Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Classic Survival. 182 Pages. 4 Stars
Synopsis:
At the dawn of the next world war, a plane crashes on an uncharted island, stranding a group of schoolboys. At first, with no adult supervision, their freedom is something to celebrate; this far from civilization the boys can do anything they want. Anything. They attempt to forge their own society, failing, however, in the face of terror, sin and evil. And as order collapses, as strange howls echo in the night, as terror begins its reign, the hope of adventure seems as far from reality as the hope of being rescued.
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 is perhaps our most memorable novel about “the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart.”
My Review:
This was a book a lot of my peers read in high school, but that I missed because I took an AP English class for college credit instead. While I am thankful to have taken that course and I did really enjoy it, part of me wonders what else I missed.
This is a classic that’s been on my list for a while. I knew very little going in – only that it was one people had a very strong reaction to. A story of survival on an island paradise, right? Yup. While I had the foreboding and sense that something would turn sour, I didn’t know what or when. I imagined it would end in the complete dissolution of society, but for some reason, I thought it would happen sooner than it did.
We start with the group of boys who have crash landed on that tropical paradise, a boy’s dream come true. No school, no adults, no rules! I love the idyllic opening and how the boys are pure children delighting in the surf, sun, and God’s green earth. Looking back, that contrasts so perfectly with the whole point of the story. I also really enjoyed the end where these boys who had been forced to grow up in ways that make the reader forget they’re all just children suddenly snaps back into focus for us.
The story is a powerful one that should provoke us to think, to consider who the beasts really are and the fleshly instincts we all default to without a higher calling to morality and goodness. I can definitely understand why this one is in high school curriculums. It’s a great conversation starter with themes that could impact a young student’s journey as they mature into adulthood. Honestly, there are some adults who should read (or reread) this one too!
Content: no romance, some mild British swearing (and the British culture, humor, and tone definitely shine through, which is neat), and definitely some violence, though it does seem filtered through a non-graphic haze. There’s definitely some disturbing moments, psychological horror, and violence. I’d probably recommend for 16+, but I do think it would foster great topics of discussion.
More:
On GraceBought:
If you liked this, you may also like:
The Giver, Fahrenheit 451, or The Maze Runner,
Try these MG adventure stories:
Treasure Island, The Wild Robot, or The Misadventured Summer of Tumbleweed Thompson
Or try these thriller/survival stories:
A Time to Die, The Line Between, or Steal Fire from the Gods