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Book Review of Lord of the Flies

Lord of the Flies
Lord of the Flies
Author: William Golding
Genre: Literature & Fiction
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
reviewed on + 16 more book reviews


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.