

Loading... Flowers for Algernon (1966)by Daniel Keyes
![]()
» 76 more 20th Century Literature (191) Books Read in 2017 (149) Top Five Books of 2014 (186) Unreliable Narrators (34) A Novel Cure (93) Nebula Award (17) SF Masterworks (19) Overdue Podcast (71) Books Read in 2021 (685) Books Read in 2019 (1,142) Books tagged favorites (118) Best Young Adult (276) KayStJ's to-read list (164) SF Masterworks (14) Science Fiction (16) 1960s (144) Read These Too (31) Best medical fiction (11) Books Read in 2012 (113) Epistolary Books (43) Books to buy (8) Speculative Fiction (25) The American Experience (154) Academia in Fiction (122) Books About Boys (168) Readable Classics (105) Great American Novels (133) Unread books (817)
Poignant. I first read the short story in eighth grade as an assignment. To this day, I remember how sad it was. I checked the paperback out as an adult today, thinking there would be themes i hadn't been aware of at thirteen. There were (duh). It was like reading two separate stories within one book, and I was engaged the whole time. my heart broke routinely over Algernon, especially as his decline progressed. Honestly, i cared more about him than I did Charlie, because Charlie spends a fair amount of the novel being a huge jerk. I was horrified at how poorly he was treated before the operation, all over again. I empathized with him at times. I still prefer the short story form. Miss Kinian creeps me out. He's your student, you goddamn wierdo, and you -knew- he'd regress. The other girlfriend was a character foil, and I didn't like her either. I liked what she did for the story, but not her personality. The author who wrote this might have had a problem with women, honestly, now that I think of all the women in the novel version. I'm glad I read the novel, but I don't think I'll read it again. Excellent read. Moving and thought provoking. Especially amazing considering it is from the 1950s. 4.5 Stars. Really good book. Amazing really, for the timeframe that it was orginally written in.
[Keyes] has taken the obvious, treated it in a most obvious fashion, and succeeded in creating a tale that is suspenseful and touching - all in modest degree, but it is enough. Belongs to Publisher SeriesSF Masterworks (25) Is contained inAmerican Science Fiction: Four Classic Novels 1960-1966 (LOA #321): The High Crusade / Way Station / Flowers for Algernon / . . . And Call Me Conrad (The Library of America) by Gary K. Wolfe Has the adaptationIs an expanded version ofHas as a commentary on the textHas as a student's study guideHas as a teacher's guide
When brain surgery makes a mouse into a genius, dull-witted Charlie Gordon wonders if it might also work for him. With more than five million copies sold, Flowers for Algernon is the beloved, classic story of a mentally disabled man whose experimental quest for intelligence mirrors that of Algernon, an extraordinary lab mouse. In poignant diary entries, Charlie tells how a brain operation increases his IQ and changes his life. As the experimental procedure takes effect, Charlie's intelligence expands until it surpasses that of the doctors who engineered his metamorphosis. The experiment seems to be a scientific breakthrough of paramount importance, until Algernon begins his sudden, unexpected deterioration. Will the same happen to Charlie? An American classic that inspired the award-winning movie Charly. No library descriptions found. |
Popular covers
![]() GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.54 — Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1945-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage:![]()
Is this you?Become a LibraryThing Author. |
I could not help thinking about the story in the news last week that Down’s Syndrome has been almost eradicated in Iceland through the use of abortion. I wondered if this book didn’t speak volumes about the dangers of wanting everyone to be perfect and how much we might be missing when we discount the value of those who have disabilities, physical or mental.
I am sorry I waited so long to read this, but I treasure the experience. This one will go right into my favorites folder.
Special thanks to Candi, who pushed me to read this wonderful book.
(