Customer Reviews

The Upper Room

5 star:		(56)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

As a novelist, I always appreciate the ability of an author to create in-depth characters. Mary Monroe truly has the gift. Ruby is one character that I will never, ever forget. Ruby is an emotionally disturbed, obese, Christian woman who has more issues than 8 or 9 characters in other novels have put together.

She killed her husband, the father of her son Virgil, after he tried to run off with a white woman, she "chatizes" anyone who gets in her way. In other words, she does them in and buries their bodies wherever she can find a vacant spot. While she professes to love the Lord and attends church regularly having grown up as the daughter of a preacher, Ruby manages to convince several people that she is the devil incarnate outside of church hours.

After her childhood best friend, Othella, has a stillborn baby, Ruby who served as her midwife, is about to bury the little girl when she starts moving. Ruby has always wanted a daughter and jumps on the opportunity to raise the little girl who she names Maureen.

Ruby flees her hometown and finds a home in the Goons, outside Miami, hoping that Othella never discovers that her daughter is still alive. She makes a special place for Maureen upstairs and calls it "The Upper Room." No one is allowed in the room with the exception of Maureen, Ruby, and Virgil. Ruby believes that if any other man entered the room, he would bring the devil with him and turn Maureen into a whore. Ruby knows about being a whore firsthand because, even though she is extremely unattractive, she was allowed to work in a brothel in a two-for-one deal along with Othella.

There is just so much to this novel but I will not give anything more away. You just have to read it for yourself but The Upper Room is a treat of a read and I can't wait to hold serious discussions about it. Mary Monroe is a true storyteller, a rare find, and after reading both The Upper Room and God Don't Like Ugly, she has earned a place among my favorites.

Reviewed by Zane

In Mary Monroe's novel, The Upper Room, Mama Ruby dominates as the central character that is so religious, malicious, and comical. She and her supporting cast are so drama-filled that their dysfunctional lives provide the reader with a page-turning/must-keep-reading tale.

Mama Ruby is an obese, misguided crazed, crucifix wearing, switchblade carrying, self-professed "Christian" woman with healing hands that manipulates and controls everyone around her. She betrays her closest friend in the world, Othella, by taking Othella's once-thought stillborn daughter, Maureen, and raises her as her own. She sequesters the child in a sanctified "Upper Room" that has restrictions on who can enter it and vows that Maureen will never leave her. The story includes a colorful cast of characters and takes us through Maureen's life with the townsfolk of Goons, FL and her desires and eventual escape into the sanity of the "real world". Along the way, there are many 'episodes' that keep the plot flowing till the end.

This review does not give the novel enough praise. The author provided vivid imagery, dialogue, and solid pacing to make this an enjoyable, suspenseful read.

Although this book was orginally published in 1985, the same year I discovered Zora Neale Hurston and a time period when I was ravenous for African American writers, surprisingly, I somehow missed this one. But better late than never.

I consider Mary Monroe's writing style comparable to literary greats such as Toni Morrison and Zora Neale Hurston. Mama Ruby is a character I will never forget. Mama Ruby is an obese woman who quotes scripture in one breath and curses like a sailor in the next. She carries a switch blade and a cross, symbols of her conflict with good and evil. According to Mama Ruby, Satan and the Lord are having a tug-of-war over her soul. Mama Ruby doesn't look for trouble but is ever vigilant, expecting trouble to come her way. And when it does... Whew! With her switchblade, shotgun, and sometimes her bare hands, she "chastizes," feeling not a bit of remorse, those who bring trouble into her life, i.e., bill collectors, an unfaithful husband, etc.

After "chastizing" them, she demands that her young son, Virgil dig a hole and bury the bodies.

She betrays Othella, her best friend in the world when she steals Othella's newborn daughter. She leaves town in the middle of the night and raises the beautiful child, named Maureen as her own in the a rural area called Goons in Florida.

Maureen's designated bedroom is a special and sanctified place called the Upper Room. Mama Ruby plans to keep Maureen in the Upper Room for the rest of her life.

The colorful cast of misfits who surround Mama Ruby, often participating in her deadly escapades are almost as memorable as Mama Ruby.

I read God Don't Like Ugly and thoroughly enjoyed it; but I give author Mary Monroe major props for this masterpiece and plan to read everything she's written.

Let me first start off by sayng that I have read previous books by Mrs. Monroe and have thoroughly enjoyed them - - - - UNTIL NOW!!! I read one of the other reports that warned of the writing style, but it still did not prepare me for it. It took me over 3 weeks to read this book when a good book normally takes me a day or two -->TOPS!!! I have read the dialect in both God Don't like Ugly and God Still Don't like Ugly, but this dialect was really out there. I had to re-read certain parts of it just so that I'd understand what was being said.

I really did not like this particular book for several reasons but the main one was because of the way it ended. Maureen never had the opportunity to find out the true story of her parentage. The writer never allowed Othello to tell her, nor did Mama Ruby or Virgil tell her and I think in order to break that spell over her or that bad luck streak that she assumed she had, someone should have told her. Not even after Mama Ruby died did Virgil tell her. And the way she treated the girl like a possession as a mother turned me off. I am hesitant about reading Red Light Wives after reading this one. I am just glad that someone loaned this one to me because had I paid for it I would have been crazy mad. This criticque is not to disparage Mrs. Monroe, only to offer my version of the book itself.

Ruby Montgomery and Othella Johnson have been best friends since childhood. Now married, Ruby to a local bootlegger and philanderer whom she murdered and Othella to a traveling salesman who ran off and left her. Ruby had only one son and always wanted a daughter, Othella has eight children and is now pregnant again. Mama Ruby (as she is nicked named) delivered Othella's stillborn ninth child, a girl who Ruby insist on naming Maureen. As Mama Ruby is getting set to bury the little girl she finds out the baby is not dead, but instead of giving the baby back she flees to rual Florida.
She gives Maureen a special room upstairs in her house and calls it "The Upper Room". Mama Ruby lives a crazy life, she is a strange woman who is very obese and does not pay her bills. When any bill collector comes calling she just kills them! She keeps her daughter on a tight leash. Maureen, who grows up to be a beautiful young lady, dreams of the day when she can move out from under her "mother's" suffocating love, but she also questions her "mother's" way of living.
This book is good. I liked the characters who along with Mama Ruby are always getting into some kind of trouble. Everything goes crazy when Othella turns up suddenly and finds out that her best friend stole her child!

Originally published in 1985, the Upper Room won critical acclaim as a remarkable work of art. The story unfolds in a fictitious small town located in the everglades of southern Florida.

One evening Ruby delivers the daughter of her best friend Orthella. Both women believe the child to be still born. Ruby later learns that the beautiful baby girl is alive and decides that the infant should be hers. Ruby stills away in the middle of the night with the child, which by now is the namesake for an aging madam from Ruby's past, and Virgil, her preteen son. They settle in Goons, which is another small swampy community and is located just outside of Miami. Perhaps Ruby's love for small out of the way places has a great deal to do with access to places where the bodies that are mounting up will never be discovered.

Ruby comes across a house with a single bedroom on the second floor, she dubs it "The Upper Room." Unless Maureen finds the courage to break free of Ruby's hold, she is destined to spend her life confined to this most holiest of places. Ruby also gains the respect and admiration of the residence of Goons. Like everyone else they fear her, but at the same time are in awe of her.

The Upper Room is an intriguing read. The characters have been colorfully created and there is never a dull moment. I commend Mary Monroe on her creativity and the ability to bring a story such as this to life. Each time I opened the book I felt as if I was nosey neighbor, spying for the purpose of gossip. This was her debut novel and due to high demand has been brought back. I invite you to take a look and find out for yourself what all the hype is about.

I loved the "Upper Room" by Mary Monroe just as much as "God don't like Ugly" but I couldn't stop making comparisons because both stories parrallel in some ways. Both are very tell it like it is and politically incorrect. The way they talk to and about people, we wouldn't do today. People getting roughed up, raped, killed like it's nothing, how times have change. I was expecting Rhoda Nelson (or her husband) to pop up any second. Half of the book focuses on 'Mama' Ruby's character who steels her friend baby that she believed to be dead and raises it as her own. Moves to Goons, FL along with Maureen and Virgil to live a life there, slaying people left and right,and drinking beer. Then we're focused on Maureen as she grows up, trying to get away from overbearing Ruby, who is way overprotective because she is 'special'. The "Upper Room" is a very haunting, hilarious novel. Kind of reminds me of Alice Walker and Stephen King's work with M. Monroe's special touch.

I really enjoyed this book and needed the laugh. I liked how Mama Ruby called her daughter and granddaughters...Mo'reen, Lo'retta and Lo'raine.

Mama Ruby, didn't have any control over Virgil and Maureen, when it came to their mouths. Virgil, had no problem telling Mama Ruby how fat she was, and Maureen, was always running off at the mouth telling things at the wrong time.

Mama Ruby, wasn't that bad (giggle), she just didn't take any mess off anybody. She was a character with a lot of drama and I do mean a lot.

If you need a laugh, try out this book and find out the drama of the Upper Room.

The Upper Room by Mary Monroe is filled with colorful characters from the rural, backwoods of Florida down in the Everglades. Characters with names like Sister Mary's Sister, Fat Jack, Yellow Gang, and Catty. Characters who believe in voodoo, roots, tarot cards and a big woman weighing over 400 pounds named Ruby.

Ruby had always wanted a baby daughter and usually what Ruby wanted she got even if it meant she had to take it. When Ruby's friend, Ophelia, had a daughter that was supposedly stillborn she asked Ruby to take the baby and bury it for her. On the way to a burial site, Ruby realized the young girl had a heartbeat so with her "healing hands" she nursed the baby back to health and named her Maureen. Not wanting to return the well-baby to her friend and wanting a daughter anyway, Ruby packs up in the middle of the night and leaves with her son ,Leo, and baby Maureen. They would make their home in Goon, FL. Goon was a place where Ruby was perceived as a Giant, an Amazon, a God-fearing woman and one not to be reckoned with. Ruby didn't take any stuff from anyone and if you valued your life you stayed on her good side or you made sure your paths didn't cross. Afterall, Ruby was just as likely to smile at you as she was to kill you and bury you for crossing her. Since she was friends with the white sheriff he would more than likely not acknowledge that Ruby had committed a crime.

As Maureen and Leo grow up they realize that all is not right with Mama Ruby. Leo decides to sign up for Vietnam and he never returns. But Ruby worships Maureen and so she doesn't encourage her to leave home and tries to keep her close by ...in the Upper Room. The Upper Room is Maureen's room. It's located upstairs and the only folks allowed to enter the room are Maureen and Ruby; no man should ever set foot in the room because Ruby says its a holy spot. Maureen tires of Ruby and country living and sets her sights on leaving one day but will she be successful?

The Upper Room by Mary Monroe is a energetic and spellbinding read. The colorful characters keep you turning the pages especially Ruby who keeps you guessing about what will she do next. If you're looking for a creatively crafted read and enjoy stories about folks that are a little bizarre then pick up The Upper Room today and settle in with Mama Ruby and company.

This book was okay. But the character of Mama Ruby began to be a little too unrealistic when she got shot so many times and lived, broke someone's arm out of socket, and buried so many people in her yard that no one ever noticed. I would give three or four stars if those type of scences were pulled back just a little. But, the author's creativity is out there and I would not put the author's writing down. The writing skills and dramatic scenes are okay. Mama Ruby was plain wierd. But, it was a good read. Perhaps not " up my alley ". But, Mary Monroe - Still a Thumbs Up.