I met Gerry Cota, the author of The Room Already There at the Austin Independent Book Fair in September, where he had a vendor booth. I was looking for something to buy, and since I’m not much of a genre fiction reader (which makes up most of the indie book marketplace), the pickings were slim. Cota’s book stood out from a distance. A simple white cover featuring a minimalist design. I asked him what it was about, and he gave me a short elevator speech: ‘It’s about a guy from Austin who goes on a trip to Washington and discovers a place that challenges his ideas about life.’ I currently live in Austin, but I’m originally from Washington, and self-discovery journeys are my jam. SOLD.
This book sat on my shelf for a few weeks while I finished a long biography. When it was time to select another book, I almost passed it up for something else. But, I committed to reading more indie books this year, and the year is rapidly coming to a close. Besides, it’s not a long book, so I figured I could finish it quickly and move on even if I didn’t like it.
I liked it. A lot. In fact, this is one of my favorite books I’ve read all year – indie or not.
The Room Already There is not what you’d expect. Yes, Cota’s elevator speech was accurate (as far as the plot is concerned), but there is so much more in here. This book is about magic. Real magic. The kind of magic that most of us try to outrun for our entire lives, because accepting it would mean that our framework for understanding our existence must change. It’s about confronting the reality of our experiences and relationships, and seeing how much effort we put into pretending they don’t hold meaning beyond our carefully constructed sense of self, and the agendas we layer on top of it. It’s also about creativity and listening well to those impulses.
As a practicing Zen Buddhist, I can say this is the most Zen book I’ve ever read that has nothing to do with Buddhism. Cota captures the very essence of Zen, the stripping away of the falsehoods we tell ourselves; finding peace by sitting with what is; recognizing the magic of potentiality in each moment; and our laughably futile attempts to create and control narratives around the ineffable nature of our very existence.
This book came to me, and I’m so glad I was smart enough to accept it. I read it over two days between my daily commitments, and when I was done, I sat in a chair for a long time and just… was. I didn’t want to think about it, so I didn’t. Instead, I made space for what I’d read to assimilate naturally, without my internal narrative interrupting the process.
I hesitate to write more because I want everyone to pick this up and experience it for themselves, without too many preconceived notions. It’s worth reading (and I suspect re-reading) regardless of who you are.
What I loved:
- A sense of mystery and wonder is infused in every line.
- The main character’s vulnerability in self-reflection is compelling.
- The dreamy vibe of this book, set in the state of my birth, with lush sensual descriptions of the people, places, and things the main character encounters.
- The space. That place. The man at the center of it. All so poignant.
- A sense of urgency pulls you through the book and makes it hard to put down.
What I found challenging:
- Not much. If anything I’d say there was quite a bit of repetition in the narration, and that had me feeling impatient in some sections. But I’m not sure that’s quite a bad thing with this novel.
Find Gerry Cota online:
- Author website
- The Room Already There on Amazon
- On Goodreads
Find Gerry Cota on social media:
The Q Review is a passion project to elevate stories written by indie authors & presses. I review indie fiction across all genres. If you’re interested in having me read and review your book, contact me here.
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