Book Description: These deluxe editions are packaged with French flaps, acid-free paper, and rough front.
"This brilliant work is a frightening parody on man's return. . . to that state of darkness from which it took him thousands of years to emerge. . . Superbly written." --The New York Times
Other Penguin Great Books of the 20th Century:
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez The Adventures of Augie March by Saul Bellow The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce Swann's Way by Marcel Proust My Antonia by Willa Cather On the Road by Jack Kerouac White Noise by Don DeLillo
Amazon.com: William Golding's classic tale about a group of English schoolboys who are plane-wrecked on a deserted island is just as chilling and relevant today as when it was first published in 1954. At first, the stranded boys cooperate, attempting to gather food, make shelters, and maintain signal fires. Overseeing their efforts are Ralph, "the boy with fair hair," and Piggy, Ralph's chubby, wisdom-dispensing sidekick whose thick spectacles come in handy for lighting fires. Although Ralph tries to impose order and delegate responsibility, there are many in their number who would rather swim, play, or hunt the island's wild pig population. Soon Ralph's rules are being ignored or challenged outright. His fiercest antagonist is Jack, the redheaded leader of the pig hunters, who manages to lure away many of the boys to join his band of painted savages. The situation deteriorates as the trappings of civilization continue to fall away, until Ralph discovers that instead of being hunters, he and Piggy have become the hunted: "He forgot his words, his hunger and thirst, and became fear; hopeless fear on flying feet." Golding's gripping novel explores the boundary between human reason and animal instinct, all on the brutal playing field of adolescent competition. --Jennifer Hubert
Grrrr-8 Book! This is a great book to read! Very interesting and intense. Great reading material.
I have the conch...let me speak! OK now that I have the conch I have a few things I'd like to say about this book. First if you don't know what the conch is all about then you'd better pick up this book and read it. Secondly if you think you know who the Lord of Flies might be without reading this book your wrong. Third and lastly do yourself a favor anyway and pick up this book, it's a fun, quick read. I liked this story of young boys stranded on a island having to fend for themselves and at the same time trying to keep some sort of organization among themselves as they wait for a possible rescue. But therein lies the problem as their little world begins to turn up-side down as different personalities begin to clash. I felt as though I too was on the island with these kids as I read along. I've said enough now, who wants the conch now?
Do Humans Make Civilization, or vice versa? What an incredible first novel, a story of civilization, how humans create it and how easily it can be destroyed. It deals with fear, and the atrocities it can make people commit. Golding wrote often about the connection between humanity and civilization. Does civilization make us human? This story can mean many things to many people, making it wonderful fodder for literature classes and idle pondering.
The worst book I ever read This is the worst book I ever read. From the first time I read it 40 years ago, I could not imagine why it had not been banned. The viewpoint of mankind presented is so degraded and ugly that it should be. There is NO REASON to expose our young people to such negativity. No wonder they have so many psychological problems! Please, teachers, read positive works with your young students. The world is not like that, and it is our job to give them positive views for their future and ours!
A week story with the outline shining through Ted Brautigan from Hearts In Atlantis called this book a rare good story written well (not a quote, but close enough). It must have been in the world from which Ted came. In this world the story is weak, predictable, laboriously plotted, written in rather lame language festering with pronouns and descriptions that paint no picture.
The innocence of the age in which the book was written shows through and through: things that the author intended to be shocking pale in comparison with daily news stories of today.
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