Spoiler Warning: These book club discussion questions reveal important details about Room by Emma Donoghue. Finish the book before reading on.
- Why do you think the author chose to tell the story of Room through Jack and not through an omniscient, third-person narrator?
- Why does Jack call their captor "Old Nick?"
- Which elements of Jack's developmental delays and/or his integration issues surprised you most?
- When Ma is interviewed, the interviewer implies that perhaps not everyone would agree with Ma's decisions regarding Jack - first, her decision to keep him in Room when she could have tried to have Old Nick abandon him at a hospital, and second, to teach him that Room was all there is, that things in TV aren't real, etc. What are your thoughts regarding these decisions?
- Have you ever gotten into a car with someone you don't know, as Ma did? Did you find this to be a believable way for a 19-year-old to be kidnapped?
- Did you find yourself wanting to know more about Old Nick? If so, why do you think this is?
- Jack often wishes he were back in Room. Is there any way in which he would be better off back in isolation with only his mother? Why or why not?
- What sort of problems do you think Ma will face now that she and Jack are out on their own?
