Lord of the Flies by William Golding (1959, Paperback, Reissue)

A classic novel about boys stranded on an island basically. But beyond the basics lie troubles to be found in all mankind. Simple life is not always simple, human nature always gets in the way. I don't want to say too much for anyone reading this who has not yet read it. All I will say to those who are considering reading this book, do it. This is not a terribly long book for those who dislike long novels. It can be read in one day, easily, and is worth every minute.

Somewhere deep within the chaotic realm of middle school, I remember having first read "Lord of the Flies". It is an apt microcosmic account of the polarization that would take place should society suddenly find itself without law and given over to anarchy. There would be 3 main categories of people: The Ralphs; struggling to provide law and order where there is little hope for it, the Piggies; who would be crushed and overtaken by the strong without the protection of law and order, and the Jacks of the world; who would immediately come into power. Indeed the Jacks of the world are always in power. They are the ruthless, the savage, the borne dictators. Ralph's government was a Republic. Jack's government was a militaristic ruthless and base empire with little to no regard for the individual, with the exception of the individual at the head. There is another type of individual we find in the story who I most relate to--that being the non-participant who stares of into strange other-worlds. The Simons of the world.

This is a real classic. If you have never read this book you should. Especialy if you did not get the chance to do so in High School. If you happen to have a teen high school student... It is perhaps one way to make a connection with them as it is still used currently in many english classrooms. Like I said If you never read this book. You are missing a prime part of the American Educational Experience, and should read it... if not for its enjoyment then just to better understand American society and cultural influences.

This book was very well written. It dealt with many issues that most people would rather not think about. It in a round about way gets into the morals of different individula. It describes what certain people are willing to do to survive.

I first read this in high school, and my teacher sucked the fun completely out of it. I'm very glad I read it again. This is a great book. I would encourage everyone to think of questions the story raises. For me some questions were how would adults react if societal structures collapsed, how important is the role of society in keeping our emotions and passions in check, and what type of ethical framework would someone who has had little to no conditioning come up with? For those who like philosophy, this book plays directly into Hobbes's Leviathan when he says that without a social contract people would "have the right to all things."