Room by Emma Donoghue

Summary

This is a story told from the perspective of five year old Jack who lives in captivity with his mother. They have been held captive in a room that measures only eleven feet by eleven feet for years by a man the boy refers to as Old Nick. Jack’s mother does her best to survive and entertain her son while Jack is into the things five year old boys are normally into, such as books and games. This room and his Ma are the only things Jack has known his entire life so for him, this is normal, even the regular visits between scary Old Nick and his mother at night. The author does a good job of creating a world for a five year old where everything is balanced and controlled, where he misses nothing, because he knows of nothing outside his room. Other plot points are explored when the reader learns what happens to Jack and Ma. This book was short listed for the Man Booker prize.

Discussion

-For the most part, we all enjoyed the book, at times it became suspenseful and was a real page turner.

-The mother’s continued nursing of the five year old boy was brought up perhaps a bit too much throughout the story, at times it could make the reader feel uncomfortable.

-The voice of the five year old was occasionally just a five year old but at times, seemed to freely use words that five year olds typically don’t know.

-It was interesting that there is a branch of psychology that deals with persons who have been held captive.