Lord of the Flies

I really ought to have read this book a long time ago. William Golding's Lord of the Flies has earned quite a bit of noteriety, mostly because it always finds itself on the list of most frequently challenged or banned books. On the other hand, it's also considered to be a literary classic.

Lord of the Flies tells the story of a group of boys who, after being stranded on an island after a plane wreck, attempt to establish their own society. Before long their personalities really come out. Ralph is the leader who starts off strong but becomes increasingly timid and fearful, Jack is the bloodthirsty hunter, Simon is the adventurous one who displays just a bit too much curiosity, and Piggy is the annoying yet reasonable intellectual.

As one might expect, a society run by young boys is set up for failure. The first couple of days go well but before long the boys stop doing their part and tensions increase between the two leaders: Ralph and Jack. Meanwhile, they are haunted by a mystical "Beast" who is later revealed to be the Lord of the Flies. It's not long before all hell breaks loose.

Golding's purpose in writing this was to display the innate flaws of humankind - the natural sinful state. He does this with great flourish. The mood maintains its intensity throughout the entire book, even at the beginning when things are going relatively well. He uses a great deal of allegory, symbolism, and metaphors to accentuate this. The tale is grim, yes, but is still poingant and gripping.

As a side note, fans of Lost will notice a lot of similarities between the first season of the TV show and the story in this book. The influence is overwhelmingly evident - I wouldn't be surprised if this book was the source of inspiration that kick-started the development of the series. I'm not sure if it's a homage to the book or blatant plagarism, but the parallells are definitely there and not just a coincidence. The Lost writers give tribute to this when they have Sawyer reading Lord of the Flies in several episodes.

Should this book be banned in schools? Absolutely not. There's nothing overly objectionable...a few mild profanities (nothing you don't hear a million times on TV), a bit of violence (again, nothing you don't see a billion times on TV - even on some kids' shows), and an overall grim view of humanity (that's legit, but it's appropriate). I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone under the age of 12 or 13, not because of inappropriate material, but because of the richness of the writing. Most children under the age of 13 will miss some of the best stuff in the book because it will fly over their heads. It's probably too grim for kids under 10, but they would most likely struggle to read it anyhow. But banned...no.

This is a fascinating book for teens and up. Fans of Lost will enjoy finding the connections. This book has definitely earned its place as a classic. It was a compelling and thought-provoking read...the best kind!

Rating: CLASSIC!

(89/100)