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Lord of the Flies Mass Market Paperback – December 16, 2003

by William Golding (Author), E. L. Epstein (Afterword)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 49,417 ratings
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Golding’s iconic 1954 novel, now with a new foreword by Lois Lowry, remains one of the greatest books ever written for young adults and an unforgettable classic for readers of any age.
 
This edition includes a new Suggestions for Further Reading by Jennifer Buehler.

At the dawn of the next world war, a plane crashes on an uncharted island, stranding a group of schoolboys. At first, with no adult supervision, their freedom is something to celebrate. This far from civilization they can do anything they want. Anything. But as order collapses, as strange howls echo in the night, as terror begins its reign, the hope of adventure seems as far removed from reality as the hope of being rescued.
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  1. Reading age
    12+ years, from customers
  2. Print length
    224 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Lexile measure
    770L
  5. Dimensions
    4.31 x 0.59 x 7.5 inches
  6. Publisher
    Penguin Books
  7. Publication date
    December 16, 2003
  8. ISBN-10
    0399501487
  9. ISBN-13
    978-0399501487
  10. See all details
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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
49,417 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book engaging and worth reading. They describe the story as compelling and epic. Readers appreciate the thought-provoking themes and rich exploration of human nature. Many consider it a worthwhile purchase and a great value for money. The characters are well-developed and true to life. However, some readers found the book boring or less than satisfying.

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ReadabilityStory qualityMeaningValue for moneyCharacter developmentPacingPrint sizeBoredom
897 customers mention "Readability"747 positive150 negative

Customers find the book engaging and worth reading. They appreciate the literary criticism section in the back. The plot, case study, and social commentary are compelling and stimulating. The text is easy to read and sophisticated.

"...The pages are crisp and clean. The text is easy to read. The cover itself is thick and will handle use well (as well as any paperback will)...." Read more

"...boasts a beautiful hard-bound cover and includes an introduction from E.M. Forster, biographical and critical notes by E.L...." Read more

"...My daughter enjoyed the book and learning the lesson taught." Read more

"...This is a phenomenal book and I highly recommend this book for readers who are up for a challenge." Read more

311 customers mention "Story quality"249 positive62 negative

Customers find the story compelling and well-written. They describe it as an epic tale with suspenseful plots and ideas that are expertly woven throughout. The final chapter is well-done and receives three stars from readers.

"...It’s brutal. It’s visceral. It’s honest. It’s frightening...." Read more

"SPOILERS! Lord of the Flies is a fairly interesting and fast-paced book...." Read more

"...The novel is a classic story that bleeds over into our world today and details how fear can be used as a weapon when needed to achieve a desired..." Read more

"...I found the book mildly intriguing, but certainly not gripping or, by itself, particularly satisfying...." Read more

130 customers mention "Meaning"121 positive9 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking and engaging. They say it explores difficult themes like war and powerlust. The story is an allegory with plenty of symbolism and literary devices. Readers appreciate the insightful character Piggy and the writing style reminiscent of classics.

"...This book has inspired so many other stories and concepts in the media over the decades...." Read more

"...Even today, this is a book that, in my opinion, tells a highly valuable story--not only for young adults, but old adults as well...." Read more

"...In the grand scheme of things, this book is extremely cool and I would recommend it to anyone who wants more than a bad summary of it from me, and..." Read more

"...The second character is Piggy, who is smart and insightful...." Read more

86 customers mention "Value for money"79 positive7 negative

Customers find the book a good value for money. They say it's worth the small price, shipped promptly, and has great quality and texture for the price of a paperback classic. The delivery was prompt and as advertised.

"...British slang and keep pushing yourself, the book's second half is well worth it, especially Simon's experience with the "Lord of the Flies."" Read more

"...This copy is standard paperback quality at very reasonable price." Read more

"...of our leaders throughout history.This book is valuable for a lot of reasons, I hope the high schoolers reading it don't get lost in the..." Read more

"Great price, compact size book easy tocarry for commute or travel, but print is really small." Read more

48 customers mention "Character development"37 positive11 negative

Customers appreciate the well-developed characters in the book. They find the story engaging and true to human nature. The acting is good, and the vocabulary and symbolism are applicable.

"...The characters are all unique and have different effects on each other throughout the plot...." Read more

"...anything else, what was refreshing was Golding's ability to create well-rounded characters...." Read more

"...for my son in 7th grade and he said that it was a pretty good book with plenty of characters. But they crammed a lot of small words onto one page...." Read more

"...For one, his characters repeat dialogue over and over again...." Read more

63 customers mention "Pacing"29 positive34 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book. Some find it a quick read and easy to reread at any age, with fantastic last 20 pages. Others mention that the events slow down for the first 120 pages and then build up.

"The book starts of well, slowed down in interest and then it started to pick up...." Read more

"...The reading is quick and easy once you get into it, just the plot might slow you down...." Read more

"...It was a slow and unpleasant read...." Read more

"...It's a fast read, less lengthy than its page count indicates, considering the frequent extra spacing between paragraphs and in the narration of..." Read more

51 customers mention "Print size"17 positive34 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the print size. Some find the spacing nice and the font size comfortable for reading, while others say it's too small, tiny, or tiny for their old eyes. There are also complaints about the cheap paper quality and awkward layout with some pages wider and others narrower.

"...carry for commute or travel, but print is really small." Read more

"...I also liked the rough-edged pages and the font sized for comfortable reading...." Read more

"...The font was small and spidery, and the contrast to the darkish paper was reduced...." Read more

"if you enjoy annotating your books, this one has a VERY small margin and tiny font as well...." Read more

102 customers mention "Boredom"29 positive73 negative

Customers find the book boring and unsatisfying. They find it hard to stay interested, with repetitive narrative details and a monotonous tone throughout. The subject matter is bleak and the book feels like a waste of time for them.

"It's not a fun book, persay - the subject is bleak, children are murdered, and the tone alternates between wonder and despair with astounding..." Read more

"...but it was a bit of a struggle to finish as I felt it got a little boring toward the end. And I felt like it left out so much information...." Read more

"...Please, please, please get this book! It is such a timeless tale of a broken society and broken people." Read more

"...but that's just it... most of the time it's actually kinda dull and boring.. the story never tells how how everything happened with the plane with..." Read more

The definitive book of the development of group dynamics…
5 out of 5 stars
The definitive book of the development of group dynamics…
This piece of classic literature was written in 1954 and has stood the test of time. This book has inspired so many other stories and concepts in the media over the decades. This book is a great one for kids (boys especially) to consider. It’s brutal. It’s visceral. It’s honest. It’s frightening. This chilling book can be read over and over again and each time you may find you had yet a new takeaway each time.This mass market paperback is well crafted. The pages are crisp and clean. The text is easy to read. The cover itself is thick and will handle use well (as well as any paperback will). The labeling on the spine of the book is easily read and clear.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Beevan
    5.0 out of 5 stars The definitive book of the development of group dynamics…
    Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    This piece of classic literature was written in 1954 and has stood the test of time. This book has inspired so many other stories and concepts in the media over the decades. This book is a great one for kids (boys especially) to consider. It’s brutal. It’s visceral. It’s honest. It’s frightening. This chilling book can be read over and over again and each time you may find you had yet a new takeaway each time.

    This mass market paperback is well crafted. The pages are crisp and clean. The text is easy to read. The cover itself is thick and will handle use well (as well as any paperback will). The labeling on the spine of the book is easily read and clear.
    Customer image
    Beevan
    5.0 out of 5 stars The definitive book of the development of group dynamics…
    Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2024
    This piece of classic literature was written in 1954 and has stood the test of time. This book has inspired so many other stories and concepts in the media over the decades. This book is a great one for kids (boys especially) to consider. It’s brutal. It’s visceral. It’s honest. It’s frightening. This chilling book can be read over and over again and each time you may find you had yet a new takeaway each time.

    This mass market paperback is well crafted. The pages are crisp and clean. The text is easy to read. The cover itself is thick and will handle use well (as well as any paperback will). The labeling on the spine of the book is easily read and clear.
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  • JWolf
    5.0 out of 5 stars Lord of the Flies 50th Anniversary Edition
    Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    THIS EDITION: "Lord of the Flies" 50th Anniversary Edition, by William Golding (winner of the 1983 Nobel Prize in Literature), boasts a beautiful hard-bound cover and includes an introduction from E.M. Forster, biographical and critical notes by E.L. Epstein, and illustrations from Ben Gibson.

    Golding, William, 1911-1993--
    -----Lord of the flies/William Golding--1st Perigee hardcover ed., 50th anniversary ed., p. cm. "A Perigee book."
    ISBN: 978-0-399-52920-7

    OVERVIEW: Author William Golding's debut novel, "Lord of the Flies," was first published in 1954. It follows R.M. Ballantyne's "The Coral Island" and further delves into the fundamentals of human nature by depicting the `what-would-happen?' of a group of young boys who have become stranded on an island--one previously untainted by man. One of the central themes of the novel concerns two opposing ideas about society, i.e.: democracy versus autocracy. Other phenomena explored exist as struggles over morality, rational thought, and individuality, contrasted by immorality, emotional thought, and group-think, respectively. When I was young and first read this book, I was embarrassed to say it was among my top five favorite novels. I thought that admitting how captivated I was by "Lord of the Flies" would make me sound sadistic; I didn't have a good explanation for what I liked about it. As an adult, I've come to realize that what I appreciated so highly was this novel's impeccable use of allegories and seemingly innocuous symbolism. Even today, this is a book that, in my opinion, tells a highly valuable story--not only for young adults, but old adults as well.

    NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS: Following its premiere printing, "Lord of the Flies" managed to sell a meager 3,000 copies. Almost a decade later, the novel saw a resurrection and quickly gained notoriety in schools and on best-seller lists.

    ▪ 1963: Film-adaptation by Peter Brook
    ▪ 1990: Film-adaptation by Harry Hook
    ▪ 1990-1999: American Library Association's "100 Most Frequently Challenged Books"--#68
    ▪ 2003: BBC's Survey "The Big Read"--#70
    ▪ ----: Modern Library's "100 Best Novels: Editor's List"--#41
    ▪ ----: Modern Library's "100 Best Novels: Reader's List"--#25
    ▪ 2005: TIME Magazine's "100 Best English-Language Novels from 1923-2005."

    SUMMARY: Amid a worldwide nuclear war, a British evacuation aircraft crashes into the Pacific Ocean; the only survivors are a group of like-aged school and choir boys between the ages (presumably) of six and twelve. On the deserted and unspoiled island, two of the children, Ralph and Piggy, come upon a conch shell which, when blown, permits Ralph to gather the remainder of the marooned party to one central location. When the strayed survivors see that it is Ralph who summoned them all together, they naturally cling to this occurrence as the first action which remotely resembles stability and, thus, leads to the group's naming of Ralph as their chief. Ralph's only opposition comes from the choir group which prefers Jack Merridew as chief. All of the boys, from both the school and choir groups, note the conch as the tool which has bestowed upon Ralph his rank; the conch quickly becomes a symbol of power for he who possesses it.

    In his first order of business, Ralph declares two primary objectives: (1.) have fun, and (2.) alert passing ships to the boys' position by smoke signal. In order to spread some of the responsibility, Ralph creates a `cabinet' of sorts; in this analogy: Jack, who leads the choir group in search of food, is the secretary of war; Simon, who is responsible for overseeing the shelter provisions (and who takes to caring for the younger boys, aka. "littleuns") is the secretary of homeland security; and Piggy--and overweight, glasses-wearing, and continuously mocked outcast--becomes Ralph's confidant and right-hand-man.

    Without any rules or repercussions for failing to keep order, the tribe deteriorates; most of the boys prefer to spend their time not on constructive measures, but rather on developing a new island religion which revolves around an imaginary beast. Perhaps subconsciously, Jack seizes the widespread fear of the beast as an opportunity to gain followers; he makes a vow to slay the beast responsible for tormenting the islanders and, thus, free his people of their woes. Ralph, who is more concerned with necessities for survival, loses ground to Jack, the usurper. Because the "society" members in charge of maintaining the smoke signal have given into the blood-lust promised by the beast hunt, the entire island misses the chance to be rescued by a passing vessel.

    Despite the recent deterioration of the chain-of-command (and Ralph's constant deflection of personal insecurities onto Piggy), Piggy convinces Ralph that he must retain leadership for the good of the tribe. In the middle of the night, Sam and Eric--a set of twins now tasked to feed the smoke signal--mistake the body of a downed fighter pilot for the beast, leading them to abandon their post in order to recoup with the others. The new confirmation of the beast's existence causes a complete dissolution of Ralph's position as chief; Jack forms his own tribe and celebrates by sacrificing a boar and leaving the head as offering to the beast.

    In the wake of the turmoil, Simon wanders off by himself and comes across the boar-head-offering. The decomposing head is now swarmed with flies. [It is not entirely clear, but likely that Simon experiences a seizure while looking upon the "Lord of the Flies."] He hallucinates that the fly-covered head is alive, smiling, and speaking to him; it tells him that the "beast" is nothing more than a manifestation of the evil inside them all. Simon goes on to investigate the downed parachutist mistaken by Sam and Eric for the beast; even though Simon knows his discovery of the truth about the beast will mean trouble for him, he hurries back to the feast to alert them all of their foolishness and, hopefully, shed proper light on the situation.

    Dark and in the middle of ritual feast and dance, the savagery of Jack's tribe becomes evident as the boys willingly mistake Simon for the beast and kill him. For Ralph, Piggy, Sam, and Eric, the realization that they have murdered a friend--one who wanted only to show them "the way"--brings them to their senses; they sever ties with Jack's tribe. Since Piggy's glasses are the only means the boys have of sparking fire, Jack feels that their absence from his camp on Castle Rock (a mountainous area of the island) poses a threat to his command; under cover of darkness, Jack and his followers steal the spectacles.

    Piggy, perhaps the only `adult-like' character, believes what Jack really wants is the conch because, to Piggy, a tool which provides means of gathering everyone together is far more important that one which only serves to burn. Angered by Jack's immaturity, Ralph, Piggy (carrying the conch), Sam, and Eric journey to Castle Rock to retrieve Piggy's glasses. Not willing to be challenged, Jack orders Sam and Eric to be taken hostage and tortured. Roger, Jack's henchman, thrives in the society which allows him to act unbounded; he kills Piggy by smashing him with a boulder, destroying the conch--the last symbol of civility--in the process. Ralph barely escapes the slaughter, but is soon hunted by Jack and his tribe. In an attempt to `smoke him out,' Jack and his followers set fire to the island. As Ralph begins to consider his eminent death, readers can't help but be reminded of an earlier point in the book when Simon calmly, and almost prophetically, spoke to Ralph "You'll get back to where you came from.... I just think you'll get back all right (p.154)."

    The once pure island has now become an inferno; the billows of smoke have managed to signal a passing naval vessel just in the nick of time, as Jack's tribe is hot on Ralph's tail. Ralph--tired, frightened, beaten, and hopeless--encounters the naval officer who has come to his rescue. At the sight of the adult's presence, Ralph is finally relieved of his `responsibility to humanity;' Jack and his tribe are paralyzed as if they had been playing characters in some other-worldly video game, with the officer representing `Game Over.' A sense of shame hits each of the boys when the officer suggests that, being British, the boys should have known how to conduct a proper society... "Ralph looked at him dumbly. For a moment he had a fleeting picture of the strange glamour that had once invested the beaches. But the island was scorched up like dead wood--Simon was dead.... Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy (p.286)."
    37 people found this helpful
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  • Beth williamson
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, (Spoilers! I wrote a whole review).
    Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    SPOILERS! Lord of the Flies is a fairly interesting and fast-paced book. It sets a great example of how easy it is for a sophisticated society to become a collection of savage animals and leaves the reader with a lot to think about.
    First, the characters Ralph, Jack, Piggy, and Simon are introduced and become some of the most important symbols in the book. The characters are all unique and have different effects on each other throughout the plot. Ralph can be counted as the protagonist in this book and is a fair-haired chef representing civility. Jack is a power-hungry antagonist who symbolizes anarchy. Piggy is fat, has asthma, and acts as a scapegoat, but is smarter than anyone else; he symbolizes intelligence. Simon is a boy who volunteers to the point that it gets him killed, he is a symbol of human goodness. These characters become great contributors to the plot and theme.
    Speaking of the plot and theme, William Golding did an excellent job of reminding people how easily human nature can put society in danger of collapsing. It begins with the male middle school group stranded on an island with no adult supervision, it’s a thing to celebrate at first, but the group under Ralph’s attempts to raise a functioning society becomes more defiant of logic. Made-up creatures from nightmares and increasing arguments led to a downfall in the productivity and unity of the group. They then stop listening to Ralph entirely because they are deprived of fun feelings under Ralph’s logical perspective of island survival. Jack believes that they should have fun hunting pigs and chanting in circles until the day they die, with no hope of rescue in sight. The kids, being the middle school group they are, answer to Jack, except for the smart Piggy and twins Sam and Eric, who are captured or killed even by the other tribe. Simon was one of the few who did his best work under Ralph, even to where his work beat him down. Simon is killed around this time by the group, as they thought he was the fake beast they feared, even when he worked for the good of the group until he died. Ralph is left to survive with the savage group hunting him for the rest of the book until the island is set on fire, catching the attention of a ship that rescues them. When they meet the officer who descended to see what was going on, he asks if they are playing at war, and they agree, even with the mentioned two deaths from this savagery. It becomes clear that the members of a functioning society are ignorant of how easily life becomes a fight for survival when all else is lost.
    A good theme for the book goes something like the following sentence. Society’s flaws come from the flaws of human nature. This book shows that the human’s nature is to have fun, be lazy, and do what it wants. Society only functions when people mature. Maturing means doing stuff that you don’t want, helping others, and being aware of your mistakes. The middle schoolers in Golding’s book are not mature enough, except for Simon, Ralph, Piggy, and the twins Sam and Eric. They do their part in society but are crushed by the overbearing weight of the savages who let human nature control their every move. These savages blamed others for their mistakes, which led to increasing arguments and aggression towards others. These savages let laziness get the best of their civility, and the group suffered because of it. Other examples clearly show this message as well. In the grand scheme of things, this book is extremely cool and I would recommend it to anyone who wants more than a bad summary of it from me, and anyone who hasn’t read it at all. Just don’t tell them all the spoilers.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Skinner
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good book, required by gr 8 teacher
    Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    This specific edition/printing/published book was a required purchase for all students in my daughter's 8th grade class. Apparently the teacher desired an inexpensive printing that would be read by all children following exact page assignments. My daughter enjoyed the book and learning the lesson taught.
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  • Gonella
    5.0 out of 5 stars Muito bom
    Reviewed in Brazil on December 7, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Leitura
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  • Margie Taylor
    5.0 out of 5 stars More relevant today than ever
    Reviewed in Canada on September 19, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    It kept coming to me while reading Michael Wolff’s Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House – the similarities between the chaos, duplicity and treachery taking place in Washington and William Golding’s tale of a group of children marooned on a tropical island. Lord of the Flies is a world without grown-ups – as, it would seem, is the current West Wing.

    Inspired by Golding’s experiences during World War II, Lord of the Flies tells the story of a group of schoolboys who are being evacuated from England during a fictional atomic war. Their plane is shot down somewhere over a tropical island in the Pacific and only the children survive. (Why the plane, departing from England, is anywhere near the Pacific Ocean is never explained.) There has been a storm, which washed the wreckage of the plane out to sea; now, in its aftermath, two of the boys, Ralph and Piggy, meet up on the beach.

    When they discover a large, cream-coloured conch shell floating among the weeds, Peggy suggests that Ralph blow into it to summon the others. With Piggy’s instructions, Ralph is eventually able to create a deep, harsh booming sound that reverberates across the island. Slowly, in groups of twos and threes, the children appear out of the foliage, in various stages of undress:

    “Some were naked and carrying their clothes; others half-naked, or more or less dressed, in school uniforms, grey, blue, fawn, jacketed, or jerseyed. There were badges, mottoes even, stripes of color in stockings and pullovers. Their heads clustered above the trunks in the green shade; heads brown, fair, black, chestnut, sandy, mouse-colored; heads muttering, whispering, heads full of eyes that watched Ralph and speculated. Something was being done.”

    The assembled boys include a school choir, all dressed in black, led by a tall older boy named Jack; he and Ralph immediately stand out as natural leaders. But Ralph holds the conch, he’s the one who has summoned them, and when it comes to a vote it’s Ralph who’s chosen to be chief. As a sop to Jack’s pride, Ralph decides that Jack and his choir will hunt food for the group.

    In the beginning the boys are excited to have the island to themselves -“No grownups!” But Piggy, who is sidelined because he’s overweight, asthmatic and wears glasses, is more thoughtful. He reminds them that the adults, as far as they know, are all dead, having being killed in the bombing: “Nobody don’t know we’re here. Your dad don’t know, nobody don’t know–” His lips quivered and the spectacles were dimmed with mist. “We may stay here till we die.”

    Ralph announces that they must build a fire on the top of the mountain and keep it burning. Smoke will give a signal to any passing ship – smoke is their only hope of rescue. At this stage, the boys are fired with enthusiasm for having proper rules – meetings will be held on a makeshift platform, and the one holding the conch will speak without interruption. Rules are important, after all … in the absence of adults, rules will keep them safe.

    Some of them, however, fear they’re not safe. There’s a beast, says one of the younger boys. It comes in the night and disappears in the morning. Although the older boys scoff and try to laugh it off, it leaves an impression. When the body of the downed pilot, trapped in his parachute, is discovered in the dark, rising and falling in the wind, the boys are led to believe the horrifying truth – the Beast is real. And it is terrifying.

    The description of the hunters’ first kill is a nightmare of violence and bloodlust. The pig is a sow; one moment she’s dozing peacefully in the sun, nursing her piglets, the next she’s being sliced and hacked and butchered to death. Afterwards, they sharpen a stick at both ends and impale the head of the sow on it, a gift for the Beast:

    “. . . the head hung there, a little blood dribbling down the stick. Instinctively the boys drew back too; and the forest was very still. They listened, and the loudest noise was the buzzing of flies over the spilled guts.”

    After this, the division sharpens between Jack and his hunters, intent on finding more pigs to kill, and Ralph’s followers who want to build shelters, keep the fire going and abide by the rules of the conch. The hunters become more and more “savage”, painting themselves in mud and charcoal, while Ralph and Piggy cling to what they remember of civilization. “The world, that understandable and lawful world, was slipping away.” Roger, at one point, starts throwing stones at a “littleun”, being careful not to hit him:

    “Here, invisible yet strong, was the taboo of the old life. Round the squatting child was the protection of parents and school and policemen and the law. Roger’s arm was conditioned by a civilization that knew nothing of him and was in ruins.”

    Jack becomes a symbol for evil…for why things “break up”, as Ralph puts it. But Simon, the mystic, lost in a hallucinatory conversation with the pig’s head – the Lord of the Flies – knows otherwise:

    “‘Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill!” said the head. For a moment or two the forest and all the other dimly appreciated places echoed with the parody of laughter. “You knew, didn’t you? I’m part of you? Close, close, close! I’m the reason why it’s no go? Why things are what they are?”

    Simon rushes to tell the others: there is no beast, the evil is within them. He blunders into the middle of a ritual celebratory dance by the hunters and is murdered. The others – Piggy and Ralph, and the twins, Sam and Eric – tell themselves Simon’s death is not their fault. They weren’t part of the murderous dance that destroyed Simon. It was an accident, Piggy says. It was dark, they were scared – there’s no good to be got from thinking about it. They create a new version of the facts, one they can live with. One that suits their purposes.

    Right to the end, up to the moment when he realizes Jack means to kill him, Ralph calls it a game – Jack and his hunters aren’t playing fair, they’re not playing by the rules. Rules created by adults in a sensible, civilized society. An English society, of course, which has no use for “savage” behaviour. Piggy, holding the conch, the talisman of sense, of law and order, demands: “Which is better–to be a pack of painted Indians like you are, or to be sensible like Ralph is?”

    Fear and anarchy win out. The leadership changes; in Jack, the new chief, we have a vision of authority without responsibility. Authority as it might be envisioned by a child. A spoiled, impulsive child, lacking compassion. Those who refuse to fall in with the new order are outcasts, despised and derided by the group. They are “the other”; as such, they’re fair game for insults, ostracism, even death.

    Sound familiar?
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  • Tx._.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good Book
    Reviewed in Germany on November 2, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    It's pretty interesting to try and follow the train of thought in this story, and if you're not sure, I'd say to just give it a try, but it might not be everyone's cup of tea.
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  • Mart
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Gripping Exploration of Human Nature
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 4, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Lord of the Flies is a powerful and unsettling novel that delves deep into the darker sides of human nature. William Golding’s portrayal of a group of boys stranded on a deserted island is both gripping and thought-provoking. The way society breaks down and the boys descend into chaos is a haunting reflection of the thin line between civilization and savagery.

    Golding’s writing is compelling, and the characters feel incredibly real, with each representing different aspects of human behavior. The themes of leadership, fear, and morality are woven brilliantly into the story, leaving you questioning how any of us might react in a similar situation.

    It’s a classic for a reason—one that sticks with you long after you’ve finished reading.
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  • Client Kindle
    5.0 out of 5 stars Frightening
    Reviewed in France on August 4, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    A brilliant description of what we are and could become if we forgot some rules...
    How we can be in heart down deep, something to reflect on.
    Go for it, it's a 5 star novel
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