Customer Reviews

Lord of the Flies

5 star:		(334)
4 star:		(172)
3 star:		(100)
2 star:		(44)
1 star:		(85)

 

 

I recently taught this novel to the Seniors at Tampa Bay Tech High School. When I first introduced the title, they were turned off. But somehow we got through it, and once they understood the symbolism and the theme, they got into it.

This novel is not only a classic, it is part of many high school curriculum agendas. For Hillsborough County in Florida, it is the requirement for Seniors. I even read this book as a Senior in 1989.

I have always loved this novel because I really appreciate Golding's artistry and style. He has an incredible vocabulary and yet the story flows in a very easy-to-read and simple manner. The themes are dark, which makes sense considering that the novel came out in 1954 - a very cynical time in the literary world.

In LOTF, Golding presented a story loaded with irony, symbolism, and theme. Man's dark nature, chaos and war, and the loss of innocence are the major themes that run through the novel. Golding was trying to explain that the problems in society are based on human nature, not political structures. I'm sure that Karl Marx would agree with Golding's philosophies at this point in time.

It has a good plot, even though the beginning is focused on character development. There is a lot of action, and a lot of foreshadowing elements. It's basically about a group of boys, who crash land on a deserted island during wartime, and have to survive on their own while they await rescue.

Each of the characters in the novel symbolically represent some figure in society. There's Ralph, who is the elected leader, and Jack who wanted to be the leader and gains control through manipulating the younger/weaker boys with fear and bullying tactics. The human nature conflict is best represented in the struggle for power or control that these two boys face. There is Piggy, Ralph's right-hand man, who represents Reason, Rational thought, and Civilization. Jack naturally despises Piggy. Jack's right-hand man would be Roger, who symbolizes any terrorist or warmonger. And then there is Simon, who strives for the truth, doesn't take sides and always offers to help. He is the Christ-figure in the novel representing love and faith and is "sacrificed" to the beast.

I find it very interesting how Golding poses that first we lose our faith or ability to love, and then we lose our reason. Very profound and even optimistic philosophy for such a dark look at life.

The ending is compelling and unforgettable. The ultimate philosophical question is what Golding asks through Jack's character, "Aren't there any grownups?" And perhaps Golding agrees with Ralph's answer, "No."

I highly recommend this masterpiece if you haven't read it. It's a quick and easy read, only 190 pages, and it's definitely a novel that you won't forget. It gets you thinking and makes for great philosophical discussion. And it will haunt you. Pick up a copy! Another book I need to recommend -- completely unrelated to Golding, but very much on my mind since I purchased a copy off Amazon is "The Losers' Club: Complete Restored Edition" by Richard Perez, an original, lonesome (but also funny) little novel I can't stop thinking about.

I recently taught this novel to the Seniors at Tampa Bay Tech High School. When I first introduced the title, they were turned off. But somehow we got through it, and once they understood the symbolism and the theme, they got into it.

This novel is not only a classic, it is part of many high school curriculum agendas. For Hillsborough County in Florida, it is the requirement for Seniors. I even read this book as a Senior in 1989.

I have always loved this novel because I really appreciate Golding's artistry and style. He has an incredible vocabulary and yet the story flows in a very easy-to-read and simple manner. The themes are dark, which makes sense considering that the novel came out in 1954 - a very cynical time in the literary world.

In LOTF, Golding presented a story loaded with irony, symbolism, and theme. Man's dark nature, chaos and war, and the loss of innocence are the major themes that run through the novel. Golding was trying to explain that the problems in society are based on human nature, not political structures. I'm sure that Karl Marx would agree with Golding's philosophies at this point in time.

It has a good plot, even though the beginning is focused on character development. There is a lot of action, and a lot of foreshadowing elements. It's basically about a group of boys, who crash land on a deserted island during wartime, and have to survive on their own while they await rescue.

Each of the characters in the novel symbolically represent some figure in society. There's Ralph, who is the elected leader, and Jack who wanted to be the leader and gains control through manipulating the younger/weaker boys with fear and bullying tactics. The human nature conflict is best represented in the struggle for power or control that these two boys face. There is Piggy, Ralph's right-hand man, who represents Reason, Rational thought, and Civilization. Jack naturally despises Piggy. Jack's right-hand man would be Roger, who symbolizes any terrorist or warmonger. And then there is Simon, who strives for the truth, doesn't take sides and always offers to help. He is the Christ-figure in the novel representing love and faith and is "sacrificed" to the beast.

I find it very interesting how Golding poses that first we lose our faith or ability to love, and then we lose our reason. Very profound and even optimistic philosophy for such a dark look at life.

The ending is compelling and unforgettable. The ultimate philosophical question is what Golding asks through Jack's character, "Aren't there any grownups?" And perhaps Golding agrees with Ralph's answer, "No."

I highly recommend this masterpiece if you haven't read it. It's a quick and easy read, only 190 pages, and it's definitely a novel that you won't forget. It gets you thinking and makes for great philosophical discussion. And it will haunt you. Pick up a copy! Another book I need to recommend -- completely unrelated to Golding, but very much on my mind since I purchased a copy off Amazon is "The Losers' Club: Complete Restored Edition" by Richard Perez, an original, lonesome (but also funny) little novel I can't stop thinking about.

I recently taught this novel to the Seniors at Tampa Bay Tech High School. When I first introduced the title, they were turned off. But somehow we got through it, and once they understood the symbolism and the theme, they got into it.

This novel is not only a classic, it is part of many high school curriculum agendas. For Hillsborough County in Florida, it is the requirement for Seniors. I even read this book as a Senior in 1989.

I have always loved this novel because I really appreciate Golding's artistry and style. He has an incredible vocabulary and yet the story flows in a very easy-to-read and simple manner. The themes are dark, which makes sense considering that the novel came out in 1954 - a very cynical time in the literary world.

In LOTF, Golding presented a story loaded with irony, symbolism, and theme. Man's dark nature, chaos and war, and the loss of innocence are the major themes that run through the novel. Golding was trying to explain that the problems in society are based on human nature, not political structures. I'm sure that Karl Marx would agree with Golding's philosophies at this point in time.

It has a good plot, even though the beginning is focused on character development. There is a lot of action, and a lot of foreshadowing elements. It's basically about a group of boys, who crash land on a deserted island during wartime, and have to survive on their own while they await rescue.

Each of the characters in the novel symbolically represent some figure in society. There's Ralph, who is the elected leader, and Jack who wanted to be the leader and gains control through manipulating the younger/weaker boys with fear and bullying tactics. The human nature conflict is best represented in the struggle for power or control that these two boys face. There is Piggy, Ralph's right-hand man, who represents Reason, Rational thought, and Civilization. Jack naturally despises Piggy. Jack's right-hand man would be Roger, who symbolizes any terrorist or warmonger. And then there is Simon, who strives for the truth, doesn't take sides and always offers to help. He is the Christ-figure in the novel representing love and faith and is "sacrificed" to the beast.

I find it very interesting how Golding poses that first we lose our faith or ability to love, and then we lose our reason. Very profound and even optimistic philosophy for such a dark look at life.

The ending is compelling and unforgettable. The ultimate philosophical question is what Golding asks through Jack's character, "Aren't there any grownups?" And perhaps Golding agrees with Ralph's answer, "No."

I highly recommend this masterpiece if you haven't read it. It's a quick and easy read, only 190 pages, and it's definitely a novel that you won't forget. It gets you thinking and makes for great philosophical discussion. And it will haunt you. Pick up a copy! Another book I need to recommend -- completely unrelated to Golding, but very much on my mind since I purchased a copy off Amazon is "The Losers' Club: Complete Restored Edition" by Richard Perez, an original, lonesome (but also funny) little novel I can't stop thinking about.

While this book was well written and created vivid pictures, I was disturbed by the the theme of this story. It was extremely odd and disgusting. After hearing that this book has recieved high ratings, I was very dissapointed with the warped ideas Golding used to express "human nature". I do not reccomend this book.

I had to read this book for literiture class I hated it. my teacher rattled on about the symbolizm in this book.It was so boring and kinda gory.Plus no girls, wasnt they susposed to repopulate the world after nuclear war so not possible wih only boys. The one thing i found interesting was how they acted like wild animals after they had been on the island a while.that was kinda cool.But it was to confusing

This being a classic most of us had to read in school, I dared commenting on some plot points - so,
***** *** ** * WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD * ** *** *****

A number of phospholipids left alone in solution will self-organize into a double-layer membrane. A number of differentiated cells carry the inherent capability of self-organize into a semblance of tissue. Do humans carry a similar inherent tendency to self-organize into organized societies? And at what price?

From Stephen King's THE STAND to one of the best TV series ever, LOST, the idea of an isolated group of survivors forming a pristine human society and falling to avoid our dark proclivities has been explored again and again. This 1954 novel was the original telling of it. WILLIAM GOLDING being a Literature Nobelist, it comes to no surprise that his prose is mesmerizing, economic and direct at the same time.

Most societal archetypes and their interactive trajectories are elegantly represented: the benevolent yet eventually dethroned natural leader (Ralph) that is vindicated only after a deus ex machina intervention (the Naval officer); the militaristic idiot that manages to pass as a charismatic necessity (Jack); the technology-dependent intellectual weakling (Piggy) that eventually gets murdered by the brutal dictator (Roger) - who would come up running the show in the end if not stopped by their return to civilization. Reading LORD OF THE FLIES will bring up a great number of familiar societal types. Nevertheless, GOLDING presents a rather deterministic viewpoint.

One does not have to agree with GOLDING's pessimistic myth: we humans are not inherently bound to our societal shackles - and are perfectly capable of both doing the unexpected and surviving without a structured civilization. We existed a long time without it and we can learn again to do so if dictated by necessity. And, keep in mind, according to the Freudian approach, socialization is the root of most...psychosis.

It will keep you thinking long after the last page is turned.

RECOMMENDED!

Ever fantasize that you are on an island free from the restraints of society? William Golding has taken that scenario to the nth in this story of a bunch of English boys, plane wrecked on an island during WWII.

We see the fabric of society slowly and most assuredly ripping as the rules are discarded one by one. Golding is very graphic in his description of the demise of pigs and plants.

One will never look at fun and games in the same way.

Lord of the Flies: Essential Art House

This being a classic most of us had to read in school, I dared commenting on some plot points - so,
***** *** ** * WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD * ** *** *****

A number of phospholipids left alone in solution will self-organize into a double-layer membrane. A number of differentiated cells carry the inherent capability of self-organize into a semblance of tissue. Do humans carry a similar inherent tendency to self-organize into organized societies? And at what price?

From Stephen King's THE STAND to one of the best TV series ever, LOST, the idea of an isolated group of survivors forming a pristine human society and falling to avoid our dark proclivities has been explored again and again. This 1954 novel was the original telling of it. WILLIAM GOLDING being a Literature Nobelist, it comes to no surprise that his prose is mesmerizing, economic and direct at the same time.

Most societal archetypes and their interactive trajectories are elegantly represented: the benevolent yet eventually dethroned natural leader (Ralph) that is vindicated only after a deus ex machina intervention (the Naval officer); the militaristic idiot that manages to pass as a charismatic necessity (Jack); the technology-dependent intellectual weakling (Piggy) that eventually gets murdered by the brutal dictator (Roger) - who would come up running the show in the end if not stopped by their return to civilization. Reading LORD OF THE FLIES will bring up a great number of familiar societal types. Nevertheless, GOLDING presents a rather deterministic viewpoint.

One does not have to agree with GOLDING's pessimistic myth: we humans are not inherently bound to our societal shackles - and are perfectly capable of both doing the unexpected and surviving without a structured civilization. We existed a long time without it and we can learn again to do so if dictated by necessity. And, keep in mind, according to the Freudian approach, socialization is the root of most...psychosis.

It will keep you thinking long after the last page is turned.

RECOMMENDED!

THE LORD OF THE FLIES, by William Golding, is an interesting book. About thirty boys between the age of six to ten years of age are trapped on a deserted island. Now, we all know what happens to boys their age when they are left alone in an empty classroom. Here they are, alone on an island, with absolutely NO GROWNUPS!!! The three main characters, Ralph, Jack, and Simon are very ironic. Ralph is a rich boy who is immediately elected leader over all of the boys. Jack is another rich boy, and he is the one who immediately starts breaking all the rules that the other boys have set up. Simon is a boy who is symbolic of Jesus. But another one of the characters is a boy called Piggy. Right from the beginning, you can see a conflict between Jack and Piggy. Piggy is poor, has asthma, and is almost blind and uses glasses. Jack teases him and makes the other boys tease him too. Can the adults come to save the boys before they completely lose it? I would recommend this book to all people, except for children under the age of twelve. It is truly an enchanting and thrilling book. Must also recommend THE CHILDREN'S CORNER by Jackson McCrae.

Given the current state of the world, and especially current events as of this writing, it's hard to say that LORD OF THE FLIES is shocking. But it is, in its own way, and hopefully will remain so. In this Golding novel, society is held up for us to look at, through the actions of a few stranded boys on an island. Metaphors abound, and for good reason: Golding is trying to teach us something by putting our own society's evils on display via a group of gone-wild adolescents. And it works. The unfortunate thing is that we, as a society, seemed to not have learned the lesson Golding was trying to teach. This is a classic, stellar book with a superb message--if only we would listen. Would also recommend two other books as we read them in lit class: Cannery Row by Steinbeck, Bark of the Dogwood (I think this one's getting banned), and Of Mice and Men.

Also, you must read the new and shocking CHILDREN'S CORNER by Jackson McCrae. Great short stories-an easy read and makes a great book report.