The classic tale of a group of English school boys who are left stranded on an unpopulated island, and who must confront not only the defects of their society but the defects of their own natures.
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. --Jennifer Hubert
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
"To express mankind's essential illness...":
One of those I wish I'd read earlier in life - but there it was on vacation with me and I couldn't put it down. What an amazing clarity Golding had here. The entire story - from the plane going down through the attempts to establish "civilization" & order on the island - to the devolvement of everything human - the language is compelling and transitions effective. The love and the hate between the two lead boys - Ralph & Jack - is stunning and believable. And everything related to Simon pulled hard... more info
One of the best books I've read:
I loved this book because it tells the story of true human nature. It was completely different from what I had expected it to be, and there are some funny moments too. Read this!
Lost Innocence:
I enjoyed reading Lord of the Flies by William Golding. It was a very well written novel. Although I believe the beginning started really slow and did not grab my attention right a way, but as I kept going the book became more and more interesting. Golding sure knows how to make a huge plot flow and was able to create a huge conflict for the story. The conflict in the end teaches some very valuable life lessons for the reader and the characters.
Golding expressed each character extremely well. Each... more info
Lord of the Flies Book Review By Conlan Mueller:
Lord of the Flies By William Golding: Book Review
By: Conlan Mueller The author of Lord of the Flies, William Golding, has many ways of showing the meaning of the book. The terrible human quality that man has, turning savage, doing anything for his own survival, in times of great crisis. Golding shows this point in many ways. He uses a variety of metaphors throughout the story. Golding also bluntly shows this in the book. Golding was born in Cornwall, England in 1911. Lord of the Flies was... more info
