Books "ROOM"

Title : “ROOM”

Copyright © 2010 by Emma Donoghue Ltd.

Cover design by Keith Hayes

Cover © 2011 Hachette Book Group, Inc.

Back Bay Books / Little, Brown and Company

Printed in the United States of America

Originally published in hardcover by Little, Brown and Company, September 2010

First Back Bay international edition, January 2011 | 370 p | ISBN  978-0-316-18387-1

Rate : 5 of 5

[ Goodreads ]

~ Conclusion in Bahasa Indonesia at the bottom post ~

“Today I’m five. I was four last night going to sleep in Wardrobe, but when I wake up in Bed in the dark I’m changed to five, abracadabra. Before that I was three, then two, then one, then zero.”

Room is where Jack was born, where he plays with Ma, where he sleep, eat, prays, watching TV, taking baths, and do everything as he like on schedule. Room is the world, where only Jack and Ma exist, sometimes Old Nick too when he show-up occasionally. Jack is a a good kid, with enthuasim and curiosity like any other child at his age. But Jack is not an ordinary kid. Because he believe the world only what he sees, feels, and touch is in the Room. Outside Room is just imaginary, at least that’s what Ma often say to him.

But when Jack turn in five, something happen in the world of Room. Jack never knew what’s the problem. Might be because he not growing up. Or maybe Ma just turn into someone else. She often got sick, moody and did not want to plays with him as much as they use to ... Then everything turn-up-side-down, when Ma tells story that so weird and peculiar. That there is another world out side the Room, and they are real not just imagination. But it’s getting worse, when Ma pushed Jack into danger game – The Escape, where Jack must go sneak-out the Room into out side world, so they all can be rescue ... from old Nick.

Can Jack manage to fulfil their mission ? Even though Ma order Jack to play-death, wrapped in old carpets so that Old Nick can giving proper burial outside the Room ? Could Jack be brave enough to be alone without Ma and gets some help from strangers ? And what they will do after already outside the Room ? This is a gripping story, so strong with powerful message on how human can do anything, from bad to worse, from becoming victims into survivor, no matter how old they are, five years old nor older than twenties. Jack character’s really surprise me, every word, every thought, in each dialogue so truthfull and innocent with so many curiosities that sometimes makes adult got serious thinking in answering the simple questions.

Note : there is a paraphrase where makes me confuse, did Jack really a little boy or a liitle girl, specially on the scene when Jack escaping and running away from Old Nick and accidently meet with stranger who help Jack. In that point, I just thinking, if this child really a little girl, that’s also explain why the Mother hide Jack from Old Nick, to protect the child becoming another victims like her experience. But then by the rest of the story, I’m pretty sure that Jack’s describe as a boy. So why those dialogue about Jack’s appearance as boy or girl show-up in the line ? #stillconfuse

Conclusion :

Kisah ini benar-benar membuatku terkejut. Bukan karena realita yang terjadi dalam kisah ini, melainkan cara penulis menuturkan kisah ini melalui sudut pandang seorang bocah berusia 5 tahun bernama Jack. Dari awal pembaca dituntun untuk mengikuti kehidupan Jack bersama sang ibu, yang sekilas tampak normal hingga perlahan-perlahan detil-detil tentang kehidupan mereka mulai terbentuk, memberikan gambaran kehidupan yang sangat mengejutkan. Jack dan ibunya tinggal di sebuah ruangan, yang disebut sebagai Room. Semenjak lahir hingga menginjak usia 5 tahun, Jack hanya mengenal Room sebagai dunia di mana dirinya dan sang ibu tinggal serta menjalani rutinitas harian. Tiada pertanyaan tentang dunia di luar Room, karena Jack hanya mengetahui dunia di luar Room adalah imajinasi, sebagaimana semua yang muncul melalui televisi. Dunia hanya ada Jack dan Ma, dan kadang-kadang muncul Old Nick, yang tidak disukai oleh Jack karena setiap kali ia muncul, Jack harus bersembunyi di dalam lemari pakaian.

Mudah dipahami bahwa Ma adalah korban Old Nick, yang diculik semasa remaja dan disekap selama bertahun-tahun, dijadikan budak seks hingga ia melahirkan Jack. Kisah ini terasa sangat menyentuh karena melalui sudut pandang Jack, kasih sayang sang ibu sangat besar untuk melindungi dirinya dari sang ayah yang bisa dikatakan sebagai monster, walau dalam pemahaman Jack ia tak mengenal siapa atau apa gerangan seorang ayah. Perjuangan baik Jack maupun sang ibu setelah berhasil melarikan diri dan ditolong oleh pihak berwajib, terus berlanjut karena mereka berdua telah disekap selama bertahun-tahun tanpa interaksi dengan dunia luar. Bagaimana penulis mampu menuturkan kisah yang sangat kompleks melalui dialog-dialog sederhana nan menyentuh, membuat kisah ini benar-benar membekas di benakku, bahkan setelah usai membacanya. Bahkan pilihan penulis untuk menyoroti sisi kelemahan dan negatif dari manusia, justru berdampak positif bagi diriku selaku pembaca. Manusia adalah makhluk yang sangat rentan dan mudah terpengaruh, namun dengan kesabaran, ketekunan dan kasih sayang, jiwa yang rusak masih memiliki peluang untuk pulih. Love it !

[ more about the auntor & related works, just check at here : Emma Donoghue | on Goodreads | The Room's Site  ]

~ This Post are include in 2014 Reading Challenge ~

107^th Book in Finding New Author Challenge

260^th Book in TBRR Pile

Best Regards,

Hobby Buku