Lord of the Flies: with an introduction by Stephen King

This is another in the series of books that I am making myself read in my late 50s that were books I was supposed to have read at school in the 70s (Brave New World, Animal Farm, and so on).No doubt it was shocking when it was written but the world has overtaken it in shockability now (almost any American crime TV series, almost anything on the www). Like others in 'my' series I found this not spectacularly entertaining - although I do respect them for being perhaps the first of their kind. I found the prose to be adequate but not especially flowing - as compared to John Steinbeck, for example.Having attended an all-male grammar school from age 11 to 18 none of the story surprised me; I imagine that if I had been at a boarding school from an earlier age I would be even more inured to the events. Maybe Tom Brown's Schooldays next.

Knowing a little about the general plot and theme of the book, I must admit I was nonetheless taken aback by how dark the novel gets. Set on an unnamed island, the tale explores the fates of a group of children of varying ages, who find themselves stranded and unaccompanied by any adults after a mysterious plane crash.At first, the children appear to maintain some semblance of order and cohesion as they elect the discerning Ralph as their leader. He is supported by the loyal and effervescent Piggy, a plump boy who, for large parts of the novel, is ostracised and bullied by the other boys. Yet, as the novel develops, we quickly realise that Piggy is the voice of reason and democracy in the text, though his words all too often fall on deaf ears.Golding is masterful at showing the gradual decline of Ralph’s leadership, much of which is tested by the fractious and perverse Jack, who at once embodies the primitive and megalomaniac nature of man. While Ralph stresses the importance of maintaining a fire in order to attract passing ships, Jack’s desires are far more primordial as he sets about hunting the numerous pigs that inhabit the island, as well as the mysterious ‘Beast’, a creature whose existence is both denied yet feared by the boys.As the days go by, the governance the boys initially upheld dissipates. The words of Yeats seem all too apt here: ‘Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; / Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world’. Without giving too much away, the ending is at once symbolic of lost innocence; these are schoolboys, yet they possess the same flaws that inhabit grown men.Golding’s prose is extremely polished and there are numerous passages abundant in imagery that reflects the state of society the boys find themselves in. Golding is particularly adroit at juxtaposing the seemingly idyllic island with the anarchic primitivism of the boys.This is a must-read for anyone who wishes to explore the great texts of the twentieth-century. It is widely read in schools but, as anyone who touches this book will discover, its relevance extends far beyond the walls of the classroom.

I ordered this for my daughter, as she is about to begin her GCSE studies, and her teacher thought it beneficial to read over the holidays. So I chose this version as the review which mat the hat gave in January 2018 said that notes were after the main novel, so did not interrupt the story. Perfect! Or so I thought...On receiving our copy, I felt very disappointed that the notes were not included, as I believed and any possible advantage of choosing this copy had been dashed. Disappointed daughter and motherI would appreciate any comments from amazon on this please

I'm not a big reader or into books and rarely read of finish a book. My Daughter is coming up to her GCSEs so decided to give this a read and then pass it on to her once finished so I may be of some help (possibly!)This has been on the curriculum for years but I don't recall studying it, instead we had the mind numbingly boring 'An Inspector Calls' ; so wish we'd had LOTF as it was a really good read, a gripping story full of adventure and raised lots of questions.I'm enjoying alot of the online discussions into the book, but I do feel that its been over studied and people have read too much into the allegorical and theological notions contained within, but always thought provoking.Worth a read even for non academic reasons!

Is thee anything I can write about this book that hasn't already been written? It doesn't matter how often I read it there is always something new for me to consider. Such clever writing! This is one of the few books I've read that I keep on my Kindle to read again. The children, lost on an island after their plane crashes quickly replicate society in general with all it's good and bad traits. Two tribes form and war begins ...

This kept me absorbed and, being set on a beach, easily passed my Beach Read Test. Particular strengths of Lord of the Flies are its imaginative plot, unpredictable story-line and thrilling ending. The one weakness is that it can be difficult to navigate through some of the longer passages. Golding, like Gibbon, might have laid out more navigational markers. That said, having to concentrate now and again is good for the brain. Who might enjoy this? The book will work for both adults and teenagers - but my littlun nephews won't be getting a gift copy anytime soon. I will certainly read more of Golding's books.

I first read this when I was studying my English O Level some years ago and I decided to read it again to hopefully get a better understanding in the later years of my life, and try and appreciate it more. It was certainly a different type of read that I am use to, and I found his writing very descriptive bordering on poetic, which made the read a little difficult in places. It certainly gives an incite into the minds of youngsters when left to sort things out for themselves with no adult guidance, and to see just how far they would stray from the moral ground when pressed by childness views.