Flowers for Algernon : Student Edition (edition 2004)

One of the saddest books I've ever read and profoundly thought-provoking on what we value in people and relationships. A book I've avoided my whole life under the misconception of what it was really about. 4.5 stars. (Would never have read it were it not on Ben's bookshelf which hid his secret door). ( )

This is a psychedelic story that isn't my cup of tea, but enjoyable. Funny in places, but it made me feel guilty that I thought that way. The book was written in the 1960's, and the attitudes, dialog, and setting were dated reading it in 2013. The average rating at librarything is just over four stars. I didn't think it was that good. ( )

A great book, but one that I can't bear to read again. ( )

I really enjoyed this book and I think Charlie Gordon will stay with me forever. I have only just read this book and while the language has changed to be more politically correct it is such shame that many of the attitudes have not. Daniel Keyes has managed to write a book with such depth yet in a manner that was not at all plodding or high brow. ( )

I'm one of the very few people here who have not read this book for school. Well, I was going to read it for school but unfortunately was home sick during the one day my eighth grade class spent reading the short story version (ironically I also missed reading Nightjohn, the only other story we read in one day). I had always wanted to read the story anyway, so I was ecstatic to find a copy of the full novel in a pile of library overflow books my English teacher had given to me at the end of this school year, my Junior year in high school. Well, better late than never.

With a book like this, everyone knows what's going to happen before it happens. The back cover pretty much gives away the entire plot: Man with an IQ of 70 gets a surgery to become smart, IQ raises, man becomes genius for short amount of time, man's IQ plummets and he ends up just where he was before. All of this chronicled in the form of journal entries. But there's so much more to this book than that. It says a lot about human nature in general. The importance of love, the treatment of people with mental disabilities, severe child abuse, and the idea that intelligence isn't everything all are discussed.

As I read the full novel, I am rating it four stars because I admit that a few of the journal entries dragged on for a little too long and repeated themselves a little too much. I'm sure this problem doesn't exist in the novella and short story editions, but if you have any interest in this book, I suggest you read the full novel as I have. From the other reviews I've read, the full text is the richest and most full experience. ( )