| The Room | |
|---|---|
1st edition |
|
| Author(s) | Hubert Selby Jr |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Fiction Modern tragedy |
| Publisher | Grove Press |
| Publication date | 1971 |
| Media type | |
| Preceded by | Last Exit to Brooklyn |
| Followed by | The Demon |
The Room is the second novel by Hubert Selby, Jr., first published in 1971.[1]
Contents |
The novel centers on a nameless petty criminal locked in a remand cell, and explores his feelings of impotence, hatred and rage, and fantasies of revenge.[1]
Selby described the critical reception of the book as "the greatest reviews I've ever read in my life", although in reality it was not well-received.[1][2] The novel was regarded by Selby as the most disturbing book ever written, and Selby stated that he himself was unable to read it again for 20 years.[2] At least one reviewer has expressed similar feelings, with claims that reading the novel made them physically sick.[3] It has been described as "a terrifying journey into the darkest corners of the psyche."[4]
A section of The Room is used in Richard Linklater's Waking Life, where a red-faced man in a jail cell describes in vivid detail the abuse he intends to inflict once he is released. [5]