Room (novel)
Encyclopedia
Room is a 2010 novel by Irish-Canadian author Emma Donoghue
. The story is told from the perspective of a five-year-boy, Jack, who is being held captive in a small room along with his mother. Donoghue conceived the story after hearing about five-year-old Felix in the Fritzl case
.
The novel was longlisted for the 2011 Orange Prize and won the 2011 Commonwealth Writers' Prize
regional prize (Caribbean and Canada); was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize
in 2010 and was shortlisted for the 2010 Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize
and the 2010 Governor General's Awards
.
Jack and his Ma are "looked after" by Old Nick (so called for his satanic traits. He visits Room on most nights (via a door secured with an electric combination lock
) to bring food and to go to bed with Ma while Jack sleeps in the wardrobe. Ma tries her best to keep Jack healthy via both physical and mental exercises, keeping a healthy diet
, limiting TV watching time, and strict body and oral hygiene
. She herself suffers from severe toothache
s and has to take painkillers regularly.
A week after Jack's birthday, Ma learns that Old Nick has been unemployed for some months. Combined with an incident in which Jack startles Old Nick during the night, causing the latter to behave violently towards Ma and cut the power in Room for several days, this prompts her to decide that maintaining the status quo is too dangerous. She tells Jack that much of what he sees on TV is part of the real world outside Room, which Jack finds conceptually hard to believe.
Ma recalls how she was abducted from college at the age of 19, how she had another child before Jack, who died at birth, and how Old Nick broke her wrist during an unsuccessful escape attempt. She decides that she and Jack have to escape as soon as possible, and that the only workable plan is to simulate Jack's death, convince Old Nick to dispose of the wrapped body in a remote location, and on the way there have Jack escape and alert the authorities.
The plan is executed and works out well - Jack jumps off the car a few blocks away from "Room", and appeals to passersby for help, who call the police
. The officers quickly realize the seriousness of the case and, despite communication problems, Jack manages to give them enough information to locate Room and free Ma. The two are taken to a psychiatric hospital
, where they get medical care and Ma is reunited with her family, not entirely without conflicts. Jack however, has problems coping with the suddenly much larger world and wants to return to Room.
Meanwhile, the case has attracted much attention from the public and the mass media
, making it even harder for Jack and his mother to start leading a normal life. After a television interview that ends badly, Ma suffers a mental breakdown
and Jack lives with his grandmother for some days. Being separated from Ma is hard on Jack, but he slowly starts to adjust to the many changes in his life.
Eventually, Ma and Jack move into an Independent Living
residence. At Jack's request, they go on a last visit to Room where Jack says goodbye to the items that used to make up his world, ending the book on a happy note.
Emma Donoghue
Emma Donoghue is an Irish-born playwright, literary historian and novelist now living in Canada. Her 2010 novel Room was a finalist for the Man Booker Prize and an international bestseller. Donoghue's 1995 novel Hood won the Stonewall Book Award and Slammerkin won the Ferro-Grumley Award for...
. The story is told from the perspective of a five-year-boy, Jack, who is being held captive in a small room along with his mother. Donoghue conceived the story after hearing about five-year-old Felix in the Fritzl case
Fritzl case
The Fritzl case emerged in April 2008 when a 42-year-old woman, Elisabeth Fritzl , stated to police in the town of Amstetten, Austria, that she had been held captive for 24 years in a concealed corridor part of the basement area of the family home, a condominium-style apartment complex built by her...
.
The novel was longlisted for the 2011 Orange Prize and won the 2011 Commonwealth Writers' Prize
Commonwealth Writers' Prize
Commonwealth Writers is an initiative by the Commonwealth Foundation to unearth, develop and promote the best new fiction from across the Commonwealth. It's flagship are two literary awards and a website...
regional prize (Caribbean and Canada); was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize
Man Booker Prize
The Man Booker Prize for Fiction is a literary prize awarded each year for the best original full-length novel, written in the English language, by a citizen of the Commonwealth of Nations, Ireland, or Zimbabwe. The winner of the Man Booker Prize is generally assured of international renown and...
in 2010 and was shortlisted for the 2010 Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize
Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize
The Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize is a Canadian literary award presented by Rogers Communications and the Writers' Trust of Canada after an annual juried competition between publishers who submit entries....
and the 2010 Governor General's Awards
2010 Governor General's Awards
The shortlisted nominees for the 2010 Governor General's Awards for Literary Merit were announced on October 13, and winning titles were announced on November 16...
.
Plot Summary
The novel begins on the day before the fifth birthday of Jack, who lives with his Ma in Room, a small enclosed space containing a small kitchen, a bathtub, a wardrobe, a bed and a TV set. Since it is all he has ever known, Jack likes living in Room and believes that it constitutes the real world, while everything he sees on TV is completely separate and not real.Jack and his Ma are "looked after" by Old Nick (so called for his satanic traits. He visits Room on most nights (via a door secured with an electric combination lock
Combination lock
A combination lock is a type of lock in which a sequence of numbers or symbols is used to open the lock. The sequence may be entered using a single rotating dial which interacts with several discs or cams, by using a set of several rotating discs with inscribed numerals which directly interact with...
) to bring food and to go to bed with Ma while Jack sleeps in the wardrobe. Ma tries her best to keep Jack healthy via both physical and mental exercises, keeping a healthy diet
Diet
Diet, in relation to food, might mean:*Diet , the sum of the food consumed by an organism or group*Dieting, the deliberate selection of food to control body weight or nutrient intake*Diet food, foods that aid in dieting...
, limiting TV watching time, and strict body and oral hygiene
Oral hygiene
Teeth cleaning is part of oral hygiene and involves the removal of dental plaque from teeth with the intention of preventing cavities , gingivitis, and periodontal disease. People routinely clean their own teeth by brushing and interdental cleaning, and dental hygienists can remove hardened...
. She herself suffers from severe toothache
Toothache
A toothache, also known as odontalgia or, less frequently, as odontalgy, is an aching pain in or around a tooth.-Causes:* Dental etiology, In most cases toothaches are caused by problems in the tooth or jaw, such as** Dental caries...
s and has to take painkillers regularly.
A week after Jack's birthday, Ma learns that Old Nick has been unemployed for some months. Combined with an incident in which Jack startles Old Nick during the night, causing the latter to behave violently towards Ma and cut the power in Room for several days, this prompts her to decide that maintaining the status quo is too dangerous. She tells Jack that much of what he sees on TV is part of the real world outside Room, which Jack finds conceptually hard to believe.
Ma recalls how she was abducted from college at the age of 19, how she had another child before Jack, who died at birth, and how Old Nick broke her wrist during an unsuccessful escape attempt. She decides that she and Jack have to escape as soon as possible, and that the only workable plan is to simulate Jack's death, convince Old Nick to dispose of the wrapped body in a remote location, and on the way there have Jack escape and alert the authorities.
The plan is executed and works out well - Jack jumps off the car a few blocks away from "Room", and appeals to passersby for help, who call the police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
. The officers quickly realize the seriousness of the case and, despite communication problems, Jack manages to give them enough information to locate Room and free Ma. The two are taken to a psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental hospitals, are hospitals specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders. Psychiatric hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialise only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients...
, where they get medical care and Ma is reunited with her family, not entirely without conflicts. Jack however, has problems coping with the suddenly much larger world and wants to return to Room.
Meanwhile, the case has attracted much attention from the public and the mass media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
, making it even harder for Jack and his mother to start leading a normal life. After a television interview that ends badly, Ma suffers a mental breakdown
Mental breakdown
Mental breakdown is a non-medical term used to describe an acute, time-limited phase of a specific disorder that presents primarily with features of depression or anxiety.-Definition:...
and Jack lives with his grandmother for some days. Being separated from Ma is hard on Jack, but he slowly starts to adjust to the many changes in his life.
Eventually, Ma and Jack move into an Independent Living
Independent living
Independent living, as seen by its advocates, is a philosophy, a way of looking at disability and society, and a worldwide movement of people with disabilities working for self-determination, self-respect and equal opportunities...
residence. At Jack's request, they go on a last visit to Room where Jack says goodbye to the items that used to make up his world, ending the book on a happy note.
Awards and honors
- New York Times bestseller (Fiction, 2010)
- Booker Prize, shortlist (2010)
- Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction PrizeRogers Writers' Trust Fiction PrizeThe Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize is a Canadian literary award presented by Rogers Communications and the Writers' Trust of Canada after an annual juried competition between publishers who submit entries....
(2010) - Indigo BooksIndigo Books and MusicIndigo Books & Music Inc. is a Canadian retail bookstore chain. The company was founded in 1996 by CEO Heather Reisman, wife of Gerry Schwartz, majority owner and CEO of Onex Corporation....
Heather's Pick (2010) - New York Times Best Books of the Year (2010)
- New York Times Notable Book of the Year (Fiction & Poetry, 2010)
- Salon Book Award (Fiction, 2010)
- Governor General's Awards, shortlist (2010)
- Alex Award (2011)
- Publisher's Weekly Listen Up Award (Audio Book of the Year, 2010)
- ALA Notable Book (2011)
- Hughes & Hughes Irish Novel of the Year, Irish Book AwardsIrish Book AwardsThe Irish Book Awards is an annual Irish literary award given to books and authors in various categories. It is the only literary award supported by all-Irish bookstores. First awarded in 2006, they grew out of the Hughes & Hughes bookstore's Irish Novel of the Year Prize which was inaugurated in...
(2010) - Commonwealth Writers' PrizeCommonwealth Writers' PrizeCommonwealth Writers is an initiative by the Commonwealth Foundation to unearth, develop and promote the best new fiction from across the Commonwealth. It's flagship are two literary awards and a website...
(Canada and the Caribbean, 2011) - Indies Choice Book Award (Adult Fiction, 2011)
- Orange Prize, shortlist (2011)
- WH Smith Paperback of the Year, Galaxy National Book Awards (2011)
- International IMPAC Dublin Literary AwardInternational IMPAC Dublin Literary AwardThe International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award is an international literary award for a work of fiction, jointly sponsored by the city of Dublin, Ireland and the company IMPAC. At €100,000 it is one of the richest literary prizes in the world...
nomination (2012)