Controversial and thought-provoking, Lord of the Flies is a compelling allegory on human civilization and what happens in the absence of societal order.
When a plane carrying British war evacuees crashes on a remote tropical island and leaves a group of young schoolboys as the only survivors, the events that unfold afterward are both provocative and chilling. After escaping the wreckage of the plane the boys initially attempt to maintain some sense of order so as to survive and hopefully be rescued. However freed from the constraints of society and its attendant rules the boys quickly divide into warring factions with chaos, violence and paranoia becoming the order of the day.
Originally published in 1954, Lord of the Flies was William Golding's first novel. It is widely acknowledged as a modern classic in English literature and was even included by the editors of TIME magazine in their list of the 100 top English-language novels. The novel is required reading in many of the world's top schools and educational institutions.
"Essentially I like this as a book about government. The isolated boys demonstrate the extent to which good behavior and democracy are learned, just as they can be unlearned. What ideologies last when subjected to chaos of human interaction? Each choice is justifiable and sad as it is done independently. The heart of it rings true as one realizes the chaos of adults surrounding their island adventure is a strict parralell of the violence they themselves experienced." — Matt (5 out of 5 stars)
"Essentially I like this as a book about government. The isolated boys demonstrate the extent to which good behavior and democracy are learned, just as they can be unlearned. What ideologies last when subjected to chaos of human interaction? Each choice is justifiable and sad as it is done independently. The heart of it rings true as one realizes the chaos of adults surrounding their island adventure is a strict parralell of the violence they themselves experienced."
William Golding's classic novel of primitive savagery and survival is one of the most vividly realized and riveting works in modern fiction. The tale begins after a plane wreck deposits a group of English school boys, aged six to twelve on an isolated tropical island. Their struggle to survive and impose order quickly evolves from a battle against nature into a battle against their own primitive instincts. Golding's portrayal of the collapse of social order into chaos draws the fine line between innocence and savagery.
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“I finished the last half of Lord of the Flies in a single afternoon, my eyes wide, my heart pounding, not thinking, just inhaling….My rule of thumb as a writer and reader—largely formed by Lord of the Flies—is: feel it first, think about it later.”
“This brilliant work is a frightening parody on man’s return to that state of darkness from which it took him thousands of years to emerge. Fully to succeed, a fantasy must approach very close to reality. Lord of the Flies does. It must also be superbly written. It is.”
“Lord of the Flies gives the reader a lucid and chillingly objective mirror to our modern society. William Golding’s narration is as impartial as his work, yet his grumbly, grandfatherly voice, complete with mid-sentence sniffs and swallows, is intimate…Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”
" This was assigned reading and needed a little help getting interest level up. This audio really helped! Reading along was fantastic for my daughter who didn't think this was "the book for her", but after getting engaged with the audio ended up enjoying the book. "
" I was never made to read this book when I went through school so now that I am a bit older I thought that it was time that I did so. Of course every knows the outline of the story so it was no surprise that these young boys that are stranded on a tropical island reverted back to uncivilized human beings. There is an attempt to organize but with kids that young it just wasn't possible. The book met my expectations in the end. Of particular note, the author William Golding reads the book. He is not a great reader but he does a great service to the authenticity of the body of work. "
" It is one of those books you must read in your youth to prepare you for life. Life is full of the bullies, weaklings, followers, bosses, etc. This book lays it all out in graphic, heart wrenching, eye opening detail. "
" This book was pretty nice, there's a lot symbolism used (which i love). I thought this book would be about boys adventuring on an island but i was a bit off. This book, like frankenstein, led me to ponder life without authority figures to guide people. "
" Not very complex I'm afraid, but a good point he makes about humanity and civilization nonetheless. "
" Poses some great ideas on human nature and really shows you how uncivilized we can be. "
" Suffered through it in high school. Haven't read it since. "
" Although it did started slow, it got interesting in the final few chapters. The moment characters started to die, is the moment it got interesting. "
" It's a famous book, so I had an inkling of what was going to come, but even when it did, I was shocked. Just devastating. "
" I remember reading this for Grade 10 enriched English and loving it. "
" I get the point, but I probably would have liked it more if I had read this when I was younger. "
" This book give incredible insight as a microcosm of interpersonal interactions. It should be read by everyone. "
" Another one I read at school for English Lit. It was good but even now I can't get past my prejudice that is a 'boy's book!' "
" Interesting how a group of kids is capable of creating a complex society, with myths, leaders, morals, and wilderness. "
" This is my new favorite book to teach. "
" I don't have much to say about "Lord of the Flies", because I think its simplistic beauty speaks for itself. I will leave you with this: It is scary to think how much like Ralph and the choir boys we as human beings really are. "
" A haunting tale of what would happen had societal rules been eliminated. "
" One of my all time favorites. A classic. "
" I had to read a classic book for a book report, so I chose this book. This was a good book, it could be very confusing at some parts so i would have to re-read that part, but all-in-all it was a good book. "
" Nice story with an interesting theme behind it. Especially like the irony in the end. "
" Another required reading book from high school. It was disturbing to realize how children are especially prone to behaving savagely in extreme circumstances. "
" I remember reading this when I was about 14 and being shocked. It's one I'd like to read again now that I am an adult. "
" It is not far what happens in our real life. "
" I read this earlier this year in English Class, and I positively loathed it. There is so much stuff wrong with this book. "
" Lord Of The Flies is a very challenging book but, its good once you start too break it down and take notes =) ! "
" It's a very depressing book "
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