Helpful Score: 21
Golding depicts in a nasty and disturbing way a group of "civilized" youngsters morphing into animals (not literally). One has to question that if our laws and societal rules were somehow taken away, would we digress to survival of the fittest? Although not the quickest read, this book will certainly cause you to think about societal constructs we create and how willing we are to uphold them in a time of crisis. Recommended for those who appreciate classics and those who want a little something more to think about.
Helpful Score: 11
Human nature is evil! Want a classic book on what man does without law and authority? Want a classic book on what is in the heart of a man? Want a classic book that makes a powerful statement on what little kids will do to each other if not taught to be good and to love? Want a classic book on what man continues to do and will continue to do each other til' the good Lord comes back and makes things right? Read this book.
Helpful Score: 9
One of the books I was forced to read in school that I ended up loving so much I read it again as an adult!
Helpful Score: 7
Most certainly NOT a "feel good" story, but still (or perhaps in spite of that fact), Lord of the Flies is one of my all-time favorite books. Golding's characters are so vivid and the storyline is eerie and haunting. It absolutely deserves its title as one of the great classics of all time.
Helpful Score: 5
A classic story of the beasts that live within. Fiction doesn't straddle the line between Art and Life any better than this story.
Helpful Score: 3
I teach this book to high school juniors and seniors. Every year, they say, "This book is freaking SCARY!" Yes, it is scary, but not because of any beastie, but because it makes us wonder what would happen if WE were in that situation. Would we be the rule-following Ralph, or the brutal Jack? Would we succumb to the fear of The Beast, or would we realize that The Beast is US? A philosophical, symbolic read if you want it to be, or a rip-roaring adventure story with a surprising ending.
Helpful Score: 2
"It is not only a first-rate adventure story but a parable of our times." William Golding = :)
Helpful Score: 2
Over 7 million copies in print. The classic tale of what humans might resort to without the mediation of culture. Assigned in every high school English class.
Helpful Score: 2
I got out of reading this book when I was a school-kid someho9w. Years and years later I came across it and read it. Very moving. I think I got much more out of it as and adult. The same things we condem/praise these kids for happens in many subtle ways in everyone's life. Great story.
Helpful Score: 2
The decay of civilization as we know it, and the disturbing look at human nature represented by a group of boys stranded on an island may be a little too intense for younger readers. The book disturbs me as much now as it did when I had to read it in high school.
Helpful Score: 2
This is one of those books that even if you don't care about your education or whatnot you can always read it because it comes up in TV shows like LOST. Don't be the only person who can't pop in with, "It's like Lord of the Flies out there" when the situation calls for it.
Helpful Score: 2
this was a really good book. there were a few short sections that were a little dry, but an interesting read. glad i finally got to read it.
Helpful Score: 2
Classic of course. Disturbing in a way that you won't forget for a very long time. Worth the read.
Helpful Score: 1
A book that hast stayed with me for many years after reading it . . .
Helpful Score: 1
"Survivor" featuring young boys with no parental supervision. A classic study of human nature and our primal instincts.
Helpful Score: 1
I wrote a few lesson plans for this book. It is a must read in high school and a book that I have enjoyed through adulthood. It really answers the question: Take away our conveniences and technology, what would we do? Although written in the 1950s, its life lessons still apply today.
Helpful Score: 1
Lord of the Flies is a journey into the heart of darkness. By stranding a group of British schoolboys on a tropical island without adult supervision, Golding examines how fragile civilization and decency are and how strong are the primal urges which can impell any of us toward barbaric evil. It is not a pleasant book, nor for the faint of heart, but it mixes realistic storytelling with subtle thematic commentary to tell a powerful story. Golding does not dwell on the gruesome for its own sake, but he pulls no punches in his examination of the way men are.
Helpful Score: 1
William Golding's classic tale about a group of English schoolboys who are plane-wrecked on a deserted island is just as chilling and relevant today as when it was first published in 1954. At first, the stranded boys cooperate, attempting to gather food, make shelters, and maintain signal fires. Overseeing their efforts are Ralph, "the boy with fair hair," and Piggy, Ralph's chubby, wisdom-dispensing sidekick whose thick spectacles come in handy for lighting fires. Although Ralph tries to impose order and delegate responsibility, there are many in their number who would rather swim, play, or hunt the island's wild pig population. Soon Ralph's rules are being ignored or challenged outright. His fiercest antagonist is Jack, the redheaded leader of the pig hunters, who manages to lure away many of the boys to join his band of painted savages. The situation deteriorates as the trappings of civilization continue to fall away, until Ralph discovers that instead of being hunters, he and Piggy have become the hunted: "He forgot his words, his hunger and thirst, and became fear; hopeless fear on flying feet." Golding's gripping novel explores the boundary between human reason and animal instinct, all on the brutal playing field of adolescent competition.
Helpful Score: 1
This was not my usual book of preference, but it was a very good story about how fear can take over an individual and lead them to do things that they normally wouldn't do.
It was also a story of survival and human perseverance.
It was also a story of survival and human perseverance.
Helpful Score: 1
I wanted to read this after reading the hunger games. I found it not nearly as exciting as the action packed hunger games, but a very interesting study in character and society.
I enjoyed the book and appreciate the author trying to address lawlessness and our behavior as a society.
I enjoyed the book and appreciate the author trying to address lawlessness and our behavior as a society.
Helpful Score: 1
This is the story of a group of boys who are marooned on a tropical island when the plane they are on crashes. Somehow I made it through high school and an English degree without once having to read this book. That's probably because this book frequently turns up on the banned books list.
Ironically I have owned a copy of this since high school but only now found myself interested in reading it over twenty years later. I was a little disappointed that the plane crash has already happened when the book opens, and there is no description of the accident at all. The boys range in age from six to about age 12 and quickly elect a leader and a group to hunt. They also develop a strategy to make and maintain a fire on a nearby mountaintop so that rescuers might see them. Of course by now you've probably already heard that things quickly go south and bad things start happening to the characters. I really can't say more without spoiling it.
This book was written in 1954 and though some bits and pieces are dated, the story really stands the test of time and really should be on everyone's must read list, if you haven't already. Parts were funny, some parts were serious, still other parts were really scary. One very pivotal scene was written so well that I could vividly imagine the scene playing out before me. I really liked this book and would recommend it to anyone.
Ironically I have owned a copy of this since high school but only now found myself interested in reading it over twenty years later. I was a little disappointed that the plane crash has already happened when the book opens, and there is no description of the accident at all. The boys range in age from six to about age 12 and quickly elect a leader and a group to hunt. They also develop a strategy to make and maintain a fire on a nearby mountaintop so that rescuers might see them. Of course by now you've probably already heard that things quickly go south and bad things start happening to the characters. I really can't say more without spoiling it.
This book was written in 1954 and though some bits and pieces are dated, the story really stands the test of time and really should be on everyone's must read list, if you haven't already. Parts were funny, some parts were serious, still other parts were really scary. One very pivotal scene was written so well that I could vividly imagine the scene playing out before me. I really liked this book and would recommend it to anyone.
Helpful Score: 1
Wow! I nearly gave up on this one. Three quarters of the way through I was seriously thinking of giving up. There was a lot of repetition at first, but then the story explodes. What can I say except the ending is alarming. Don't give up on this classic. Thank goodness for the notes at the end of the book because I never would have caught the symbolism Golding is depicting. I read for entertainment and not to try and decipher hidden meanings but the notes help put it into perspective, so be sure to read to the last page.
an amazing classic. If they didn't make you read it in school you need to read it at least once in your life.If you did read it in school you may wnt to read it again with an adult perspective.
A very thought-provoking read. Sobering. But still great literature. It offers keen insights into nature of human beings.
This book is another uncomfortable but necessary book to read. Although not my favorite - I don't like books that make me uncomfortable - it gives us a chance to study the power of the natural man. What would we do with no one watching. What would our children do on a deserted island without us. These are worthy thoughts to be explored. How do we govern ourselves? How do we lead? And most importantly, how important is strength of character in our lives?
So much forshadowing in this one! The symbolism gives much to be explored. I am sure my children and I will have a few discussions about this one when they finish it for their class. I was puzzled by a few things in the ending...I need to get out the cliff notes for some help here.
So much forshadowing in this one! The symbolism gives much to be explored. I am sure my children and I will have a few discussions about this one when they finish it for their class. I was puzzled by a few things in the ending...I need to get out the cliff notes for some help here.
Great classic!
I had to read Lord of the Flies for English in high school, and for most of the book I didn't think I liked it that much. At the very end of the book, though, when I read the last scene, all of a sudden it hit me how amazing it was, and I just sat there for a while thinking about it. I won't give away what happens at the end, but to me it was just a sudden reminder that these kids were still just little boys, despite all the horrible things they had seen and done.
I've never had this happen to me with any other book - where I didn't really care for it until the very end, and though it's still not my favorite book ever, I definitely plan on reading it again sometime. I think this is one of those books that it's important for people to read, and it will certainly leave you thinking. Just don't look at it as a book to read only for entertainment, because it's much more than that.
I've never had this happen to me with any other book - where I didn't really care for it until the very end, and though it's still not my favorite book ever, I definitely plan on reading it again sometime. I think this is one of those books that it's important for people to read, and it will certainly leave you thinking. Just don't look at it as a book to read only for entertainment, because it's much more than that.
Six tapes - (12 sides)! Read by Sir Golding with comments by the author - very well done!
It was great to go back and reread something that I had not picked up since high school-20+ years! It was interesting to remember my reaction to the book then and compare it to my current opinion. It was a fun personal study, if you will.
This book was required reading for my 15 year old son and he did not enjoy it.
Excellent. Easy and enjoyable to read.
William Golding's compelling story about a group of very ordinary small boys marooned on a coral island has become a modern classic. At first it seems as though it is all going to be great fun; but the fun before long becomes furious and life on the island turns into a nightmare of panic and death. As ordinary standards of behaviour collapse, the whole world the boys know collapses with them - the world of cricket and homework and adventure stories - and another world is revealed beneath, primitive and terrible. "
"Maybe there is a beast....maybe it's only us."
Lord of the Flies is a tragic exploration of unrestrained human nature and the "beast" inside. The novel uses a group of school boys as an allegorical representation of human society. Stranded on a deserted island, the boys begin as a civilized society and the lure of power and dominance gradually leads them to savagery.
The characterization was brilliant, each character representing a place on the spectrum on human nature -- from the civilized member of society to the savage, unrestrained side of human nature.
I found the book a little slow, I was about 60% of the way through the book before it really picked up for me. Some of the dialogue was difficult to follow, even in a two-person conversation as the speaker wasn't always specified.
I didn't read Lord of the Flies in school, and I'm glad I didn't. I'm not sure I would have understood it. Even now, I think there are lots of symbolic messages in the first half of the book that I failed to pick up on. It's definitely a book that I'll be re-reading to get the full effect.
Lord of the Flies is a tragic exploration of unrestrained human nature and the "beast" inside. The novel uses a group of school boys as an allegorical representation of human society. Stranded on a deserted island, the boys begin as a civilized society and the lure of power and dominance gradually leads them to savagery.
The characterization was brilliant, each character representing a place on the spectrum on human nature -- from the civilized member of society to the savage, unrestrained side of human nature.
I found the book a little slow, I was about 60% of the way through the book before it really picked up for me. Some of the dialogue was difficult to follow, even in a two-person conversation as the speaker wasn't always specified.
I didn't read Lord of the Flies in school, and I'm glad I didn't. I'm not sure I would have understood it. Even now, I think there are lots of symbolic messages in the first half of the book that I failed to pick up on. It's definitely a book that I'll be re-reading to get the full effect.
One of my alltime favorite books! deeply disturbing and symbolic. i can talk for hours on this book but will not bore you :)
Elena Fritsche(14)
Elena Fritsche(14)
I had quite different feelings about it reading it as a child and as an adult.
I had to read this book for school and I did not like it. I thought it was really weird.
A classic must read that will change your life and be a reference for so many relationships. Who are you in the story?
This is the controversial novel that tells the tale of a group of English schoolboys, aged 6 to 12, stranded on a lush but deserted Pactic island. It is a story of the descent into savagery, and the confused attempts to make sense of a terrifying situation. Many people found this book disturbing, and attempts to explain and disect this book swirled in the press for years. As this edition includes much analysis from many sources following the conclusion of the story, it is particularly valuable for a person interested in the impact it made in its time.
One of the few classics that I like (and I absolutely love this book!), it is a very suspenseful read for it's subject and has wonderfully developed characters and plot/story for being such a short read. I could not put it down. Five gold stars for me.
This book gives you the feel of survival of the fittest. Good book.
An amazing book
I don't really understand the hype of this book. I like the idea behind it (society falling apart, mass hysteria), but when you account to the fact that all the characters in this story are young boys, it becomes moot. Not to mention the story dragged on, even the end wasn't all that exhilarating.
I gave it two an half because, for the most part, I didn't get much out of the book. The taking apart of our societal standards is almost common conversation these days, and this book doesn't put much of a spin on any of that. At the same time, it's not as if this is a /bad/ book, it's just not as interesting as it might have been when it was written.
I gave it two an half because, for the most part, I didn't get much out of the book. The taking apart of our societal standards is almost common conversation these days, and this book doesn't put much of a spin on any of that. At the same time, it's not as if this is a /bad/ book, it's just not as interesting as it might have been when it was written.
Had to read it in school but I liked it. It is a book that I kept wanting to read.
This is one of my favorite books! Sometimes it is hard to look in the mirror and see our true nature. It hurts. It is ugly. It makes you mad. The Bible tells us that we are all sinners and capable of unspeakable evil. Thankfully Jesus died in our place and He makes us good! Whatever you say about this book, it is very interesting!
BORING!!! I only read because I had to and I wouldn't again... Just Sparknote it because it's that boring!
Classic that is completely worth the read. Golding is a brilliant writer!
This is a journey from childhood to savagery. More than that it captures youthful ignorance and pride, mob and tribe mentality.
Kids stick with what they know, what they understand, and that's on full display. I was annoyed at times with the kids being so ignorant, but remembered quickly that that's a kid for you. They don't know how to rationalize things out very well. And when someone tries, they're looked at by the others as being stupid (look at how Piggy was treated) or are ignored (look at Ralph's determination to keep a fire going) flat out. Kids (and this was written in 54 so how much have things really changed) are keen to focus on the quickest simplest result. On the island (once they got the hang of it) that became hunting.
The overall experience warranted a four star review. But honestly I wanted more character development. A somewhat slower decent into the aspects of mob and tribe mentality. A deeper dive into how the minds of the children were warped. I get why we didn't get that. The author was depicting children and you get everything through filtered through their limited understanding. So I'm asking for a lot, and know that. That's why it's a four rating and not a three. I'm nitpicking.
I enjoyed the book. It's a worthwhile read if you haven't given it a shot.
Kids stick with what they know, what they understand, and that's on full display. I was annoyed at times with the kids being so ignorant, but remembered quickly that that's a kid for you. They don't know how to rationalize things out very well. And when someone tries, they're looked at by the others as being stupid (look at how Piggy was treated) or are ignored (look at Ralph's determination to keep a fire going) flat out. Kids (and this was written in 54 so how much have things really changed) are keen to focus on the quickest simplest result. On the island (once they got the hang of it) that became hunting.
The overall experience warranted a four star review. But honestly I wanted more character development. A somewhat slower decent into the aspects of mob and tribe mentality. A deeper dive into how the minds of the children were warped. I get why we didn't get that. The author was depicting children and you get everything through filtered through their limited understanding. So I'm asking for a lot, and know that. That's why it's a four rating and not a three. I'm nitpicking.
I enjoyed the book. It's a worthwhile read if you haven't given it a shot.
I hated it!
Very boring.
I think I slept through it!
Very boring.
I think I slept through it!
Interesting read, but I had a difficult time getting into the book.
i have been wanting to read this book for ages and was wondering why i never had to read it in school. i now see why. my teachers wanted to keep from the torture that is lord of the flies.
this was the worst book i have ever read. i was bored to tears and had to force myself to get through it. the last 50 pages were the least painful, but the rest of it- arrgghhhh! i really dont understand why this is a classic.
the story would have been ok- a plane crashes on a deserted island with a group of british school boys who are left to fend for themselves and how to live as a society. thats about all that was interesting.
the descriptions were boring, the dialog was horrible, and at the third grade level, and..oh, did i say it was boring?
if you get the chance, skip it. just because its a classic doesnt mean its good!
this was the worst book i have ever read. i was bored to tears and had to force myself to get through it. the last 50 pages were the least painful, but the rest of it- arrgghhhh! i really dont understand why this is a classic.
the story would have been ok- a plane crashes on a deserted island with a group of british school boys who are left to fend for themselves and how to live as a society. thats about all that was interesting.
the descriptions were boring, the dialog was horrible, and at the third grade level, and..oh, did i say it was boring?
if you get the chance, skip it. just because its a classic doesnt mean its good!
1959 printing
One of the very few books I was assigned to read during my school days. A quick read, mostly because it isn't boring so I didn't want to put it down.
It has gotten much more critical acclaim than it deserves. In striving to make both a story and an allegory, Golding fails at doing either excellently.
a modern classic
The book was okay... I think it ended to abruptly.
Amazon.com
William Golding's classic tale about a group of English schoolboys who are plane-wrecked on a deserted island is just as chilling and relevant today as when it was first published in 1954. At first, the stranded boys cooperate, attempting to gather food, make shelters, and maintain signal fires. Overseeing their efforts are Ralph, "the boy with fair hair," and Piggy, Ralph's chubby, wisdom-dispensing sidekick whose thick spectacles come in handy for lighting fires. Although Ralph tries to impose order and delegate responsibility, there are many in their number who would rather swim, play, or hunt the island's wild pig population. Soon Ralph's rules are being ignored or challenged outright. His fiercest antagonist is Jack, the redheaded leader of the pig hunters, who manages to lure away many of the boys to join his band of painted savages. The situation deteriorates as the trappings of civilization continue to fall away, until Ralph discovers that instead of being hunters, he and Piggy have become the hunted: "He forgot his words, his hunger and thirst, and became fear; hopeless fear on flying feet." Golding's gripping novel explores the boundary between human reason and animal instinct, all on the brutal playing field of adolescent competition.
Amazon.com
William Golding's classic tale about a group of English schoolboys who are plane-wrecked on a deserted island is just as chilling and relevant today as when it was first published in 1954. At first, the stranded boys cooperate, attempting to gather food, make shelters, and maintain signal fires. Overseeing their efforts are Ralph, "the boy with fair hair," and Piggy, Ralph's chubby, wisdom-dispensing sidekick whose thick spectacles come in handy for lighting fires. Although Ralph tries to impose order and delegate responsibility, there are many in their number who would rather swim, play, or hunt the island's wild pig population. Soon Ralph's rules are being ignored or challenged outright. His fiercest antagonist is Jack, the redheaded leader of the pig hunters, who manages to lure away many of the boys to join his band of painted savages. The situation deteriorates as the trappings of civilization continue to fall away, until Ralph discovers that instead of being hunters, he and Piggy have become the hunted: "He forgot his words, his hunger and thirst, and became fear; hopeless fear on flying feet." Golding's gripping novel explores the boundary between human reason and animal instinct, all on the brutal playing field of adolescent competition.
This a book you will not forget. It makes you think.
I also had to read this classic in high school.
I also had to read this classic in high school.
Ack, the stuff nightmares are made of. One of a kind.
A classic, most of us read it in school. If you haven't, you should as it is both an engaging adventure story, but also very thoughtprovoking book about human nature.
An interesting book!!!
Classic story is always a good read!
From Amazon.com:
William Golding's classic tale about a group of English schoolboys who are plane-wrecked on a deserted island is just as chilling and relevant today as when it was first published in 1954. At first, the stranded boys cooperate, attempting to gather food, make shelters, and maintain signal fires. Overseeing their efforts are Ralph, "the boy with fair hair," and Piggy, Ralph's chubby, wisdom-dispensing sidekick whose thick spectacles come in handy for lighting fires. Although Ralph tries to impose order and delegate responsibility, there are many in their number who would rather swim, play, or hunt the island's wild pig population. Soon Ralph's rules are being ignored or challenged outright. His fiercest antagonist is Jack, the redheaded leader of the pig hunters, who manages to lure away many of the boys to join his band of painted savages. The situation deteriorates as the trappings of civilization continue to fall away, until Ralph discovers that instead of being hunters, he and Piggy have become the hunted: "He forgot his words, his hunger and thirst, and became fear; hopeless fear on flying feet." Golding's gripping novel explores the boundary between human reason and animal instinct, all on the brutal playing field of adolescent competition.
William Golding's classic tale about a group of English schoolboys who are plane-wrecked on a deserted island is just as chilling and relevant today as when it was first published in 1954. At first, the stranded boys cooperate, attempting to gather food, make shelters, and maintain signal fires. Overseeing their efforts are Ralph, "the boy with fair hair," and Piggy, Ralph's chubby, wisdom-dispensing sidekick whose thick spectacles come in handy for lighting fires. Although Ralph tries to impose order and delegate responsibility, there are many in their number who would rather swim, play, or hunt the island's wild pig population. Soon Ralph's rules are being ignored or challenged outright. His fiercest antagonist is Jack, the redheaded leader of the pig hunters, who manages to lure away many of the boys to join his band of painted savages. The situation deteriorates as the trappings of civilization continue to fall away, until Ralph discovers that instead of being hunters, he and Piggy have become the hunted: "He forgot his words, his hunger and thirst, and became fear; hopeless fear on flying feet." Golding's gripping novel explores the boundary between human reason and animal instinct, all on the brutal playing field of adolescent competition.
If you have children that will be going into high school in the next couple of years or this next year you will need this book, but then again it depends on what state you may be living in.
I had to read this book for high school and let me tell you it seems to be a very strange novel, but when you read the entire book you come to realize that everything that this author writes about is amazingly true in todays society.
I had to read this book for high school and let me tell you it seems to be a very strange novel, but when you read the entire book you come to realize that everything that this author writes about is amazingly true in todays society.
Enjoyable reading.
modern classic required reading for many highschool and college lit courses.
7 million copies in print..
This is a classic adventure, and one you never forget reading.
a page turner!
I had to read it for my freshman year of high school and had a hard time finishing it because I wasn't very interested in the plot; but it is required to be read by many high schools in the United States.
A great adventure story showing the survival of the fittest through teenagers stranded on an island.
ord of the Flies is much more than a tale of kids, stranded on an island, working to survive and maintain hope. It is a parable of our society in general, working to survive and maintain hope. All the major players are represented - politics, warfare, fear, science, technology, religion, community. I don't believe i've ever seen the movie version of this story, but at the same time, the story line was so familiar. This is a story that bears close and thoughtful reading to find the messages contained in it.
I know this book is supposed to be a classic, but I found it to be one big snoozefest.
a scary novel of group psychology...read in the middle schools as an introduction to literature.
So weird, yet with evil so believable that it made it hard to read. I bristled with anger at the characters' behavior.
The ending bit, but wow did the book hit me in the gut. I'm glad to be done with it, honestly.
The ending bit, but wow did the book hit me in the gut. I'm glad to be done with it, honestly.
excellent classic
OMG!!! such a good book. i loved the ending. although the begining was a little tuff to understand
Terrible book, in my opinion. Sucky dialogue, unbelievable characters (unbelievable not in the good sense), and a complete waste of time. Opinions should not be turned into crappy fiction novels. People say this is insight into mankind or whatever, but we don't really know that because probably none of us have been forced to survive on an island on our own, so they just accept that this is how mankind is.
Lord of the Flies is a true literary classic!
Why is this considered a classic? Decided to read it because it's one of those books you always hear about or see reference too. It was BAD! On the one hand it drug on and one (even though it is a short book), on the other hand, it did not give any back story...where were they going, what accident happened to put them here? Then there is a short little blip in the back about what certain passages are supposed to mean and all the symbolism. I think someone, or a great many someones, aren't in their right mind to see some of the stuff that was supposed to be the "undertones" of the story.
Great classic!
A classic must-read.
sucks to your ass-mar!
A must-read timeless classic.
A classic!
A "classic".
A classic.
I was required to read this book for my freshman advanced english class.
Required reading for my DS in midle school.
