The Room [Hardcover]

Ray Melnik (Author)

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Author Ray Melnik has written lyrics, poetry, articles about audio engineering, home technology and other technologies. The Room is Ray Melnik’s premier novel.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 199 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. (September 19, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595707351
• ISBN-13: 978-0595707355
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,290,663 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Just before college, Ray won first place in the National Pen Women Competition for his fictional short story, Distinction, as well as winning second place in the New York Best of City - The Written Word. While attending college, Ray Melnik's course on existential literature opened a whole new world for him with the study of writers such as Sartre and Camus.

He pursued a musical career as a singer and lyricist, after leaving college. In the early 1980s he was the lead singer for One Hand Clap and then Fine Malibus, with Steve Stevens, current guitarist and song writer for Billy Idol. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Ray was engineer and co-owner of MANNIK Productions, a recording studio in the Snug Harbor Cultural Center, Staten Island, New York. In addition to lyrics, Ray, wrote a monthly column about pro audio for a music trade magazine, American Liverpool.

Later moving into the field of technology as a network engineer and then architect, he wrote for the technology panel of a regional newspaper, Times Herald Record, and was the primary writer of articles based on home technology for the website New Technology Home. Ray currently works as a Senior Network Architect in New York City, New York.

His insatiable interest in science and unbending commitment to reason makes his first novel, The Room, a story of a life grounded in both. His second novel, To Your Own Self Be True, follows with the same intention. Burnished Bridge is a short novella set in the same town as the novel series and is a love story with a twist.


THE ROOM - novel
TO YOUR OWN SELF BE TRUE - novel
BURNISHED BRIDGE - novella

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Infinite Possibilities, May 13, 2007

By 

Joann H. (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Room (Hardcover)

This novel is worth a read. I loved it, truly. It became a page turner for me at chapter three. The author creates a sense of place and develops distinct characters and imagery. I think it would make a terrific movie.

At the novel's onset, Harry, the lead character, and Lacey fall in love as they learn and appreciate what makes each other tick and at its end, Harry and the cosmos seem to fall in love as well. Woven between, there is also an interesting story of how the same past affected two brothers in vastly different ways. The use of a few flashbacks gives us a glimpse into that past with his brother, now dying mother, and cruel father. The author makes it all work seamlessly.

Harry's views are vastly different than those of most people, but the feelings, the sadness, and the hope are universal. Right until the end, he embodies the belief that you may not be able to control everything in life, you can control how you react to your life unfolding.

Not to string you along, but I would ruin the ending if I revealed the extraordinary, yet convincing, twist. What I can say is that the twist made me smile somewhat at the thought that, given infinite possibilities, there is a best of all worlds somewhere with a me (and a you) in it.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finding yourself in The Room, September 16, 2008

By 

Charlie Bogolawski "Cable guy" (Danbury, CT) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Room (Hardcover)

The Room is well written and very quickly has you living Harry's life. Lonely, lost and wishing for a better childhood Harry pulls you into his world and has you reflecting on the moments in your life that shaped your adulthood.

The silver lining to Harry's life are his two daughters and a sweetheart of a girl named Lacey. The author has you immersed deeply to the point you are wishing out loud that Harry's life gets better.

Excellent read and I'd recommend it to anyone who is interested in a strong and somber character that is trying to do the right thing in life.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Room with a twist..., January 4, 2008

By 

Crystal Adkins "Crystal's book reviews" (Ashland, KY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Room (Hardcover)

Harry Ladd and his brother Malcolm had a not so happy childhood. Their mother and each other were all the boys had that could constitute as happiness. With an abusive father, the Ladd family lived in fear not knowing what would happen from day to day, or what would be said that would be the final straw causing Mr. Ladd's temper to surface.

Harry was the caretaker, he watched over his brother and his mother as best he could. The only place that ever felt safe was their mother's bedroom, even if it meant hiding in the closet. But now some twenty four years later, the bedroom was not a haven of safety, it was laden with sadness. Rue Ladd had brain cancer; she had only a small amount of time left.

Malcolm wanted nothing to do with his brother Harry or even his own mother. But Harry was tired of lying to his mother about where Malcolm was. She was going into a state of delirium, believing she was reliving the time when Mr. Ladd hit her and she hurt her leg badly. Harry was only twelve years old back then. But now he was old enough to forgive all that happened in his childhood; he just couldn't see why Malcolm was still holding the grudge long after his father passed away.

Something strange was about to happen, stepping into the room the very last time Rue would be alive, time rewound itself. Harry saw a twelve year old face looking back at him in the mirror. Listening to his mother's confession, he knew she had to get things off of her chest before she could die peacefully. Only, what would happen when time shifts back?

Ray Melnik's, The Room is a story that you can not help but like. In the beginning it was a little slow for me; there was not much excitement until he met Lacie. She seemed to be the one to help Harry move on and accept life as it was going to be. Toward the middle, it started picking up and I really got into feeling the emotions portrayed by Mr. Melnik through his characters. The Room is a refreshing read, I am sure we will be hearing more from such a talented author in the future. 4 Hearts