“The boy with fair hair lowered himself down the last few feet of rock and began to pick his way toward the lagoon. Though he had taken off his school sweater and trailed it now from one hand, his grey shirt stuck to him and his hair was plastered to his forehead.”
So begins the classical tale of survival on a deserted island, however, it isn’t long before something far more sinister starts to occur.
Lord of the Flies was William Golding’s debut novel – was rejected eight times by publishers before finally being accepted. A simple childhood story on the surface, the novel holds a darker meaning at its core. The novel has earned numerous awards over the years and is listed in over a dozen “Best Books” lists.
Although some chose to read it as a somewhat nonsensical tale, others see a deeper significance. It deals with civilization versus savagery, the decaying of society, and the supposedly inherent evil within humankind.
Summary
It tells the story of a group of schoolboys; the only survivors of a plane crash on an uninhabited island. They attempt to establish order amongst themselves and assign tasks to different groups in order to regain some semblance of normality. Unfortunately, they’re still only children, and this system quickly falls into chaos. Emotions become frayed, tension mounts between the different groups, and disaster strikes at every corner. The boys stand at the heart of one horrific event after the other. Eventually, their society crumbles to the ground and they end up relying on animalistic savagery to survive.
Commentary
Although Lord of the Flies is a generally well-received book, it’s not one that I’ll be reading again. The story is abstract and somewhat unreal and results in a strange variety of emotions from the reader as they finish.
It’s well-written in clear and easy-to-read language. Considering that it focuses on the lives of children, this is no surprise. Golding manages to give the perfect insight into the minds of wild and reckless schoolboys, which makes for an enjoyable read. However, in saying that, the novel completely lacks a plot. There’s no reason behind what’s described and a lot of the things that happen don’t have any bearing on the story at all. It reads more like a diary entry than a book, and this can get quite tedious after a while.
It’s terrifying. The novel is certainly, definitely, without a doubt, absolutely terrifying. But that’s what makes it good. It forces the reader to see the bad side of humanity, but by doing so, it makes them question things. And if a book doesn’t make you question things, then it isn’t a good book. The flip side of this, of course, is that Lord of the Flies shows the absolute worst of humanity and seems to ignore the circumstances surrounding it. You cannot expect a group of scared young boys stranded in the middle of nowhere without food, water or shelter to act like gentlemen. Yes, this book makes you examine human morals, but it’s also an extremely pessimistic view of humankind.
It has realistic characters. A group of young children left to fend for themselves without adult supervision just spells disaster. The characters develop throughout the novel in a very life-like and in-depth manner. The terrible consequences of the challenges they face make them grow in different ways and ultimately decide their fate. However, there are more characters called “William” than there are non-white male characters. Which really says something about the author, in my opinion. If you’re looking for a novel without a single shred of diversity, equality, or, you know, women, then go ahead and read. Otherwise, it’s not exactly relatable.
Recommendations
Overall, I’d give William Golding’s Lord of the Flies two out of five stars. It’s on quite a few “Must Read” lists for a reason, after all, despite my personal feelings on the matter. If you’re reading this for school, then read on. If you like somewhat horrifying plot twists, then sure. And if you really love a good old-fashioned middle-class white-man story, then this novel is perfect for you. Otherwise, I don’t recommend it to anyone.
Want to read it for yourself? You can find it in:
Prefer to listen to it instead? You can find it on:
Find me on Goodreads or StoryGraph!