This was the most interesting book I have ever read. It is sort of a cross
between Alive and Hatchet. Because the book is extremely addictive and written
so superbly, it did not take long for me to get into and finish it. The
characters were probably the most interesting element in Lord of the Flies. All
British and male, the young boys in this story portray the savagery and sadistic
nature to which all but a few succumb. The other boys are the only symbol of
sanity on the island. There is also a very interesting conflict between Ralph
and Jack. In essence, this is the eternal struggle between good and evil. The
ending of the novel concludes in a gut-wrenching showdown between the two. The
only thing I disliked about this book is that sometimes Golding's writing style
was a little hard to follow. The main problem was that the boy's British accents
made it difficult to understand what they meant. This problem appeared in few
spots, however, and for the most part the book was easy to read. I think that
males would enjoy this book mainly because of the fact that all the characters
were boys. It also appeals to a person with good literary insight who can
understand Golding's symbolism. This book also made a very good movie which
portrays the story well. I did have a favorite character in this book. His name
is Simon. Simon is peculiar in that he likes to be alone and take long walks
into the jungle while most of the other boys play. He also discovers the beast
that every one on the island fears. Ultimately, he discovers the true source of
evil, the Lord of the Flies, and is later betrayed by his friends. Being an
enthusiastic and long time book reader, I think Lord of the Flies is a great
book. It is very intriguing and seems to place a terrible spell over the reader
who gets lured into this arousing adventure. I spent four days reading this book
and only put it down during meals. Lord of the Flies kept my interest with very
little slow moving dialogue and lots of vivid description. For me this book
ranks right up there with Clockwork Orange and The Last Herald Mage. All of
these books have incredible story lines with non-stop adventure. They also all
seem to address some of the controversial subjects facing our society today. The
thing I probably liked the most about Lord of the Flies was the theme of the
story. This topic was very intriguing. It dealt with the many flaws and desires
of human nature, and how devastating these factors can be to a culture with no
directions or order to follow. I enjoyed how the story showed that even the
youngest and most innocent of humans strive for power over everything and will
stop at nothing until he achieves that power. The theme shows the greed that has
been bred into all humans. There was very little I disliked about this book. The
mood was a little dark and depressing but that just added to the setting.
Probably the one thing that could have been improved upon was William Golding's
writing style. He tended to skip around sometimes and use difficult dialect and
terms that can confuse the reader, but this happened rarely. I think all serious
readers would like this book. Probably the people who could enjoy this book the
most would be the faithful followers of Science Fiction and Adventure novels who
might enjoy the stranger aspects of life. I also think readers who are
interested in human behavior would relish this book because of the way it
portrays the many sides of human nature, values, and morals. I will probably
read this book again. It was such a good novel it might possibly end up in my
personal library. Lord of the Flies was also made into a great movie that
captured the best aspects of the book. The best lesson I learned from Lord of
the Flies is that people can not let one thing control their whole life. They
can not let greed control their every action and thought so that it corrupts
them into acting on an evil purpose. Lord of the Flies was a great novel and I
know when ever I think about this book, the scene I see is one of a young boy
talking to a bloody pig's head on a stick in the middle of a beautiful, sunny
little field, scattered with bright flowers. Review by: Travis Donovan (4-96)
Lord of the Flies is an action-packed book which takes place on an uninhabited
island after a plane full of English boys is shot down. Told from a third-person
omniscient point-of-view, this story's mood is extremely bleak because it deals
so profoundly with the dark side of humanity. The protagonist in Lord of the
Flies is Ralph. At the beginning of the story he is described as being a playful
child, but towards the end he matures significantly. He is one of the few boys
who realizes that the only way to survive is through peace and order. Because he
summons the boys at the beginning of the novel with the conch he and Piggy find,
they look upon him as the most responsible of the boys and elect him chief over
the humiliated Jack. Jack Merridew, Ralph's main antagonist, is older than most
of the other boys. He is the leader of a group of choir boys and is dubbed chief
of the hunters by Ralph. He and his hunters become sadistic and detached from
the world of peace Ralph creates. Jack is the prime reason why the island
becomes full of chaos and corruption. Piggy is a fat little boy who remains
close to Ralph's side throughout the story. Although he is intellectually
insightful, Piggy is weak and endlessly complains about their troubles. Most of
the other boys bully him even though his glasses are their only hope of rescue.
Roger is a young lad who comes on to the island with hints of evil. He is
constantly bullying Piggy and other small kids. Roger follows Jack, who exploits
his dark side, and by the end of their adventures has committed murder as well
as many other sadistic acts. Simon is like no other boy on the island. Simon's
goodness and caring are shown by the way he takes care of the "littluns".
He is the only boy who discovers the beast on the island that everybody fears.
Simon's symbolism in this story offers a meaning deeper than just a young,
bashful boy. The main conflict in Lord of the Flies is between Ralph and Jack.
The beginning of their struggle stems from the very start of the novel when
Ralph is elected chief over Jack. Jack and his hunters eventually form their own
group apart from the others. Uncivilized to say the least, his savages are
totally stripped of what society has impressed upon them. Ralph demands peace on
the island but to no avail. Their struggle symbolizes that of good and evil.
Because he is weak and a bit chubby, Piggy is in constant conflict with the
other boys who mock and bully him. Jack is the instigator in this struggle,
belittling Piggy at every chance. This conflict escalates until the end of the
story when Roger kills him. The turning point of the novel occurs when Jack and
his hunters have a feast to celebrate breaking away from Ralph and forming their
own tribe. During this sadistic event, the boys are invited to join Jack and
many accept. Everyone begins to dance and lose touch with reality and all
civilization, and when Simon crawls out of the forest with his message about the
beast, he himself is mistaken for the for it and is torn apart in by the
frenzied children. At this point Ralph loses most of his control over almost all
the kids, and Jack begins to take over. After the feast, things only get worse
for Ralph and his remaining followers. Jack and his warriors attack them one
night and steal the key to fire, Piggy's glasses. The next day Ralph, Piggy, and
Samneric journey to Castle Rock to try to talk some sense into the savages but
it was no use. Piggy, still holding the conch, desperately tries to be heard
over the scuffle but Roger, the most evil of all the hunters, heaves an immense
boulder upon him, crushing both Piggy and the symbol of sanity and order, the
conch. The next day Jack organizes and island-wide manhunt for Ralph. The leader
of the savages sets the bushes on fire in an attempt to flush him out. The
fugitive is chased across most of the blazing island when, with nowhere to run,
he collapses at the foot of a cheerful naval officer who was attracted by the
smoke. When Ralph recalls the atrocities that he and the other boys had
committed, he bursts into tears. William Golding stated that the theme of Lord
of the Flies as "an attempt to trace the defects of society back to the
defects of human nature". In this novel, he presents some serious warnings
about humanity and what is needed to mature the human race into that of a better
civilization. In conclusion, this story is an excellent portrayal of human
nature that is bound to make an impression on the reader.