[electronic resource] /
English language
Published Nov. 19, 2001 by Penguin Books.
Few works in literature have received as much popular and critical attention as Nobel Laureate William Golding's Lord of the Flies. Since its publication in 1954, it has amassed a cult following, and has significantly contributed to our dystopian vision of the post-war era. When responding to the novel's dazzling power of intellectual insight, scholars and critics often invoke the works of Shakespeare, Freud, Rousseau, Sartre, Orwell, and Conrad. Golding's aim to "trace the defect of society back to the defect of human nature" is elegantly pursued in this gripping adventure tale about a group of British schoolboys marooned on a tropical island. Alone in a world of uncharted possibilities, devoid of adult supervision or rules, the boys attempt to forge their own society, failing, however, in the face of terror, sin, and evil. Part parable, allegory, myth, parody, political treatise, and apocalyptic vision, Lord of the Flies is perhaps …
Few works in literature have received as much popular and critical attention as Nobel Laureate William Golding's Lord of the Flies. Since its publication in 1954, it has amassed a cult following, and has significantly contributed to our dystopian vision of the post-war era. When responding to the novel's dazzling power of intellectual insight, scholars and critics often invoke the works of Shakespeare, Freud, Rousseau, Sartre, Orwell, and Conrad. Golding's aim to "trace the defect of society back to the defect of human nature" is elegantly pursued in this gripping adventure tale about a group of British schoolboys marooned on a tropical island. Alone in a world of uncharted possibilities, devoid of adult supervision or rules, the boys attempt to forge their own society, failing, however, in the face of terror, sin, and evil. Part parable, allegory, myth, parody, political treatise, and apocalyptic vision, Lord of the Flies is perhaps the most memorable tale about "the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart."
I went into this book with a pretty correct idea about what it would be about. It reminded me of every job I've ever had; a bunch of childish boys trying to decide who's in charge.
What surprised me is that it was actually a nice little tropical vacation of sorts. I should have read it in wintertime.
perhaps this should be categorized as YA, but the facts are that 1) Golding wrote this for an adult audience 2) his publisher sold it to an adult audience and 3) the YA category didn't even exist back then!
anyhow, it's often read in highschool (i didn't - we were assigned john Knowle's A Separate Peace) but ds was reading it for a writing critique so i picked it up as well.
it's got some archaic vocabulary, and long descriptive passages so i can see how it might dovetail into middle school boys hating to read. i was also surprised at how piggy was described. knowing that his death was to be a pivot point of the novel, i expect a more compassionate account of him (thru either the author's or the protagonist's eyes) but he's actually quite easy to dislike. then again, that may be the point. a …
perhaps this should be categorized as YA, but the facts are that 1) Golding wrote this for an adult audience 2) his publisher sold it to an adult audience and 3) the YA category didn't even exist back then!
anyhow, it's often read in highschool (i didn't - we were assigned john Knowle's A Separate Peace) but ds was reading it for a writing critique so i picked it up as well.
it's got some archaic vocabulary, and long descriptive passages so i can see how it might dovetail into middle school boys hating to read. i was also surprised at how piggy was described. knowing that his death was to be a pivot point of the novel, i expect a more compassionate account of him (thru either the author's or the protagonist's eyes) but he's actually quite easy to dislike. then again, that may be the point. a kid you tease, bully and even hate still is not deserving of death. maybe the pivot point is supposed to happen in the reader's mind.
I hate this book. I see and understand the philosophical thoughts behind it, and i still hate it. I hate how Golding thought about kids (even if they are a metaphor). I hate his writing, which was horrible. It is unbelievable you can corrupt the English language like that or be forced to read a book with non coherent sentences in school. Sentences that have no meaning. I hate the sexism and the patriarchy behind it. I hate the introduction that tells me how i should interpret this book, because apparently the book itself can't do it on its own. And the worst is, that this book won a Nobel prize in literature..
