Jack be nimble, Jack be quick..

The first thing that strikes you while reading Emma Donoghue's 'Room' is Jack's innocence, wisdom, and love for his Ma. But would not that be obvious? What else a 5 year old should be full of?

from google images

And that is why I liked 'Room'. Because the unusual situation the child and the parent are in (I am trying really hard to avoid spoilers here), telling the story through Jack's eyes. Of course that way you don't get to understand a lot of whys but it is a pretty unbiased view. In the sense, you do not really think about why the bad stuff happened, or why did the mother do so and not so. To me that was a narrative triumph. 


*spoiler/s ahoy (cant resist myself anymore)*
Also makes me wonder, how would I like to be 'Outside' not knowing there was an 'Outside'. But then I haven't been isolated for more than 7 days (knowing there is an Outside) and I have just discussed with brother how that austrian man should be punished (the story is inspired from that incident) and read about the stockholm syndrome. (talking/knowing about something and actually experiencing are a little tangential things, no?)


Of course, everyone finds closure and deals with the 'Outside' in their own way. Everyone has their own 'Room' too. Its unsettling to be in Jack and Ma's shoes though. Physically.
As Jack would say, I would say everyone feels a little 'scave' (that's scared + brave) all the time.


-nightflier

P.S. As usual while reading the book I had this *thought* that someone should make a hindi movie on the book with Vidya Balan as Ma.