Lord of the Flies (Penguin Great Books of the 20th Century)
Lord of the Flies remains as provocative today as when it was first published in 1954, igniting passionate debate with its startling, brutal portrait of human nature. Though critically acclaimed, it was largely ignored upon its initial publication. Yet soon it became a cult favorite among both students and literary critics who compared it to J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye in its influence on modern thought and literature.
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.
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.
Labeled a parable, an allegory, a myth, a morality tale, a parody, a political treatise, even a vision of the apocalypse, Lord of the Flies has established itself as a true classic.
"Lord of the Flies is one of my favorite books. That was a big influence on me as a teenager, I still read it every couple of years."
—Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games
"As exciting, relevant, and thought-provoking now as it was when Golding published it in 1954."
—Stephen King
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Community Reviews
This is a good dystopian novel that contemplates the true evil that exist in man; even as children. The irony of placing a person in paradise only to have them destroy it is a lesson that never ceases to be valuable. Human nature at its worst.
Children are creatures of habit and structure—and, well… animals too. But as children, they are just pale copies of adults, aren’t they? In the end, is there really much difference between what happens on the island and the world beyond it?
They can also be too smart for their age and too savage at the same time. In other words, innocence is far from being the defining trait of youth. No. Instinct is—whether good or bad.
If you manage to make me enjoy an entire book about a group of children—and only boys at that (disclaimer: I hate children, and I’d have thrown myself into the sea if I were stuck on an island with just boys at that age)—then you deserve four stars. No further argument necessary.
It’s not a five-star reread for me. I was hoping more events would unfold on the island, and the psychological tension isn’t always paced well enough to be fully appreciated. I think I was more impressed when I was younger.
Finally, although beautiful and sometimes poetic, the descriptions take up a lot of space, and the balance between atmosphere and action occasionally falters.
Nonetheless, it’s a great book—and a true classic.
They can also be too smart for their age and too savage at the same time. In other words, innocence is far from being the defining trait of youth. No. Instinct is—whether good or bad.
If you manage to make me enjoy an entire book about a group of children—and only boys at that (disclaimer: I hate children, and I’d have thrown myself into the sea if I were stuck on an island with just boys at that age)—then you deserve four stars. No further argument necessary.
It’s not a five-star reread for me. I was hoping more events would unfold on the island, and the psychological tension isn’t always paced well enough to be fully appreciated. I think I was more impressed when I was younger.
Finally, although beautiful and sometimes poetic, the descriptions take up a lot of space, and the balance between atmosphere and action occasionally falters.
Nonetheless, it’s a great book—and a true classic.
Quite an interesting take on the inner demons of society and its manifestations in the event of a societal breakdown.
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