Longlisted for the 2011 Orange Prize and shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2010, Emma Donaghue’s Room lives up to the expectations of its plaudits with ease. It’s brilliantly written and encapsulates the kidnap horror stories that crop up in the press all too often from a unique viewpoint.
Jack is five, going on 6, but he’s only ever seen the confines of Room with his Ma. He still breastfeeds, gets Sunday treats from the sinister presence of the infrequent and disturbing visits from Old Nick and has been led to believe that the world in the TV is all fake and stuck in outer space.
As the realities of Jack and his Ma’s life unfolds throughout the story of their everyday life in Room, their normal play and the sadness of days when his Ma is gone, but still there, the story becomes sad and seemingly lost forever.
Room is cleverly written through Jack’s eyes, and like Trainspotting you end up thinking in his voice as you read the book. It burns slowly with the monotony of their lives in Room, but it’s pierced by shocking events and builds to the middle of the book with incredible tension.
Though the book is a sad reminder of consequences, because it’s written from Jacks point of view it misses out on the true impact of the situation on his Ma. These are alluded to quite well through Jack’s eyes, but they’re also slightly sugar coated with his innocence.
Room is an impressive book. It’s tense, sad, joyful in parts and takes on the whole story, not just the exciting pseudo-conclusion. The second half of the book is a brilliant break from the norm, looking at the experiences of the characters after the more sensational events of the story.
Room book review: 4.2/5
