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Butterfly Revolution
Welcome to High Pines Summer Camp for Boys. There is hiking, swimming, canoeing--and a revolution led by General Frank. He promises change for the better, but little by little, he begins to change, and the revolution turns into a nightmare....
221 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1961
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August 21, 2025
Революциите по принцип започват с добри намерения за промяна, но завършват еднакво - с безумие, кръв и беззаконие.
В послеслова на българското издание, тази книга е сравнена с "Повелителят на мухите". Но аз съм на мнение, че те се занимават с коренно различни ситуации - не намирам аналог между бавното подивяване на момчетата, случайно попаднали сами на необитаем остров и тези, заели се да направят революция в скучния летен лагер, разположен в дебрите на заспалата щатска провинция.
Уини Уейн бързо става симпатичен и следях патилата му с изострено внимание - все пак, всичко може да се случи в революционния хаос.
Това е роман, който не е много популярен - направо е забравен, но според мен трябва да се прочете рано, та и той да помогне децата в по-късните им развитие и порастване. Имаме късмет, че е преведен на български.
Засегнати са и теми, които за съжаление са все по-злободневни - популизъм, манипулация и маргинализиране на обществото. Използвани умело, те стават смъртоносно оръжие срещу демократичните общества, както се убедихме съвсем наскоро…
На мен лично ми бе еднакво интересна и на 15 и на 50 години. Да, точно така лети времето, но някои книги и идеите им си остават близки завинаги! 💖📚
Цитати:
"Не мога да си обясня защо хората, които не обичат книгите, мразят тези, които ги обичат, но е така."
"Мисля, че колкото повече се объркват нещата, толкова по-лесно можеш да се разпореждаш с хората."
В послеслова на българското издание, тази книга е сравнена с "Повелителят на мухите". Но аз съм на мнение, че те се занимават с коренно различни ситуации - не намирам аналог между бавното подивяване на момчетата, случайно попаднали сами на необитаем остров и тези, заели се да направят революция в скучния летен лагер, разположен в дебрите на заспалата щатска провинция.
Уини Уейн бързо става симпатичен и следях патилата му с изострено внимание - все пак, всичко може да се случи в революционния хаос.
Това е роман, който не е много популярен - направо е забравен, но според мен трябва да се прочете рано, та и той да помогне децата в по-късните им развитие и порастване. Имаме късмет, че е преведен на български.
Засегнати са и теми, които за съжаление са все по-злободневни - популизъм, манипулация и маргинализиране на обществото. Използвани умело, те стават смъртоносно оръжие срещу демократичните общества, както се убедихме съвсем наскоро…
На мен лично ми бе еднакво интересна и на 15 и на 50 години. Да, точно така лети времето, но някои книги и идеите им си остават близки завинаги! 💖📚
Цитати:
"Не мога да си обясня защо хората, които не обичат книгите, мразят тези, които ги обичат, но е така."
"Мисля, че колкото повече се объркват нещата, толкова по-лесно можеш да се разпореждаш с хората."
October 14, 2007
I have a hard time separating this book from my own literary and emotional development. While most people were required to read Lord of the Flies, I was required to read this book. I liked it better than Lord of the Flies because it doesn't have the duex en machina ending. As a thirteen-year-old, the book left a deep impression on me, but that may be because it was more intense in content than anything else I'd read. To this day, there are '80s pop songs that put me right back into how I felt while reading this book, especially the horror and sadness at one of the deaths.
My mother confiscated this book and read it in one night, not too happy at the reading assignment. She told me, "I don't see why they can't show you that good things happen if you read good books instead of bad things happen if you read bad books." Even at the time, I remember thinking, "that would be a boring book." And ever since, I've preferred to read books where something happens that I can learn from than a stagnant happiness.
I can see now the underlying theme of literacy, but at the time, that was so not what I got out of this story (although reading it as an adult and a parent, I can see how she would be upset at the content required of a thirteen-year-old). What I got out of the story was the danger of dictatorships, the fear of the oppressed, the danger of mob thinking, the emotional development and underdevelopment of this boy and all the boys.
My mother confiscated this book and read it in one night, not too happy at the reading assignment. She told me, "I don't see why they can't show you that good things happen if you read good books instead of bad things happen if you read bad books." Even at the time, I remember thinking, "that would be a boring book." And ever since, I've preferred to read books where something happens that I can learn from than a stagnant happiness.
I can see now the underlying theme of literacy, but at the time, that was so not what I got out of this story (although reading it as an adult and a parent, I can see how she would be upset at the content required of a thirteen-year-old). What I got out of the story was the danger of dictatorships, the fear of the oppressed, the danger of mob thinking, the emotional development and underdevelopment of this boy and all the boys.
April 1, 2017
The Butterfly Revolution by William Butler is an excellent book that was first released in 1961 and is now forgotten by most readers. I found the book at my neighborhood thrift store for a quarter and went in with minimal expectations. I was sucked into the story in an instant, enjoyed the entire book a great deal, and was satisfied with the conclusion. The book tells the tale of a camper revolt and takeover at High Pines Summer Camp for Boys. The revolution is lead by one of the older campers, Frank Reilly. Reilly is intelligent, manipulative, and power hungry. He knows how to make the younger campers feel safe and appreciated. He understands what level of information he can share with the different age groups at the camp. He assigns different campers roles with specific objectives so they feel valued. As the story moves on, we discover that his master plan includes a much bigger takeover outside of High Pines.
The entire book is told through the journal entries of narrator and 13-year-old camper Winston Weyn. He is a well-read young man who struggles to connect with his peers because of his superior intelligence and fondness for rules and structure. He is a compelling storyteller and Butler succeeds in using the journal entry style as an effective storytelling mechanism without it ever feeling forced or unnatural. We see the events unfold through the eyes of someone who buys into the takeover, feels conflicted about it at various points, and realizes what a terrible idea the revolution is at the end of the book.
It's a well-worn theme, but I thought The Butterfly Revolution did an excellent job showing how large groups of people can be influenced by a charismatic, strong-willed leader. This book also resonated with me because I found the portrayal of Winston so believable. I work with teenagers and I've worked enjoyed working with students like him before. He is not a mean-spirited kid. He doesn't want to harm others. But he also has the normal desires to be liked and accepted and it is easy for the older campers to influence his behavior and thinking. He wants to believe that the world follows a logic and balance that can be learned through reading books. By the end of the book he realizes that some things in life happen without reason or justification.
I also found Mr. Warren, the camp's director, a cringe-inducing but believable adult figure in the book. He represents the out-of-touch adult all teachers/people who work with young adults fear turning into. He forces campers to do activities they have no interest in, becomes angry and upset when his authority is questioned, doesn't seem to have much empathy for the campers, and is disliked or treated with disinterest by most of them. There some scenes with Mr. Warren that made me groan because I've seen his behavior in other adults I've worked with, and, as much as I hate to admit it, acted that way myself on a few occasions.
Reading this book, which I had never heard of before, made me realize how many great books there are from years ago that don't have the audience to justify a reissue or an e-book edition. I hope this post sparks the interest of some Goodreads users enough for them to buy this book or find it at their local library.
The entire book is told through the journal entries of narrator and 13-year-old camper Winston Weyn. He is a well-read young man who struggles to connect with his peers because of his superior intelligence and fondness for rules and structure. He is a compelling storyteller and Butler succeeds in using the journal entry style as an effective storytelling mechanism without it ever feeling forced or unnatural. We see the events unfold through the eyes of someone who buys into the takeover, feels conflicted about it at various points, and realizes what a terrible idea the revolution is at the end of the book.
It's a well-worn theme, but I thought The Butterfly Revolution did an excellent job showing how large groups of people can be influenced by a charismatic, strong-willed leader. This book also resonated with me because I found the portrayal of Winston so believable. I work with teenagers and I've worked enjoyed working with students like him before. He is not a mean-spirited kid. He doesn't want to harm others. But he also has the normal desires to be liked and accepted and it is easy for the older campers to influence his behavior and thinking. He wants to believe that the world follows a logic and balance that can be learned through reading books. By the end of the book he realizes that some things in life happen without reason or justification.
I also found Mr. Warren, the camp's director, a cringe-inducing but believable adult figure in the book. He represents the out-of-touch adult all teachers/people who work with young adults fear turning into. He forces campers to do activities they have no interest in, becomes angry and upset when his authority is questioned, doesn't seem to have much empathy for the campers, and is disliked or treated with disinterest by most of them. There some scenes with Mr. Warren that made me groan because I've seen his behavior in other adults I've worked with, and, as much as I hate to admit it, acted that way myself on a few occasions.
Reading this book, which I had never heard of before, made me realize how many great books there are from years ago that don't have the audience to justify a reissue or an e-book edition. I hope this post sparks the interest of some Goodreads users enough for them to buy this book or find it at their local library.
December 30, 2008
True confession time: this book got on my radar after watching an exceptionally bad '80s movie adaptation of the story called Summer of Fear. However, I saw that movie fresh off of reading Lord of the Flies and it made an impression. I never was able to find a copy in my public library and it was out of print for ages, so I just happened upon it this past year when it became available through PaperbackSwap.com.
Was it worth the wait? Yes and no.
Butterfly Revolution is built on a great concept: set in the 1960s, a summer camp for teens is overthrown by its campers. Chaos ensues. A military-esque social structure forms, the surviving adults are held in lockdown, and the campers are left to build and maintain their own short-term utopia. Until the first crimes are committed and the first punishments handed out.
In the end, I liked the story and the idea behind the book better than the book itself. The writing was a little plodding, and the narrator wasn't endearing or even very likeable. I did finish the book -- mostly because I had waited for almost 20 years to read it -- but it was kind of an unsatisfying conclusion.
Was it worth the wait? Yes and no.
Butterfly Revolution is built on a great concept: set in the 1960s, a summer camp for teens is overthrown by its campers. Chaos ensues. A military-esque social structure forms, the surviving adults are held in lockdown, and the campers are left to build and maintain their own short-term utopia. Until the first crimes are committed and the first punishments handed out.
In the end, I liked the story and the idea behind the book better than the book itself. The writing was a little plodding, and the narrator wasn't endearing or even very likeable. I did finish the book -- mostly because I had waited for almost 20 years to read it -- but it was kind of an unsatisfying conclusion.
July 12, 2020
When I started reading this book, I was just trying to finish it so I could give it away. I bought it in either junior high or high school, and I don’t think I had read it since. I didn’t even really remember it.
And really, the first 3/4 of the book was reasonably tedious for 63-year-old me. But the last quarter… The author uses the words of young teenagers to bring fresh light to political philosophies. Things for me to chew on. I’m keeping the book.
And really, the first 3/4 of the book was reasonably tedious for 63-year-old me. But the last quarter… The author uses the words of young teenagers to bring fresh light to political philosophies. Things for me to chew on. I’m keeping the book.
August 3, 2008
Rereading the first page of the book, the first entry in the new diary of 13-year-old Winston Weyn, was like revisiting one of the best parts of my childhood——remembering that indescribable joy and anticipation in beginning a book and becoming engaged from the first page. This book is very much in the tradition of Animal Farm and Lord of the Flies but for a younger reader.
Winston reads Herodotus and is rereading with his mother the Bible, although he has decided he has been an atheist for at least a year. He wonders, upon receiving as his birthday a term at summer camp, why his father wants him to be more like other boys. He is bookish and analytical——a nerd a decade before it became fashionable or at least acceptable——but no matter; he would be indifferent to trends anyway. He is honest, principled, naive, and he is, after all, very young.
This is his diary of how he becomes involved in a revolution at, of all places, summer camp. One of the older boys, charismatic and intelligent, leads a takeover of the camp, jailing the counselors and staff, primarily for the pursuit of "real fun." Winston is reluctant but recruited for his intelligence——and how seductive is that? To have the opportunity to matter? To lead?
Winston reads Herodotus and is rereading with his mother the Bible, although he has decided he has been an atheist for at least a year. He wonders, upon receiving as his birthday a term at summer camp, why his father wants him to be more like other boys. He is bookish and analytical——a nerd a decade before it became fashionable or at least acceptable——but no matter; he would be indifferent to trends anyway. He is honest, principled, naive, and he is, after all, very young.
This is his diary of how he becomes involved in a revolution at, of all places, summer camp. One of the older boys, charismatic and intelligent, leads a takeover of the camp, jailing the counselors and staff, primarily for the pursuit of "real fun." Winston is reluctant but recruited for his intelligence——and how seductive is that? To have the opportunity to matter? To lead?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 8, 2024
I think this is still an incredibly relevant book about how one or two individuals can manipulate people into doing horrible actions under the guise of good.
The last entry in particularly hit me hard as Winn talked about how confusing life is, how it is a constant series of struggles, and feelings of powerlessness and unfairness in the face of those with greater power.
I personally would recommend it.
The last entry in particularly hit me hard as Winn talked about how confusing life is, how it is a constant series of struggles, and feelings of powerlessness and unfairness in the face of those with greater power.
I personally would recommend it.
January 5, 2009
This book was terrible and an obvious rip-off of Lord of the Flies. I don't remember why it was terrible, but I remember it WAS terrible. And the movie's not much better, but it IS better.
November 16, 2008
Passable "Lord of the Flies" knockoff with most of the ethical speculation removed, and one of the few young adult novels I've read not as a young adult.
September 19, 2010
"Lord of the Flies" was better.
May 19, 2015
3 stars
September 2, 2019
Loved it as a kid, couldn't finish it as an adult.
February 25, 2021
Moral of the story: Keep a freaking journal.
Also don't read this just before going to sleep.
Also don't read this just before going to sleep.
December 30, 2023
I first read this book about fifty years ago when I was in 8th grade. It always stuck with me and I wondered why. I decided to delve back into it these many years later and I learned why I liked it so much. Besides reminding me that Thomas Jefferson wrote the US Constitution, it educates you on good versus evil and right from wrong. It clearly proved to me the importance of keeping a diary/journal. Maybe that’s why I am so consistent with still keeping a daily diary.
I even read parts of it to my 2nd grader grandson before bedtime. He liked the boys at camp ‘farting contest’ but he picked up on the concept of a revolution, too. The book is in diary format by a 12-13 year old boy who has been sent away to an all-summer long camp. I was also reminded when I read it the first time that I was happy that I never went away to camp.
After completing the book I learned that a film adaptation was done in 1986 starring Chuck Conners called SUMMER CAMP NIGHTMARE. I read that it’s a poor rendition compared to the book…so I’m not rushing to see it. Books are usually better than film adaptations. This book was published in 1961 and still provides great lessons for ‘living life’. This one is a classic in the tradition of LORD OF THE FLIES.
Here are the lines that I underlined (and I wonder if I would have underscored them back when I was thirteen…probably):
“It is the little things that count.”
Little things make big things happen.
Well, I see this is getting very long, but I could write more if it wasn’t getting late. I enjoy writing and, reading back over what I have written, I see I have written it rather well, and so maybe I will be a writer when I grow up.
“Nothing stands still. Things are either growing or decaying, that’s all I learned in biology. Things are either going in one direction or another, that’s all I learned in Physics. People are either pushing to the left or to the right, that’s all I learned in History. The only thing I learned in school is that nothing stands still, and when something stops getting bigger, it starts getting smaller.
Well, I just can’t know everything and, frankly, it makes me mad.
“You always do things better than you’re told. You do more than just obey orders. You’re smart. You think.”
I was flabbergasted. Someone says something, so you listen. It doesn’t matter if the guy who says something believes what he says or not, you just listen. Everyone takes what he says seriously, so you take it seriously, too…even if everything he was saying was a lie.
“Revolutions aren’t good, they’re bad, and you can’t make something bad turn into something good the way you want to. You, you want to take a pied made out of mud and call it a real pie just because you spread it over with whipped cream.”
I told him there were still things to fight for in America (freedom of religion/human rights), so we might actually accomplish something good instead of just doing a lot of things that ended up all bad.
“You can’t stop a born leader. You try to push them down and they only spring up that much higher.”
The only thing is, it is my diary which got me home.
“The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”
Things are never just black and white, all good or all bad.
There are some problems people are supposed to just struggle with, just struggle with until the struggling itself works its way into some kind of answer.
I even read parts of it to my 2nd grader grandson before bedtime. He liked the boys at camp ‘farting contest’ but he picked up on the concept of a revolution, too. The book is in diary format by a 12-13 year old boy who has been sent away to an all-summer long camp. I was also reminded when I read it the first time that I was happy that I never went away to camp.
After completing the book I learned that a film adaptation was done in 1986 starring Chuck Conners called SUMMER CAMP NIGHTMARE. I read that it’s a poor rendition compared to the book…so I’m not rushing to see it. Books are usually better than film adaptations. This book was published in 1961 and still provides great lessons for ‘living life’. This one is a classic in the tradition of LORD OF THE FLIES.
Here are the lines that I underlined (and I wonder if I would have underscored them back when I was thirteen…probably):
“It is the little things that count.”
Little things make big things happen.
Well, I see this is getting very long, but I could write more if it wasn’t getting late. I enjoy writing and, reading back over what I have written, I see I have written it rather well, and so maybe I will be a writer when I grow up.
“Nothing stands still. Things are either growing or decaying, that’s all I learned in biology. Things are either going in one direction or another, that’s all I learned in Physics. People are either pushing to the left or to the right, that’s all I learned in History. The only thing I learned in school is that nothing stands still, and when something stops getting bigger, it starts getting smaller.
Well, I just can’t know everything and, frankly, it makes me mad.
“You always do things better than you’re told. You do more than just obey orders. You’re smart. You think.”
I was flabbergasted. Someone says something, so you listen. It doesn’t matter if the guy who says something believes what he says or not, you just listen. Everyone takes what he says seriously, so you take it seriously, too…even if everything he was saying was a lie.
“Revolutions aren’t good, they’re bad, and you can’t make something bad turn into something good the way you want to. You, you want to take a pied made out of mud and call it a real pie just because you spread it over with whipped cream.”
I told him there were still things to fight for in America (freedom of religion/human rights), so we might actually accomplish something good instead of just doing a lot of things that ended up all bad.
“You can’t stop a born leader. You try to push them down and they only spring up that much higher.”
The only thing is, it is my diary which got me home.
“The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”
Things are never just black and white, all good or all bad.
There are some problems people are supposed to just struggle with, just struggle with until the struggling itself works its way into some kind of answer.
November 17, 2017
Written in the form of one sensitive and intellectual boy's journal, this book in the tradition of "Lord of the Flies" chronicles the inevitable breakdown of a poorly-conceived revolution at a kids' summer camp. When some of the older boys chafe at the safe, packaged activities of the camp, epitomized by a much-derided outing to collect butterflies, one smart and ambitious teen takes it upon himself to take over in the name of "fun." What follows is a quickly deteriorating mix of Soviet-style rule through propaganda and meaningless rank, pseudo-patriotic American jingoism, and hormone-fueled chaos.
As thrilling and horrific as the story is, where it shines is in its application of political theory, philosophy, and sociology to the microcosm of a kids' camp. We've seen it before, of course, but for me, the chilling juxtaposition of innocence and moral ambiguity doesn't get old. I only wish I were a little more fluent with my early sixties geopolitics so I could better grasp the allegorical nuances here. It's a great, well-written story, over all; I'm just wary of cheering too hard for moments that might turn out to be, I don't know, the teenage version of Barry Goldwaterism or something. There is a slightly uncomfortable reliance on Jefferson's whole "tree of liberty must be watered in blood every once in a while" sentiments, but I'm not sure, from this context, whether the narrator, often the most pragmatic voice on the page, is meant to be interested in it for ironic purposes. What's certain, though, is that they book demonstrates a surprising sensitivity to race and gender issues, so bravo to William Butler for tackling these in, again the early sixties. He also focuses on individual liberties, actions based on the dictates of one's conscience, and the idea of respecting one another's autonomy as long as our actions don't hurt others or the community. These are basic concepts, yet are often ignored in the practice of our little American experiment in civil society. I like to imagine that the kids from the book--the ones that survive the revolution, anyway--grow up to become peace and reconciliation facilitators or something. One can hope!
As thrilling and horrific as the story is, where it shines is in its application of political theory, philosophy, and sociology to the microcosm of a kids' camp. We've seen it before, of course, but for me, the chilling juxtaposition of innocence and moral ambiguity doesn't get old. I only wish I were a little more fluent with my early sixties geopolitics so I could better grasp the allegorical nuances here. It's a great, well-written story, over all; I'm just wary of cheering too hard for moments that might turn out to be, I don't know, the teenage version of Barry Goldwaterism or something. There is a slightly uncomfortable reliance on Jefferson's whole "tree of liberty must be watered in blood every once in a while" sentiments, but I'm not sure, from this context, whether the narrator, often the most pragmatic voice on the page, is meant to be interested in it for ironic purposes. What's certain, though, is that they book demonstrates a surprising sensitivity to race and gender issues, so bravo to William Butler for tackling these in, again the early sixties. He also focuses on individual liberties, actions based on the dictates of one's conscience, and the idea of respecting one another's autonomy as long as our actions don't hurt others or the community. These are basic concepts, yet are often ignored in the practice of our little American experiment in civil society. I like to imagine that the kids from the book--the ones that survive the revolution, anyway--grow up to become peace and reconciliation facilitators or something. One can hope!
August 5, 2017
This was an interesting book, written in the form of a journal kept by a 10 yr. old at camp. The author creates a lot of unnecessary distraction with trying to keep the 10 yr. old bias. The book can really be, and should be read between the lines.
Upon reading other reviews on Goodreads, I am struck by the fact that no one seems to have picked up on the religious drone of the book. I think that it is too easy to compare this to Lord of the Flies, and ultimately wrong. This goes much deeper into the moral morass:
"Atheists are just supposed to do the right thing, they have No God to swear to." Try that one on the pulpit on any given Sunday!
I think the brilliant aspect of the book is the title. The author gives a plausible explanation for this, but it is fool's fodder to accept it readily. This is one of those books you should read once, and then again about 6 mos. later with a highlighter, and an open mind. If it doesn't unsettle you, YOU may have never made it out of the revolution yourself!
Upon reading other reviews on Goodreads, I am struck by the fact that no one seems to have picked up on the religious drone of the book. I think that it is too easy to compare this to Lord of the Flies, and ultimately wrong. This goes much deeper into the moral morass:
"Atheists are just supposed to do the right thing, they have No God to swear to." Try that one on the pulpit on any given Sunday!
I think the brilliant aspect of the book is the title. The author gives a plausible explanation for this, but it is fool's fodder to accept it readily. This is one of those books you should read once, and then again about 6 mos. later with a highlighter, and an open mind. If it doesn't unsettle you, YOU may have never made it out of the revolution yourself!
October 4, 2017
Young Winston Weyn Vs The Granfallooners
At the time this novel was published (1961), I'm sure it had many parents foaming at the mouth. The book has a great many things for young minds to think about- Honestly there are more than a few adults in my life I'd like to have read this book and really think on what it has to say about nationalistic themes and consider how much of their personal beliefs are based on choices they have made versus instances where they have just simply chosen to follow other's choices. I wouldn't say the writing is a revelation, but there are some well developed characters, important issues, and the pace is quick enough so that even short attention spans will not lose steam. I picked my copy up at the local Goodwill store while bored at camp(ironically) and it was a wonderful way to spend a day.
I am interested in reading some more of William Butler's work and I'd appreciate any suggestions!
At the time this novel was published (1961), I'm sure it had many parents foaming at the mouth. The book has a great many things for young minds to think about- Honestly there are more than a few adults in my life I'd like to have read this book and really think on what it has to say about nationalistic themes and consider how much of their personal beliefs are based on choices they have made versus instances where they have just simply chosen to follow other's choices. I wouldn't say the writing is a revelation, but there are some well developed characters, important issues, and the pace is quick enough so that even short attention spans will not lose steam. I picked my copy up at the local Goodwill store while bored at camp(ironically) and it was a wonderful way to spend a day.
I am interested in reading some more of William Butler's work and I'd appreciate any suggestions!
June 15, 2025
It's the Kamp Krusty episode of the Simpsons combined with an Animal Farm-esque evolution to the kids' revolution. The first-person narration from the 13 year old protagonist is somewhat Salingerish. Sadly all of the violence happens away from him, so we don't get the lurid details I was hoping for. But I can always re-read Let's Go Play at the Adams' if I want to read the full details of adolescents torturing and raping for fun, I guess. The novel is very nicely antagonistic to many American practices that do not jibe with actual freedom (like forced god in Pledge of Allegiance).
October 18, 2025
Read for 2025 PopSugar prompt #44 A book you have always avoided reading. This book is in the tradition of the classic, Lord of the Flies. To be honest I hated reading LOTF and I totally avoided it based on that.
It isn't a terrible book but I still did not like the concept of the book. I am not sure if it was the child violence or because it shows how someone can manipulate people into doing horrible actions under the guise of good. It kind of relates to current day politics, which in itself, is kind of terrifying.
It isn't a terrible book but I still did not like the concept of the book. I am not sure if it was the child violence or because it shows how someone can manipulate people into doing horrible actions under the guise of good. It kind of relates to current day politics, which in itself, is kind of terrifying.
April 5, 2020
The entire book is told through the journal entries of narrator & 13-year-old camper Winston Weyn. He is a well-read young man who struggles to connect with his peers because of his superior intelligence & fondness for rules and structure. It was an interesting read & for such an old book it does bring about current issues & interesting thoughts. I did enjoy it.
January 10, 2025
When Yeats issued "Wild Swans at Cole" in London in 1919, the group showed how Yeats was in his first collection issued since the outbreak of the war in 1914. He was not an English poet, as his English requires. The reaction to the war among English poets was different, whether they welcomed it or hated it. The war was a huge collective experience, which there is no way to avoid it, and Yeats stayed away from it. In his poem "An Irish Pilot Foretells His Fate," he says: "Those I do not hate/ Those I do not love."
Yeats taught people to love and hate theoretically, and he summarized his lessons in this regard: "Neither thought nor politics can alone create open minds that make them wise or fair, and generous to the extent that they can create a nation." His personal effort was directed at purifying the imagination, through the mirror at least, and in lines that move him away from drifting with mass violence, and he did not lose faith in his idea of heroism, but rather he did not believe in the ideas of his generation's men, who seemed
Yeats taught people to love and hate theoretically, and he summarized his lessons in this regard: "Neither thought nor politics can alone create open minds that make them wise or fair, and generous to the extent that they can create a nation." His personal effort was directed at purifying the imagination, through the mirror at least, and in lines that move him away from drifting with mass violence, and he did not lose faith in his idea of heroism, but rather he did not believe in the ideas of his generation's men, who seemed
February 1, 2021
Bought the book after I saw the movie "Summer Camp Nightmare". That movies is based off of this. It is a simple story but it shows an idea that was probably not as believable as it would be today. I would recommend this is anyone wants to read about youth rebellion.
May 2, 2022
Read for first time since High School. Shows how power fully corrupts
May 6, 2024
A bunch of children take over an institution from the adults running it with absolutely unrealistic demands. Chaos ensures.
It's essentially about Columbia undergrads. Five stars.
It's essentially about Columbia undergrads. Five stars.
May 13, 2025
Small but mighty, bought a physical copy
June 6, 2025
It is a beautiful story about the trouble one can get into at camp.
February 23, 2022
I first read this book in my early teens. I have since read it 3 more times in the span of 18 years, and will likely read it again. This book is exciting. I really love it. Hands down my y favourite book of all time.
December 26, 2024
This coming-of-age story at the backdrop of a chilling anti-utopia is superb.
The lively and likeable characters make the subtle commentary ever more frightening. What starts as a simple boys’ story, grows gradually into the macabre. The seemingly mundane tale makes the shock of what follows all the more realistic. It’s as if facing a real-life dreadful situation and your mind refuses to believe what your eyes see.
All the whilst the slowly appearing anti-utopia tackles the root cause of what we’ve seen time and again in history: that profanity and the lack of enlightenment are the cancer cells of individuals, growing up to societal tumor size, that chaos is the most fertile breeding ground for tyranny, that despots are naturally inclined to dismantle and to destroy. And then to create order. Their order, managed with fear and force.
The words are by Henry David Thoreau, found in his essay “Civil Disobedience” and quoted within the Bulgarian edition of the book.
And also:
A definitive classic in the American literary tradition.
The lively and likeable characters make the subtle commentary ever more frightening. What starts as a simple boys’ story, grows gradually into the macabre. The seemingly mundane tale makes the shock of what follows all the more realistic. It’s as if facing a real-life dreadful situation and your mind refuses to believe what your eyes see.
All the whilst the slowly appearing anti-utopia tackles the root cause of what we’ve seen time and again in history: that profanity and the lack of enlightenment are the cancer cells of individuals, growing up to societal tumor size, that chaos is the most fertile breeding ground for tyranny, that despots are naturally inclined to dismantle and to destroy. And then to create order. Their order, managed with fear and force.
“Under a government which imprisons unjustly, the true place for a just man is also a prison.”
The words are by Henry David Thoreau, found in his essay “Civil Disobedience” and quoted within the Bulgarian edition of the book.
And also:
“I think that we should be men first, and subjects afterward. It is not desirable to cultivate a respect for the law, so much as for the right. The only obligation which I have a right to assume is to do at any time what I think right.”
A definitive classic in the American literary tradition.
February 6, 2015
I may be one of the only reviewers of this book who read this as an adult. I don't know if I'll have a different take on it, but unlike many reviewers who immediately compare it to Lord of the Flies, I actually feel it's more similar to Catcher in the Rye. Yes, a camp is taken over by kids who promptly lose control, and yes there is death; but to me the book was really about a kid who is trying to find answers and meaning in a world that is quickly losing any semblance of sanity. The main character writes about the camp's kids revolution in his diary, how he reluctantly becomes involved, finds fault in the revolution, and via his reading of philosophy and history attempts to place meaning and value on the revolution only to have it fall of deaf ears. He is seen by many to be a counterrevolutionary, a communist, and unpatriotic, while some see him as the only critical participant in the revolution. Add to this the innocence of a thirteen year old growing up in the early 60's post-McCarthyism and you have a pretty depressing illustration of the political climate at the time (the book was written in 1961) that has extended into and gotten far worse today.
December 8, 2016
I really very much enjoyed reading the book. it is an old published in the 1960s book that i found in my mothers bookshelf. the book is about a 13 year old boy who was forced to go to a boys summer camp because his parents thought it was "unhealthy" to be different from the other boys who played sports all day, unlike Winston Weyn, who read all day. Every thing was fine and child's play until the older boys got tired of the such child's play at camp, so they took over and ran the camp themselves while the camp councilors were locked up in the little detention room they called "the brig". The take over they called their revolution, but the revolution got far out of hand and ended up with nothing good; only a pile of trouble, and most unforgetfulful, 4 dead...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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