The Enormous Room
is an autobiographical novel by the poet E. E. Cummings, based on his experiences as a prisoner in France during World War I. The book is a blend of memoir, satire, and poetic storytelling, offering a unique perspective on war, bureaucracy, and the resilience of the human spirit.
In 1917, Cummings volunteered as an ambulance driver for the American Field Service in France. Along with his friend William Slater Brown, he was arrested by French authorities on suspicion of espionage due to Brown's letters expressing pacifist sentiments. Cummings, though innocent, was imprisoned in La Ferté-Macé, an internment camp, for several months before being released.
The title,
, refers to the large, overcrowded dormitory where he and other prisoners lived. Through vivid, often surreal descriptions, Cummings portrays the absurdity of military bureaucracy, the harshness of imprisonment, and the colorful personalities of his fellow detainees.
stands out as a unique war memoir-less about battle and more about the absurdity of the systems behind it. It offers a glimpse into Cummings' early literary style and his lifelong themes of individuality, defiance, and poetic expression.