Rating: 
Summary: Brilliant 20th Century Classic
Review: It is impossible to encompass Lord of the Flies into a short review. Golding just says too much on too many different levels. The book is simply brilliant. First off, Lord of the Flies is an adventure story. A few British schoolboys are deserted on an island and must depend on themselves to survive to be rescued. The story is based on an earlier British classic, The Coral Island by R.M. Ballantyne. The simple adventure story is used to comment on humanity. Golding, much like Joseph Condrad, shows how civilation keeps humanity from lapsing into savagery. He presents the schoolboys' loss of innocence. Lord of the Flies is also a political treatise much like Animal Farm. Ralph represents a democracy, Jack is communism, and Piggy is the voice of wisdom which both tends to ignore. He traces political troubles back to individuals.Many people think of William Golding as too pessimistic about human nature. I do not think Golding was as pessimistic as many think. William Golding was unfortunate to see human at its worst during World War II, and I think he feared lapses. Lord of the Flies is his warning. His attempt to help man stay on the right course. Whether or not a person agrees to this and feels Golding was too cynical, it is impossible to not think of Lord of the Flies as one of the best-written books of the century. Golding encompasses so much into an simple, powerful narrative. The prose and images are beautiful even when grim. Lord of the Flies is certainly one of the great novels of literature.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book
Review: This book is one man's cry to the world, often at times very witty and sarcastic. As the seemingly simple plot advances, many values of the "modern culture" are questioned, exploring how, as a society, we came to accept shocking practises/truths as normal. Most of the negative reviews are the result of NOT understanding the book, and it is very ironic that a book this open in its messages is not understood by the majority of people. This book is a must-read for everybody, especially if they try to understand human nature, the basis of society and action and why people behave the way they do. I highly recommend this ground-shattering book. Everytime you re-reading the book, one finds a new layer of understanding. How the social codes develop, how we are living in the illusion of safety and education and to which degree this is embodied inside us. This book will certainly scare many people by showing them how strong our instincts, and ID are, with a dangerously convincing style.
Rating: 
Summary: A true classic
Review: I have to admit when I first picked this book up and read through the first 2 chapters or so I was extremely turned off by the British writing style of Mr. Golding and his peculiar sentence structure at times. However, as I explored this novel further I became more comfortable with the style and learned to appreciate everything this book has to say. The theme of basic human nature leading to the destruction of a society is illustrated very strongly in this novel, and I like how the author presented this. Despite the fact that all the characters are children, Golding has managed to create strong and interesting characters that paralllel many people in politics we see today. A worthy read and an instant classic, the only reason for the 4 stars is that some people may not appreciate Mr. Golding's writing style.
Rating:
Summary: extremely interesting
Review: This book is quite interesting and does indeed depict society to a great extent. its point to the fact that given a small population isolated form external influences will bring out the primeval and basic instinct with which we are all born...in other words we revert to forming our own society, based on our so called strength at the time aka aggression. In "polite" society today this is largely masked and the aggressor does not literally kill the weak, but subdues, dominate etc by economic power.
Rating: 
Summary: Very disappointing
Review: When I first picked up this book, I was expecting a masterpiece-a work of outstanding literature. After all, I had only heard great things about it. However, I was extremely disappointed once I ventured on to read past the first chapter. Slowly, I progressed onward, making my way through endless descriptions, multiple plots, and enough symbolism to make my head ache. I think Mr.Golding should have remembered that not ONLY are themes important to keep the reader's interest, but PLOT is too. This book is an excellent example of how someone can get so lost in the hidden meaning of their words, they forget what they're trying to SAY in the first place. Not only are their problems with the actual structure of the book, but also in the language used. There is a wide variety of slang used, which is, for the most part, chiefly British! I found myself rereading sentences more than two times just to understand what was being said. By half-way through the book, I actually wanted to stop and start reading something else. Also, throughout the book, Mr.Golding leaves off on one note and starts a completely different series of events. By the end of the book there are so many plots going on, it gets old trying to follow which one is going on at the moment. So, in summary, if you want to read a book which has multiple plots, too much symbolism, and descriptions to put you to sleep, then Lord of the Flies is for you.
Rating:
Summary: A book that should be read by everyone
Review: Lord of the Flies is not just a book about a group of boys on an island, but a story about the weaknesses and evils of mankind that have caused trouble and conflict in our world throughout history. At times the story is frightening and disturbing because of it's harsh and blunt truth,but the beautiful language and symbolism make this book a must read. It is a perfect example of a book about a topic that should learned and understood by all.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting
Review: I read this book last year for school, I thought it was really interesting. It had excitement, adventure, and more. I think that it is great summer reading, especially if you like those reality TV shows, because it somewhat reminds you of those.
Rating:
Summary: They made us read it
Review: I first read this book 30 years ago for a high school English class. I found it to be horrible. I recently read it a second time when my daughter read it for her English class. A thing of art may be a thing of beauty, but this book is a perpetual piece of trash! My daughter who has read hundreds of books says it is the second worst book she has ever read. English teachers please take note - this is not wine that gets better with age. It is more like stale beer.
Rating: 
Summary: May be a classic...but not as good as people think
Review: I was required to read this book for school in my Honors English Class(9th grade), I found it very hard to follow and too symbolic. This is the book of dreams for any English teacher who loves to get their students to read between the lines. Personally, I enjoy a book that is a challenging read, but in this book, every little detail meant something "deeper" and it gave me a headache trying to interpret the aspect of society the detail was trying to depict. I understood the book, but, it was not enjoyable for me and if it were not a required reading, I would not have read the book otherwise. But, if you like books to give you a headache, then this is perfect for you.
Rating:
Summary: A true classic
Review: As you no doubt know, this book i san attempt to portray the evil throughout history and the fall of innocence. This book does just that perfectly. At the beginning of the book, nearly all as well. The turning point is the slaughter of a pig, an event whose symbolism can become more clear later. The Cliffs Notes available for a low price greatly enhance the reading, and define several British words used. Also, the characters and their allegorical symbolism are explained. This book is highly recommended.
|
