Posted by Guillermo Maynez
on 7/3/2012, 16:15:38, in reply to "Re: Room"
201.103.255.64
Although from early in the book I could see the creepy side of it, that is the tragic kidnapping and serial rape of a young woman by a psychopath, and the truly heroic efforts of the woman to survive (physically, intellectually, and above all emotionally) to her ordeal, and raise her kid, of which she does a remarkable job given the circumstances, I couldn't help but laughing at the whole situation. Maybe I'm a case of insensitivity and black humor, but it all was sadly comical to me.
Nevertheless, throughout the book I could empathize with the woman, and feel the utter boredom and despair that posessed her. It's a miracle she didn't take her own life, and probably the kid did save her. Now, Jack's not particularly annoying (I've met worse), but at some point he began to irritate me. I agree with Steven in that the first half is better than the second, and as always appreciate Sterling's comments on Jack's psychological situation. My guess is that, almost inevitably, Jack will be an isolated, weird individual. I hope his therapist is very good and he may one day separate himself emotionally from his mother, though I doubt it.
As for literature (understood broadly as the art of using language to create beauty and give profound insight into human nature), this is a no-go book. It's simply laughable.
--Previous Message--
: I enjoyed the book until the part after the escape when
: it seemed like the author had spent all this time
: building up psychological barriers to Jack's
: acclimatization to reality, only to let them fall with
: ridiculous ease in the rush to a happy ending.
:
: I've read other comments about Room that agree with my
: feelings--the first half was better than the last, and
: the longer I'm away from the book the lower my opinion
: of it.
:
: The breast feeding is one of several issues that seems
: like it's going to be a big deal, but then just sort
: of goes away. I suppose Sharon (her name is mentioned
: only once, I believe) did this so she wouldn't get
: pregnant again, but there's no explanation given.
: (Extended breast feeding has long been a common
: practice in rural China, by the way, and authors Ma
: Jian and Mo Yan have both written stories about boys
: being breastfed past puberty.)
:
: For a while I thought the author was going to build on
: the theme of Jack's learning a language with so little
: exposure to its material foundations. But this idea
: seems only to be used as a source of humor.
:
: I suppose the point the author wants to make is that
: Jack has an easier time adjusting to his new world
: than his mother does in re-adjusting to the world she
: already knew. I have a hard time thinking that would
: be the case.
:
: I guess Room is following a trend of child-narrator
: books: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the
: Night-Time, Life of Pi, and Extremely Loud and
: Incredibly Close.
:
: It's interesting that an author born in Ireland and
: living in Canada chose to set this novel in the U.S.
: She makes one barbed comment about the U.S. keeping
: people in solitary confinement for years, so perhaps
: the choice of setting is a political statement.
:
: --Previous Message--
: Very funny, Guillermo! You nailed it right on the
: head.
:
: As the psychologist of our group, I can't help but
: wonder just how messed up Jack is going to be. First,
: he did not pass through the two-year-old
: separation-individuation stage. He maintains the
: infantile maternal dyad. Breast feeding a
: five-year-old struck me as extremely creepy. Which
: leads me to the other major improperly resolved
: conflict. This kid has a genuine Oedipal situation.
: He is involved in a quasi-sexual romance with his
: mother complete with the breast fixation and little
: erections. And Father really will kill him--that's
: not juvenile fantasy. Except he vanquishes Father and
: keeps Mother. Yikes!
:
:
:
: --Previous Message--
: I'm reading Book. It has zillions of pages, but no
: pictures. When I'm tired I get some. I have been in
: Room for years and years. When I'm hungry, Wife brungs
: me yucky defatted chicken broth. Then I talk on the
: phone with Doctor. Ma has arrived from Outside to help
: take care of me. I play with Blackberry, pretending
: I'm working. Sometimes I take Silly Penis for a pee.
: Today I ventured Outisde for the first time in years
: and years. I had to go to Economy Department to talk
: to stupid Bureaucrats. When I get back to Room I'm
: tired and put on my PJ's. Then I take Crayons and draw
: a picture of stupid Bureaucrats hanging on Rope. Then
: I go back to reading Book, I finish it and then crawl
: to Computer to write to imaginary Friends on
: internet's Book Club. Then I go back to Room, hide
: under Duvet, and try to switch off.
:
:
:
:
:
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