Essay: In the Night Room – Peter Straub

In the Night Room is an award-winning novel written by American author Peter Straub. Straub is a well-known American author of many works of horror. Room was nearly universally acclaimed by critics as a fantastic work of horror (In the Night Room, Wikipedia). In addition to receiving critical acclaim, Room was also the recipient of the 2004 Bram Stoker Award for literature of the horror genre. With the release of Room, Straub proved with his terrifying and chilling writing style that he is a force to be reckoned with in the horror genre.
Peter Francis Straub was born on March 2, 1943, as the first child of Elvena and Gordon Anthony Straub. Peter Straub was raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the first of three sons to his mother, a nurse, and his father, a salesman (Biography). Straub enjoyed reading from a very young age, but his parents were not very supportive of his fascination with reading (Biography). Against the wishes of Straub, his parents wanted him to become a doctor, minister, or athlete (Biography). Straub taught himself how to read while in kindergarten without the help of his parents (Biography). As a child Straub memorized his favorite stories and comic books and recited them to children in his neighborhood (Biography). Straub read books from his local library about detectives, criminals, and spies (Biography). Straub earned a reputation as a skilled storyteller as a young boy, and he recited stories around campfires with his friends during the summers of his youth (Biography).
Unfortunately, tragedy struck young Straub at the age of seven (Biography). Straub was struck by a vehicle and sustained very serious injuries (Biography). The accident took a toll on the friendly and joyous Straub by bringing a period of darkness and depression to his life (Biography). Straub suffered many physical injuries along with mental and emotional instability (Biography). Straub often had nightmares in his youth because of the accident he was involved in (Biography). In addition to the aforementioned injuries, Straub developed a severe stutter after the car accident that followed him throughout his childhood and even into his twenties (Biography). Straub’s stutter still shows up occasionally to this day, even at the age of seventy-five (Biography).
Straub graduated in 1965 from the University of Wisconsin–Madison with an honors degree in English (Biography). Straub continued his education at Columbia University in New York City, New York (Biography). Straub graduated from Columbia University in 1966 with a master’s degree in the arts (Biography). Straub married his wife Susan on August 27, 1966 (Biography). Straub took a job as an English teacher at his old school, Milwaukee Country Day School (Biography). Shortly after taking the job, Straub moved to Dublin, Ireland, in 1969 to work on his doctorate degree and take writing seriously (Biography). Straub began publishing poems from 1969 through 1972 (Biography). Straub eventually moved on to writing novels and published his first book, Marriages, in 1973 (Biography). After publishing Marriages, Straub moved once again with London, England, being his next city of residence (Biography). Straub and his wife purchased a home in England and gave birth to their child Benjamin in the late 1970s (Biography).
Straub began writing another novel, Ghost Story, after the birth of his child (Biography). Ghost Story later brought Straub national attention and was the first of many novels written by Straub to receive nearly universal acclaim (Peter Straub). Ghost Story, which is a novel about a group of older men that tell horror stories about the worst things they have done, brought Straub into the spotlight and made him a prominent horror author (Straub, Interview). Straub returned to America in 1979 and had a second child, Emma, in Westport, Connecticut (Biography). The Straub family moved one last time to New York, New York, where Straub and his wife still live to this day (Biography).
Straub has gone on to enjoy great success as a member of the Horror Writers Association, Mystery Writers of America Association, and the PEN International Association of Writers (Biography). Straub’s children have gone on to be quite successful. Straub’s daughter has become a novelist and his son has become a film agent (Biography). Straub has received five Bram Stoker Awards throughout his career (Bram Stoker Award for Novel). Straub has gone on to be a #1 New York Times bestselling author (Straub et al. The Talisman, Book Jacket). In addition Straub has worked with another horror great, Stephen King, on two novels called The Talisman and Black House (Straub et al. Black House, Book Jacket).
The Bram Stoker Award is presented by the Horror Writers Association, also known as the HWA (About the Bram). The HWA was formed in 1985 as a non-profit organization of professional horror writers (Horror Writers). The HWA is made up of more than 1,250 active members that vote for various awards every year (Horror Writers). The Bram Stoker Award is presented every year and named in honor of author Bram Stoker (About the Bram). Bram Stoker was born in Dublin, Ireland, and he published nearly a dozen novels (Bram Stoker Award). Stoker is renowned for his work in the horror genre, specifically his novel Dracula (About the Bram).
The Bram Stoker Award is given for excellent achievement in the horror genre (About the Bram). The Bram Stoker Award was first presented immediately after the incorporation of the HWA in 1988 (About the Bram). Many members of HWA feared that endorsing the Bram Stoker Award would encourage competitiveness rather than admiration (Bram Stoker Award). However, the award was designed to allow for multiple winners to discourage competitiveness (About the Bram). Winners of the Bram Stoker Award receive a trophy designed by sculptor Steven Kirk (About the Bram). The trophy for the award is made by New York firm Society Awards (Bram Stoker Award). The trophy is a replica of a haunted house that is eight inches tall and features a brass plaque engraved with the work that won the award the name of the author that won (About the Bram).
The Bram Stoker Award has been awarded to a multitude of renowned horror authors. Past winners of the Bram Stoker Award include J.K. Rowling, Stephen King, and David Morrell (Bram Stoker Award). The HWA allows for authors to win the Bram Stoker Award an infinite amount of times (Bram Stoker Award). However, only four authors have ever won the Bram Stoker Award multiple times (Bram Stoker Award). Stephen King has won the award an impressive six times (Bram Stoker Award). Peter Straub has won five times, Robert R. McCammon has won three times, and Sarah Langan has won two times (Bram Stoker Award).
The rules for winning the Bram Stoker Award are deliberately designed to allow for more than one winner in a single year (About the Bram). The Bram Stoker Award is not an award for the best horror novel of the year but rather for superior achievement in the genre of horror (Bram Stoker Award). The rules for winning the award allow for more than one winner in order to avoid competitiveness between authors (Bram Stoker Award). By allowing more than one novel to receive the award each year, the HWA is inspiring all authors to excel in their writing rather than compete for the Bram Stoker Award.
Any work of horror first published in English is eligible for the Bram Stoker Award (Bram Stoker Award). The Bram Stoker Award is made up of eleven different categories (About the Bram). The eleven categories are Novel, First Novel, Short Fiction, Long Fiction, Young Adult, Fiction Collection, Poetry Collection, Anthology, Screenplay, Graphic Novel, and Non-Fiction (About the Bram). Works can be nominated for the Bram Stoker Award by recommendation from HWA members (About the Bram). Works can also be nominated for the Bram Stoker Award by juries that represent each of the eleven categories for the award (Bram Stoker Award). Recipients of the Bram Stoker Award are chosen by ballot of HWA members (Bram Stoker Award).
In the Night Room is not a stand alone novel. Room is a direct sequel to the 2003 Straub novel titled Lost Boy, Lost Girl (Kirkus Reviews). Lost was also a recipient of the Bram Stoker Award in addition to Room. Lost received the award in 2003 and became Straub’s third Bram Stoker win. In addition, Lost was the recipient of the 2003 International Horror Guild Award. Both Lost and Room are considered some of Straub’s best works.
In the Night Room deserved the Bram Stoker Award in 2004 for superior achievement in horror writing. Room is an excellent example of a horror novel with brilliant character development. Often times horror novels lack strong and developed characters in favor of scary and intense plots that do not allow for character development. However, Room is an exception with multiple multi-dimensional characters that are developed skillfully. The character with the greatest development in In the Night Room is Timothy Underhill. The character arc of Underhill shows the fantastic writing abilities of Timothy Underhill.
In the Night Room was worthy of the Bram Stoker Award for its perfect blend of humor and horror. Straub did a seamless job blending sarcastic jokes with eerie and terrifying descriptions. Room also was worthy of the award for its emotional and heartbreaking portrayal of loss and grief. Straub uses the character Timothy Underhill to show how grief can alter our sense of reality. Underhill claims to have seen the ghost of his dead sister, April, on multiple occasions throughout New York City and while on vacations in other countries (Straub, 156). In reality, Underhill had been seeing young girls that his mind had mistaken for his sister on all but one occasion. Underhill still doubts whether or not he truly saw his sister while in Vietnam. Underhill saw the ghost of April in Camp Crandall, Vietnam, and still questions if he really saw her or another young girl that time (Straub, 157).
Another character haunted by grief and loss is Willy Patrick. Patrick lost both of her parents in a car accident at a very young age. The loss of her parents forever plagued Patrick’s mind and played a large role in her declining mental health. Patrick discusses how she seemingly goes crazy at times when she thinks about the death of her daughter. Patrick sometimes visits the place of her daughter’s death. Her daughter was murdered in a warehouse, and Patrick still worries every single day that her daughter may still be alive inside the building.
In the Night Room uses an interesting and unique technique that made the novel worthy of the Bram Stoker Award (In the Night Room, Wikipedia). Straub uses a technique that entails