Read Harder Review - Room (Read a book that has been adapted into a movie, then watch the movie and debate which is better)

I've had grungy mass market paperback copy of Room for at least a year now. I got it from a used book sale. I had every intention of reading it, especially before the movie adaptation was released, but I never got around to it. I'd pick it up, read the first paragraph, and feel like I couldn't do it.

It got harder to stay away from spoilery bits thanks to trailers and commercials of the film and the fact that Brie Larson won pretty much every award ever for her role as Ma (I did manage, though!). I literally ran out of the room when they showed clips from the film during the Oscars. I didn't know when I would get to reading it, but I had pulled it from my shelf during the Academy Awards. I didn't start it, but I didn't put it back. This past Friday, I saw it on the coffee table, lookin' at me, and I thought, let me see if I can get past the first page. 175 pages later, I was like, well, I'm in this now!

If you haven't seen or heard anything about Room, then I recommend sticking to the vague description on the back of the book:

"To five-year-old-Jack, Room is the world. . . . It's where he was born, it's where he and his Ma eat and sleep and play and learn. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits. 

Room is home to Jack, but to Ma it's the prison where she has been held for seven years. Through her fierce love for her son, she has created a life for him in this eleven-by-eleven-foot space. But with Jack's curiosity building alongside her own desperation, she knows that Room cannot contain either much longer.

Room is a tale at once shocking, riveting, exhilarating--a story of unconquerable love in harrowing circumstances, and of the diamond-hard bond between a mother and her child."

Since I'm using this as my Book-to-Movie adaptation debate on the Book Riot Read Harder Challenge, I will be reviewing both below. I am going to keep it as vague as possible to avoid spoiling you guys!

Room - The Book

This book is strangely but beautifully written. 5 year old Jack is telling the story so his grammar isn't great, his viewpoint of the world is very narrow and specific, and he is sensitive and angry and confused by his mother's ability to be so many different ways at once.

Because of this writing format, I think it is understandable that it might be hard to get into at first. I initially felt this way, but it definitely didn't last long. It took only several pages to get comfortable with the storytelling. Once you get to that point, I don't doubt you'll find yourself gobbling it up with ferocity. I did not expect to read nearly 200 pages in a matter of a couple of hours.

The story is haunting. You won't want to put it down. You'll need to know what happens next. Unlike a thriller with twists and turns, this book keeps you reading with a fearful yet hopeful heart. If you're interested in reading this (and trust me, you should be), pick a day when you have nothing to do. You'll probably have it finished before dinner. 

 Room - The Movie

WARNING. THERE WILL BE SPOILERS BELOW. I REALLY TRIED TO AVOID IT, BUT IT'S KIND OF HARD TO LEAVE THEM OUT WHEN COMPARING THE MOVIE AND THE BOOK. COME BACK WHEN YOU'VE SEEN IT!



One thing I really appreciate when it comes to book-to-movie adaptations is when the author gets a significant say in the story. This is rarely the case, but Emma Donaghue, the author, actually wrote the screenplay as well! So that's cool. The changes made might not have always been her choice, but she adapted the film and so it's interesting that the movie is different than the book in a couple of significant ways.

As mentioned above, Jack is our narrator. He's 5 years old and he's only ever known Room and his Ma. Having him tell us the story makes it incredibly interesting, because we experience leaving Room in a way that isn't necessarily freeing, as it would be in the eyes of Ma. When Jack finally enters the world, he is not only leaving behind Room, but he's also kind of losing his Ma. He's really experiencing everything on his own, making it such a complete change from his former life. 

In the movie, Ma plays a bigger role post-rescue. Unlike the book, she presses for them to go home as soon as possible (in the book, they stay in a clinic for psychological and physical health needs). She still has the same disconnect, the inability to feel joy despite the fact that she is free. I think actually seeing her reactions to Jack help get that across. The overdose is part of both the book and the movie, but it's handled differently. In the movie, Jack and his mother are at the house and she gets taken away. In the book, they are in the hospital and Jack gets taken away. I personally prefer him being taken away in the sense that we really see him interact with his new-found freedom. The TV interview that took place before this still seems to be the catalyst for Ma's overdose. In the movie, a bigger question is raised by the interviewer: Why didn't you give him freedom from the start? Ma can't help but wonder if she is a bad mother.

My boyfriend always says that you can't really compare a book and it's movie adaptation because they will always be two different representations. It's especially true in this case. It felt similar and still a little disconnected from the heart of the book, where Jack is our true narrator and we really understand his connection to Room and his fear of the new world. If I have to choose between the two, I prefer the book. But I think the adaptation was still well-done and I cried during both so the emotion is still very much there. 

Also important: I can't imagine anyone else nailing the role of Jack like Jacob Tremblay did. I know Brie Larson won all of the awards, but it's Jacob who truly steals the show. 




I'd love to know your thoughts if you've read the book and/or seen the film. Did you prefer one more than the other? Did you feel it was a faithful adaptation?