Room by Emma Donoghue
Emma Donoghue made a brave decision when she chose as the subject for her seventh novel Room, the seven-year imprisonment and sexual abuse of a young woman. Donoghue was accused of sensationalism and voyeurism because of the affinity between her novel and the real life story of Josef Fritzl, an Austrian who held his daughter captive and sexually abused her for 24 years. She admitted that Room was triggered by the Fritzl scandal but firmly denied that her novel was in any way ‘based on’ that case.
What interested Emma Donoghue most was not the experience of the abuse or the confinement in a soundproofed garden shed but how the victim and the son Jack that is born as a result of rape, deal with the challenges of life outside.
This is the story told by Jack. He’s five years old, born in captivity, whose knowledge of the world is limited to the 12-foot-square room he occupies with his “Ma”. Their only contact with the world outside comes via their captor “Old Nick”, who delivers their food, a weekly “Sundaytreat” (new trousers, painkillers, the occasional candy bar) before raping Ma. She uses every ounce of her energy on nurturing and teaching her child, creating rituals that help preserve her sanity. Theirs is a very private world, with its own language and cast of characters that Ma creates out of the sparse items in their room. “Melted Spoon”, “Rug”, “Wardrobe” and “Plant” become friends as real for Jack as the cartoon characters he loves to watch on TV. Ma limits his tv time though so his “brain doesn’t turn to mush” and makes him do “phys-ed” every morning which consists of running around the room and bouncing on the bed. In between they make up poems, sing Kylie songs and create a snake from old egg shells.
For Jack every day is a day of wide-eyed discovery and joy. Ma however can recall life “outside”. Not surprisingly some days she just succumbs to despair, days when in Jack’s eyes she is “gone” and he is left to his own devices. Ma however is an exceptional woman, one whose love for her son gives her the courage to make a bid for freedom.
When the second half of the novel moves to “outside” it loses some of its intensity but gains a new dimension in which the close mother-son relationship is put the test as Jack has to share his mother with other people. He has to learn that what was acceptable ‘inside” the room is not acceptable “outside” and to acquire skills he never needed before like tackling stairs and wearing shoes. Jack’s introduction to this confusing new world and to gradual removal of his previous dependency on his mother is handled with remarkable skill and insight.
While it was almost impossible not to shudder at the plight of this pair it was equally impossible not to be totally enthralled by Jack. It’s not easy inventing a credible child narrator but in Jack, Donaghue delivers one whose voice is so memorable I could hear him long after I closed the book each day. He is the figure whose sweet innocence mitigates the horror, the figure that ensures the book never descends into the simplistic mode of villain versus victim pure monster It’s one of the reasons this is a novel like no other I’ve read in recent years.
End Notes
Emma Donoghue was born in Ireland but now lives in Canada. Room was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2010. It was released as a film in 2015.
Emma Donaghue talks about the writing of her novel in an interview with the Guardian
Defintiely a unique novel. I read a few months ago and could hit myself for not reading it earlier. I was anticipating it being difficult to read. In the end I felt she treated the subject perfectly. She followed through brilliantly. I’m surprised she didn’t win any awards for Room.
she did get on the Booker longlist but I don’t know about anything else. The Baileys Prize would have been within her reach I suspect
Yeah I know but I meant win.
Oh so you did, I’m sorry I misread your comment Didi
Yes and I loved it!
Spot on. I remember reading this right when it came out in paperback and having the opportunity to go to a book reading where Donoghue spoke about it and her thought processes were fascinating.
I’m also going to see a screening of the film version in 2-3 weeks which will also be interesting as I know she’s been on set and will be there that evening as well!
that would have been a fascinating talk Geoff. I’ve heard mixed reactions to the film – let me know what you think of it
I put off reading this book for quite some time but then as so often happens it turned up on a reading group list and so I had to tackle it. Like you, I was impressed by the quality of the writing and especially the fact that Donoghue was able to maintain the same tone so consistently. However, it was a book that split the group. There were those who thought that it over sentimentalised Jack and found it completely unbelievable.
I found it an absorbing, chilly read but very well written. Terrifying too.
I didn’t click with this novel I’m afraid. I agree with your comments on the change in momentum in the second half – for me the first section was much stronger.
life would be so dull if we all agreed on everything.
I loved this novel, the child Jack is just the most wonderful child character, believable and memorable. This is certainly a novel which stays with the reader.
So often child characters don’t work for me – its so hard to get the tone right. But she nailed it totally.
My wife is a big fan of Donoghue and we enjoyed hearing her read in a small bookstore when she last visited Melbourne and to get some books signed. Her other novels are worth checking out too. (ps – I think it’s spelled Donoghue!)
thanks for spotting my error on the author’s name. Fixed it now. Lucky you to get the chance to meet the author; wish we had some of those events around here
Great review of this book! It also makes me think about how something good can come out of something bad, someone to love out of a hateful situation.
Yes indeed Donoghue gives us something to think about when it could have been so easy to go for just the sensationalist approach.
Brilliant book and you did a wonderful review. I think I will be watching the movie …
I’m told that the movie isn’t all that great. I can’t judge myself never having seen it but I suspect it loses a lot of the impact of the book
I agree about how unique this novel was! It really stuck to my mind even after years… Can’t wait to see the movie! Also, isn’t it supposed to be Donoghue and not Donaghue?
Thanks Aynunda, you’re right about the spelling. I suspect I’ll be thinking about this book for a while to come also
The way it came out so near to the fritzel case was uncanny .
Well Donoghue said she was inspired to write her book after seeing news reports of the Fritzl case and in particular seeing the children emerge.
I have had a copy of this book for so long but whenever I see it I shy away, I think because of the subject matter, although this isn’t something that usually worries me – I really must give it a try though.
that was exactly the situation I had Cleopatra. I couldn’t decide whether i wanted to read it and was on the point of giving it away but thought I’d just try the beginning and if I didnt like it, then it definitely would end up in the charity shop bag. but after a few pages I couldn’t put it down
I read this book when it first came out.
It was very good despite the subject matter.
Thanks for your wonderful review.
Elizabeth
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have you read anything else by her?