Typically, when I think of anything related to 12 x 12, the following comes to mind:
• A scrapbook page
• An album to hold a collection of scrapbook pages
• A Suduko puzzle (though I’ve never solved one because these things frustrate the hell out of me)
• Multiplication tables through “the twelves”
• The cover of a vintage 33rpm vinyl album
A dwelling does not come to mind—even though I’ve purchased overpriced real estate in Southern California.
In Room, 12 x 12 is a shed inhabited by five year-old Jack and his “ma”. Through Jack’s voice, we learn that he was born in Room, plays on Rug, sleeps in Wardrobe, eats at Table and has never been outside beyond the locked Door. We also learn that a mysterious “Old Nick” visits Jack and his ma almost nightly; mostly to repeatedly rape Ma while Jack hides in Wardrobe, but also to remove trash and bring sparse supplies of food and clothing. At a certain point, Jack’s young Ma determines that she’s had enough and is ready to risk everything in an attempt to escape and it is only then that she reveals how she and Jack arrived in Room in the first place and why they’ve lived there for so many horrific years.
Life outside Room is fascinating, terrifying, stimulating and ultimately exhausting for both Jack and his ma. The overwhelming adjustments they must make to survive result in their longing for change and the unique execution of their desires in ways that are both predictable and heartbreaking.
I’ll stop here. The less I share, the more the book retains its incredible power. Read it. Definitely.
