Lord of the Flies (1954)

I have an issue with this book. No, it isn't the way that it is written, it isn't any of the characters, and it isn't anything about possibility or realism or whatever. I was never forced to read it in school so I don't have that irrational hatred of the material that some people might have.

My issue is that the story is such a touchstone for our culture as a whole that I know what's going to happen. On the other hand, I think I was spoiled for Book 7 of Harry Potter and I still read that, so I don't know what my excuse is here. I guess it is a combination of things. For one, I know the basic plot. I saw that one episode of The Simpsons where they have the Mock U.N. and get stranded and are saved by Moe. So then it becomes a problem, should I spend my time reading this cultural milestone that displays the darkness in the heart of mankind?

Sure, why not? I mean, it's a pretty good way to spend an afternoon. So as I find out a lot of the plot points were left out in the adaptations that I saw. It's quite well done as a whole. The characters are believable and have depth. At the same time, though, they are kind of telegraphed in some cases. I guess the story is pretty much about our proclivity to war. Other than that I don't have anything insightful to say.

Initially, I took this out of the library, but since I didn't have a deadline for it besides the return date, I let it lapse and did not read it for the longest time. The Stephen King introduction was pretty good but other than that, there is nothing to say about the book as a whole. ( )

I find it funny that most people don't seem to like this book, either because they find the "mob mentality" depressing but feel it is realistic. Alternately there are those who do not like it because they feel that it is unrealistic. To accept it as realistic, to them, would be admitting that we are all basically evil and selfish at the core and if left to our own devices would deteriorate into a "mob". What I see from this is that both groups are missing a vital part of the story. What about the few who were not a part of the mob? Persecuted though they were, not all of the boys followed along or were willing to do 'anything' to fit in. I think, though exaggerated, it is a pretty accurate picture of most Elementary/Jr. High schools out there! They may not be stabbing each other with homemade spears, but they are inflicting harm in order to gain status within their "group". How many young people have joined in to tease the fat kid, smelly kid, smart kid, to get a laugh or impress "friends"? How many have simply not spoken up in their defense?

Exaggerated? Yes. But, not unrealistic! ( )

A good book, that's for sure. It works really well when you see it all as a deep critic about human behaviour and the strucuture of human society: how there will always be those that will rule by force and that when we stop listening and kill our society's voice of reason, violence and madness install and we lose sense of what made us human in the first place. Or, this is what being human actually and primitively means?

On the other hand, I found the writing boring in the beginning and the characters aren't really that interesting, since I felt that represent more ideas than real people. That works in the grand scheme of things but I think that this can make the book feel kinda empty at times, which is why I think this book is so short.

But, in the end, this book is definetly worth a read and makes good use of its choices for metaphors and minimalistic dialogue, so that you the reader can witness and take notes about the barbarity that is within all of us, just waiting for the perfect opportunity to get out. ( )

Wow - what a read! I'm not exactly sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't really this. A beautifully written tale of a group of boys stranded on an island as a result of an airplane crash. With no adults around, they start to organize under a leader, Ralph, who gets them set on tasks like building shelters and most importantly keeping a fire going so that the smoke will be noticed and they will be rescued. Ralph's main competitor is Jack, who just wants to hunt the feral pigs on the island. The longer they are there, their civilized nature starts to fall apart and it gets pretty gruesome! ( )

Ich sag es ja: Kinder sind Arschlöcher epischen Ausmaßes. ( )