Reviewed by Olivia
Rating: High Four
Who I'd Recommend to: fans of the Hatchet, and books like the Swiss Family Robinson.
Fav Quote: (coming soon)
Summary (from Amazon):
William Golding's compelling story about a group of very ordinary small boys marooned on a coral island has become a modern classic. At first it seems as though it is all going to be great fun; but the fun before long becomes furious and life on the island turns into a nightmare of panic and death. As ordinary standards of behaviour collapse, the whole world the boys know collapses with them—the world of cricket and homework and adventure stories—and another world is revealed beneath, primitive and terrible.Labeled a parable, an allegory, a myth, a morality tale, a parody, a political treatise, even a vision of the apocalypse, Lord of the Flies has established itself as a true classic.
Rating: High Four
Who I'd Recommend to: fans of the Hatchet, and books like the Swiss Family Robinson.
Fav Quote: (coming soon)
Summary (from Amazon):
William Golding's compelling story about a group of very ordinary small boys marooned on a coral island has become a modern classic. At first it seems as though it is all going to be great fun; but the fun before long becomes furious and life on the island turns into a nightmare of panic and death. As ordinary standards of behaviour collapse, the whole world the boys know collapses with them—the world of cricket and homework and adventure stories—and another world is revealed beneath, primitive and terrible.Labeled a parable, an allegory, a myth, a morality tale, a parody, a political treatise, even a vision of the apocalypse, Lord of the Flies has established itself as a true classic.
My Thoughts: Hmm. This book was WAY too long. There was absolutely no build-up to the last four chapters in the first eight, and most of the time I felt bored with the story. However, I normally dislike books classic, or books written in the 20th century. I'm well aware that this book was published in 2003, but the style of the writing is similar to ones like the Hobbit (I enjoyed the Hobbit WAY more than this. All the same, the last four chapters made this story (hardly) worth it, because it did a great job of using these children as a metaphor of our human race (no, I know we don't run around calling ourselves savages and putting war-paint on our faces, striving to kill as many pigs as possible and leaving the head for "the beast.") I was scared along with Ralph, and this story felt very (almost terrifyingly) real at the end... probably until the Naval officer found them. But that's not really the point of the story, although naval officers don't just swoop in and save you everyday (the fire alerting the officer was understandable, though.)
The characters, though, also bugged me. There were way too many of them - Simon, Samneric, the ten or something "liluns," Roger, Ralph, Piggy, Jack... probably thirty of them. My brother and I were both wondering how all these kids came to be in this plane crash together, and why, by little chance, no adults were left surviving. Were there really so many more kids that not a single adult survived?
Overall, this book barely earned two stars at the end for the last four chapters, and though I complained a lot in this review, I'd suggest just skipping to the last four, worthwhile chapters, and then if you're still curious, reading every, excruciating, first eight chapters.
The characters, though, also bugged me. There were way too many of them - Simon, Samneric, the ten or something "liluns," Roger, Ralph, Piggy, Jack... probably thirty of them. My brother and I were both wondering how all these kids came to be in this plane crash together, and why, by little chance, no adults were left surviving. Were there really so many more kids that not a single adult survived?
Overall, this book barely earned two stars at the end for the last four chapters, and though I complained a lot in this review, I'd suggest just skipping to the last four, worthwhile chapters, and then if you're still curious, reading every, excruciating, first eight chapters.
