect I'll carry this story and this narrator around with me for some time! ...more

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Dec 04, 2010 Barbara rated it really liked it

Wow...I could not put down this book despite my inital reluctance to read it (I tend to avoid novels involving children in disturbing situations that are close in age to my own kids). The narrator is Jack, a five year-old boy who lives in a 11 x 11 room with his mother, Ma. He has never been outside of Room. Room is remarkable, emotional, thrilling and unlike any other novel I've read. Some reviews claim the novel is filled with holes and have criticized the believability of Jack's language, tho ...more

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Oct 25, 2010 Lisa Roberts rated it it was amazing

Shelves: book-club

I was scared to read this book due to its subject matter, but it was not too creepy or graphic as I had suspected. Psychologically, it was difficult to read. I've never lost so much sleep over a book. First, because I simply could not put the book down, and secondly, because once I did stop reading, my mind could not shut the book out in order to fall asleep. I loved this book despite its subject matter. ...more

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Jan 19, 2011 Laura rated it really liked it

So realistic, I was unable read word for word. Completed after reading some, putting it down, then resuming. My what a book!

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Aug 26, 2010 jenna Hudrlik rated it liked it

Shelves: 2010-for-me

i wouldnt recommend listening to the audio bc it's ridiculous. reading the book was much better than listening but i thought that the last half of the book was a bit on the boring side. ...more

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