Rating: 5/5 talking pig heads
Author: William Golding
Amazon Link:
referral program on hold :(
Lord of the Flies was a book that I never read while I was in school, but I've always heard was a great story. I decided to pick it up and see if the high praise was founded. Indeed; I found it is an excellent book and a very entertaining read. Although it is aimed at a younger audience, I still found so much to enjoy and consider from an adult perspective.
The novel is timeless in the way that all great novels are, it explores a part of the human condition that is is constant and steady as we move forward through the years. Distilling interpersonal group dynamics that are on display in everyday society down to their raw essence. Unhindered by learned cultural norms imposed by civilization and adulthood, Golding creates a tale that lays bare the motivations that drive us. We are given the opportunity to observe the effects of these motivations as they play out in the daily struggle of the boys to survive and work toward a common goal while they manage clashes between abstract social conflicts and real physical threats. We are challenged to evaluate the validity of our social constructs and why we feel the need to adhere or challenge them. The characters are human; flawed and deeply vulnerable at times. Personal, sometimes petty, motivators overtake the fundamental drive to survive and we are forced to recognize our dependency on social order, trust among each other, and the thin film of civilized behavior that separates us from nature. These themes work well to create a story that has impressive depth, achieving both an entertaining surface narrative and an intriguing probe into our societal foundations.
Lord of the Flies is a classic novel for so many reasons. It is a masterful example of minimalist world building and deep character development. It starts from a clean, basic premise and allows the complexity of human social interactions to build a nuanced and intriguing world that I couldn't help but be drawn into. I would recommend this book to anyone willing to give it a read, as every age and perspective is sure to gain something in the adventure that Golding has created.