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The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner follows Romy Hall, a former stripper on her way to prison to begin her back to back life sentence for two homicides. Single mother to Jackson, this fictional novel presents as a memoir style or analysis of life in prison. From violence between inmates or cliques to the racism and transphobia that permeates Stanville prison, the novel takes these issues them and shapes them around Romy and her experience of prison. The constant contrast between her outside life and her life in prison not only exacerbates the treatment people serving life sentences face, and also acknowledges that some people will find it challenging to defeat the institutional discrimination they will face. From stripper to inmate, how different is Romy’s life inside prison to outside?
After hearing endlessly about this novel, Leena Norms’ brief review of made me purchase the audiobook and start it immediately. Weeks after finishing, I feel like I’ll never fully be able to form an opinion of this book, making this review extremely difficult. The words resonated with me as someone who has studied the incarceration system in America heavily, however, I’m still figuring out whether this is a good book outside of that, and here’s why.
Despite its message and attempt at shedding light on voices not often heard, the book doesn’t have a central plot or storyline, and virtually no drive. Because Romy is very aware she is going to spend the rest of her life in prison and resigns herself to that fate, the book falls into a pattern of being written as series recollections and observations. The lack of structure in this book alongside this vague plot creates a boring atmosphere around the book, leading to lack of motivation to read it. Often, I found myself not wanting to continue it as I knew I’d only be reading about Romy’s life experiences with a few anecdotes from prison. Essentially, I found it difficult to want to read a book I knew wouldn’t have a strong plot line.
However, even when I was reading it and found the plot boring at times, I’d find myself thinking about the characters, even though I stopped listening hours ago. Kushner has this unique ability to plant interest and care for these characters in the reader without the reader even realising the attachment is there. I still haven’t concluded whether this is because of writing techniques, the nature of the topic, or both, but I found it hard to stop thinking about the characters and the women in real life who these stories represent. When a book is released discussing an issue as pressing as female incarceration, prison violence and inmate treatment, it’s difficult to read the novel without pondering upon the ‘real life’ aspect of it. Romy Hall existed once I closed the book because other female inmates just like her still have to wake up across America, open that book and relive it all again. Hall’s character doesn’t cease to exist when the book is no longer read but exists alongside women who face a life sentence in the prison.
This paradox of the book being boring but also dominating my thoughts for two weeks is what has made this review so difficult. Has the book consumed me because it’s good or has it consumed me because I ache to help the Romy’s in prison? I guess I’ll never know, or you can see my star rating and deduce from that. I still don’t know what my rating will be as I’m writing this.
Another point I have to make that only points towards the author’s talent is her ability to make the reader heavily sympathise with the characters, no matter their sentence or crime. This is not due to guilty feelings or exaggerated comments made by the inmates, but by presenting the outside world as one that inevitably leads people to prison. Kushner’s acknowledgement of how difficult it is for some people to thrive in a system that has been built to suppress you is inspiring and impressive. The step-by-step process Kushner described in the case of Romy’s homicide makes it clear how the system needs to be reformed. Hopefully, my point is made clearer with the point below.
"If I had never worked at The Mars Room. If I had never met Creep Kennedy. If Creep Kennedy had not decided to stalk me. But he did decide to, and then he did it relentlessly. If none of that had happened, I would not be on a bus heading for a life in a concrete slot."
Above, the protagonist seems to trace back in her life to a point where if this never happened, she would have been saved. This scene is so poignant because not only does the author present us with the realisation that yes, some people would be ‘saved’ if they had a better childhood, had a better education, more financial support, the harsh reality also hits that if Romy didn’t end up in prison, the next person will. This institutional dynamic that underpins the entire novel is so incredible and fascinating and provocative.
If you feel like reading a book that will possibly consume you, or one that will make you think about a topic you tend to ignore, then this book is definitely for you. If there’s one book you need to read to make you think about the bigger picture, I strongly encourage you to read or listen to this book.
You can buy the book here:
Amazon US here
Amazon UK here
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5