Room (2010)

by Emma Donoghue

Other authors: See the other authors section.

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12,747	941	377	(4.03)	1 / 981
Narrator Jack and his mother, who was kidnapped seven years earlier when she was a 19-year-old college student, celebrate his fifth birthday. They live in a tiny, 11-foot-square soundproofed cell in a converted shed in the kidnapper's yard. The sociopath, whom Jack has dubbed Old Nick, visits at night, grudgingly doling out food and supplies. But Ma, as Jack calls her, proves to be resilient and resourceful--and attempts a nail-biting escape.… (more)

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305
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon (Anonymous user)
123
We Need to Talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver (Amsa1959)
Amsa1959: The novel about Kevin is a much darker and sad story, but it it is about a special boy and his family, and it is a MUST READ novel. It is also - like Room - a novel that makes you think and reflect of our world and lives.
80
A Stolen Life: A Memoir by Jaycee Dugard (mreader)
51
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63
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer (Niecierpek)
Niecierpek: We go through a serious and heart-breaking topic (9/11 in Foer's case) through a narration by a precocious child narrator in both books.
41
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne (soffitta1)
soffitta1: What connects the books, for me, is the way the story unfolds, with the reader being more clued in as to what is happening around the child at the centre.
30
My Abandonment by Peter Rock (gaialover)
52
Misery by Stephen King (albavirtual)
albavirtual: ambos libros tienen un alto componenente psicológico, la mente humana llevada al extremo.
20
Me and Emma by Elizabeth Flock (amz310783)
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Y by Marjorie Celona (Iudita)
Iudita: Another story about a troubled childhood, narrated by the child.
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Above by Isla Morley (Litrvixen)
Litrvixen: Both are about young women being abducted and kept captive and them having to raise children.
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PatMock: Young boy raised by wild dogs in Moscow.
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wonderlake: Bad things happening to mothers and their children
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akblanchard: The terror of being at the mercy of an irrational, evil captor is effectively depicted in both books.
02
The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood (_Zoe_)
_Zoe_: These books are completely different in style; The Mysterious Howling is a lighthearted children's book while Room is more serious and intended for adults. But if you enjoy the theme of a child with an unusual background being reintegrated into society, you may appreciate both of these books.… (more)

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	Group › Topic	Messages	Last Message
	Orange January/July: Room by Emma Henderson	33 unread / 33	Nickelini, June 2012

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English (913) Dutch (8) German (5) Spanish (4) Swedish (3) Finnish (2) Danish (2) French (1) All languages (938)

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Showing 1-5 of 913 (next | show all)

Very good narrative using a child's voice to illustrate a disturbing topic. One of the most gripping and enjoyable recent books. Another quick read. Looking forward to finding others by the same author. (

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Elizabeth_Blondin | May 17, 2022 |

I didn't like this quite as much as I expected to, sometimes it felt a little like a writing exercise rather than a book, but it is undeniably compelling, well written and moving. Jack is a wonderful narrator and the end made my eyes prickle. (

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whatmeworry | Apr 9, 2022 |

https://sravikabodapati.blogspot.com/2022/03/room-by-emma-donoghue-book-review.h... (

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nagasravika.bodapati | Mar 30, 2022 |

I couldn't get into this at first because the premise is so disturbing but Jack's voice is believable for the most part and it gets interesting. (

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Dairyqueen84 | Mar 15, 2022 |

This was a book club selection and I didn't think I would like it at all, but I did. It was a disturbing subject, but was handled well and was interesting. I listened to the audiobook which was acted out by different people, mostly by the little boy, Jack. At times it was difficult to determine if he was saying things or just thinking them, but it was well done. (

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Wren73 | Mar 4, 2022 |

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▾Published reviews

6 reviews

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thingScore 100

Room is disturbing, thrilling, and emotionally compelling. Emma Donoghue has produced a novel that is sure to stay in the minds of readers for years to come.

added by lkernagh | editQuill & Quire, Dory Cerny (Oct 1, 2010)

This is a truly memorable novel, one that can be read through myriad lenses — psychological, sociological, political. It presents an utterly unique way to talk about love, all the while giving us a fresh, expansive eye on the world in which we live.

added by lkernagh | editThe New York Times, Aimee Bender (Sep 16, 2010)

the book’s second half is less effective than its first. Perhaps this is inevitable given the changed circumstances of the protagonists. The walls that enclosed them also intensified their drama.

added by lkernagh | editThe Globe and Mail, Stephen Amidon (Sep 10, 2010)

Wrenching, as befits the grim subject matter, but also tender, touching and at times unexpectedly funny.

added by Shortride | editKirkus Reviews (Aug 1, 2010)

Donoghue's great strength -- apart from her storytelling gift -- is her emotional intelligence. We get just enough information to feel uncomfortable -- and therefore, to question our assumptions about how family life ought to be; and to know that life will always be an unequal struggle.

added by krazy4katz | editIrish Independent, Mary Shine Thompson (Jul 24, 2010)

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▾Other authors

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Author name	Role	Type of author	Work?	Status
Donoghue, Emma	—	primary author	all editions	confirmed
Archer, Ellen	Narrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Borówka, Ewa	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Buhl, Virginie	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Friedman, Michal	Narrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Glasnovik, Negica	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Gontermann, Armin	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Güven, Gül Çağalı	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Gundersen, Inge Ulrik	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Javādī, Muḥamad	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Mejak, Tea	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Petkoff, Robert	Narrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Rocca, Chiara Spallino	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Smits, Manon	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
So-yŏng, Yu	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Toren, Suzanne	Narrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Torrescasana, Albert	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Vázquez Nacarino, Eugenia	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Volhejnová, Veronika	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Zhang, Dingqi	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed

▾Series and work relationships

Belongs to Publisher Series

Piper (30981)

Has the adaptation

Room [2015 film] by Lenny Abrahamson

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▾Common Knowledge

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Canonical title

Room

Original title

Room

Alternative titles

Original publication date

People/Characters

Important places

Important events

Related movies

Room (IMDb)

Awards and honors

New York Times bestseller (Fiction, 2010)

Booker Prize Shortlist (2010)

Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize (2010)

Indigo Books Heather's Pick (2010)

New York Times Best Books of the Year (2010)

(show all 33 items)

Epigraph

My Child

Such trouble I have.

And you sleep, your heart is placid;

you dream in the joyless wood;

in the night nailed in bronze,

in the blue dark you lie still and shine.

Simonides (C. 556-468 BCE), "Danae" (tr. Richmond Lattimore)

Dedication

Room is for Finn & Una, my best works.

First words

Today I'm five.

Quotations

In Room I was safe and Outside is the scary.

In the world I notice persons are nearly always stressed and have no time. Even Grandma often says that, but she and Steppa don't have jobs, so I don't know how persons with jobs do the jobs and all the living as well. In Room me and Ma had time for everything. 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.

Last words

(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)

Disambiguation notice

Publisher's editors

Clain, Judy (Little, Brown)

Humphreys, Sam (Picador)

Tupholme, Iris (HarperCollins Canada)

Blurbers

Original language

Canonical DDC/MDS

Canonical LCC

▾References

References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English (1)

Room (novel)

▾Book descriptions

Narrator Jack and his mother, who was kidnapped seven years earlier when she was a 19-year-old college student, celebrate his fifth birthday. They live in a tiny, 11-foot-square soundproofed cell in a converted shed in the kidnapper's yard. The sociopath, whom Jack has dubbed Old Nick, visits at night, grudgingly doling out food and supplies. But Ma, as Jack calls her, proves to be resilient and resourceful--and attempts a nail-biting escape.

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Book description

The entire story is told from the perspective of a 5 year old little boy. Room is his entire world. Where he was born and grew up. It's where he lives with his Ma as they learn & read & eat & sleep & play. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in Wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits. Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it is the prison where Old Nick has held her captive for seven years. Through determination, ingenuity, and fierce motherly love, Ma has created a life for Jack. But she knows it's not enough. not for her or for him. She devises a bold escape plan, one that relies on her young son's bravery and a lot of luck. What she does not realize is just how unprepared she is for the plan to actually work.

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