A review by bookwoods
A Room Called Earth by Madeleine Ryan

emotional reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 I’m starting to realize how much I love novels that are written as stream of consciousness, which can be defined as “a narrative mode or method that attempts to depict the multitudinous thoughts and feelings which pass through the mind of a narrator”. I especially enjoy when the story only covers a short amount of time - you get such an intense experience with the character and may understand them better than if you follow their lives for years in a more superficial style. 

One of my favorite books from last year, Summerwater by Sarah Moss does stream of consciousness extremely well. The narrative shifts from character to character, giving glimpses into their inner world as they spend a rainy summer day in a Scottish cabin park. Another prime example of the writing method is a novel I devoured last weekend, A Room Called Earth by Madeleine Ryan. 

It’s the day before Christmas Eve in Melbourne Australia, and the unnamed main character, a twenty-something woman, is preparing to go to a party. Getting ready is like a ritual, during which her thoughts wander: thinking of her past relationships, her conflicted feelings about being an Australian and hopes for the evening. We follow her through this process, to the party, and into the next day. 

I can imagine some people finding A Room Called Earth a bit boring and pointless. There isn’t much of a plot and the writing simply recites her actions, thoughts and conversations. However, I felt utterly fascinated by it all! Sometimes the main character comes across as annoying and privileged, or more like annoying because of her privileges, but her approach to life and living in the moment has a lot to admire. And honestly, I don’t think I could follow any person’s thoughts and not get fed up with something. I also consider it a bonus to have been given a perspective into some modern Australian issues, I hadn’t realized how superficial my knowledge of the country is.