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Lord of the Flies : (Penguin Great Books of…
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Lord of the Flies : (Penguin Great Books of the 20th Century) (Penguin Great Books of the 20th Century) (original 1954; edition 1999)

by William Golding

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingConversations / Mentions
49,48274326 (3.71)1 / 1097
The classic study of human nature which depicts the degeneration of a group of schoolboys marooned on a desert island.
Member:Ben6754
Title:Lord of the Flies : (Penguin Great Books of the 20th Century) (Penguin Great Books of the 20th Century)
Authors:William Golding
Info:Penguin (Non-Classics) (1999), Paperback, 192 pages
Collections:Your library
Rating:
Tags:None

Work Information

Lord of the Flies by William Golding (1954)

  1. 204
    Battle Royale by Koushun Takami (JGKC, Panairjdde)
    Panairjdde: Two books that explore the survival instinct of people, even at youg age, as fueled by fear and lust for violence
  2. 71
    A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes (pitjrw)
    pitjrw: Similar outlook on youth but a lot funnier and great description of a hurricane that plays the same role as the nuclear holacaust in Lord.
  3. 60
    High-Rise by J. G. Ballard (bertilak)
    bertilak: Two books about 'civilized' people becoming tribal and violent. However, Ballard is a disinterested diagnostician and Golding is a moralist.
  4. 83
    The Cement Garden by Ian McEwan (KayCliff)
  5. 149
    The Giver by Lois Lowry (FFortuna)
  6. 40
    Animal Farm by George Orwell (sturlington)
  7. 40
    Tunnel in the Sky by Robert A. Heinlein (sandstone78)
    sandstone78: A more optimistic view of young people in a society of their own- I read this on my own from the school library a few years before Lord of the Flies was required reading, and it seemed much more reasonable to me.
  8. 30
    Friday and Robinson: life on Esperanza Island by Michel Tournier (yokai)
  9. 30
    Nip the Buds, Shoot the Kids by Kenzaburō Ōe (JuliaMaria)
    JuliaMaria: Kinder auf sich allein gestellt - was sagt es über die Gesellschaft aus?
  10. 20
    The Coral Island by R. M. Ballantyne (Cecrow)
  11. 20
    The Only Ones by Aaron Starmer (Anonymous user)
    Anonymous user: A world without adults with some differences and similarities.
  12. 31
    Under the Dome by Stephen King (sturlington)
    sturlington: Under the Dome is an adult version of Lord of the Flies.
  13. 42
    The Beach by Alex Garland (booklove2, mcenroeucsb)
    booklove2: The Beach is like Lord of the Flies for adults, starring adults.
  14. 10
    Queen of Stones by Emma Tennant (KayCliff)
  15. 10
    Gone by Michael Grant (Anonymous user)
  16. 10
    Variant by Robison Wells (JenniferRobb)
  17. 00
    A Luminous Republic by Andrés Barba (stretch)
  18. 66
    The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks (villanova)
  19. 00
    Orphan Island by Rose Macaulay (KayCliff)
  20. 11
    The Drifting Classroom, Vol. 1 by Kazuo Umezu (scotchpenicillin)
    scotchpenicillin: Comment des enfants confontés à une situation extraordinaire re-construisent un semblant de société...

(see all 32 recommendations)

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» See also 1097 mentions

English (681)  Italian (12)  Spanish (11)  French (7)  Dutch (6)  Finnish (6)  Catalan (4)  German (3)  Portuguese (Brazil) (2)  Swedish (2)  Danish (2)  Hungarian (1)  Portuguese (Portugal) (1)  Hebrew (1)  All languages (739)
Showing 1-5 of 681 (next | show all)
Come to find out, there’s a William Golding and there’s a William Goldman, such that the one who wrote Lord of the Flies is not in fact the one who wrote The Princess Bride, which, before realizing my error, I rather imagined demonstrated impressive tonal range. ( )
  lelandleslie | Feb 24, 2024 |
I had to force myself to finish this book. I honestly don't understand how anyone rated it well. Unless they're like me, giving it multiple stars because I feel awful giving any book only one. ( )
  Carnal.Butterfly | Jan 3, 2024 |
an interesting exploration of human psychology with some vivid imagery, and alternately, a scathing critique of British imperialism and British and by extension European culture as a whole, but makes some flawed conclusions about the nature of man and uses some racist archetypes to get this point across ( )
  ParenthesisEnjoyer | Dec 11, 2023 |
I read this book when I was a Littlun and appreciated it. But it took a re-read as an adult for me to appreciate its brilliance.

William Golding does an admirable job of writing a work that's essentially a critical commentary on young boy adventure books. I feel as though he was tired of seeing those novels continue in popularity even after World War II ravaged Europe. In that way I relate to him, as I too had issues with countless recent dystopian YA novels that didn't provide good emotional archeology for a generation that experienced school shootings, global conflict, and environmental catastrophes.

It's also wonderfully philosophical. The thematic struggle, as illustrated by Ralph and Jack's representations of the duality of man, is fascinating. But the real joy is Simon's deeply spiritual nature. He sits above it all, while finding a natural equilibrium with the island. And his conversation with the Lord of the Flies is the best part of the novel.

There are some parts where regional/era specific language is tough to follow. But that's a minor complaint. This is highly recommended, and worth being taught in schools if you have a teacher that provides appropriate context. ( )
1 vote JuntaKinte1968 | Dec 6, 2023 |
I had a good idea how this book was going to end before I ever picked it up. I wanted to understand how a society devolves into chaos and violence. This book helped me realize afresh that people do not necessarily (or even often) follow a leader because s/he's wise or intelligent. People will often follow the biggest bully, the loudest, most obnoxious person. Many people don't want the responsibility of leadership, nor would they have the charisma to lead. But leadership without wisdom is dangerous indeed.

The only thing I did NOT like about this book was the afterward by Lori Lowry, who claims to hate the uniformed officer at the end, the representative of civilization, who introdudes on the children's world: "How dare he?" she asks. Apparently, she would rather that Ralph had been slaughtered like a pig by the children-turned-savage. Perhaps, rather than despising the order represented by the uniformed officer, we should recognize that, as ugly and savage as mankind can become, it is also capable of great beauty, and that that beauty does not always assert itself amid chaos. ( )
  Coffeehag | Nov 26, 2023 |
Showing 1-5 of 681 (next | show all)
35 livres cultes à lire au moins une fois dans sa vie
Quels sont les romans qu'il faut avoir lu absolument ? Un livre culte qui transcende, fait réfléchir, frissonner, rire ou pleurer… La littérature est indéniablement créatrice d’émotions. Si vous êtes adeptes des classiques, ces titres devraient vous plaire.
De temps en temps, il n'y a vraiment rien de mieux que de se poser devant un bon bouquin, et d'oublier un instant le monde réel. Mais si vous êtes une grosse lectrice ou un gros lecteur, et que vous avez épuisé le stock de votre bibliothèque personnelle, laissez-vous tenter par ces quelques classiques de la littérature.
 
There is no blinking the fact that this English schoolmaster turned novelist understands growing boys to the heart; one must go back to"High Wind in Jamaica" to find a comparable tour de force. The uneasy conviction persists that he despises the child who is father to the man-and the man as well. Homo sapiens needs all the friends he can find these days, in and out of novels.
added by Shortride | editThe New York Times, William du Bois (pay site) (Oct 21, 1955)
 
"Lord of the Flies" is an allegory on human society today, the novel's primary implication being that what we have come to call civilization is, at best, skin deep. With undertones of "1984" and "High Wind in Jamaica," this brilliant work is a frightening parody on man's return (in a few weeks) to that state of darkness from which it took him thousands of years to return. Fully to succeed, a fantasy must approach very close to reality. "Lord of the Flies" does. It must also be superbly written. It is.
added by Shortride | editThe New York Times Book Review, James Stern (pay site) (Oct 23, 1954)
 

» Add other authors (83 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Golding, Williamprimary authorall editionsconfirmed
Akyol, ÖzcanForewordsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Buehler, JenniferContributorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Carvalho, AdamsCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Damsma, HarmTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Davidson, AndrewCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Déry, TiborTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Donini, FilippoTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Epstein, E. L.Afterwordsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Forster, E. M.Introductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Gregor, IanIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Grieken, Roderik vanAfterwordsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Jessurun d'Oliveira, H.U.Translatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Kinkead-Weekes, MarkIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Lowry, LoisAfterwordsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Lowry, LoisForewordsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Miedema, NiekTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Niepokólczycki, WacławTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Perkki, JuhanaTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Smolka, DieterHerausgebersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Weber, SamIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed

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For my mother and father
First words
The boy with fair hair lowered himself down the last few feet of rock and began to pick his way toward the lagoon.
Quotations
His voice rose under the black smoke before the burning wreckage of the island; and infected by that emotion, the other little boys began to shake and sob too. And in the middle of them, with filthy body, matted hair, and unwiped nose, Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy.
Maybe there is a beast - maybe it's only us.
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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
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The classic study of human nature which depicts the degeneration of a group of schoolboys marooned on a desert island.

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Book description
When Lord of the Flies appeared in 1954 it received unprecedented reviews for a first novel. Critics used such phrases as "beautifully written, tragic and provocative...vivid and enthralling...this beautiful and desperate book...completely convincing and often very frightening...its progress is magnificent...like a fragment of nightmare...a dizzy climax of terror...the terrible spell of this book..." E.M. Forster chose it as the Outstanding Novel of the Year. Time and Tide touched upon perhaps the most important facet of this book when it said, "It is not only a first-rate adventure story but a parable of our times," and articles on this and subsequent Golding novels have stressed these twin aspects of Golding: a consummate control of the novel form, and a superb all-encompassing vision of reality which communicates itself with a power reminiscent of Conrad.

AR Level 5.0, 9 Pts.
Haiku summary
Diverging lenses
To start a fire? Golding knew
Nothing of optics.
(thorold)

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