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Lyn's Reviews > Lord of the Flies
Lord of the Flies
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Years after I read this masterpiece, it is still chilling.
Golding spins a yarn that could have been told centuries ago, primal human nature unmoored from civilization does not take long to break away and devolve into a feral thing.
As good today, and as haunting, as it was when it was published in 1954. This should be on a list of books that must be read.
** 2018 addendum - it is a testament to great literature that a reader recalls the work years later and this is a book about which I frequently think.
Golding spins a yarn that could have been told centuries ago, primal human nature unmoored from civilization does not take long to break away and devolve into a feral thing.
As good today, and as haunting, as it was when it was published in 1954. This should be on a list of books that must be read.
** 2018 addendum - it is a testament to great literature that a reader recalls the work years later and this is a book about which I frequently think.
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Finished Reading
July 31, 2011
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Wayne
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rated it 5 stars
May 04, 2015 04:44PM
Indeed. This story chilled me. And I agree about it being a must read. This is one of those books that I always recommend when running through some suggestions.
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I think I will have to re read this one someday. :-)
Yep, re-read maybe multiple times in a lifetime
Because of its remote setting and circumstances, it easily transfers in time. Would pose an interesting scenario: how different schoolboys from today would adapt to being stranded and forced to survive??
they would first look for a survival app and then complain about the data coverage
Agreed. Wonder how long they'd cling to their worthless iPhones? They'd starve looking for ways to communicate verbally.
T.M. wrote: "Agreed. Wonder how long they'd cling to their worthless iPhones?"Worthless? It's how I keep an eye on GR when I'm away! (Oh, and family and friends, but hey, books matter more, don't they?!)
Great review Lyn. It turns out that this book has been on the Australian English cirriculum since I was in High school (which was a long time ago), so pretty much most people in Australia would have read it (well, we are talking about High School students, so they probably cheated).
I still hate it as much as I did in high school. It put me off Golding's work for a very long time. Yet it obviously made an impression and I still remember sitting through the film the English teacher made us watch so that we had more understanding of the book - as if I really needed my dislike compounded. It, like Clockwork Orange, should be read as part of the experiment, good and bad, that was the twentieth century.
Great observation Allyson
Made a huge impression on me in high school.
I don’t do well being told to read books. I read what I want - when I want. This was a book we read in high school. I zoned out and had no respect for it. I have since gone back and picked this book up so many times. I wish I was more open to other opinions when I was a snotty teenager.
I agree that Golding told a story about how quickly man can turn against each other because it didn’t take long before they started killing each other. Lord of the Flies very well portrays how ruthless humans can be because deep down every human can be merciless without rules or society being in place to make them think twice. The boys portrayed this as they were killing each other and after every person that died no one seemed to care and everyone just thought of them as someone who ceased to exist and they can’t take blame for their actions causing the characters deaths. The boys went from happy and fun and games then into a killing state where anyone against them had to be eliminated and they tried to do this with Ralph who was once a leader is now the enemy. The boys were almost complete savages until the end and the fact that these boys killed 2 of there friends without any second thought is insane when thinking about it because they had no feeling for remorse until they were saved. The boys are a perfect example of how people can do the unthinkable when there is nothing keeping order and peace.Lord of the Flies
I agree, Golding is a mastercraftsmen when it comes to conveying real emotions through his character. on any given page you can accurately discern what each character is feeling which helps the reader get a deeper understanding of the book. As many ups and downs that this book has there is true tragedy is in the use of the word "wizard". As a person with a very diversified vocabulary I feel the use of "wizard" is a disservice to the wonderful readers whom came to this book for a wholesome, historic read. Regardless, This book is universal to all peoples in all places in all cultures because ever culture has children, fear, and hope. The 3 hallmarks of Lord of the Flies. Because of this fact, I Would recommend this book to anyone and everyone that is a reader.
Still it's mostly intertwined with the cohesive nature( of religious beliefs & mildly w/ the shadow shelf, that inhibits us all & waits for the right time to emerge[the masks for that matter & the Pigs head]
I think there might me a lengthy interview to be found, online also, 2here the author explains these matters quite lucidly.
I could get it for ya Lynn
