Lord of the Flies by William Golding

by perigee (contributor)

Genres: Classics

Unknown Binding

Reviews

[Chet Rodin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poor Piggy.

[bluepalmtrees · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book, due to it being a classic. Honestly thought it was terrible, it moved very slow and nothing really even happened until about 150+ pages in. I found the conversations back and forth very hard to follow and know who was talking about what. A lot of the same sorts of conversations throughout the book, I was bored. Then all of a sudden Piggy dies, just a sad and very odd read. I read it as I thought maybe I was missing out on a classic, but it was not a good read, one of the worst books I've read.

[duuckliinng · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poor Piggy!

[Addie Murphy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Although I like what it stands for, the book moved slowly and was hard to read.

[Akshara]

The Grizzly Descent into Savagery

Beneath every civilized society, there's always a chance for chaos to break through. Lord of the Flies digs into how fragile civilization really is and how darkness exists in human nature. As the boys slowly lose their sense of order, William Golding shows just how thin the line between society and savagery is. Since he lived through World War II, Golding had a unique way of seeing human nature, showing how easily everything can fall apart. He uses intense, graphic descriptions of violence to highlight how fear, power struggles, and a lack of rules can destroy basic human decency. As the boys try to take charge of themselves, things quickly spiral out of control. What starts as a hopeful attempt at survival turns into a complete disaster, where instinct wins over logic. Golding shows that civilization isn’t something people can rely on—it’s weak and can crumble under pressure. Without rules to keep them in check, the boys lose control, proving just how easy it is for people to slip into savagery when there’s nothing stopping them.

Simons Brutal murder is one of the most terrible moments in the book, exposing the complete loss of humanity among the boys. As the novel says, “At once the crowd surged after it, poured down the rock, leapt onto the beast, screamed, struck, bit, tore. There were no words, and no movements but the tearing of teeth and claws” (Golding 152). The boy’s actions mirror those of a beast, wild animals, emphasizing the dehumanizing effects of fear and mentality. The comparison to “teeth and claws” suggests they have abandoned all sense of reasons of human decency. This also has a violent mix of words struck, bit, tore portrays a shocking animalistic scene, illustrating the utter naos of savagery. Simon, who symbolizes innocence and mortal truth, was tragically destroyed killed by the mob, representing how fear and hysteria can have a liberate reasoning and compassion.

Piggy’s murder is a distinct variant from Simon’s death in its deliberateness, symbolizing the complete breakdown of civilization and the embrace of calculated violence, as the novel states, “The rock struck Piggy a glancing blow from chin to knee; the conch exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist. Piggy, saying nothing, with no time for even a grunt, traveled through the air sideways and fell forty feet, landing on his back across the square red rock in the sea. His head opened, and stuff came out and turned red” (Golding 181). The clinical tone of the description makes the violence even more unsettling, highlighting how the boys have descended into brutality. One more point is that the phrase “stuff came out and turned red”-this is a super traumatic event for anyone, and seeing that no one cares is direct proof of the boys going into deep savagery and turning into bloodthirsty monsters! The destruction of the conch in the same moment symbolizes the complete collapse of societal order; in the beginning, the conch brought them together, but now it is broken, ending attempts at peaceful governance. Roger’s intentional act of violence shows that, by this point, some boys have clearly embraced violence with no moral hesitation, marking a clear departure from civilized boys to more savage ones.

The graphic depictions of violence in the Lord of Flies is not gratuitous they play a critical role in Golding’s larger critique of human nature. The grotesque details of violence especially Simon’s and Piggy’s deaths – force the reader to confront the possibility of humanity’s capacity for brutality, should society’s rules break down, the novel suggests that without rules and order, humans revert to savage instincts. The boys in the Island devolve into chaos, where violence becomes the ultimate form of power and control. The pig’s slaughter and the lord of the Flies itself add to the theme of the moral decay and corruption. The imagery of the pig’s head surrounded by flies symbolizes the rotting of the soul when unchecked by civilization.

The novel Lord of the Flies written by William Golding is a compact and complicated story. The disturbing nature of the deaths of many poor souls is heartbreaking. The grotesque imagery can leave the readers with, and unsettling realization Goldings’s depiction of violence exceeds, it may not be just fictional, but a reminder of fragile boundaries between civilization and savagery that exists within all humans. Though the book might have and uncertain ending there could be many things in and on their future. For this novel many unaccounted events may happen more deaths and depth into savagery or a new path that could lead to a civilized.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wordsworth famously intoned in his "Lines composed above Tintern Abbey" that "Nature never did betray/The heart that loved her; 'tis her privilege,/Through all the years of this our life, to lead/From joy to joy: for she can so inform/The mind that is within us, so impress/With quietness and beauty, and so feed/With lofty thoughts, that neither evil tongues,/Rash judgments, nor the sneers of selfish men,/Nor greetings where no kindness is, nor all/The dreary intercourse of daily life,/Shall e'er prevail against us, or disturb/Our cheerful faith, that all which we behold/Is full of blessings." Golding's novel, however, reads like a Romantic's nightmare inversion of Nature, as the island on which a group of British school boys lands betrays, curses (instead of blesses), and feeds the children with thoughts of savagery and lawlessness.

I hadn't read *Lord of the Flies* since my senior year of high school, when I wrote a paper comparing the novel with Conrad's *Heart of Darkness,* so decided to pick it up again as Netflix is currently airing a new BBC miniseries of the work. Still so upsetting to read about the loss of innocence for these children as their worst instincts are exposed and the rules of civilization are abandoned while they increasingly embrace bullying, violence, and power. Since I have children of my own now, I was even more disturbed by the fears of the "littluns," who just want to be reunited with their homes and their families and can't comprehend why rescue, comfort, and security seem so far off. Fun fact: apparently this is one of Stephen King's favorite works, and he got the name of the town Castle Rock (which he uses as the setting for many of his Maine novels) from the fort that the boys name Castle Rock in Golding's novel.

[Brookehamaty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading Lord of the Flies and thought it was a really interesting book. I liked how the story was more than just about a group of boys trying to survive on an island. It had a deeper message about human nature and what can happen when rules and authority are taken away. I also thought the conflict between the characters made the story interesting and kept me wanting to see what would happen next. The themes of power, leadership, fear, and civilization stood out to me most because they connect to real-world situations. Overall, I thought the book had a strong message and did a good job of showing how quickly people's behavior can change depending on their environment. I would recommend Lord of the Flies, especially to someone who likes books that make you think about society and human behavior.

[Di Inferi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always wanted to read it and unfortunately had a lot of it spoiled thanks to all the other adaptations of the story like that simpsons episode. But a very nice former colleague gifted me this book when she left together with a nice note, which made it even better. The book itself was also quite great though. I loved how the kids talked, how they tried to create a functioning society and how quickly it degrades. It's not just kids being unable to build a society, it's a microcosm of humanities inability to work together. Kids becoming adults, becoming savages to be saved by adults, who are in war, who are just some other savages.
It also dives into psychology. The only thing I could fault the book for, is that a few moments are described a bit too hasty

[Santiago Ornelas · Rating 5 out of 5]

poor piggy

[ALEYA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Besides the fact that they were in a plane crash where only the adults died and they basically got out of it without a scratch… It was good:)

[Michael Larzelere · Rating 5 out of 5]

William Golding has a timeless masterpiece depiction of human nature in the classic conflict of man vs man shown through the actions of a group of boys stranded on an uninhibited island.

[Alexandra Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, that was dark. I liked it, though. I don't have all that much to say lol. I read this one for school, and it's one of the better books I've been instructed to read.

[Jalen Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lord of the Flies is:
An Adventure Story
Genre: Dystopian Childhood Fiction

[J V · Rating 4 out of 5]

classic book, it was good, suspenseful, and my heart also got so sad.

[Jalyne Eastin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would rate Lord of the Flies a 2 out of 5 stars. The book has an interesting idea, but I personally didn't really enjoy it. The story is about a group of boys stranded on an island who slowly turn against each other and become vicious and violent. I thought it was strange and uncomfortable that the boys ended up trying to hurt and even kill each other, while managing to do so.

Even though the book is meant to show how people can lose control without rules or authority, it felt too extreme and unrealistic to me. Instead of being interesting, a lot of the story just felt disturbing. I understand that the author was trying to show a deeper message about human nature, but it wasn't something I personally liked reading.

Overall, while the Lord of the Flies has an important theme, I didn't enjoy the way the story was told, and I wouldn't choose to read it again.