Room Review

Imagine a world the size of an 11-by-11 foot room. There is not much to explore is there? This 11-by-11 foot room IS 5-year old Jack’s entire world. In Emma Donoghue’s novel, “Room,” the narrator of the story is Jack, a child born in captivity. Donoghue does an excellent job at making the reader, believe they are reading the thoughts of a 5-year old boy who has only experienced what exists within the Room. Using a very childlike grasp of the world, Jack’s companions are objects in the Room: Rug, Bed, and even the antennas on the television are referred to as Bunny. Writing under the constraint of a five-year olds’ mind, allows for a more playful and youthful style. Jack may not speak or think in complete sentences, but he is always sure to make his point.

The story opens on Jack’s 5^th birthday. The reader may not immediately grasp the circumstances of Jack and Ma’s, Jack’s mother, living arrangements. The two go through usual birthday routine; exchanging gifts, measuring heights, and eating birthday cake. As the day continues, the setting is exposed. Ma and Jack are forced to live in Room and Jack has never experienced anything outside of Room. Details on how Ma came to be in Room are explained over the course of the novel, but from Jack’s perspective they have everything they need within Room.

Donoghue has mastered the use of tragic irony. From the perspective of youthful innocence, Donoghue does an excellent job explaining to the reader what is actually happening. Although Jack doesn’t comprehend the noises he hears or the consequences of his actions, the reader has a perfect understanding of the situation, sometimes to unsettling results.

Imagination plays an incredible role when reading “Room.” As Jack has his own conception about things, the reader too has to use his/her imagination to decipher and envision what Jack is actually describing. The book is not overburdened by detail, but this is a way to pull the reader into Jack’s world. Reading from the point-of-view of a child can be entertaining, yet the perspective is two-dimensional. The oversimplification of everything leaves much to be desired from a novel.

The characters in the book are not very strong either. Jack is too young to have any motivations and therefore the only driving force behind Jack’s actions is Ma. Of course, this is a limitation of having a five-year-old protagonist. Ma’s character is the most interesting in the novel. The actions Ma takes are believable and therefore people have a character to connect with in the story. Although her character is still only Ma to Jack, the reader knows she is an abducted girl who has been surviving in captivity for many years. Ma laughs with her son, struggles with him, and does her best to live in this horrid situation while making her son’s life as pleasant as possible. The novels changes routes in the middle and this is where Ma continues to grow as a character, dealing with difficult decisions and making hard choices.

“Room” is a worthwhile read just for the creative perspective and storytelling. The actual tale and characters left me unfulfilled and I found myself wishing Donoghue had gone in a different direction with Jack’s progression. Not the first book I would recommend, but if you are looking for a unique narrative and an easy read then “Room” is a fine choice.