The Birth of a Winner?

The two excerpts that stood out the most for me were from "Room" by Emma Donoghue and "Cities of Refuge", by Michael Helm. While reading the excerpt from "Cities of Refuge," I found that the opening paragraphs were particularly well written. An immense amount of sensory detail allowed me to picture the story unraveling in my mind. It seemed as if I were following the "foreign girl" and watching her every move. This appeals to me immensely because I enjoy reading for detail. After reading this excerpt, it is clear that this novel is not a light read. This also appeals to me because I just finished reading "The Life of Pi" and I am looking for a more challenging novel.

Emma Donoghue has done an excellent job writing "Room" from the point of view of a young child. It is fascinating to imagine your thought process at this age, which ends up being surprisingly close to that of the boy in this novel. The concept of an isolated boy convinced that one single room is all that exists is interesting, but seems hard to convey on paper. However, Ms. Donoghue is successful in this excerpt by accurately portraying the relationship between a loving mother and her son. The boy’s dialogue is simple and effective. The boy says, “To sick me like when I was three with throw-up and diarrhea?” This is a perfect example of something a five year old would say and exactly why this excerpt seems almost non-fiction to the reader. This excerpt and novel appeal to me because of the surprising plot and fascinating dialogue. When I was introduced to the book a few weeks ago I was astonished by the plot and immediately interested in reading it. I believe that "Room" deserves to win the "Writer's Trust Fiction Prize" because it is the only novel that stood out for me. I plan on reading "Room" in the near future and hopefully it lives up to the excerpt.



"The birth of a winner?"
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/books/the-birth-of-a-winner/article1776842/