Well. This was such a disappointment. Was it me - or did I really read one of the worst books ever to be written? Such a slender premise and such non-events. After the unlikely call out the narrator gets to rescue a 'borrowed' car the whole thing slides downhill. I threw the book across the bedroom when I had finished it in memory of Mark Twain's comment!!! ( )

This is a rarity for me- a book that I actually would not recommend to anyone. The first half drags on for an eternity, and then the second half is vaguely interesting, but nowhere near interesting enough to make up for that torturous beginning. I would not read this unless you are an avid William Golding fan. I enjoyed Lord of the Flies, but was less than impressed with this book. ( )

Three episodes in the life of a narrator who, according to the dust jacket, ultimately "penetrates the complex realities of relationships at last viewed in complete awareness." I respectfully beg to differ, since it seems to me that the narrator's (everyone's?) failure to accomplish that lofty goal is the theme of the book. Golding is such a master at construction! It is so interesting to observe the care and subtlety he employs to link the three tales together. As with all great literature, it is possible for the reader to speculate on each and every detail, ultimately realizing that the author has made just the right choice and expressed it in just the right way. ( )

A decent look at the growing-up, loves and loneliness of a young man, Ollie, through three separate and related episodes. Not bad, but I read several Golding novels after "Lord of the Flies" in a vain attempt to find anything nearly as absorbing. ( )