I wouldn't have known about this book,if a friend hadn't tweeted about it.I picked it up randomly because I was intrigued as the book by itself hadn't revealed much in terms of the plot.
I began reading it as soon as I got it home.It is written by Emma Donoghue.
It is a very different sort of a book as its narrated by a five year old kid.Everything is seen through his perspective.It takes a few pages down to realize what is actually happening and then the whole plot hits you.
A young woman imprisoned in a modified garden shed somewhere in America, regularly raped by her captor, but otherwise left alone, with enough food, a few books, a television. She becomes pregnant, gives birth and trains her son Jack to the best of her ability in a 12 ft by 12 ft room.Jack has no idea that anything at all exists outside “Room”: the sun and moon are God’s two faces, and Jack is always safe asleep in “Wardrobe” when “Old Nick” comes in through “Door”.Jack describes things as proper nouns, such as Room, Table and Rug as he does not know anything beyond this make believe world.The rest of the story describes how they both flee from their captor after years of staying cooped up in this cloistered existence and how they finally start a new life in the outside 'real' world.
I cannot say I liked this book as much as I was hoping I would.It left me with an eerie sort of feeling.I heard its based on the Elizabeth Fritzl case and when I looked it up,it sent a chill down my spine.To think that something as ghastly as that could have happened somewhere in this world!!
In the book however ,as much as the author has tried to build a story ,after a while you realize that its just another work of fiction you are reading and you see it as that.Its a little too hard to digest at times.
I did like the way the relationship between a mother and son has been portrayed but that's about it.I could not relate to a child narrating the story.It just didn't work for me.
Its one of those books short-listed for the Man Booker Prize,probably because its somewhat based on a real life story.It was just something very different from what Ive read before.Wouldn't rate it too high.
The premise of the book really sounds very interesting. However, the subject is really too gory for my taste. :(
ReplyDeleteHave you read this book called The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night Time? It's about a kid with Asperger's Syndrome, and how he solves a murder mystery. The whole book is narrated from the perspective of the kid. A bit depressing, but a nice read. Very different from the usual.
I agree with you. When it was getting the grip; there was climax and the boy and her mum was successfully out of the room. ( not that I am not happy for them but just saying it was over just like that the tempo it was building).
ReplyDeleteand honestly reading the things from five year old's perspective all the time got me. I was bored after a while.
and you are on twitter ? reach me blue_mist ?