Lord of the Flies in Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge

Sep 28, 2009 Talia rated it it was ok

Shelves: adult-fiction, bbc-top-100

When a group of young boys are left to survive on a desert island, one of the older boys, Ralph, takes hold of the situation. If everyone works together for the greater good, gathering food, building shelters, and keeping the fire alive to signal to passing ships (courtesy of pariah Piggy’s glasses), they might stand a chance! And this productive mini-society works…for a while. Then hedonism takes over, most of the boys want to play around and hunt, bringing forth another leader, Jack. Soon the ...more

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Dec 28, 2010 Chinoiseries rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 1001-books, library, 2012, dystopia, classics-club

It took me far too long to pick up this masterpiece: that was my first thought after turning the final page. The Lord of the Flies is a timeless story, relevant and mesmerising for both young and old, from 1954 up to today. I love the plot: you throw out a few boys out there, ranging from the age of 6 up to 13-14 and wait to see what will happen. One thing you have to keep in mind, is that they are children who cannot be expected to keep their heads cool or reason the way older teenagers and adu It took me far too long to pick up this masterpiece: that was my first thought after turning the final page. The Lord of the Flies is a timeless story, relevant and mesmerising for both young and old, from 1954 up to today. I love the plot: you throw out a few boys out there, ranging from the age of 6 up to 13-14 and wait to see what will happen. One thing you have to keep in mind, is that they are children who cannot be expected to keep their heads cool or reason the way older teenagers and adults can. It is apparent from the start that Piggy will remain the outcast; his real name is never revealed and he does not really befriend anyone, not even Ralph. Yet, without Piggy, Ralph would not have remained a leader for such a long time. This is a fact that even he, in all his youth, understands. They need each other whether they want to or not: Piggy on his own is evidently not respected, his speeches go unheeded and jeered at. It takes the others only so long to realise that it is not Piggy who is indispensable, but rather his glasses (to make fire). And when Piggy can be discarded, Ralph surely can too?
The influence of the majestic yet unknown beast who haunts the little ones' dreams at night is something that cannot be taken lightly. Back in the civilised world, this fear would have been quickly dismissed as "just another bogeyman", but out there on the island, its impact is tremendous. And this looming threat combined with the craving for proteins (as the boys don't appear to consume any vegetables/plants for their amino acids - sorry, the vegetarian in me protesting - ) slowly tips the scale over to Jack's advantage. To the frightened boys, he and his hunters hold the key to a safer and more pleasurable existence on the island. But, as opposed to Ralph, Jack falls into the power trap; he relishes his newfound influence so much that he no longer cares for friendship or civilised, rational behaviour. A blood bath is sure to follow...
Unlike many others, I did not read this book when in high school, so I may have missed an important point or two, but I don't really mind. Lord of the Flies was immensely enjoyable as a story and I shall definitely return to this classic in the future. ...more

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