Anyway, I finished Room and let's just say it will haunt me for life. Definitely miles more captivating than Wuthering Heights. Room is told in the innocent, childish narrative of 5-year old Jack. He lives in a room with his Ma, with not much to fill their lives but a TV, couple of picture books and nighttime visits from a suspiciously terrorizing 'Old Nick.' Doesn't take readers long to grasp the truth of the situation in its entity, and upon its full revelation we comprehend that:
1) Old Nick is actually a deranged, sick and bastardy rapist who kidnapped Ma when she was 19.
2) Old Nick raped Ma and thus Jack was born in Room.
3) Room is the universe to Jack and he's never known anything else. All this time Ma has had him believe so.
Then one grand day Ma tells Jack of the 'Outside,' and they conduct the Great Escape and succeed. I obviously won't recount it in rapt, enthralling detail so as to not ruin the book, but essentially Jack and Ma make it out -- Ma leaving her prison and Jack leaving his world. Both characters take everything in differently. for Ma it is a return (albeit a struggle) and for Jack it's like being reborn completely. Their story is "darkly beautiful" and Jack's voice is unforgettable. It stays with me still. When I put Room down yesterday (before their Great Escape) I felt a kicking in my gut urging me to go out, to get some fresh air. Now, I'm seizing every opportunity to live, to really go outside and see the world for all its beauty. Will email Emma Donoghue and tell her what of a genius she is. Below are my favorite quotes from Room:
“In the world I notice persons are nearly always stressed and have no time...I don't know how persons with jobs do the jobs and all the living as well...I guess the time gets spread very thin like butter all over the world, the roads and houses and playgrounds and stores, so there's only a little smear of time on each place, then everyone has to hurry on to the next bit.”
“The world is always changing brightness and hotness and soundness, I never know how it's going to be the next minute.”
