Personally I am not a big reader. The most I have ever read is the Hunger Games Trilogy and that was only because I was too impatient to wait for the last film to come out. I usually only read when I am really bored or the book has a really good plot line. When I was younger I really enjoyed reading Michael Morpurgo as his stories were based around the world wars, a topic which really interests me. This area of interest encouraged me to then go and read another few books by different authors based on the world wars.
At first, when being asked to read ‘Room’ by Emma Donoghue , I did not really want to read it as it looked a little bit boring and not like a book I would have usually read. However, I had to read it in order to keep up with my studies, so I did. In the beginning of the book, I found it really challenging to read as it was taken from the perspective of a five year old boy, who’s language was highly developed in some places and diminished in others. Donoghue writes from the perspective of Jack – a five year old boy who has only ever been exposed to the room that he has stayed in all his life and the television that is in this room. As Jack is only five his language hasn’t fully developed yet and so it felt like I was reading a script of what a five year old had spoken instead of a story being told.
Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this book once I got into it. The story was really gripping and it made me want to keep reading with every turn of the page. I never knew where the story would go next and so didn’t want to put the book down. There were points in the book where I wasn’t sure how the author was going to carry on the story as I felt there was nowhere else to go. However, Donoghue expanded the story, not just stopping once they escaped from the room, she continued on and showed how Jack and Ma’s life went on after it and the struggles they faced in a day to day life.
Personally, I feel that ‘Room’ has significantly developed my reading skills as it has allowed me to read from a perspective which I never have before (that of a five year olds). I have spoken to many five year olds and read many of their stories however having to read a novel entirely based on ones thoughts was a really new experience. I found this novel challenging at first however found it rather enjoyable as the book progressed as it allowed me to really get into the mind set of that particular child and see the world how he saw it. By reading this book, it has allowed me to understand that all children see the world differently and different factors and home environments transfer into what a child’s language development is like.
I really enjoyed reading ‘Room’ however, in my opinion it hasn’t made me want to go an read another book straight away. Nevertheless, now that I have read this book I am now more open to reading one which is similar so that I can gain a greater knowledge of the way a child can see and take in the world.
