Lord of the Flies

It was quite hard for me to get into it but the end made it really worth to read!

I felt that the social commentary was a little obvious. The story was a bit dull until the very end.

This was a book I read in school, many years ago. It was frightening, horrifying in places, but hard to put down. Young schoolboys are stranded on their own and having to fend for themselves for survival after their plane crashed, and order soon disintegrates into uncivilized savagery. I suppose this book could be considered a thriller.

My favorite book ever

By far one of my favorite books of all time. It's admittedly a bit slow of a read at first, but after that it's rather full of action. However, if you're not a person that enjoys looking deep into the meaning of every detail, it may not necessarily be the best book for you. Golding's views of the savagery and evil of the human race is very interesting to read about and consider, but be prepared to think hard about the story and symbolism while reading it.

Didn't read this in high school because everyone was reading it....loved reading it as a 50 something!!

Mediocre, a great story line, but just wasn't my cup of tea, however the different characters were interesting when looking from a psychological perspective, their personalities, reactions to situations and how the groups worked with and against one another

A good book, it is both sad and intriguing to see how society can break apart.

This book perfectly describes the failure of what seemed to be a perfect society

Really good fiction, yet I am not old enough to understand the relationships between people.

I got far too involved in the book, getting frustrated easily at the stupidity and selfishness of the children (and they are a reflection of all of mankind). Was suitably shocked at the gruesome parts. Didn't enjoy reading the book though.

I just really did not enjoy the book. I don't really know why.

Poor Piggy.....a really good book though....

gave me shit to think about many years later...definitely more than meets the eye

I, like many others, was assigned to read this book in high school. I certainly found it interesting, but I never really could get into it. I'm not sure why it's hailed as a great American novel- it was a decent book, but it just seemed like it was missing something. Nonetheless, I did enjoy the statement it made about humanity.

I found this hard to get into, but I adored it as I persevered. It reminds me of Zimbardo's prison experiment (google it) and it showed the bitter side of human nature, and how ugly people can get.

I just couldn't get into Lord of the Flies at first, but I'm not sure if that was due to an actual slow beginning in the novel or my preconceptions caused by well-meaning family members. Regardless, at first I found it incredibly hard work. Not a lot happened, other than being introduced to the characters and getting profoundly irritated with their arrogance and superiority. Piggy is clearly the most sensible and logical of the lot, but he is ignored and ridiculed even when he's clearly trying to help. Understandably he gets frustrated, and so did I. Their behaviour irritated me so much I almost couldn't bear to read it any longer.

However, by about page 85 I was completely and irretrievably hooked. There's just something about the atmosphere William Golding creates that meant I wouldn't have put the book down if the house was on fire. The island itself has a very heady, muggy aura that seems to permeate through the pages until you swear you can feel the sun soaking through your skin. Other times, the terror and panic described on the pages is so real, and the difference between these two, although written by the same author, is immense. I've never, ever read an author with such a talent for atmosphere.

The first rhythm that they became used to was the slow swing from dawn to quick dusk. They accepted the pleasures of morning, the bright sun, the whelming sea and sweet air, as time when play was good and life so full that hope was not necessary and therefore forgotten.

The physical description of the island is also wonderful - it creates a picture so vivid that your imagination barely has to work. That said, there were a few times when I struggled to understand the layout of the island. I'm not sure if Golding uses topographical terms or whether I just couldn't follow it, but various ridges, canyons and slopes seemed to pop up without me really understanding what they were doing.

The characterisation is especially clever - throughout the book, Ralph is forced to grow in ways different to the other boys. As Chief, he struggles with having to make difficult decisions and constantly has to remind the other boys to do their chores - without them, their fragile civilisation will fall apart and Ralph knows that. The change in him by the end of the book is almost tangible, and the relationships between the boys undergoes a lot of different alterations. I can't wait to reread this book knowing what I do about the characters now.

In a moment the platform was full of arguing, gesticulating shadows. To Ralph, seated, this seemed the breaking-up of sanity. Fear, beasts, no general agreement that the fire was all-important: and when one tried to get the thing straight the argument sheered off, bringing up fresh, unpleasant matter.

It's quite a gruesome book. There's violence, disturbing dreams and animal slaughter and it doesn't skimp on the details either. Still, I really do think it was necessary in this case. Nothing annoys me more that unnecessary gore, but here the entire point of the novel is the boys' descent into savagery. The 'Lord of the Flies' himself is a gross concept, but a very clever one. Again, disturbing but necessary.

For me, the message wasn't that everybody is evil deep down, it was that everybody is selfish deep down. When thrust into a situation like this one, it's human nature to think only of your own survival. Everybody goes about that in a different way, which is obvious from the behaviour of both Ralph and Jack - one is being more selfish and obstinate than the other, but ultimately they're both doing what they think is right, regardless of how it may affect other people.

I absolutely loved Lord of the Flies, which is great as I completely wasn't expecting to. The atmosphere, the tension, the terror... it doesn't surprise me that William Golding won the Nobel Prize for literature. I can't really see the movie or stage adaptation working, but this book has shot straight up to being one of my all-time favourites.

I applaud this book - It presented information symbolically, cynical and grotesque. The thing that struck me most was how involved I got and how angry I got at it (and depressed). Certainly a book I will have to reread with a clearer head to see if I have any change of opinion. Bravo.

A shockingly insightful look into the nature of mankind - this book singlehandedly changed the way I view the world, and remains one of the most controversial and fascinating observations on human nature to date.

The biggest question in regard to Lord of the Flies is whether or not it is accurate to say that the innocence of childhood is the closest we can get to our own primitive nature. When a group of boys become stranded on an island, they are left to their own devices to survive and create a functioning society. The problems they encounter and the obstacles the boys must overcome to survive later take a backseat to jealousy, fear, and paranoia as the boys break off into separate factions of those looking to survive and those looking for rescue. A fascinating look into human nature and the complications of holding together as a civilization.