What are the grand overall patterns of a novel ... and in this case, of Room ? And, while we"re about it, what do these patterns actually mean ? The comprehension of a novel, or of any piece of extended writing, does not simply involve understanding word-by-word or detail-by-detail, but also a holistic grasp of what the entire experience of reading the text conveys, or is intended to convey. Two ways of coming to grips...