No matter how hard we try, life doesn’t always go as we plan. Just as Harry begins to pick up the pieces of his life, emotions once hidden away must be dealt with as old wounds are exposed. Although he finally meets a woman who understands and truly loves him, the cosmos takes a different path. He discovers that what goes wrong in life sometimes matters as much as what goes right.
Excerpt
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Reviews for "The Room"
Reviewed by Apex Reviews
8/12/2007
It was quiet in the room for awhile, but Harry could hear his brother still turning in bed.
"Malcolm. Can't you sleep?" Harry asked.
"I'm trying to, but I keep waking up. I was thinking about something, Harry. Daniel's family believes in God. They say he watches over people. Do you think it's true?"
"Not over us, Malcolm."
And so childhood goes for brothers Harry and Malcolm Ladd: victims of an extremely abusive father whose rage spares neither them nor their mother, for years forced to rely only on each other for the emotional, physical, and even financial support they need to endure a harsh reality that's theirs by inheritance alone. Faced with daily onslaughts of flying insults, food, and fists, ultimately the only solace that either boy can find is the safe haven of the closet located in their mother's room, momentarily insulated from their father's endless tirades.
As an unfortunate consequence, as time - and the abuse - goes on, the boys grow apart. Even more unfortunate is that Malcolm, the younger of the two, in his constant struggles to understand the reasons behind his father's violent behavior, ultimately blames his mother for allowing the abuse to continue. Despite Harry's best efforts to preserve his relationship with Malcolm, his younger brother eventually severs all family ties and moves on with his life as if he never knew his father, mother, or brother at all.
Thus, the stage is set for Harry, The Room's protagonist, as he struggles through one trial after another: overcoming his abusive childhood, he marries the successful, well-off Sarah - only to see his marriage crumble due to irreconcilable differences. The worst result of this? He loses custody of his precious daughters, Kaela and Lainey, who mean more to him than anything else in the world. And as if things couldn't get any worse, his mother is soon diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, coupled with a worsening dementia that rivals that of the worst Alzheimer's patients. You'd think that having to endure such setbacks would strengthen Harry's resolve, even making him a religious man, seeking God for peace & understanding amidst all the chaos in his life - but not so. Harry is a lifelong atheist, and he makes no secret of his disdain for organized religion. Witness an amusing exchange he has one afternoon with two Bible-thumping women on a scouting mission in his neighborhood:
Harry: "How do you know what your God thinks? Because someone told you? I plan to live my life the best I can and then make way for my children, and hopefully grandchildren to have their time."
Woman: "It sounds like you hate God."
Harry: "I don't believe in your god. Why would I hate him? What I hate is being cornered by his sales people."
In fact, even though his mood isn't normally upbeat, Harry remains resolved that things simply are the way that they're meant to be, and that, for good or for bad, people make way too much of trying to assign particular (divine) value to things. And his life soon goes on the upswing as he begins a promising relationship with Lacie, a remarkably sweet, supportive, and loving young woman in her own right. So, his renewed outlook on life bolsters him as he faces the onset of the inevitable, visiting his mother regularly and routinely humoring her during her delusions, comforting her for her own peace of mind - until his final visit to her before she dies: from the moment he arrives at the house, he senses something isn't quite right, and as soon as he steps foot in her room to spend what will be his final moments with her, his reality is suddenly transformed by a force the likes of which he cannot deny...what exactly it is or where exactly it comes from, though, remains a mystery...
For anyone who has ever wondered about the real psychological and emotional effects of domestic violence, The Room couldn't do a better job of highlighting its tragic truth in heart-breaking detail. The true genius, though, of Melnik's tale lies in the seamless way he intermarries cold scientific theory with the warmth of healing's redemptive power. In a refreshing twist, Melnik cleverly conveys a caveat that should serve as a clarion call for us all: even our most precious beliefs about life are always subject to revision - no matter how convinced we may be that things never change - and Harry's personification of this process is at the same time subtle and stirring.
A compelling read, very well written and crafted, The Room will surprise you with just how long its true message lingers well after you've put it down.
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